How To Give Your Home A Green Spring Clean
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10 months ago
Lisa Grainger’s top tips for ditching toxic chemicals from your cleaning regime
Spring is the time that we all ritualistically deep clean the house. If you haven’t yet been beguiled by the oddly satisfying #cleantok (that’s accumulated billions of views), now’s the time to cleanse the house. But how to do it without harming the environment? Lisa Grainger gives her top tips for a more eco-friendly spring clean.
Eco-Friendly Spring Cleaning Tips
© Bower Collective
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
‘Sustainable spring cleaning is not just about keeping our homes clean; it’s about taking care of our planet too,’ says Nick Torday, Co-Founder of Bower Collective. ‘By making small changes to avoid toxic products and reducing the plastic waste coming out of our home, we can all contribute to a healthier environment while still enjoying a fresh and clean home this spring. It’s an easy way to make a big difference in our world while also creating a healthier living space for you and your family.’ Here are our top picks…
Check The Label
Sustainable spring cleaning methods not only benefit the environment but also create a healthier home for you and your family. Look for plant-based and non-toxic ingredients. Many chemicals remain in the waterways for decades, so it’s important to buy natural products that biodegrade, and in an ideal world are cruelty-free, as well as free from chemicals, synthetics, palm oil and petroleum. Great British brands include:
Good labels to look out for? The Soil Association, Allergy UK, and the Leaping Bunny.
Reuse & Refill
Rather than cluttering your cupboard with dozens of little plastic bottles – and worse still, aerosols – buy bulk-products whose packaging can be sent back to UK companies such as Bower Collective, Delphis, Greenscents, Faith in Nature, and Bio-D. Decant the liquids into a PET, glass or aluminium bottle from Fill or Ampulla and add home-designed labels.
Make Your Own Concoctions
Most cleaners are a combination of bicarb (to scrub, deodorise, remove stains and soften fabrics), citric acid (to remove stains and limescale), vinegar (for glass) and vegetable soap (for washing). British companies Dri-Pak and Fill sells all these natural basics, and dispense online recipes and advice, so you can concoct your own, safe in the knowledge that you know precisely what’s in them.
Minimise Your Products
Only three liquids are essential to clean a home: a glass-cleaner, a grease-remover and a disinfectant. All of which the eco-friendly Koh makes in its mop bundle, alongside microfibre cloths, a (very cool) mop, diamond-dust scourers and two well-designed refillable atomisers. Everything is fragrance free – add your favourite essential oil, if you like.
