For many households, the cleaning cupboard is one of the biggest sources of waste plastic, whether it comes from spray bottles, cloths or plastic-based wipes. But you can clean your home plastic free, and if you’re looking to take action on plastic in your home, it’s a great place to get started.
Cloths, scrubbers, brushes & wipes
Conventional cloths, scrubbers and wipes are made from oil-based textiles, which produce carbon emissions as they are made, and shed microfibres when they are used (which then pass into waste water and may escape filters to end up in the sea). Consider swapping to a woven cotton cloth, and replacing scrubbers with those based on plant fibres such as coconut or loofah. Wooden bottle brushes with replacable heads are now a widely available alternative to plastic ones. But if you can’t find plastic free alternatives locally, have a look at our list of helpful online online outlets for shopping plastic free.
Cleaning liquids
Plastic bottles can be recycled, but this is a costly process for local councils, with its own environmental consequences. Consider changing to a brand which offers refills, so that you don’t need a new bottle each time. It’s easy and can save you money. If you are in Gloucestershire, you can find local refill outlets here.
Make your own
Another great way to clean your home plastic free is to mix simple, cheap ingredients into effective cleaning products. This is is a great opportunity to avoid some of the more toxic chemicals used in supermarket brands. And by adding your choice of essential oils, you can also introduce the scents you like into your home (we like those from Starchild). Recipes for DIY cleaning products are widely available online, but we’ve included some of our favourites on our Recipes page.
Image credit: Daiga Ellaby, Unsplash