Eco Essentials You Need for Your Home
Cleaning tools
Here are all the eco friendly products you need to replace your current plastic ones, to clean your home.
- Organic cotton cleaning cloths – to wipe down counters, cleaning sinks and tiles.
- Scouring pads made from loofah or coconut – to remove tough stains, both are sustainable.
- Wooden toilet brush – you can use wooden brushes with natural biodegradable bristles, instead of cheap plastic ones.
- Bamboo paper towels – bamboo is extremely strong, the paper towels can be reused multiple times before disposing of it. They are machine washable and can soak up 10x the amount of liquid than regular paper towels.
Cleaning chemicals
Now that we have the materials to do the cleaning, what natural cleaning chemicals do we use to clean our house?
- Distilled white vinegar – natural disinfectant and deodorizer. Don’t buy brown malt vinegar, as they can stain.
- Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- Castile soap
All of these ingredients are non-toxic, biodegradable, versatile and inexpensive.
With white vinegar alone you can develop your own:
- Window cleaner with the concoction of white vinegar and water (1:1 ratio). If you hate the smell of vinegar, you can mask it by adding few drops of any essential oil.
- Weed killer – spraying vinegar directly onto the weeds should do the trick
- Toilet cleaner
Baking soda makes a great drain and oven cleaner. Period.
Castile soap works great as
- Dishwashing liquid
- Floor, multi-purpose and shower cleaner
It’s so versatile. This soap is highly concentrated than regular cleaning liquid, so you only need a little to do your dishes or to clean surfaces.
Warning! When castile soap reacts with hard water, it will leave spots of white residue, but this can be easily cleaned off.
How to Wash Laundry Efficiently
If you are wondering how to do your laundry in a more eco friendly way, the following tips should come in handy
- Only wash, once your washing machine has reached its full laundry capacity.
- If you need to wash a smaller load, just choose a shorter wash cycle on the machine.
- Also, wash your laundry at a lower and more energy efficient temperature of 90°F (30°C).
What washing powder or liquid should I use to clean my laundry?
Opt for eco friendly brand powder or liquid, which is free from animal cruelty, free from phosphates and uses plant based ingredients.
How do I remove the hard-to-remove stains?
Unfortunately, machines do have their limitations when it comes to those hard-to-remove stains. Fortunately, a thorough scrub with your hands will get rid of those stains.
You can do so by:
- soaking your laundry in a basin filled with water
- apply a little elbow grease to rid the the stains with castile soap.
What eco friendly fabric conditioner can I use?
Soap nuts AKA soap berries, derived from lychee family. When they react to water they release natural soap, called Saponins. You can get soap nuts in raw or powder form. Just place them in an organic cotton bag and throw that in with your wash.
You can also use washing eggs/balls. These are unscented pellets made from minerals and plant based ingredients. They are hypoallergenic and vegan. You can use them if you aren’t fan of the soap berries.
To dry, you can hang your laundry out when it’s nice and sunny. If the weather is bad, you can use your radiator or a dryer if you have one.