We all like to keep our houses clean and tidy, there’s no doubt about that. The issue is that cleaning can often be a dirty process when you consider its environmental impact. We use a lot of water, paper, and harsh cleaning supplies to keep our homes dirt and grime-free. Cleaning in an environmentally sustainable way can seem like quite the challenge. The good news is that this isn’t always necessary, as we can use eco-friendly cleaning methods to minimize our negative impact on the environment. Here are a few examples.
Cut out the paper towels
When you’re cleaning a counter or table, you probably reach for the paper towels immediately after scrubbing it. Considering how convenient they are, it’s no surprise that most household use paper towels. However, they’re not the eco-friendliest of cleaning supplies. All those billions of pounds of paper towels that we use every year come from trees that have to be chopped down to give us the necessary material. The thing is?it’s not a necessary sacrifice, as there are plenty of alternatives to choose from.
The simplest and cheapest option would be to use an old sheet or towel. Not only do they do the job, but they can also be washed and reused countless times. You don’t have to buy several rolls of paper towels every week to keep things tidy. Simply cut up a sheet and wash it as you would a towel when it gets dirty. It’s a small change that has a major impact on the environment, which is why we should all strive to make it.
Start using vinegar and baking soda
It’s no secret that cleaning supplies aren’t good for the environment. Anything that’s too harsh to put on your skin is probably too harsh for all the plants and animals that come into contact with it once it gets into the ecosystem. In many scenarios, these types of chemicals and cleaning supplies are a necessary evil. However, these scenarios aren’t as common as you might think.
Oftentimes, we can clean up standard stains and messes with the help of two eco-friendly household substances?vinegar and baking soda. If you notice mould and mildew building up on your walls, a few squirts of vinegar can take care of the problem in a jiffy. Bathrooms and kitchens are areas where vinegar is best utilized for cleaning. Though, you can also clean your windows with it quite well. Baking soda can be used to take care of any persistent stains that also leave an odour. Whenever you clean your fridge, it’s recommended that you combine some baking soda and water and leave it to sit on the stained areas. Afterwards, cleaning them becomes a breeze and your fridge will smell as fresh as can be.
Use lemons for metal surfaces
When it comes to cleaning metal fixtures and pipes, we tend to go for the abrasive chemicals right away. After all, they take care of any and all stains and blemishes pretty quickly and leave the metallic surfaces clean and shiny. However, there’s no need to pollute the environment with chemical agents when you have the perfect cleaning option in your fruit bowl?lemons!
The citric acid in lemons acts as a great cleaning agent alternative for most metallic surfaces. If you need to polish some fixtures or take care of buildup, you can simply cut a lemon in half and use it like a sponge. Adding a bit of salt on top of the half-lemon is also recommended, as it helps take care of more persistent stains. Not to mention, you don’t need any other chemical to polish the metallic surface, as the citric acid takes leaves it clean and shiny once you’re done.
Be thoughtful when making purchases
Whether it’s sponges, chemicals, or other cleaning supplies, it helps to think about the things you purchase. Plenty of items in your home can have a negative impact on the environment, and some are more subtle in their effects than others. For example, certain types of furniture and items require specific cleaning methods that might use a larger amount of caustic and toxic chemicals.
Instead of thinking of alternative ways to keep them clean and tidy, you could simply choose items that don’t require as much maintenance. It’s not an easy task, as you have to already know what kinds of materials are more demanding than others. Take it step by step and choose your purchases with care so that you don’t have to use unnecessary pollutants in everyday cleaning or laundry.
Get efficient cleaning done
We’ve mentioned that certain toxic and polluting chemicals are necessary for cleaning, but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard with them. Part of the problem with house cleaning is that we tend to overuse harmful chemicals because it’s difficult to assess how much you need without years of experience. When you don’t clean efficiently, you also have to repeat the process much more often than necessary. Along the way, you’ll use way more of these chemicals, even though you shouldn’t have to.
Because of this, it’s recommended to get a professional cleaning done from time to time. Cleaners with years of experience know when and how to use certain chemicals, and they often have access to the eco-friendliest options on the market. Best of all?finding professional house cleaning services that clean in an environmentally-friendly way isn’t at all difficult. More and more of these companies have started to offer green cleaning, as the demand has risen in recent years.
Use eco-friendly soaps
You should also think about eco-friendliness when cleaning yourself first and foremost. Whether or not you want to stay clean is not negotiable?you obviously don’t want to stink and have skin issues. The way you go about keeping yourself clean, on the other hand, can have an impact on the environment and should be changed when possible. There are plenty of different types of soaps and washes on the market, and some of them are much more harmful than others.
Those that contain microplastics or beads are a big no-no and pollute the environment quite a bit. Choose regular shampoos and body washes, but opt for those that don’t contain too many irritants or strong cleaning chemicals. It’s also recommended that you avoid cheap soaps with toxic additives. A natural soap would be the ideal choice for both your body and the environment.
Conclusion
If you don’t want to leave a bad imprint on the environment, you should definitely switch to environmentally-friendly cleaning methods. These changes aren’t difficult, and they rarely require any effort or special supplies. In fact, they’re often cheaper than their harsher and environmentally-damaging alternatives. Use a few of these pointers in your day-to-day and monthly cleaning, and you’ll be minimizing your impact on the environment significantly.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
