10 Eco Friendly Cleaning Products for the Home & Office
We all want to protect ourselves and our families from getting sick. However, many of the cleaning products on the market contain harsh, hazardous ingredients that are good for neither us nor the environment. Evaluating products and their labeling can be daunting, but thankfully, tools now exist to help us make smarter, more sustainable choices that are kind to both us and the planet. Below are some tips on choosing the safest, most eco-friendly products for your family and office as well as a list of some favorites. For more specific cleaning tips check out our Green Cleaning how-to guides for retainers, jewelry, and Apple AirPods.
Check out green guides
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now features a guide for consumers with recommendations on what to look for in greener cleaning products, along with a Safer Choice labeling program. According to their website the labeling program is designed to help “consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.”
The non-profit Environmental Working Group has a guide that tests cleaning products and assigns them letter grades based on the toxicity of the ingredients. Grove Collaborative also has an extensive compilation of online link to spark your eco-friendly cleaning imagination here.
Pay Attention to Packaging Materials
When evaluating eco-friendly cleaning products, we need to look both at the product ingredients and the packaging. Even the best intended eco-friendly cleaner will have diminishing returns if packaged in unrecyclable materials that are destined for a landfill. To combat today's plastic crisis many companies are now offering cardboard, aluminum, glass, or fully recycled plastic packaging options.
Use or repurpose what you already have
While transitioning to more eco-friendly cleaning products is certainly the goal, before trashing everything under your sink take inventory of what you already have -- it may make more eco-sense to work through your current products and then make greener buying choices once they are depleted then to trash the current products outright. However, If you have products that do need to go, check your local area for information on recycling or disposal programs that will discard of them correctly. For some creative ideas on how to repurpose old household items check out the Zero Waste group on Reddit. For example, instead of buying a whole stack of new dishtowels or brushes check your throw away pile — cut up t-shirts make great dishcloths or old toothbrushes scrub brushes.
Top 10 Eco-Friendly Favorites
1.Castille soap
Castille soap makes the top of the list because of its incredible versatility. Dr Brommer's liquid soap features instructions for 18 separate uses at various dilution levels.
2. Plastic-Free Laundry Detergent Tabs
Laundry pods are a convenient addition to laundry day and can help prevent the waste of using too much detergent. However, many of the pods on the market are individually wrapped in plastic that breaks down in the wash and ends up in our waterways. As an alternative look for pods or tabs that stay together without the plastic. The ones from Blueland come with a refillable tin, and refills are shipped in recyclable/compostable packaging.
3. Paper Towel alternatives
To reduce your household paper towel waste, look at reusable, washable alternatives. Many of them come in bright colors or fun patterns. These Swedish Dishcloths can absorb up to 20 times their weight, are easy to wash, and come in lots of fun designs. They can even be composted when for disposal.
4. Glass soap dispensers
Instead of regularly buying small hand soap dispensers opt for glass refillable options. Bottles like these make it easy to use homemade soaps, or to refill them from a larger container or at a bulk store.
5. UV Sanitizer
Say goodbye to single-use disposable cleaning wipes. UV sanitizers use the power of light to destroy germs quickly and safely. Phone sanitizers like Utilimedic UV8LED are perfect for keeping your phone or other small items clean without using harsh cleaners on them or adding sanitizing wipes to the landfill. The UV8LED is designed for both the home and car, making a great option for commuters going back to the office.
6. Bamboo dish rack
The dishwasher heat dry cycle can use a lot of electricity. As an alternative try air drying your dishes. Many dishracks on the market are made of plastic, however there are now bamboo alternatives, such as this one from the Container Store. Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that regenerates from its own roots, making it a fantastic sustainable option to plastic.
7. Compostable cleaning brushes
So many cleaning brushes include plastic handles and bristles that are destined for the landfill. Instead opt of compostable alternative such as this bottle brush made of beechwood with your choice or horsehair or Tampico bristles.
8. Natural scouring pads
These scouring pads are made of natural silicone and coconut so their time getting your dishes and pots shiny clean is over you can add them to your backyard compost, or repurpose them as dish bar trays.
9. Washable mop covers
Instead of relying on disposable single-use map covers opt for washable reusable cotton covers. These reusable mop covers fit on Swiffer mop heads and are easy to wash in between cleaning days.
10. Wool Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional dryer sheets. They are biodegradable, soften clothes, and reduce wrinkles without any added perfumes or chemicals that can cause allergic reactions. These dryer balls from Branch Basics are sourced using wool from one farm in North Carolina.
