Try sustainable swaps for cleaning products

Your Challenge

Take a look at the products you’re using to clean your bathroom, kitchen, dishes and washing. Could you upgrade any of these for more sustainable alternatives?  

It can be easy to accumulate a whole cupboard of cleaning products in plastic bottles: cleaners for toilets, surfaces and floors, sprays for showers and baths, hob and oven cleaners, and more! 

Here are some top tips for a more sustainable approach:  

• Think about what you buy and consider alternatives - as a simple first step, when your old products run out, consider swapping to alternatives and pick options that are packaging free, for example:  
  • Did you know water marks and limescale can be cleaned with white vinegar? And grime, grease and mucky surfaces can be cleaned with bicarbonate of soda. Both are common options at refill shops, enabling you to reduce packaging and save money, rather than buying several alternative products. 
• Other quick wins include choosing concentrated liquids which can be diluted at home (saving packaging in shops), blocks of hard soap for dishwashing, refills of liquids such as castille soap, and packaging-free ingredients like soap nuts, eco-eggs, dishwasher salt and bicarbonate of soda. 
• If you’re looking for further ideas, take a look at scrubbing brushes and cleaning sponges: there are now home-compostable options made from plant-based materials, including scrubbers made from coconut husk and loofahs. 
• Use quality refillable containers - another great tip is to invest in some nice reusable containers, which you can label and use when you go to refill stores. 
• Buy in bulk - some products are also available in large 5-litre containers, such as washing liquid and fabric conditioner. This usually makes them cheaper per litre, then you can decant them into smaller reusable containers at home.