3 Ways to Make Your Cleaning Routine More Sustainable

If you look at the ingredient list on any cleaning product in your home, you'll most likely find that water is listed first. Most cleaning products are cleaning agents that are mixed with water and packed in single-use plastic bottles. So what if we could just buy the cleaning agent, mix it with water in our homes, and put it in a reusable bottle? Using waterless cleaning products is just one of the ways to choose cleaning products that reduce our household carbon footprint with more sustainable cleaning products.

‍

Waterless cleaning products reduce packaging and shipping emissions

‍

Waterless soaps and detergents are sold in the form of powders, sheets, or concentrates. This eliminates the water weight from being packaged and shipped, reducing the environmental impact of the product.

‍

Brands like Blueland and Dirty Labs sell concentrated cleaning agents in the form of tablets. You can drop them into your own bottle and fill it with water. All you’re left with is the packaging the tablets shipped in — that’s much less single-use packaging than if you get a new bottle of cleaner every time you need a refill. Blueland also has laundry detergent tablets for eco-friendly laundry.

‍

Other sustainable brands like Grove Co.have a slightly different model where they sell cleaning concentrates in a glass bottle. Similar to tablets, they can be mixed with water at home to create a cleaning solution.

‍

Refill your cleaning products from refill shops

‍

Refill shops allow you to refill your cleaning products into your own bottles. This means less new packaging being manufactured, filled up, and shipped.

‍

At a refill shop, you pay by weight. Start by weighing your empty container in the store, filling it up with your product of choice, re-weighing the container, and paying for what you’ve taken.

‍

Choose eco-friendly cleaning products in bulk

‍

Buying bulk containers of cleaners usually equates to less packaging per ounce and less waste over time. The ideal way to go bulk is by choosing refill shops. Getting bulk quantities prevents you from making multiple trips to the store, bringing down the emissions associated with the commute.

‍

If you don’t have a refill store close to where you live, there are some online options. Dr. Bronners is one of our favorites. It sells refills in 32 oz paper-based cartons with significantly less plastic than their bottles.

‍

Take small steps to reduce the impact of your cleaning routine. Even minor adjustments add up to a significant impact over time.