Submitted by Natracare
Keeping your home clean is always a priority—yet doing it safely is important, too.
It’s a common misconception, for instance, that the strongest, most toxic chemicals sold in stores (in plastic packaging, no less) are the best choices for stripping your home of dirt and grime—but there are many other options available. Today, here are six simple tips for keeping your home clean in a way that’s plastic free, better for your health, and better for the planet.
1. Utilize DIY cleaning solutions.
Did you know that all-purpose cleaning solutions are easy and affordable to make—and they’re also just as effective at getting the job done? All you need to get started are seven key natural ingredients to use for a variety of different cleaning purposes.
Here’s your list:
- Castile soap
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Essential oils
- Lemon juice
- Soap nuts
These can be combined and used in a whole host of ways. Here are some recipes for different cleaners using only these safe and natural ingredients.
2. Research product ingredients.
For the cleaning products you do choose to buy, it’s important that you read the ingredients list and understand what each of them are and the risks they include. This may feel a little overwhelming at first, but don’t worry. It’s worth laying down the groundwork to better understand the ingredients you’re spraying, squirting and wiping throughout your home.
First, it’s useful to keep a list that decodes common cleaning ingredients to avoid, like endocrine disruptors that can be damaging to your health, for example. A list like this will help you recognize and remember absolute “must-nots” that you want to avoid at all costs. Next, the EWG Healthy Home Guide is a particularly useful resource to help guide your product choices and purchases. When you know what ingredients are in your cleaning products—and whether they’re safe to use—you’ll be able to feel good about choosing the best products for your home.
3. Buy compostable trash bags.
One of the most soul-cleansing parts of cleaning house is getting rid of the trash and seeing your home neat and clutter-free. However, most trash bags are made from black plastic that will never biodegrade. So, in other words, just because your trash is no longer cluttering your house, it’s still cluttering the earth. Be part of the solution to this problem by switching out your regular plastic trash bags for certified compostable versions like these from BioBag.
4. Avoid wipes with plastic and toxic chemicals.
Most conventional wipes are made with plastics, chemicals and fragrances. For example, when you wipe away bacteria on your surfaces, you might actually be wiping harsh chemicals onto those same surfaces. These chemicals can easily transfer onto your food, skin and other objects used on those surfaces.
What’s more, once you’re done with the wipe, it most likely won’t biodegrade because it’s made from plastics that will outlive you. Consider opting for wipes that are plastic-free, compostable and made with a gentle and natural cleansing formula and organic essential oils.
5. Choose plastic-free sponges.
Sponges are thought to be a cleaner’s best friend. But did you know that most sponges sold in stores are actually made from plastic? This means that when you’re done with the sponge, it won’t biodegrade. All the sponges from all the households worldwide are contributing this waste into landfill sites or our oceans—where sea creatures may be harmed by the plastic. By choosing a plastic-free and compostable sponge or scourer instead, you’re making a safer choice for the planet and for your home.
6. Use a fiber filter for your laundry.
Washing your clothes, bedding and towels regularly is essential to keeping your home clean and healthy, but did you know that doing laundry can cause damage by releasing microfibers and microplastics into our waterways? Most clothes contain at least a small amount of plastic. Think about the elastic in your underwear, for example—every time you wash them, they’ll release tiny particles of this plastic that go unfiltered into the water. Microplastics like this in our oceans, rivers and lakes cause a great risk to marine life as they ingest them and the plastics build up in their systems over time, which can eventually kill them.
Investing in a fiber filter for your washing machine will help you reduce the amount of microplastics released in every load of laundry you do. These filters work by collecting the microplastics and lint that come off your clothes during a wash; then you can safely dispose of this waste in the trash instead.
It’s Worth It
Keeping your home clean doesn’t have to be a chore, and it doesn’t have to bring toxic chemicals and plastics into your daily life either. There are so many tools and resources available today that you can take advantage of in order to keep your home spick and span in a way that’s better for your health and better for the planet. How are you keeping your home clean, safe and plastic-free right now?
About Natracare:
As the first company in the world to provide plastic-free, certified organic cotton tampons and totally chlorine-free period pads and panty liners, Natracare has been campaigning for eco-friendly period alternatives for more than 30 years. They are the creator of the only compostable period products in the world and offer products that fit every kind of body. In addition, Natracare products can be composted where facilities are available.
Founder Susie Hewson created the brand in 1989 in response to the growing risk to human health and the environment from dioxin pollution in the pulping industries due to the chlorine bleaching of paper products. Natracare is all about building a better world, which is why, in 2019, they became the first period care product brand to join 1% for the Planet.
Natracare products are available at select retailers in more than 80 countries worldwide.
