Reuse those old toothbrushes
Think twice before ditching old tooth and nail brushes. They can come in very handy when you’re trying to clean awkward areas.
It’s good to have a few spare for cleaning things like the inside of water bottle dispensers, the edging on the soles of shoes, and shower tracks. Just don’t mix them up!
Kick kitchen towel to the kerb
Did you know kitchen towels can’t be recycled? It’s often made of valuable virgin wood pulp, uses masses of toxic chemicals to be bleached and processed and it comes in plastic packaging. So what can you do?
For green cleaning, swap to a reusable kitchen towel (yes it exists), that is made from bamboo or other ‘unpaper’ materials, that can be washed and reused many many times.
Invest in baking soda
Seriously, it’s not just for baking. Baking soda is one of the must-have multi-purpose ingredients for any green cleaning. We like this plastic packaging free one from Wholefoods Earth.
You can use it to brighten your toilet bowl. Put a cup of into the toilet bowl and leave for at least an hour. Add the same amount of white vinegar and leave for another while, before flushing. Any nasty stains and discoloration should get washed away.
Another green cleaning tip is to use baking soda for getting rid of pongs in your fridge. Put an opened box of baking soda at the back of your fridge – and just keep it there. The baking soda will soak up all the bad smells and all you need to do is change it every three months. Job done.
And while you’re in the fridge, take this time to give it some love. Spend some time sorting through your refrigerator and pantry, checking expiration dates, removing old food, and organizing what is left, says Kay Gebhardt, Senior Scientist, Sustainability and Authenticity at Seventh Generation.
Upcycle waste paper and magazines
If you still have print newspapers and magazines or get through a lot of paper at home, if you can’t get out to recycle them, can you upcycle them instead?
We’re loving these DIY tutorials on how to weave old paper into baskets! Definitely one to try now we’re all stuck at home.
Use plants to get rid of pests
Like us, there are some smells insects and small animals can’t stand and a strategic placing of plants can help you get rid of them, without having to turn to chemicals as you’re green cleaning your home.
Spiders don’t like citronella oil, so add a few drops to any essential oil burners where you have a spider issue or burn some citronella scented candles like these ones.
Mice on the other hand, really don’t like peppermint or spearmint. Install a few herb pots with mint where you’ve got a mice problem or add some drops of peppermint essential oil (20-30) to cotton wool balls and insert them into the holes and cracks where they’re getting in.
Reuse your plastic bottles
While it’s more difficult, granted at the moment, but can you keep and reuse old plastic bottles for refills from your zero waste shops or to use for other cleaning refills?
You can also turn plastic bottles into seed containers and mini greenhouses if you’re kicking off growing any fruit or veg this spring.
Use multi-purpose products whenever possible
There are several amazing green cleaning products available that may produce excellent results on a wide range of surfaces and fabrics.
As an example, consider Clean Living’s Biological Odour & Spot Remover. It can remove stains from a range of materials and totally eliminates odors, replacing them with a lovely long-lasting scent. It’s fantastic for removing stains, whether they’re from a spilled drink on the carpet or something spilled on your shirt before putting it in the washing machine. But our favorite use for it is to refresh pet beds, mattresses, sofas, trainers, caps and hats, and so on.
