The way we clean is currently experiencing a huge shift towards eco-conscious products and eco-friendly cleaning routines. This doesn’t just apply to our homes either with many businesses now joining the green cleaning trend too.
So, what are the best ways to create an eco-friendly cleaning routine? Start replacing your cleaning products with eco-friendly alternatives, use natural cleaning ingredients where possible, take steps to improve your indoor air quality, make sure you leave your shoes at the front door and consider hiring a green cleaning service.
If you’re becoming more eco-conscious and want to help mitigate your own personal impact on the planet and improve your personal health, start now by adopting ways to create an eco-friendly cleaning routine.
Ways to Go Green in Your Cleaning Routine
When it comes to changing the way we clean, it’s not just the cleaning products we use that need to be considered. While the cleaning products are important, equally so are the ways in which we clean and maintain our living spaces on a day to day basis.
1. Create Your Own Natural Cleaning Products
Creating your own cleaning recipes is actually much simpler than you may think. There are many natural ingredients that can be used to help clean your home or office spaces. Here are the most effective ingredients to use.
Baking Soda
Used for over a century by homemakers and cleaners all across the world. Perfect for cleaning, deodorizing, and scouring.
Alcohol
The best natural disinfectant there is! Vodka is also a potent odor remover and ethanol is perfect for cleaning too.
White Vinegar
Cuts grease, can remove mildew, eliminate odors, and even remove stains.
Lemon Juice
A strong food acid that is capable of killing most common house bacteria.
Cornstarch
An effective window cleaner, furniture polish, and shampoo for carpets and rugs.
Other natural ingredients that can be used for eco-friendly cleaning include natural soaps, oxygen bleach, citrus solvent, washing soda, hydrogen peroxide, and vegetable/olive oil. There are dozens of different eco-friendly DIY cleaning recipes for all-natural cleaning solutions in the home.
2. Improve Indoor Air Quality
Few people know that the air inside your room or office tends to be more toxic than the air outside. This is due to the advanced insulation of our buildings which help to trap in toxic materials and substances that are created by our building or that are carried in from outside.
Advanced insulation is great at saving energy but it has resulted in poor air quality in our buildings which can affect our health. It’s important to let the windows open as much as possible, especially in winter, even though it may be cold. Opening the windows allows fresh air to circulate through the room and remove toxins and pollutants from the air.
When cleaning your room or office, it’s important that you open all the windows out wide to help further remove unwanted toxins and chemicals that may be emitted during the cleaning process.
Adding plants that have natural air filtering and antimicrobial properties is also a great way to naturally clean your indoor air.
3. Leave Your Shoes at the Door
Take a minute to think about all the bacteria, toxins, chemicals, organic matter, pollution, pollen, animal waste, oil, and even antifreeze that you possibly bring into your house with your shoes.
One very simple, immediate, and effective way to keep your house green and clean is to enforce the rule that shoes must be left at the door when entering your home or office. Keep the dirty outside world away from your home and family members simply by taking your shoes off.
Some homeowners and businesses have even introduced entryway track-off systems as an effective way to maintain a healthy living environment.
4. Hire a Green Cleaning Service
This is best suited to an office or those who simply do not have the time to clean their own homes. Green cleaning services are popping up all over the country operated by professional, experienced, and well-qualified individuals.
You can remove the stress of cleaning your building in an environmentally friendly way by utilizing the skills and knowledge of these green cleaning services. They will usually be trained in the latest green cleaning techniques and have access to all the latest and best performing green cleaning products.
5. Use Eco-friendly Products
Switching the cleaning products we use is the most effective way to improve our living environments and help reduce our impact on the planet. Many traditional cleaning products use extremely harsh chemicals in their ingredients as well as being manufactured by environmentally irresponsible organizations.
As we continue to discover the effects of our cleaning products through continued research, we’re learning about their detrimental impact on both our healths and environment. These products can pose serious threats to us and our family members, making eco-friendly cleaning products that more appealing.
Adverse health effects may include skin irritation, itchy throat, headaches, and some chemicals used have even been linked as a potential risk factor for cancer. Dangerous chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been shown to pose serious threats to our health.
Traditional cleaning products are commonly made using petroleum, a cocktail of toxic chemicals, and non-biodegradable materials. These products are therefore environmentally unfriendly and usually carry a heavy carbon footprint.
Thankfully, the demand for eco-friendly cleaning products has created a recent boom in the market. Most people now have access to these “green” cleaning products at their local supermarkets. They’re typically made with natural and/or non-toxic ingredients, biodegradable materials, and have a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
Shadazzle Natural Multi-Purpose Cleaner and Polish
The Shadazzle Natural Multi-Purpose Cleaner and Polish (link to read reviews on Amazon) works effectively in many tough to clean spots throughout the home, from difficult grease stains in the kitchen to built-up water stains in the shower. The solid Shadazzle solution comes included with a durable sponge – simply wet and rub into the Shadazzle solution until it creates a foam.
The foaming solution works as an effective cleaner and polish for just about any washable surface including stainless steel, ceramic, marble, porcelain, glass, and even wood. After scrubbing, wipe clean and dry with a towel. The result is a polished and clean surface with a natural scented fragrance.
It also works as an effective yet gentle polish for silverware and precious metals while tackling tough cleaning jobs on outdoor furniture. A natural detergent certified by ECOCERT, ingredients include just clay, soap, vegetable oil and glycerin, and natural fragrances. Shadazzle works as a great multi-purpose choice for a first-time eco-friendly swap in your cleaning cupboard.
Final Thoughts
These five very simple solutions can help you to drastically improve the health and carbon footprint of your home or office immediately. As we continue to learn more about the harmful effects of our cleaning products and cleaning routines, the green cleaning revolution is destined to continue. Get ahead of the game and start to implement these changes to your living environment to create a new eco-friendly cleaning routine for healthier, greener, and happier living spaces.
