In going plastic free, I have found that the contents of the cupboard under the sink has shrunk a lot! Much like the bathroom, when you gather up the bottles and sprays and cloths you have, you will probably be surprised at the many different items you have which all to do the same job! Once you start to use up your products, I hope there are some alternatives here that will work for you.
Multi-purpose spray
This is definitely my favourite swap of all - changing the various different spray cleaners to a vinegar spray. Vinegar seems to be the environmentally friendly answer to every household problem! A vinegar cleaner is extremely easy to make.
You will need:
· An empty large glass jar (I use a 900 g olive jar)
· White vinegar (preferably in a glass bottle which can be recycled!)
· The peel of any citrus fruit – grapefruit is my favourite, but oranges, limes, lemons all work.
· Essential oil (optional)
· A pair of old tights/muslin/fine sieve
· A mixing bowl
· An bottle with a spray nozzle.
Put the peel into the empty glass jar to soak it in the white vinegar for around two months. (Just put the lid on tight and put it under the sink and forget about it for a while.) As long as the peel is submerged in the vinegar, it will work. These two months will also give you time to use up the plastic packaged products you currently have.
Sieve the liquid through the tights/muslin/fine sieve into the mixing bowl to remove any pith from the fruit. Add a few drops of essential oil, if you choose to. It will still smell of vinegar but that doesn’t linger when you clean with it. Throw the fruit away into the compost.
Mix 1 part vinegar solution to two parts water and put into your spray bottle. The rest of the vinegar solution can be put back into the empty glass jar until needed. Try to start infusing some more vinegar when you start using the first batch. That way you won't run out and have to wait two months for the next batch to be ready.
The taps and shower door will look so shiny – you will be amazed!
As a multi-surface spray cleaner, it is fantastic across the kitchen (the sink and hob especially) and the bathroom. Just be careful on surfaces that are porous such as wood, stone or grout as the acid may cause them damage. You should also not mix vinegar with bleach.
Washing up liquid
When I first started out on the plastic free 'journey' I came across a company called Splosh. You initially purchase the product in a plastic bottle or container, however when it is empty you buy sachets to refill the bottle. The sachets then get sent back to Splosh to re-purpose. It was an easy swap and one that I have stuck to.
As an alternative many plastic free shops have bulk products such as washing up liquid, which allow you to refill a bottle. As a last resort, you could swap to eco ranges, however, as I have said before be aware that not everything that say 'eco' is actually environmentally friendly.
Washing up sponge
This was a hard swap for me as I only like to use a washing up sponge with a scourer on one side. But they are plastic and they are not going to decompose. There are a few different options out there - cotton cloths, wooden scrubbing brushes, coconut scourers. I am trying out an un-sponge. This has a cotton towel material on one side and a patterned material on the other. I haven't had it long so am just getting used to it.
Dishwasher detergent
This is a tricky one because even though you might pick up a cardboard box thinking the tablets will be separate inside they generally are not. In the beginning, I often tried shaking the box to try and find out if they sounded like plastic wrappers! In the end, I found old fashioned loose powder at Sainsbury and Waitrose. This washes perfectly well and isn’t at all expensive.
Dishwasher salt
You can find this quite easily in a cardboard box without a plastic inner at most supermarkets.
Laundry detergent
Individual capsules sold in a plastic box and covered in wrappers or dissolvable plastic are just bad all round. An easy solution is to return to a box of powder that you can scoop into the drawer and after trying a few different options this is what I have decided to stick to.
Another product on the market is a laundry egg. This ranges in price from £13 to £25 depending on how many washes it will do. It replaces detergent and fabric conditioner and is simply placed in the drum with each wash. The egg shell (which is made of plastic) can then be refilled to further reduce waste. This is not something I have tried and internet reviews are mixed. It seems if you have washing that is not particularly soiled then it works well. But it might struggle on sports kit or children's mucky clothes.
The third option are soap nuts. These come in a large bag and you use 4 – 5 nuts in a little linen bag in each wash. The same nuts need to be aired between washes and can be used around three times before composting. I wasn’t overly keen on these as I felt they left an odour in the machine (although not on the clothes). However, since then someone has told me that every month or so you need to rinse the machine with… you guessed it… vinegar and it will work fine. So, I am going to go back to trying these.
Fabric softener
I know you are going to start thinking that Splosh are paying me for advertising – I can assure you they are not! Fabric softener is one of the bundle of products I bought in my very first order and I have not felt the need to try out anything else.
I know the plastic free shop in Leicester has a similar refill system for washing up liquid, fabric softener, floor cleaner etc and hopefully as these shops become more popular you will be able to find one near you.
Another alternative is to use essential oils in the wash. I found however, with the type of water we have, this might make them smell nice but they come out like a piece of cardboard.
Cora ball or a guppy friend
These are two products that have come onto the market to help stop micro plastics going into the water system from your laundry. Fleecy tops and items made from plastic materials such as sequin T-shirts will shed fibres whilst in the wash. By using a Cora ball or a guppy friend the idea is that they are captured before they leave the washing machine.
I have been using a Cora Ball since Christmas, however, it is incredibly hard to give it a review. The plastics it catches are right in the middle section of the ball and as yet must be microscopic – because I can’t see them! Does that mean it is working or not? I cannot say for certain!
A guppy friend is a large bag that you place items which may shed plastics in to. This also aims to capture the microfibers before they leave the machine. Reviews online are positive although be sure to read the instructions.
Washing machine cleaner
In terms of cleaning, every time I google ‘environmentally friendly’ options for something, vinegar is the answer. This is so much cheaper than some branded cleaners and uses far less packaging and chemicals. Simply put 200 - 300 ml of vinegar into the detergent drawer and set it on a quick wash cycle. Magically, the machine will smell clean - not at all of vinegar.
Floor cleaner
Unless you have a stone floor, you can clean tiles with … you guessed it… vinegar! Mix vinegar with warm water and it is a safe, non-toxic anti-bacterial cleaner. As with all its other uses, whilst it might smell of vinegar initially the smell will go very quickly. If you find it too much try adding some essential oils to the water.
Window cleaner
Do I even need to say it… vinegar! And if you want to go really ‘old skool’ use newspaper instead of a rag. (If only my grandad could read this now!)
Oven Cleaner
The other partner in crime to vinegar is bicarb of soda. If you sprinkle the bottom of the oven with bicarb and lightly spray it with water so that it is damp but not wet, then leave overnight, it will wipe clean.
Microfiber cleaning cloths to cotton cloths
This is another micro plastics problem. Cleaning with any plastic based cleaning cloth will shed harmful microplastics into the water every time you use it and wash it. There are plenty of cotton cloths on the market, which can be washed and reused.
Throw away cleaning wet wipes to cotton cloths
The worst offender in your home. If you swap nothing else but these, the planet will be grateful. Single use, throw away items such as these are a huge waste and cause enormous problems when people flush them down the toilet. Many packets advertise these as 'flushable' and it is simply not true. They won’t break down and will just clog up pipes to create ‘fat-burgs’. Swap to cotton cloths that can be washed and used again.
Toilet cleaner to Splosh toilet bowl spray
To clean the toilet you could just use the vinegar spray but if you prefer something that will leave a pleasant smell try to find a refillable chemical free product. There are probably other products on the market but I have stuck with the first one I tried - from Splosh surprise surprise!
For some the move away from products that are bleach based and claim to kill 99.9% of bacteria, I know will be a huge shift in thinking. And for those of you with children the idea of leaving the wet wipes at home might bring you out in a cold sweat. However, changes need to be made and any small change will make a difference.
I hope over the last three days I have, at the very least, planted a seed to get you thinking. You can't achieve all of this in a few weeks so take your time to make swaps that will work for you and your family.