Sign up for 10% off your first order.

living

6 Easy Household Cleaning Swaps To Make Chores Better For You And The Planet

17/01/23

Author: Katelin Rice

DOCUMENTED BY: FANETTE GUILLOUD

SHARE

image
image

On average, we spend over 23 hours a month cleaning the house.

That’s not including all the extra tidying up if you have kids, a shedding dog or a bunch of friends over for a dinner soiree (kudos if you tick all of the above).  

We all know what these domestic duties can be: time-consuming, chemical-heavy and expensive. But they needn’t be. We’ve found plenty of ways to make that 23 hours better for you and the planet. And they’re simpler than you think.  

Documented By: @pleasantstate

Swap: paper towels for cut up rags

While they might appear to have a low carbon footprint (paper breaks down, right?), en masse the average US household consumes 80 rolls of paper towels per year. That all adds up, especially with most of it ending up in landfill.   

Your house is full of free alternatives you probably haven’t noticed before. That shirt that’s ready for the bin (but you don’t want to send to landfill) is the perfect candidate. Cut it into rectangles, or go one step further to create your own sturdy DIY towels that can be rewashed and used again and again. If you don’t have unwanted fabric at home, you can opt for these knitted organic cotton dishcloths that are super absorbent and ideal for scrubbing tougher marks.  

If you are particularly wedded to the paper towel experience, you can buy a biodegradable dishcloth that is washable and feels similar to paper towel when wet, or a compostable sponge and scourer option perfect for washing dirty dishes. 

Swap: 5 different sprays for one multipurpose refillable cleaner

How many different cleaning agents are in your cupboard right now? The average family will accumulate more than 30 bottles of cleaning supplies annually; that’s more than one bottle every two weeks. Most of those use single-use plastic. But, multipurpose cleaners are making it easy to cut back on product and money (making your life 10x easier).

Koh’s universal cleaner does the job of multiple products by tackling dirt, grease and grime on every household surface. It also comes in a large 4L container so you can easily refill your reusable spray bottles. Keeping on the refillable train, Zero Co’s multipurpose cleaner comes with a bottle and refill pouches which are made from recycled materials diverted from landfill. Plus, it throws in a postage-paid return mailer so you can send the pouches back for free to be cleaned, refilled and reused.

Swap: pre-made cleaning liquids with dissolvables

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, more than 90 per cent of a typical bottle of cleaning product is simply water. So, why not just add your own at home? That’s what Ethique wants you to do with its concentrate bars, which save around 700ml of water and a plastic bottle from being manufactured. All you need to do is snap the bar into small pieces, add water, whisk and pour into a reusable bottle.  

Other brands with noteworthy concentrates include CHANGE and Pleasant State. CHANGE’s dissolvable tablets are one of the most cost-effective multipurpose cleaners out there, coming in at under $2 a refill. Plus it offers an essentials cleaning kit with everything you’ll need for under $50. Pleasant State’s waste-free and non-toxic cleaning bars won a Clean + Conscious award last year and they no doubt got brownie points for their amazing Australian lemon myrtle scent. 

Documented By: @blueland

Swap: single-use dishwashing liquid for tablets

Just like dissolvable cleaning bars, you can get dissolvable tablets for your dishwasher. While you can easily find tablets in the supermarket, they often come in a single-use plastic bag and are individually wrapped in PVA. Cut all that out with Blueland, which sends dishwasher tablets straight to you in compostable paper pouches for a petroleum-, artificial dye-, paraben- and ammonia-free wash – which, according to many reviewers, leaves no residue.

Swap: pre-made mixes for natural alternatives around your home

If you’ve already banished single-use plastics and want to take it one step further, why not make your own cleaning agents from natural ingredients?   

Multipurpose cleaner: There are multiple recipes for a basic spray and wipe solution. But the classic is to simply mix a cup of vinegar with a cup of water and add some essential oils (if you’re not a fan of the pickle smell). Or, you can add lemon peels to the water and let it sit (and lightly ferment) for a week. When you’re ready to strain and use, the lemon will have passed on its natural antibacterial and antiseptic qualities.

Oven cleaner: Baking soda is a fantastic oven cleaner. Just add 5–10 tablespoons to a glass with equal parts soap and vinegar. Before you get scrubbing, warm your oven up by setting it to 50°C and turning it off once it reaches the right temperature. Spread the paste in the warm oven and leave overnight. The next day, just clean the mixture off with warm water and let dry. This solution also works for cleaning washing machines, coffee makers and irons. 

Something more hardcore: If you’re looking to make your whites “white” again, baking soda (our star) and hydrogen peroxide make a powerful team. Borax is also a great solution for not only helping whiten, deodorise and soften your wash, but also for a whole range of household chores that need that something “extra”.  

Swap: outdated floor cleaning routine with one that is less energy intensive

We’ll admit cleaning the floors is no-one’s favourite chore, but someone’s got to do it. The lowest impact method would be a wooden dustpan and broom. But if that's too much work, grab a vacuum (honestly, more our style). In terms of which one to buy if yours is on the brink, why not compromise between a broom and a power-chugging vacuum with a manual sweeper.  

When it comes to mopping the floor, Koh’s spray mop is perfect to use with its universal cleaner. It comes with reusable pads that you can wash more than 200 times.   

SHOP FOR YOUR HOME

View All (90)

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

SHOP →

Classic Clumsy Wool Cushion

CLUMSY

SHOP →

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

SHOP →

Cherry Patchwork Blanket

CURIO

SHOP →

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

SHOP →

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

SHOP →

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

SHOP →

Mushroom Patchwork Blanket

CURIO

SHOP →

Dante Candle

Blazed Wax

SHOP →

Juicy Check Blanket

CURIO

SHOP →

Spicy Mousse Chains Blanket

CURIO

SHOP →

Roman Pool & Beach Towel

Baina

SHOP →

Face Saver Silk Pillowcase

NIDRA

SHOP →

Checkerboard Cube Candle

Chorus

SHOP →

Roman Pool & Beach Towel

Baina

SHOP →

Circle Clumsy Wool Cushion

CLUMSY

SHOP →

Josephine Hand Towel

Baina

SHOP →

Classic Clumsy Long Pile Cushion

CLUMSY

SHOP →

Agnes Face Cloth

Baina

SHOP →

Wheatgrass Check Blanket

CURIO

SHOP →

One Of Everything Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

SHOP →

Wave Chains Blanket

CURIO

SHOP →

Circle Clumsy Long Pile Cushion

CLUMSY

SHOP →

Umber Bathmat

købn

SHOP →

Big Clumsy Wool Cushion

CLUMSY

SHOP →

Umber Hand Towel

købn

SHOP →

Nougat Bathmat

købn

SHOP →

Classic Pillar Candle

Chorus

SHOP →

Guppyfriend Washing Bag

Guppyfriend

SHOP →

Laundry Accessories Kit

The Dirt Company

SHOP →

Clay Bath Mat

købn

SHOP →

Crema Bath Mat

købn

SHOP →

Big Clumsy Long Pile Cushion

CLUMSY

SHOP →

Jasper Bath Mat

købn

SHOP →

Lilac Bath Mat

købn

SHOP →

Olive Bath Mat

købn

SHOP →

Solid Beeswax Tapered Candles

Chorus

SHOP →

Colour Block Candle

Chorus

SHOP →

Hand-Rolled Beeswax Dinner Candles

Chorus

SHOP →

Sand Flax Bath Mat

købn

SHOP →

Sand Towel

købn

SHOP →

Fancy Fit Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

SHOP →

Beeswax Pillar Candle

Chorus

SHOP →

Clay Towel

købn

SHOP →

Leaving the Nest Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

SHOP →

Crema Towel

købn

SHOP →

Tiny Tots Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

SHOP →

Lilac towel

købn

SHOP →

Jasper Towel

købn

SHOP →

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

Classic Clumsy Wool Cushion

CLUMSY

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

Cherry Patchwork Blanket

CURIO

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

Cherry Bomb Candle

Blazed Wax

Mushroom Patchwork Blanket

CURIO

Dante Candle

Blazed Wax

Juicy Check Blanket

CURIO

Spicy Mousse Chains Blanket

CURIO

Roman Pool & Beach Towel

Baina

Face Saver Silk Pillowcase

NIDRA

Checkerboard Cube Candle

Chorus

Roman Pool & Beach Towel

Baina

Circle Clumsy Wool Cushion

CLUMSY

Josephine Hand Towel

Baina

Classic Clumsy Long Pile Cushion

CLUMSY

Agnes Face Cloth

Baina

Wheatgrass Check Blanket

CURIO

One Of Everything Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

Wave Chains Blanket

CURIO

Circle Clumsy Long Pile Cushion

CLUMSY

Umber Bathmat

købn

Big Clumsy Wool Cushion

CLUMSY

Umber Hand Towel

købn

Nougat Bathmat

købn

Classic Pillar Candle

Chorus

Guppyfriend Washing Bag

Guppyfriend

Laundry Accessories Kit

The Dirt Company

Clay Bath Mat

købn

Crema Bath Mat

købn

Big Clumsy Long Pile Cushion

CLUMSY

Jasper Bath Mat

købn

Lilac Bath Mat

købn

Olive Bath Mat

købn

Solid Beeswax Tapered Candles

Chorus

Colour Block Candle

Chorus

Hand-Rolled Beeswax Dinner Candles

Chorus

Sand Flax Bath Mat

købn

Sand Towel

købn

Fancy Fit Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

Beeswax Pillar Candle

Chorus

Clay Towel

købn

Leaving the Nest Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

Crema Towel

købn

Tiny Tots Laundry Kit

The Dirt Company

Lilac towel

købn

Jasper Towel

købn

SHARE THIS STORY

Documented By: Anna Pihan, Innes Heywood

Join RIISE’s mailing
list for 10% off your first order.

This website uses cookies. They improve your navigation and the quality of our site. By navigating, you accept the placement and use of cookies as described in RIISE’s privacy policy.

ADD GIFT CARD OR DISCOUNT CODE

ITEMS:
0
SUBTOTAL:
$0.00
Shipping calculated at checkout