How to Make the Switch to Eco-Friendly Cleaning: A Step-by-Step Guide. Cleaning is an inevitable habit for every homeowner. Most people spend a lot of their time indoors. So, making sure that the house is safe is essential. Using chemicals and other harmful cleaning products can significantly impact our health. This is why green cleaning and sustainable cleaning products have gained a lot of popularity in modern days.
Switching to eco-friendly cleaning may seem overwhelming. However, careful planning allows you to develop a cleaning routine that benefits your health and the environment.
How to Make the Switch to Eco-Friendly Cleaning: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Get rid of harmful chemicals
The first step towards switching to an eco-friendly cleaning routine is to avoid using dangerous chemicals. Unfortunately, many products contain harmful substances homeowners are usually unaware of. Detergents, air fresheners, and dry cleaning products are at the top of the list. Most pesticides, like bed bug killers, insecticides, and bug sprays, are also dangerous for our health. Laundry soaps and fragranced products should also be avoided.
It is essential to use more natural ingredients to lead a healthier lifestyle and a better cleaning routine. By checking the labels and ingredients list, owners can ensure that toxic chemicals, like ammonia and chlorine, are absent. Laundry products can be harmful since they contain many synthetic fragrances. Instead, opt for fragrance-free products or ones containing organic essential oils.
Step 2: Swap out a few products at a time
You should proceed slowly to get rid of the harmful products mentioned above. It is not a good idea to eliminate all toxic products simultaneously. That will only make you feel insecure and overwhelmed. Instead, swap out one item at a time. For example, replace a cleaning product containing chlorine with natural ingredients. After a week, return another product, as well. There are a few considerations to prioritizing the list of chemicals you should remove.
First, you should start by removing the chemicals used in the house more frequently. An all-purpose cleaner can be a great start. Moreover, cleaners you are already running low on are excellent choices.
Step 3: Make a list of the companies you trust
The number of companies offering cleaning products keeps growing. Unfortunately, among the most transparent companies, there are those offering could be more trustworthy products. If a company conceals the list of ingredients used in its products, there is a severe reason for concern. Particularly companies claiming to be green and eco-friendly should be completely transparent with the source of their ingredients.
Homeowners should do thorough research to identify trustworthy companies. You can also look at DIY solutions if you need help finding a specific eco-friendly product.
Step 4: Make your homemade products
Homemade products, like cleaners, can help owners switch to a more environmental-friendly lifestyle. Although many believe that making our products is complex, the truth is different. Common household ingredients, including vinegar and baking soda, possess significant cleaning properties.
Natural ingredients and essential oils can help owners make excellent DIY cleaners. Several recipes combine ingredients in every household, like white vinegar, water, lemon rind, rubbing alcohol, and orange essential oil.
Homeowners can use their cleaning products for different purposes. A great example is the making of a hydrogen peroxide disinfectant. You can make a potent disinfectant by mixing equal hydrogen peroxide and water. The mixture is perfect for bathroom and kitchen counters, as well as for toilet seats.
Step 5: Look at natural cleaning products apps
Many homeowners need help identifying the ingredients enlisted on the labels of cleaning products. To help them with that, there are different natural cleaning products and apps to help them out. By searching or scanning other products, owners get a rating from 1 to 10.
This represents how toxic this particular product is. The listings are typically easy to read and understand. They also provide information about potential long-term side effects related to specific ingredients.
Step 6: Invest in eco-friendly packages
In many cases, cleaning products come in large plastic packages. That can hurt the environment. A good example is laundry detergents. Those products are usually packed in large containers. Instead, opt for laundry strips packed with concentrated cleaning agents.
The benefit of using these products is that they quickly dissolve in the wash cycle, and no harm is done to the environment. Other cleaning products, like hand soaps, can also be purchased in tablet form. Owners must mix them with some water at home and store the mixture in a reusable bottle.
Step 7: Avoid synthetic fragrances
Most people love to feel their house, clothes, or surfaces smell pretty. Unfortunately, using synthetic fragrances to accomplish that is bad for the environment and our health. In detergents, cleaning sprays, or air fresheners, toxic fragrances are usually present. Instead, users should look for natural alternatives, like essential oils. Lemon can also be the perfect addition to homemade cleaning products. Apart from its scent, it has significant antiseptic and antibacterial properties.
Step 8: First try, then review and repeat
Nonly some natural cleaning indeed products are going to be a success. Sometimes, a multipurpose eco-friendly cleaner may differ from your house’s needs. If this is the case, please don’t worry. There are so many options to look for that you will find something that suits you. You need to review and make new choices based on what worked well for your household in the past. In the long run, homeowners can build a list containing all the ingredients or products that work well with them.
How to Make the Switch to Eco-Friendly Cleaning: A Step-by-Step Guide – Conclusion
Once you start using eco-friendly and natural cleaning products, there is good reason to celebrate. You are helping both your health and the environment. At that point, you will never wish to return to toxic chemicals. Leading a healthier and less harmful lifestyle can benefit you and your family.
