Housekeeping can be a pretty mundane task, but with these easy, sustainable swap housekeeping can be both better for the planet and more enjoyable for YOU!
Housekeeping is not what I would consider a good time. It is, however, a necessary part of life and can often be very unsustainable. Plastic bottles, harsh chemicals, and paper waste can make an already mundane task feel particularly heavy. In today’s post, I’m going to show you a few simple sustainable swaps you can make to make housekeeping both more sustainable AND yes, enjoyable!
Ditch the Paper Towels
As impossible as ditching paper towels might seem, this task is actually a super simple one! If you think about what our grandmothers did before paper towels were really the mainstay, this swap becomes much more simplistic.
My grandma used to make knitted washcloths (AKA – granny squares) which my mom has always used to wash dishes and wipe down countertops! About a year ago, I decided to try using less paper towels and started using these knitted cloths instead. This simple swap has saved me probably hundreds of dollars in paper towel purchases and it also feels like it connects me back to my roots, as silly as that sounds!
For cleaning areas like the bathroom, I love these cleaning cloths from Full Circle. I keep a couple stashed under each bathroom sink to use to clean the mirrors, bathtub, countertops, etc. They are super durable and cute to boot!
We still have paper towels and use them for certain purposes, but, for the most part, I use my knitted washcloths and woven towels for all of my paper towel needs! Simple!
Ditch the Plastic Bottles
A few years ago, this swap would have more difficult than it is now. When we moved a few months ago, I was shocked at how many cleaning products we had accumulated that we never used and were just piling up. It made me realize how much plastic waste was building up in our house and it really bothered me.
Thankfully, we are living in a time where companies are starting to think more about our plastic waste. I love using these reusable glass spray bottles with cleaning concentrate! Amazon and Target now carry Grove Collaborative products that have proven to be amazing! They have multi-purpose, glass, floor, shower, tub/tile, and even room spray concentrates! They come in these tiny little glass bottles with metal lids and all you do, is dump them into your spray bottle and fill the rest with water! Easy cheesy. Not only are these sustainable, but they also work and smell great!
Another easy sustainable swap in this category is powdered toilet bowl cleaner. I love this one from Seventh Generation. The packaging is pretty, compact, and, you guessed it, plastic free! This stuff works just as well as it’s plastic clad comrade with less impact on our pretty planet! Give it a try!
Start using sustainable swaps in place of single use products!
I used to be a big believer in Swiffers. I loved how they dusted and mopped the surfaces in my house with ease, but began realizing how much waste I was creating using them, not to mention how expensive they are. When I got married, I put a Full Circle cleaning bundle on our registry and it made me start cleaning in a new way!
In this cleaning bundle, there was a reusable, washable duster along with many other cleaning tools, but the duster was revolutionary for me (I’m also obsessed with this little guy). I realized that it worked just as well, if not better than the Swiffer products I had been purchasing and all I had to do when I was finished dusting was throw the dusting cloth in the washer! Game changer!
I also registered for a Shark steam mop when we got married. I love this steam mop for similar reasons that I love the Full Circle duster. The steam mop comes with two fabric pads that attach to the mop that you simply toss in the washing machine when you finish mopping and voila! Good as new! Another perk to using the steam mop is that you don’t have to use cleaning products on your floors. It works on hardwoods, laminate, and tile and is a serious time saver! We love it!
So… What are you waiting for?
All in all, being more sustainable in your home doesn’t have to be that hard. By making small, incremental changes to your daily rhythms, you can make big changes in the world that we live in as well as your pocket book! Being more sustainable in your cleaning routines is a win win, so what are you waiting for? Make one small sustainable swap today and feel better about your rhythms for years to come! You can do it!
Check out my Cleaning Challenge Checklist!
Want a fun cleaning challenge? Check out my post from last March where I had a cleaning challenge and download your own cleaning challenge checklist today!
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