My top 5 environmentally-friendly cleaning products…
These are my go-to household, environmentally-friendly, cleaning products. We all have to do our bit to save the planet and I try to do mine by being careful about what cleaning products I use. Especially as we are not on mains drainage, meaning that our septic tank won’t do its thang, if we shove a load of chemicals down it! And we don’t want any issues there!
In my top 5 there is a generous cross section of items. There is a detergent replacement, a smell remover, an almost unbelievably good, dry stain remover, cloths that require not product to be used with them at all, and a sponge that can tackle the tough stuff! They really are the best environmentally-friendly cleaning products!
#1 Castile soap
Castile soap truly is my favourite household product of all time! It is an amazingly versatile vegetable-based soap, that is free of synthetic ingredients and animal fats.
Used diluted, you can use it just about anywhere! It makes a wonderful non-drying, hand soap or body wash. It can even be used as shaving foam, for doing the laundry or even to wash the dogs.
I personally love it best used as a surface spray cleaner. Not only does it do a great job in the bathroom, on worktops and on stainless steel, it leaves your house smelling absolutely gorgeous!
#2 Scented vinegar
This lovely product has all the deodorising, sanitising and cleaning effects of regular vinegar without the awful smell! It is non-toxic, allergen free and not tested on animals.
It is great at removing odours both in the air, and in fabric. Use a cup in your laundry to get rid of stubborn smells. Odours in rooms, or the fridge, can be removed by leaving a cup of vinegar in, overnight. Used in bathrooms it can eliminate and inhibit the growth of mould.
I use it with a trigger spray, to clean my windows, wiping the glass with newspaper for a streak free finish.
#3 Terre de Sommieres
This exceptionally finely textured powder is a life saving dry stain remover! I first discovered it when desperately looking for something to get red wine drips out of a brand new sisal carpet. And it worked!!
It also works well on wood, marble, porous stone, leather, paper and textiles. It worked brilliantly getting olive oil out of a silk shirt!
To use, sprinkle it liberally onto the stain, immediately if possible and leave to work for a few hours, and vacuum up. If the stain has not completely gone, heat the powder in the microwave to 40C and try again!
#4 Microfibre cloths
I use microfibre cloths a lot! I use them in the kitchen, I use them to wash my face and I use them to wipe the dogs’ wet feet when they come back inside the house!
They are super absorbent, and are able to pick up more dirt and food residue than most cloths. As they are designed to be used just with water, they are very environmentally friendly & great for anyone with sensitive skin.
They are lint free, hypoallergenic, and can be washed in the machine hundreds of times, but remember to leave out the softener!
#5 Diamond sponges
I use diamond sponges when microfibre cloths do not have enough welly to do the job! They are great to use on tough stains such as the baked on fats on oven doors, and shelves, as well as ceramic or glass oven dishes.
They also work very well on limescale, and hard water deposits on shower screens, tiles and porcelain sanitary ware.
Whilst they are relatively low on the abrasion front, I would avoid using them on high gloss surfaces and metals, and spot test any surface, just to be safe.
[…] using Castile Soap #1 on my Best environmentally-friendly cleaning products list. Diluted to different strengths. it makes great hand soap, shampoo AND bathroom cleaner! And […]