Zero-Waste Housekeeping: Your grandmother would be proud!
Think about this for a minute: Our grandmothers practiced the original version of zero-waste housekeeping. They cleaned with rags, not paper towels, and used homemade cleaning products. I remember my Greek grandmother cleaning her kitchen tile grout with baking soda paste and a toothbrush. (Yes, I inherited her obsessive cleaning gene.) Anyway, welcome to our April issue of zero-waste living!
If you’re following our guidebook, Zero Waste, we’re covering pages 85-105. Keep reading to learn lots more.
Ending my chemical romance
The ingredient list on most cleaners is a big chemistry lesson. We used to have cleaning products that would peel our eyebrows off if they splattered. With prodding from my hippie/vegan/smarter-than-me kid, I explored cleaning products and methods that are better for the planet and our health.
We like these eco-friendly cleaning supplies:
There are many other eco-friendly brands available. But shop carefully! Some manufacturers are notorious for “greenwashing”; they use misleading packaging designs to make consumers think their products are eco-friendly. Just because a product has a tree on the label doesn’t mean it’s not chemical-based. Read the ingredients to know what you’re buying.
The container counts too
Look for packaging that has minimal impact on the environment, like glass bottles and cardboard packaging. Opt for refillable products that let you reuse the same container over and over again. And did you catch our blog about zero-waste shopping? We listed local stores that carry sustainable bulk products, including cleaning supplies.
Eco made easy
A simple way to be 100% eco-friendly is to go for an all-in-one brand. Several online brands offer full sustainable lines (including starter kits), with products such as refillable glass bottles and cleaning tablets you add to water. Below are two brands that we’ve used to keep our house sparkly.
Time to air our dirty laundry
I hate doing laundry. But I found a guy who likes to do laundry, so I married him. We’re currently using a sustainable detergent from Nellie’s Clean just because I love the super-cute retro tin packaging. We’ll refill it when it’s done, not trash it like the ONE BILLION laundry jugs that are discarded annually in the US.
You’ll want to experiment to find what works best for you; some clean better than others, and scents vary. Here are other options:
More ways to make laundry day sustainable:
- 90% of a washer’s energy goes to heating water. Wash in cold water; it’s just as effective for everyday items.
- Wash full loads only!
- Wear jeans (and other clothes) several times before you wash them.
- Use shorter cycles.
- Air-dry whenever possible.
- Install a retractable clothesline in your laundry room or on a back porch. You can find some retractable clothesline reviews here.
- If you have limited space, consider installing a pulley system drying rack over your bathtub. Find options at lehmans.com. They have all things non-electric.
- Many dry-clean-only garments can be hand-washed in cold water. (Please don’t come at me if you shrink a sweater.)
- Dryer balls soften without chemicals.
- Make your own fabric softener: Add ¼ cup of white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil to your machine’s fabric softener dispenser.
Did someone say vinegar? Oh, I did. Because it’s a miracle cleaner.
The most sustainable way to clean your house? You guessed it: Make your own cleaning products. Simple ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, citric acid, and castile soap can handle most of your cleaning needs.
Here are some recipes from Metro and from Zero Waste that work in kitchens, bathrooms, windows, mirrors, floors, and laundry.
All-purpose vinegar cleaner:
Mix 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 ¼ cups water in a spray bottle. Add a couple of drops of essential oil if you want. Shake before use. Spray directly on surfaces and wipe with a cloth. To clean floors, add 1/3 cup of the solution to a bucket of water. No, your house will not smell like salad! The vinegar smell dissipates quickly.
All-purpose citric acid cleaner:
Citric acid is available online and at some grocery stores. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. NOTE: Do not use citric acid cleaner on marble, multiple exclamation points!!! Our marble bathroom floor survived 50 years, but could not survive overzealous Greek me.
Dishwasher detergent:
Mix 4 parts baking soda with 1 part sea salt. Use 1 ½ tablespoons per load.
Laundry detergent:
Mix:
- 5-6 ounces of palm oil-free castile bar soap or soap flakes. (If you’re using bar soap, you’ll need to grate it, and I will admire your dedication.)
- 1 cup washing soda
- 1 cup baking soda
- Optional: 10 drops of essential oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per laundry load.
*The Zero Waste book has a complicated recipe for laundry detergent using horse chestnuts. But this is not Little House on the Prairie, so I won’t share it here.
And my grandmother’s favorite, baking soda scrub paste:
Combine 1 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup liquid soap (or castile soap), and 1/2 cup water. Apply paste directly to surfaces, allow to sit for 10-30 minutes, then scrub and rinse.
For grout cleaner, mix 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1 teaspoon dish soap. Let it sit for at least half an hour, or if you’re my grandmother, long enough to attend a Greek Orthodox mass.
Other thoughts on sustainable housekeeping
- Clean with old T-shirts and worn dish towels instead of paper towels.
- Replace worn plastic cleaning brushes with bamboo or wood-handled ones with replaceable heads.
- Coconut coir scrubbers are a good alternative to plastic scrubbers.
- Avoid microfiber cleaning cloths; they shed plastic fibers.
- Toss dirty sponges in the dishwasher instead of the trash.
And because we are organizers and can’t help ourselves…
- Organize everyday cleaning supplies in a caddy that you can easily carry from room to room.
- Organize less-frequently used supplies by type (floor and rug cleaners, exterior cleaners, small hand tools, mop heads, vacuum cleaner attachments/bags, etc.) in labeled bins.
- Ideally, each bathroom has its own set of cleaning supplies.
Like we just said, we are organizers…
If you need assistance in making your housekeeping (and life) more sustainable, better organized, and simpler, schedule a free exploratory call with Big Rocks Organizing. We would be honored to help.
About Andrea Thompson
Andrea was an advertising copywriter/creative director for 40 years before retiring, then unretiring to start a new career in organizing, then retiring again to travel the world with her husband, John. She fully admits her home is not 100% organized.