Evaluate your cleaning habits
The first step towards a more eco-friendly clean is to take a look at your current cleaning routine and identify areas where you can make small, sustainable switches. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- How often am I cleaning various parts of my home? Could I cut back on any excess or unnecessary cleaning?
- What cleaning products do I currently use? Do they contain harsh chemicals?
- What supplies do I use like paper towels, sponges, mops etc.? Are there more reusable options?
- How much waste do my cleaning habits generate? Can this be reduced?
Really taking the time to evaluate my current cleaning practices allowed me to pinpoint small changes that could make a big difference.
Switch to eco-friendly cleaning products
One of the easiest ways to green your cleaning routine is to swap out conventional cleaning products for eco-friendly alternatives. Here are some simple swaps I made:
- Traded harsh chemical cleaners for natural cleaning vinegars and baking soda. These work for most daily cleaning tasks.
- Switched from chemical-laden air fresheners and candles to essential oil diffusers. My home smells just as fresh using natural oils.
- Replaced antibacterial wipes and sprays with castile soap and water or diluted vinegar solutions. These disinfect just as well without added chemicals.
Making these small product swaps significantly reduced the amount of toxic chemicals used in my home. But I still get an effective clean!
Use microfiber cloths and mops
Microfiber cleaning cloths are one of my favorite eco-friendly cleaning supplies. The dense, lint-free fabric is very effective at trapping and removing dirt, grease, and dust without the need for cleaning chemicals.
Here are some of the ways I incorporated microfiber:
- Using microfiber mop heads instead of disposable mop pads or sponges. Just rinse and reuse.
- Cut up old t-shirts to make DIY microfiber cloths. These replace paper towels for most tasks.
- Bought packs of microfiber dusting cloths to reduce chemical furniture polishes.
Microfiber has cut down my need for paper towels significantly. And it cleans with just water for less waste!
Get by with less single-use products
Disposable cleaning tools like paper towels, plastic scrubbies, and disposable wipes generate a lot of unnecessary waste. Here are some of the swaps I made to reduce single-use products:
- Using reusable bamboo paper towels – I just throw them in the laundry to reuse.
- Switched from disposable Swiffers to reusable microfiber mop pads that attach to a handle.
- Traded plastic scrub brushes for reusable silicone scrubbers that last much longer.
Making these reusable switches in high-waste areas like paper towels and disposable scrubbers reduced my cleaning waste significantly.
Evaluate what really needs cleaning
My last tip for greening your clean is to simply evaluate what really needs regular cleaning, and what you can cut back on. A few changes I made:
- Only washing bedsheets and towels when truly dirty, not arbitrarily. Saves water, energy, and detergent.
- Vacuuming carpets and dusting less frequently in unused rooms. Still tidy but less intensive.
- Hand washing dishes with a sponge instead of running the dishwasher for just a few items. Saves energy and water.
Taking a step back to evaluate cleaning needs allowed me to cut back in areas that didn’t really impact the cleanliness of my home. Just some simple tweaks made a big difference.
Making a few small sustainable switches really transformed the way I clean my home for the better. What changes can you make to green your cleaning routine? Often, small steps can lead to big improvements for your home and the environment.
