GOING GREEN CLEAN

Words and photos by Libby Foster |

By now I am sure we have all come to the realisation that the chemicals in our food and in our skincare, probably aren’t the best thing for us. Well surprise surprise! Neither are the chemicals in our cleaning products, though these chemicals are often forgotten about as we spray and disinfect our homes.

This is mainly because we are under the impression that these cleaning products are killing off the deadly bacteria that could hurt us, but what if these products were actually doing more harm than good?

Many everyday cleaners are based with chemicals such as phosphorous, nitrogen and ammonia. 

When we use these chemicals in our kitchens and bathrooms, they will eventually be rinsed down the drain. The water then moves to waste water treatment facilities, and from there most chemicals or contaminants are removed before the water returns to rivers or lakes.

However, it is not guaranteed that all the toxins in the water are removed, meaning that over time these toxins will build up and cause a negative effect on the environment. 

Fortunately for us there are cleaning brands out there now who care about our environment and our health; brands that don’t test on animals and don’t use microplastics or microbeads in their products. You may think it would be impossible to find any of these brands in your local supermarket, well you would be wrong. All these products can be found at your local Morrisons, Tesco or Sainsbury’s.

So, whether you’re looking for something eco-friendly, vegan or whether it’s just simply that you are after products that use less plastic, these four items are for you. 

The first product on the list is Method. Daily kitchen cleaner, this product retails at around £3 which is a reasonable price compared to other kitchen cleaners such as Dettol that retails at around £2. That extra £1 is well worth it when you consider the effect other products have on the environment. Method Kitchen Cleaner uses ingredients that are biodegradable, and their products are also safe to use around your pets. It is also a plant-based meaning is suitable for vegans to use. 

The last three products are all from the brand Ecover. For many years now this brand has been leading the way for affordable cleaning products that don’t cause a threat to the planet. The brand has a variety of products ranging from washing up liquid to laundry detergent, and they even have their own bleach.  Their products packaging is all made from recycled plastic, which means you can also recycle the packaging again once you have finished with the product. Another positive to the brand is that their washing up liquid, laundry liquid and all-purpose cleaners can be refilled at one of their ‘refill stations’ meaning you can actually re-use the packaging and bottles up to 50 times. Check out their website to find a refill station near you at www.ecover.com/store-locator/. 

Ecover toilet cleaner retails at £1.63

Ecover Fabric Softener retails at £3.50

Ecover Washing Up liquid retails at £1.57

These brands prove that being eco-friendly doesn’t have to cost a fortune. All these products retail at under £4, which is around the same price as their non-eco-friendly competitors. Products such as these prove that it won’t cost you financially to make a change to your cleaning products, but it will cost the environment if you don’t.