16 Ideas on How to be More Eco-Friendly in the Home

As we are all well aware, the environment is suffering. Our World is filled with rubbish, with more and more plastic floating in our seas each year, endangering the sea life by suffocating them and causing them to ingest harmful plastics. Pollution has become a BIG problem. If Covid 19 has taught us anything, it’s that the world can heal without humans littering or polluting through travel so much. We have seen Venice’s canals clear up, welcoming dolphins. The dolphins have even been coming closer to our shores too in England!

I am passionate about being eco-friendlier. I want my daughter to grow up in a World which is taking care of the environment and wildlife surrounding us. That is why I am far more conscious about the products I use; I am using less plastic and I am also more careful with the cleaning products I use. Many of my clients can vouch for the fact that I use natural methods and the fact that they work amazingly!

It might seem overwhelming to think that you can help to change anything when it comes to tackling environmental issues. But if everyone tried to help and became more eco-friendly, using sustainable products, we would all make a difference. Any change, even small changes, would be helpful.

So, what small changes could you make around the house? 

In the Kitchen 

1. Swap plastic bags for tubs and beeswax wraps. Instead of using plastic bags to put food in, or cling film to wrap food up, you can use alternatives. For making lunches or putting away left-over food- invest in some tubs and boxes that you can use on repeat. A fantastic alternative to cling film is bees wax wraps. You can wash these and use these over again. Have a think about what you already have in the home- reuse is key to helping the environment. Ice cream tubs are great to use for food storage, but even things like the large yoghurt pots are great for one portion meals.
2. Buy a reusable water bottle. I used to be guilty of buying water in plastic bottles whenever I was out and about and found myself thirsty. Think of the number of plastic bottles that I went through! I have now invested in a reusable water bottle. Chilly’s is a great brand for allowing the liquid to remain hot or cold for hours. They look incredible too.
3. Ditch plastic straws. There has been a government ban on plastic straws. You can get some great alternatives if you do want to have straws in your life still- try some metal ones- which you can clean and use on repeat. Or retractable ones work great too. Just remember to take them home as I’ve lost a few of mine by letting the tables be cleared away with the straws still in the glasses!
4. Swap kitchen towels for cut up tea towels. Although kitchen towel isn’t plastic and is paper, you can still help the environment by cutting up tea towels and storing them to use for everything you would usually use kitchen towels for. You can then wash these and use them on repeat. We have to think about saving the trees too!
5. Make a menu plan and reduce waste. Are you guilty of chucking out a load of food when it’s gone off? It’s a great idea to write a menu each week and allocate what fruit, vegetables and meat you will be eating and when. Thankfully, cupboard food and tins have a much longer date, as well as freezer food. But try to cut down on the food waste from the fridge. With my meal service, I can batch cook for you so that you just have to grab the right dish out of the freezer and heat it up accordingly! Have a look at my services here.
6. Recycle where you can. Recycle your packaging whenever you can. Most counties now offer recycling at the kerbside, or you can use the bins provided in most council offices, or supermarket car parks.

Bathroom 

1. Use reusable make up pads. Instead of using make up wipes, which are really bad for the environment, or having to buy cotton wool pads regularly, you can invest in reusable make up pads which you can use to cleanse, tone and take your make up off with. You can then wash these and reuse these as much as possible.
2. Use reusable sanitary pads, or moon cups. Tampons and sanitary pads add a huge amount of plastic to our landfills. Tampons are also flushed, although they are not meant to, which is devastating to our oceans. Instead, look into getting beautifully patterned reusable sanitary pads or even using a moon cup!
3. Buy bamboo toothbrushes. Ditch the plastic toothbrushes for bamboo ones, you can even buy bamboo heads for electric toothbrushes. When you are finished with these toothbrushes, they then break down and can be added to your compost. Did you know about the Win on Waste movement? This movement takes household objects that you would usually throw out and finds alternative uses for them.
4. Switch to shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bars. A great trade to make is by switching from shampoo bottles etc to bars. Why not try a great local re-fill store to shop local for both re-fill food and alternatives to your bottled shampoo? This one in Bournemouth stocks a great range!

General Household

1. Get more eco-friendly cleaning products. It is crazy how many chemicals are in cleaning products. You can instead, switch to products which are far gentler on the environment and your home environment. If you like to buy products from the supermarket, Method are a great company, who’s bottles have had a life before and will have a life after. The cleaning products are made with plant-based products and are non-toxic. Please be aware also of the effects of constantly pouring bleach into the toilet will do on marine life. If you’re happy to shop online, check out Ocean Saver’s eco-friendly cleaning products.
2. Reuse, recycle and reduce waste where possible. Be aware with every product you use in your home, from food, to clothing, DVDs to cleaning products. Reuse, recycle and reduce waste where possible. If you are having a clear out, think about where could benefit from your material possessions, for example our old toys for my children can be donated to local pre-schools and schools. There is also a bin in our local car park which is in need of old books.
3. Use white vinegar. White vinegar will do the job of almost every commercial cleaner that you buy.  Keep any old spray bottles and refill with a 50/50 white vinegar/water mix. You can add some essential oils if you’d like a particular fragrance. 
4. Bicarbonate of soda and citric acid are two cleaning granules that you can use independently. When you mix them together and add water, they react and cause a fizz.  This helps to push dirt from surfaces or through pipes.  They are both great descalers and when added together work really well on limescale (although you’ll need more applications that you would a commercial cleaner).
5. Think about your cloths too! Reusing cotton rags instead of buying new microfibre ones will save you money and save the environment from micro plastics.
6. Lemon juice is also a great natural cleaner. Lemon juice is excellent on stains and can be rubbed on straight from the lemon onto most non-porous surfaces.  Always try on a small section if you are unsure.

I hope these tips have inspired you to make a change. It doesn’t have to happen in one go, we have been replacing things slowly and changing our habits bit by bit. You are more likely to succeed and stick with change if you do it gradually and build it into your life and routine.

Together, we can make a difference to change the future of our planet for the next generation.

If you would like to find out more about my cleaning services, or the products I use during my cleaning, then please get in touch.