Many of us have come to realise the way we clean our homes is damaging the environment and has the potential to cause serious health impacts to us and our families:

• Shop bought cleaning products often contain toxic and polluting chemicals that enter the water system through our drains and rubbish, polluting the land, our rivers and seas.
• Sprayed chemicals contribute to harmful levels of indoor and outdoor air pollution and are increasingly linked to human health impacts.
• Aerosol sprays contain compressed gasses to propel cleaning products which as greenhouse gases contribute to global warming.
• Anti-bacterial agents in surface cleaners, soaps and hand washes are linked to the growth of antibiotic and anti-bacterial cleaning resistant superbugs.The more we use these anti-bacterial agents in our homes, the more difficult it is to remove harmful bacteria from hospitals and clinics.
• Plastic microbeads that provide a scouring action travel throughout the environment ending up in waterways, the sea and land and eventually in animals.
• Plastic wipes, scouring pads and sponges breakdown into plastic fibres and particles that pollute the environment when used and when disposed of as rubbish.
• Single use plastic bottles, containers and the plastic packaging cleaning products come in, is wasteful of resources and ends up as rubbish scattered in the environment, in landfill or incinerated which when disposed of incorrectly can affect wildlife, wildlife habitat, and humans. So much of what we consume is made of plastic because it’s inexpensive, yet durable. However, plastic is slow to degrade (taking over 400 years or more) due to its chemical structure, which presents a huge challenge.

What can you do to make the small changes that make a big difference and how can Goodness Goodies help?

Small changes can make a difference, so let’s consider using natural cleaning products where you can.There are a wide range of natural cleaning products that are suitable for cleaning your home.

• White vinegar removes stains, sticky labels and glue marks and cleans glass, but shouldn’t be used to clean stonework, including stone floor tiles and marble or granite work surfaces. Stonework should be cleaned with a mild eco-friendly detergent.
• Bicarbonate of Soda can be used to remove stains, to clean grease from ovens, clean drains, sinks, toilets, baths and fridges.
• Olive oil drizzled on a cloth polishes furniture. An added squeeze of lemon leaves a lovely citrusy scent
• Lemon juice removes stains, fights bacteria and added to laundry to keep whites white.
• Salt is an excellent addition to many natural cleaning solutions.Table salt works well, but a coarser option is even better boosting the power of vinegar.

Reusable glass spray bottles are a much better solution than single use plastic sprays.Mix up your cleaning solutions and keep them in a glass spray bottle for when you need it.

Choose a compostable cloth or sponge to clean your surfaces and a coconut fibre pad, brush or cactus scourer to clean your dishes.

And if you want a mild eco-friendly detergent that you can trust to protect the environment and your family’s health, we recommend Planet Detox’s range of soaps and cleaners and Eco Vibes cleaning sachets and stain removers – all of which you can find at Goodness Goodies