How can you clean in a more environmentally friendly way? Here are the answers.

Sara Idenfors

How can you clean in a more environmentally friendly way? 

Here are the answers …


Cleaning is largely about getting rid of:
Getting rid of rubbish
Getting rid of dirt and so on.

The first step in cleaning in a more environmentally friendly way should therefore be disposing of things properly.

  1. Sort
  2. Recycle
  3. Compost


    And as for the cleaning itself, imagine that you have a dirty surface—you want to get rid of the dirt! 

    Think of it this way: How can I remove this WITHOUT adding anything else?
    Do you really need to add fragrances and chemicals that you may not know much about?
    You probably don't need it.
    Clean doesn't smell!

     

    How to clean in a more environmentally friendly way

     

    A home that smells strongly of perfume isn't necessarily clean. Avoid fragrances if you can. Clean with things you know, such as soft soap, baking soda, and vinegar. There are a few exceptions where this doesn't work (for example, varnish paints), but most of the time, simply thinking it through a little and increasing the time, heat, or mechanical cleaning will do the trick, without resorting to something hazardous to your health.
    Make it a rule not to clean with anything you don't know what it is; don't use anything whose ingredients you don't understand. That way, you'll definitely clean in a more environmentally friendly way ;)

    Still finding it difficult? If so, here are some simple rules of thumb to remember.

    • Like dissolves like: greasy dirt is easiest to remove with greasy soap.

    • If the dirt comes from nature, animals, or humans, you need something alkaline to remove it. Soft soap and baking soda are alkaline.

    • Does the dirt come from metals, or if limescale is the problem, you need something acidic, such as vinegar or citric acid.
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