When we are trying to live as lightly as we can on the planet, looking at our daily routines to see where we could improve is a good place to start! Cleaning products can be harmful to the environment. Even after passing through water treatment plants, small quantities of chemical compounds from cleaning products can find their way into rivers, ponds and lakes and have adverse effects on aquatic life.
When purchasing cleaning products for our homes, look for "Safer Choice" or greywater safe products. Or even better: make our own!
This is a simple, all purpose cleaner recipe. There's nothing nasty in it and when you reuse the same spray bottle, you're saving it from landfill too.
You'll need:
1/2 cup of white vinegar
about a cap or 1 teaspoon of peppermint oil
about a cap or 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil
water
a spray bottle
Method:
Combine first three ingredients in spray bottle then fill up with water. Give it a good shake and you're good to go!
If you're going to spray it on fabrics do a colour test on an inconspicuous area to make sure it doesn't effect the colour.
** You could substitute lemon, orange, and tea tree oil in if you like these scents more!
"I USE EUCALYPTUS OIL WHEN I WASH MY CLOTHES, TO GET LABELS OFF BOTTLES, TO FRESHEN THE PLACE UP. I LOVE IT!" - Bindi Donnelly, former 1MW Head of Digital
Vinegar can be a useful thing to have at home if you are trying to reduce the amount of plastic when purchasing clean products! Here are 11 ways to use vinegar around the house.
Needing more inspiration? check out some more ways to substitute clean products and pesticides:
Header Image from Shutterstock.
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