We are all on a quest to find more sustainable ways to live, which includes eco friendly cleaning. On this quest, people are looking at ways to adapt products and practices that are used frequently. Cleaning your bathroom, although sometimes exhausting, is hugely necessary. This is because multiple people, including yourself, may use your bathroom on a daily basis. Resultantly, grim, dirt and dust builds up in areas of the bathroom. Toilets, sinks and showers especially need to be cleaned and maintained regularly.
The go to solution for bathroom cleaning has always been the products available on the supermarket shelves. Although these are often effective, questions have been raised in recent years about their sustainability. The bathroom and toilet cleaning products available on the high street often contain harsh chemicals, and are packaged in plastic bottles. As we now know, plastic is a nightmare for the environment. Moreover, the chemicals that exist in common cleaning products are damaging to waterways and marine life.
Today we are going to offer you some eco friendly cleaning tips. This way, the next time you clean your bathroom you can do so confidently: knowing you are also doing your bit for the environment. What good is cleaning your bathroom regularly if you are unhappy with its appearance? GK Plumbing is a bathroom renovation specialist. If you are based in or around Aylesbury and are considering bathroom renovations, we encourage you to contact them.
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Sourcing Your Products
When establishing an eco friendly cleaning routine for your bathroom, there are a few core products that you will need. These products can be easily sourced, are inexpensive and make a far greater and kinder environmental contribution. The three key ingredients needed for any eco friendly cleaning job are:
- Lemons
- Baking Soda
- Distilled White Vinegar
Whilst these help you side step the reliance on harsh cleaning chemicals, they also, naturally, come in eco friendly packaging. Lemons can be bought loose, baking soda is often supplied in cardboard packaging and white vinegar arrives in a glass bottle.
Eco Friendly Cleaning: Cleaning Your Mirrors
There are a few ways you can attack your mirrors and glass using the ingredients we listed above. Each of the cleaning methods listed below are eco friendly, and will help you combat the reliance on nasty chemical based cleaners.
If you have any old newspapers around the house, you will want to grab these. The high absorbency quality of newspapers makes them fantastic for cleaning mirrors: leaving a fresh mirror without smears. If you have an old spray bottle like the one pictured above, we also encourage you to grab that. Next, make a solution by mixing either hot water or vinegar and water. Spray this onto the mirror or glass, and use your newspaper to wipe away the solution. The results should speak for themselves.
Did you know you can also use blacktea to clean your mirrors? It is said that the tannic acid in blacktea makes it perfect for dissolving dirt and grease. Make a cup of black tea, wait for it to cool down and pour this into your spray bottle. You now have an effective, cost efficient and eco friendly cleaning solution.
Eco Friendly Cleaning: Approaching the Toilet
The toilet is a breeding ground for bacteria, dirt, grime and grease. As this is the case, people often reach for regular chemical toilet cleaners and use them excessively. Not only is this unnecessary however, but it is bad for the environment and can be expensive. Using your vinegar and baking soda, you can create a toilet cleaning solution that is effective and eco friendly. We encourage you to mix half a cup of vinegar with a tablespoon of baking soda, and pour this into the toilet bowl. Leave this to set for 20-30 minutes, and then give the toilet a good scrub. If you only have vinegar, this will work too.
Eco Friendly Cleaning: Surfaces
There are various surfaces in your bathroom that will require cleaning, as well as in other areas of the home. Pour the juice of one lemon, one cup of vinegar and a cup of water into a spray bottle if you have one. Like the other ideas listed here, this cleaning solution will offer you an effective, cheap and eco friendly general cleaner. This can be used on just about any surface in the bathroom, and will effectively deal with dirt and grime.
Eco Friendly Cleaning: Unclogging the Drain
Just like the toilet, your drain houses a lot of dirt and grime. Hair has a tendency to build up in your drain also, which can leave your drain clogged with water unable to pass through. If you are looking for a way to unblock the drain, vinegar and baking soda are, yet again, an effective solution. Take 3/4 of a cup of baking soda and pour it down. Next, pour 1/2 a cup of vinegar down. Leave the solution for 30 minutes and let it do its work. After, you can pour boiling water down the drain to clear away any dirt or grime.