Cleaning Routines That Won’t Kill the Planet [Video]

Some of the most common household cleaners contain harsh chemicals that harm the environment. Not only are they damaging the planet, but they can be toxic to humans, plants, and animals too.

There are natural alternatives for every day cleaning routines that won’t kill the planet. Watch the video below to learn more.

Harmful Ingredients in Common Cleaners

If you’re anything like me, you have more cleaning products than you even use. Under the kitchen and bathroom sinks, in the laundry room, in the garage. They’re everywhere. We use them to scrub our showers, clean our counters, and polish our wood furniture.

What’s frightening is that many of them contain harmful ingredients that hurt the environment (and sometimes humans too).

Some of these products include:

• Products that contain phosphates. Laundry detergents, dish detergents, and metal cleaners often contain phosphates, which eventually make their way into water sources. They cause plant overgrowth in wet environments, clogging waterways, and increasing the number of bacteria.
• Chlorine bleach. We know you want that toilet bowl squeaky clean, but bleach that contains chlorine can release toxins into the water and poison the animals who consume it.
• Products that contain triclosan. Triclosan is a chemical that’s used in many “anti-bacterial” products, such as soaps and disinfectant wipes. It’s dangerous because once it drains into waterways, it kills off algae, a necessary element of the environment, and it is harmful to animals.

These are just a few harmful ingredients on a very long list of chemicals that can be found in common household cleaners. In addition to these toxic chemicals, many common practices like buying disposable plastic bottles and paper cloths harm the planet too.

Cleaning Routines You Can Feel Good About

As the eco-friendly movement has gained popularity, eco-friendly cleaning products have become more accessible. From sponges made with recycled materials, delivery services that offer plastic-free refills on household cleaners, and good old natural remedies. There are cleaning routines that you can feel good about.

Check out how Epsom Salt can be incorporated when cleaning certain items, and some ways baking soda can come to the rescue.