Did you ever stop to think about all the waste involved with keeping your home “spit, spot, spic, and span”? Achieving the eco friendly home doesn’t require a Mary Poppins, but some of the below “green” products are pretty magical!
Author Marcelene Cox once joked that “Housekeeping is like being caught in a revolving door,” and boy was she right. I’m not sure I even understand the reason for dusting. You dust one spot, move on, and realize the first spot has dust all over again. Because of this, the constant need for household supplies can create a bottomless pile of waste if we’re not careful. So how do we avoid this cycle of waste? I’m thrilled that you are reading because there truly are so many wonderful companies out there providing us with better products for an eco friendly home.
The question of what household supplies to use brings up the plastic problem again. These products are most commonly packaged in plastic, and as I’ve mentioned before, only about 9% of plastic is actually recycled! I’ve decided that plastic doesn’t belong in my housekeeping, so I’ve committed to healthier products for my eco friendly home. I hope you will too!
The Messy Facts
A few quick facts for you before we start cleaning up this environmental mess:
- The average American household wipes through about 409 regular toilet paper rolls a year
- U.S. families wash roughly 8-10 loads of laundry per week
- In 2017, the United States spent approximately $12 billion on paper towels alone!
The reality is that housekeeping will always be a revolving door, so the cleaning isn’t going to stop. Let’s check out some companies that are dedicated to keeping both the home and the environment clean.
Blueland Cleaning
I am a sucker for aesthetically pleasing products that also work well. Blueland Cleaning just happens to check both of those boxes. They believe that “cleaning up our planet starts with cleaning our homes.” I love how this places the responsibility of a clean environment on each individual taking small steps for change. However, it also brings to light that cleaning supplies often contribute to the plastic problem.
Why an Eco Friendly Home?
CEO Sarah Paiji Yoo decided to start Blueland when faced with the reality that 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean each year, contaminating our water. As a new mom, she wanted to create an eco friendly home, but it was pretty difficult to find non-plastic household supplies. Sometimes you have to create something yourself to fill a void, and this is exactly what Sarah did in creating Blueland.
How to Check “Go-Green” Off Your List
So how does Blueland work? It’s all about committing to a refillable “forever” bottle and forgetting single-use plastic bottles. It’s a super easy system, featuring cleaning tablets that dissolve in water. Their products are vegan, allergy-friendly, non-GMO, and hypoallergenic. In addition, they only use ingredients found on the EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List.
Blueland offers several different kits to start you off with options for cleaning sprays, laundry, dish washing, and hand soaps. While you pay a bit more on the front end to purchase the bottles or containers, after that one purchase, you only need to purchase refill tablets.
I purchased the “Clean-Up Kit” and have been quite happy with how all three of the products work. My personal favorite is the mirror spray because it doesn’t streak. I also use their hand soap tablets, though we didn’t purchase their soap pumps (due to already owning foam soap pumps). The smell of the hand soap is quite natural and light, and I love the “Iris Agave” scent. Most of all, I am happy to be doing my part to make my own home eco-friendly. I plan to try their dish soap in the future, so I will update you once I try that product. Or, maybe you will beat me to it! If you do, please comment and let me know your experience.
Who Gives a Crap
Ah, the age-old question of whether the toilet paper should hang over the roll or under the roll. I know that some of you out there have strong opinions on that. To that, I say “Who Gives a Crap!” Jokes aside, that’s not what the toilet paper company “Who Gives a Crap” is really about. They actually thought it was pretty “crappy” that 40% of the earth’s population (in 2012) didn’t have access to toilets! Additionally, they were stunned that about eight hundred children under the age of five die every day from diarrheal diseases caused by poor water and sanitation.
So, three friends back in 2012 decided that they were the “who” that should give a crap. Due to their love of toilet humor and wanting to make a difference, they started a toilet paper company that would donate 50% of their proceeds to building some loos around the world.
The Paper & Its Delivery
Basically, I love what they stand for, but I also appreciate that their toilet paper is eco-friendly. They offer two different types of toilet paper including 3-Ply jumbo rolls made of all recycled paper and premium 3-Ply double length rolls made from 100% forest friendly bamboo. Both great options if you ask me! That being said, I have tried both, and I do think the bamboo rolls are worth the few extra bucks. They are made of softer and stronger material that won’t break down quite so quickly. Plus, if my few extra dollars help kids have access to toilets around the world, it’s certainly not money being flushed down the toilet!
They have several subscription options (in case you’re forgetful), and they also offer different size boxes to meet your wiping needs (24 or 48 rolls). And don’t worry, they always send an emergency roll or two to remind you to order more before you run out!
Dropps Laundry Detergent
On the other hand, something I never seem to run out of is dirty laundry. Even though I try not to wash my clothes too frequently, I do lead an active lifestyle, which leads to a few extra loads. Laundry detergent has been a struggle for me in the past with my sensitive skin. I have to be careful about certain brands and scents. In the past, my go-to product was a giant plastic bottle of conventional liquid laundry detergent formulated for sensitive skin. While it seemed cost effective at the time, it certainly wasn’t a good eco-friendly choice.
A Fresh & Clean Eco Friendly Home
Enter Dropps into my life. This company’s philosophy is that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice effectiveness or convenience when pursuing an eco friendly home. And they were true to their word. I am in love with their “Sensitive Skin Laundry Detergent Pods” with the fresh scent. I am so happy to have a product that doesn’t cause any irritation yet still has a light scent. My clothes also look and smell much cleaner than when using the conventional detergent.
Dropps products are compatible with all washer types, are made with plant-derived ingredients, and are free of unnecessary chemicals. In addition, they are 100% zero waste! The pod itself is made of a water-soluble film from polyvinyl alcohol that dissolves in all water temperatures. Dropps also ships in a compostable and recyclable box. From start to finish, they take a “load” off of my mind.
Eco-Friendly Paper Towels
From wiping up messes to cleaning the bathroom, what’s a good alternative for paper towel? The sad truth is that the United States spends just about as much on paper towel as every other country combined. Since other countries seem to be surviving without paper towel, I think we can too. I’ve talked about my stash of rags before in a blog post, but there are certainly other eco-friendly options too.
The Paper Option
If abandoning conventional paper towels all together is too big of a first step for you, you might consider a paper towel that is more environmentally friendly. For example, “Who Gives a Crap” also makes a paper towel that is made from a blend of sugar cane and bamboo, a much more sustainable option.
The Fabric Option
There are also several companies that create “un-paper” towels. My husband and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary, which is the “cotton” year. My mom thought it would be a fun idea to send us reusable paper towels from an Etsy Shop. Though we were doing just fine with our collection of rags, these are a fun and prettier alternative to paper towel. Plus, they are much more absorbent, as well as being easy to throw in the laundry.
Fair warning: The one reason I can’t fully endorse this Etsy company is that they did not package the product sustainably. I appreciate the product itself but would love to see them take strides to not package in plastic.
A Clean Eco Friendly Home & Conscience
Cleaning up the environment can start with something as simple as cleaning our homes differently. There’s no denying that you might find a better financial deal at Costco (and I do love Costco). However, the options I’ve listed in this blog post are quite comparable to conventional items in affordability. In addition, I love knowing that my money is going beyond the pockets of a big business and is giving to those in need.
I’ve heard the joke that the secret to a clean house is to not let anyone into it. Of course, that would be no way to live (at least for this extrovert). I guess cleaning is just inevitable! So, let’s try cleaning with an eco-friendly attitude.
Be Well. With Love.
Kris says
I just have to say it…my ABSOLUTE favorite eco-friendly product is Dropps laundry detergent. It is simply the best. Whites are bright white, things smell amazing, and everything gets super clean. I’m a huge fan!!
Maggie says
100% agree! Totally in love with Dropps laundry detergent!
~ Maggie