(upbeat music)
- Hey, I'm Jhanneu and I'm a sustainability content creator
and I focus on teaching people how to live a low waste life,
while also making it inclusive and accessible to everyone.
So today I'm going to share with you
my favorite zero waste cleaning swaps.
I just wanted to throw out a disclaimer
to make sure you use what you already have in your home
before you go out and buy some of these products,
cause that is the most sustainable option.
My first swap is replaced liquid laundry detergent,
that comes in plastic packaging,
and opt for laundry detergent strips instead.
The EPA estimates that of the 14.5 million tons of plastic
that was generated in 2018, only 13.6% was recycled.
Over 69% of plastic containers and packaging
went to landfill.
I love using Tru Earth laundry sheets.
All you have to do is rip it in half
and you throw it in the washing machine.
It's actually just concentrated detergent,
so not only is it saving a lot of space in your home
but it's also cutting down a ton of waste,
because you're not using plastic packaging.
And in terms of when it gets shipped to you,
it's using less carbon emissions.
I love that these strips come plastic free
and they leave my clothes smelling fresh and clean.
My next swap is instead of using dryer sheets,
I opt for wool dry balls.
Single use dryer sheets are made of non-woven polyester
which is derived from fossil fuels.
And these sheets are just going to go straight to landfill
after you use them and just sit there forever.
What I like about wool dryer balls is that
they can last up to a thousand loads of laundry.
They can also decrease your drying time by about 40%,
so it's also saving you energy as well.
For best results I recommend about six dryer balls
and sometimes I'll actually put essential oils
on the dryer balls as well,
to give my clothes a fresh smelling scent.
But you would just throw them in like you would
regular drying sheets.
If you're someone that's vegan,
an alternative is that you can take a washcloth
and you can spritz it with a little bit of vinegar
as an alternative.
A great way to reduce micro plastics
that end up in our ocean
is to make sure that you wash your synthetic clothes
in a washing bag.
A lot of times when our clothes are being washed
and they're made from things like polyester
and synthetic materials,
little pieces of it rubs off
and it actually goes into our waterways.
Today, synthetic materials make up to 60%
of the materials used in clothes.
And since synthetic fabrics
are typically made from petroleum,
these microfibers are essentially micro plastics.
A way to prevent that from happening is to take a Guppy bag,
which I really like,
and I just throw in my clothes in there
that contains synthetic materials.
I try to buy clothing
that's made from natural and organic materials,
but I also thrift as well.
And a lot of times my thrifted items
contain synthetic materials.
So using a Guppy bag is a great option.
I like the Guppy bag as well
because it protects your clothes from wear and tear,
so your clothes are going to last longer.
And whatever's leftover, I'll just throw it in the trash.
And that's just a better alternative
because then it's not going straight into the ocean.
Another great swap is
to switch out your single-use bottles of household cleaners,
and opt for those that come in refillable bottles
that you can just purchase liquid concentrates.
One of my favorites are from Grove Collaborative.
They have glass cleaner.
They also have just like a regular all-purpose cleaner.
They come in a little tiny glass container
and some concentrate and all you do is
you pour it in the bottle and then you mix it with water.
What's also really cool about the Grove spray bottle
is that they have these really cute
silicone sleeves to them.
So it also helps protect it from breaking as well.
It's also saving carbon emissions
because it has less volume and weight
than a typical household cleaner.
In addition to the packaging,
I love that the ingredients are all natural
and aren't harmful to the health or to the planet as well.
And when you're done with the glass concentrate
you can easily recycle it or repurpose it.
So you can actually make your own household cleaner
by doing equal parts, water and vinegar.
And I like to also add in essential oils.
So that's a great option as well,
and it's super affordable.
Another great swap is to switch out
single-use disposable disinfectant wipes,
and opt for a spray bottle that contains rubbing alcohol.
With the pandemic,
disinfectant wipes have been selling like crazy.
But the downside to those
is that they just get sent straight to landfill
and sit there forever.
So I always try to find ways to make products
either reusable or find just a better alternative
in general.
A solution for a DIY disinfectant
that can kill viruses and bacteria,
including the COVID-19 virus,
is a spray rubbing alcohol,
with an isopropyl concentrate of 70% or higher,
onto the surface that you wish to disinfect.
Then you can simply let it sit for 30 seconds
before wiping it off.
While it's effective,
repeated use of rubbing alcohol
may impact the finishes of some surfaces,
so it's best to do some research on your surface type
before using it in your home.
If you use a Swiffer Wet Jet,
instead of using the disposable pads,
you can actually opt for reusable pads instead.
Single use mop pads are extremely wasteful
cause you use them once and then you just throw them away
and they're actually made of plastic,
so they can take hundreds of years
to break down in landfill.
They're also pretty expensive.
So it's just really a great way to save money as well
when you're switching to a reusable alternative.
Reusable mop pads will last for years and years.
You can just throw them in the wash,
like you would anything else and you're good to go.
And instead of buying the clean solution refills
in plastic bottles,
you can simply refill it with a DIY solution
made out of one part vinegar, one part water
and a few drops of dish soap.
And again, remember to do the research
to make sure that the surface that you're cleaning on
can actually handle the vinegar.
Another great cleaning alternative
is to ditch the toilet cleaner
that comes in a plastic container
and just make your own DIY toilet bombs.
Toilet bowl cleaners come in these big plastic bottles
and not only are the plastic bottles bad for the environment
but also the chemicals inside these cleaners are bad for you
and for the planet as well.
What you have to do is mix together baking soda,
citric acid and dish soap to form a paste,
then transfer the mixture into a silicone ice cube tray
and let it sit for four hours.
And then that's it; you can store them however you like.
I would recommend using a glass jar
and you can just keep it under your bathroom sink
and they can just pop one out whenever you need it.
Another great swap is to replace your single use lint roller
with a reusable one.
Lint rollers are pretty wasteful.
You use one sheet, you throw it away
and it gets sent to landfill.
And more than often,
you need like three or four sheets
to actually get the job done.
Reasonable lint brushes can last for years.
I had this one from Red Decker that is used from rubber
and can actually decompose once you're done using it.
The rubber creates a static charge and collects lint,
pet hair, and fuzz.
Then you can just clean it out with your hands
and then it's good as new
and you can just keep on using it.
Another great cleaning alternative is to
ditch the disposable duster and opt for a reusable one.
Single use dusters contain plastic
and it doesn't take that long for the quality of them
to degrade very, very quickly.
So opting for a reusable one is definitely a better option.
Love my reusable duster that I got from Marley's Monsters.
It's made from natural materials
and then all you have to do
is just throw it in the wash whenever you want to clean it.
Or you can skip the duster altogether
and just use a damp rag.
This is also the perfect way to give a second life
to a t-shirt or a sock that might have a hole in it.
And you can just use that as a dust rag as well.
Another great cleaning swap
is to replace a store-bought drain cleaner
with a DIY version.
Drain cleaners contain a ton of toxic chemicals.
So for me, not only do I care about the plastic bottle,
but I also care about the ingredients as well.
So for this DIY drain cleaner,
you're going to need baking soda,
vinegar and boiling water.
Pour some boiling water down your clogged drain.
Then add in about a cup of baking soda and vinegar each
and cover up the drain.
The bubbly reaction will clean out the clog
without all the harsh chemicals.
Then you can finish it off
by pouring in some more boiling water
and repeat this as many times as needed.
This is a great zero waste option
because then I'm not scared of drain cleaner
getting splashed on my skin or inhaling it accidentally.
So those are some of my favorite zero waste cleaning swaps.
Thank you so much for watching
and let me know in the comment sections below
what some of your favorites are.
(upbeat music)