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Article: Goodbye synthetic frills - hello environmentally friendly cleaning

Tschüss synthetischer Schnickschnack - Hallo umweltfreundliche Reinigung

Goodbye synthetic frills - hello environmentally friendly cleaning

Okay. Hands on the table. Cleaning isn't necessarily the most exciting topic. At least that's the case for many people. But it's an everyday topic. After all, we spend 1.5 years of our lives cleaning. That's exactly why it's high time to bring the topic up. As always, we want the whole thing in green.

We'll tell you where plastic is hidden and how you can replace it. We'll also help you make your cleaning products more environmentally friendly and introduce you to our cleaning friends.

What speaks against traditional cleaning products?
A big disadvantage of classic cleaning products: They are usually packaged in plastic. If that doesn't turn you off enough, we might be able to convince you with the sometimes rather questionable ingredients. Many cleaning products, with their extra strong ingredients, almost give the impression that we have to go to war against dirt. But aggressive cleaning products are harmful to the environment and our health. Ingredients such as preservatives or fragrances can also trigger allergies, irritate the skin or respiratory tract and pollute the environment.

What would we rather avoid?
Synthetic fragrances are problematic. They can cause allergic reactions. They are either listed under the following names or simply under the collective term “perfume”:
Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl alcohol, Cinnamyl alcohol, Citral, Eugenol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Amylcinnamyl alcohol, Benzyl, Salicylate, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Geraniol, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Anise Alcohol, Benzyl Cinnamate, Farnesol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Methyl 2-Octynoate, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Evernia Prunastri Extract, Evernia Furfuracea Extract.

Next, we'll look at preservatives. They are particularly found in liquid or gel-like cleaning products and can damage our skin. Preservatives of concern are:
Benzisothiazolinone, Formaldehyde Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Octylisothiazolinone.

Number three that we want to avoid are harmful surfactants. Synthetic surfactants are derived from petroleum, so they are harmful to the environment and not sustainable at all. The following should be avoided:
Disodium Distyrylbiphenyl Disulfonate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate.

We therefore recommend that anyone who does not have a photographic memory and does not want to constantly carry a list of foreign words with them should use sustainable brands or make their own cleaning products.

What environmentally friendly alternatives are there?

Goodbye synthetic frills - hello environmentally friendly cleaning. These are your options:

Fill yourself in the unpackaged store:
Our store only sells cleaning products from manufacturers that use plant-based and mineral surfactants that are biodegradable and have natural fragrances. They also contain no petrochemical preservatives. They can be bottled on site, so you don't need plastic packaging. In the unpackaged store you can also find solid cleaning soaps such as solid dishwashing liquid or laundry soap .

Make your own cleaning products:
Making your own cleaning products is really easy and much more environmentally friendly than buying them. You know exactly what's in them and you save money. You don't need any crazy ingredients. Get to know our 5 friends here and what you can mix with them.

Use eco cleaning tabs :
It sounds futuristic, but nowadays all you need is a tab, a glass bottle and some warm water to make your own cleaning product. The mixture is ready in no time and the cleaning products do the same job as their plastic-packaged counterparts. The ingredients are organic and 100% natural. For anyone who doesn't have time to make cleaning products but still wants to clean in an environmentally friendly way, the eco-tabs are a real upgrade.

Where else does plastic hide when cleaning?

Unfortunately, the plastic madness when it comes to cleaning doesn't stop at the packaging. Sponges, cloths, brushes, etc. are often made of plastic. What are your alternatives?

sponges
Sponges are actually living things. However, this only applies to natural sponges. Using them is not vegan either, as the sponges die when we remove them from their habitat. However, most of the sponges we find in kitchens and bathrooms today are made primarily of foam, i.e. plastic. Sponges are disposable products, so using classic sponges is not particularly sustainable. In addition, microparticles are released when washing up and end up in the environment via the drain. These are our alternatives:

loofah sponge
Luffa is a renewable raw material and 100% natural. Luffa is a pumpkin plant, so it is vegan and can be made into a variety of sponges. For personal care, but also for the home. The material is very durable and can be composted at the end of its life.

coconut sponge
The sponge is made of coconut fibers. These are very robust and can therefore also be used optimally as a scouring sponge. Coconut fibers are not only 100% natural, but also naturally antibacterial, vegan and free of toxic chemicals. It can be disposed of in organic waste after use. The coconut fibers make the sponge durable, plastic-free and vegan.

eco-sponge
It is made of cotton cellulose, sisal fibers and recycled PET. So it has a small amount of plastic, but at least it is made of recycled materials. It is more affordable than the other alternatives and at least 2/3 is compostable. The top part can be separated and composted. The bottom part is partly made of plastic and therefore belongs in the residual waste.

Brush
Most brushes we see in the supermarket are made of plastic. Either with a handle and head or at least plastic bristles. The handle is best replaced with wood (ideally local wood). For the bristles, there are animal bristles or vegan alternatives:

Plant-based bristles
Coconut fibers are almost indestructible and compostable
hand broom
dish brush
fiber
The strong fibre bristles are obtained from the leaf veins of the agave plant and ensure effective cleaning.
dishwashing brush with replaceable head
scrubbing brush
soda bottle brush
pot brush

animal bristles
pig bristles or horsehair
toilet brush
dishwashing brush with replaceable head

rag
Basically, cotton rags, ideally recycled, are an environmentally friendly solution. Combined with one of the sponges or brushes described above, this can often be enough. However, a good rag can make the cleaning process much easier or faster and is therefore indispensable for many.

eco-sponge cloth
The eco-sponge cloth is made of 70% cellulose and 30% cotton. It is therefore made entirely of biodegradable and renewable raw materials. It is also compostable and can be disposed of in organic waste.

bamboo cloth
These are made from 100% bamboo, a rapidly renewable and biodegradable raw material. They are disposed of in the residual waste.

microfiber cloth
The microfiber cloths are made of 80% polyester, 20% polyamide. Yes, we know, that's plastic. The advantage of microfiber cloths is that they clean deep into the pores and without leaving any lint without the use of aggressive chemicals. This often saves you from having to use unnecessary cleaning products.
We recommend using a Guppy Friend washing bag when washing microfiber cloths. This will prevent microfibers from being washed out into the environment.

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