You'll be surprised at how much plastic your household essentials use. Think about it, most cleaning products come in plastic bottles. Small items, like dishwasher tablets, are covered in plastic. Even some of our cleaning utensils are made from plastic too. But what happens when we're finished with them? The best-case scenario is that they'll get recycled and reused, but the unfortunate truth is that 79 per cent of plastic waste is sent to landfills or to the ocean, according to Condor Ferries. If you're wanting to cut back on the amount of plastic you're using, consider switching to the best plastic-free cleaning products.
Cleaning product alternatives that are plastic free
With pressure increasing on manufacturers to make their products more eco-friendly, you'll find more and more companies are trying to become plastic-free, or at least reducing the amount of single-use plastic they produce.
Does reducing the amount of plastic you use in your cleaning routine sound up your street? We've scoured the internet to find you some plastic-free alternatives to your usual cleaning products. Some of these products still have a small amount of plastic included in their packaging, but they have excellent recycling and refilling options to help you cut back on single-use.
Best plastic-free cleaning products
Best multi-surface cleaner refill
www.ethicalsuperstore.com
Leave surfaces smelling of the zingy, citrusy scent of grapefruit and ylang-ylang while looking brilliantly clean and gleaming. You get a 30ml refill for the price, which when diluted with the right amount of water, gives you 500ml of cleaner.
Pros: Vegan and cruelty free, widely recycled packaging
Cons: Some reviews mentioned it didn't work as well on stainless steel compared to other surfaces
Review: "Smells really fresh, not chemically. Leaves a fresh smell in the house. Love the business concept and sustainability ideas."
Best bathroom cleaner
Just add water to these EcoDrops and you'll have a pomegranate scented bathroom cleaner that is tough on limescale, leaving your bathroom sparkling. While this kit does include a plastic bottle, the idea is that you can buy refills of the cleaner so it doesn't become a single-use plastic.
Pros: Three refills and a bottle included in the price
Cons: Some customers have had issues with the bottle leaking
Review: "Well worth the investment. Easy to use and reuse. Lots of different fragrances."
Best dishwasher tablets
Fed up with dishwasher tablets packed in single-use plastic? The Homethings dishwasher tabs are 96 per cent plant and mineral based, wrapped in a 100 per cent bio-degradable film. Each tab contains eucalyptus oil to cut through grease and grime.
Pros: Wrapped in PVOH, which is biodegradable
Cons: Some customers thought these dishwasher tablets worked best on a lighter load
Review: "Great dishwasher tabs, bought as trying to find more eco brand and tried these. Was expecting that they might not be as effective as name brands but in all honesty, I can't tell the difference. Dishes come out just as clean, no streaks, pleasant scent and it has removed all we've thrown at it!"
Best scrubbing brush
Not got a dishwasher? This eco-dish brush will help get your dishes clean in no time. The brush handle and heads are made of bamboo and agave cactus fibres are used as bristles to make it a more sustainable option for your cleaning needs.
Pros: Comes with different strength bristles to tackle lighter and more stubborn dirt
Cons: Some customers wishes the brush handle was thicker
Review: "This washing up brush is well made & looks great. The handle is smooth & its easy to replace the heads. The wood is protected with a varnish to prevent it turning black which is what my old one did. The packaging is also eco friendly cardboard. Both types of heads don’t scratch surfaces & they remove grease & grime well. Really good value for money compared to others out there."
Best laundry detergent
With a gentle pH-neutral formula that is lightly scented with Himalayan cedarwood and orange oil, this laundry detergent will delicately clean your cashmere and wool items. In a 100 per cent aluminium bottle with a compostable label, the packaging is infinitely recyclable, which is an added bonus.
Pros: Gently cleans delicate items
Cons: Some people weren't keen on the smell
Review: "Before discovering No.3 I had wasted a lot of time and money (not to mention the environmental impact) taking cashmere items to be dry cleaned– but this product cleans your delicates beautifully and gives you peace of mind that you’re not going to ruin them!! I have used it both as a hand wash and in the hand wash setting on my washing machine. The delicate smell is amazing and no issues with sensitive skin. And it is the only cashmere wash I’ve found which is fully plastic free. I use this and my eco egg for environmentally friendly clothes washing."
Best washing-up liquid
minimlrefills.co.uk
You can count on this powerful, non-toxic washing-up liquid to leave your kitchenware gleaming. It has a natural and subtle apple fragrance plus it's free from VOCs, chlorine bleaches, solvents, lanoline, sulphates, parabens and phosphates so there are no hidden nasties. Once you're done, it can be sent back to the company for the bottle to be cleaned, reused and refilled, cutting back on wasted plastic.
Pros: Effective in both hard and soft water
Cons: Bottle is a bit too big to sit on your kitchen side so you're probably going to need a smaller bottle to decant the liquid into
Review: "Really happy with this washing-up liquid."
Best furniture polish
www.ethicalsuperstore.com
This vegan furniture polish contains linseed oil to nourish wood around the home and give it a good shine. The blend of plant-based wax and natural oils is packaged in a recycled and recyclable aluminium tin.
Pros: Free from animal-derived ingredients and synthetic fragrances, as well as plastics
Cons: The tin could be bigger
Review: "I love Bio-D Furniture Polish – not only is great on furniture it’s extremely good value for money. Currently, I’m cleaning some paper which had stuck to a sideboard – now I’ve removed it the furniture polish has brought back the shine on the item."
Best floor cleaner
Tough on dirt on a variety of surfaces including laminate, lino, tiles, stone and wood. Just simply drop one of these lavender-scented floor pods into a bucket of warm water and your can mop your floors clean without leaving any sticky residue behind.
Pros: Comes with 60 cleaning pods for the price
Cons: You get a lot of floor cleaner from one pod, but this might not be suitable if you only have a small area of your home with hard floors
Review: "First I love that these I environmental friendly. I’ve gone over to a lot of products recently that help the environment. These may seem expensive for the price but you get 60 capsules/pods in total as you get 3 packets for the price. which works out about 33p each so to be honest not that expensive when you think how much they will help the environment. When you first open the packet you do get a smell of Lavender which is one of my favourite smells, and when placing in the water you can smell it, but it’s not overpowering and the smell doesn’t last as long as I expected it up last, but going on the basis that they are a cleaning product and aren’t just there for the smell and are environmental friendly, they cleaned my kitchen Lino floor brilliantly and I was really pleased. I know a lot of people are concerned that the more environmental friendly products out there are more expensive but lacking in quality of product, but these aren’t at all so definitely worth the money."
Best toilet cleaner
minimlrefills.co.uk
This non-toxic gel cleaner is safe to use on chrome, porcelain, enamel and stainless steel. It uses cutting-edge green chemistry and natural citric acid to give a deep clean and remove tough stains. To make this a great plastic-free alternative, you can purchase a refill tub to top up your toilet cleaner when it's empty to reduce single-use plastic waste.
Pros: Free from VOCs, chlorine bleaches, solvents, lanoline, sulphates, parabens and phosphates, natural and subtle peppermint fragrance
Cons: Needs to be left to stand for at least five to ten minutes before you flush to rinse clean
Plastic-free cleaning products FAQs
How do you clean without plastic?
If you're wanting to clean without plastic, there are some little changes you can make in your cleaning routine that will make a big difference in becoming more sustainable.
Utilise refills
Plastic bottles and sprays are big contributors to the amount of single-use plastic we have at home. When purchasing your cleaning solutions, look for bottles that can be refilled after you've finished using the product. You can also buy glass bottles and product refills if you're trying to completely cut back on plastic.
Make your own cleaner
Worried about how many plastics are actually inside the products you use? Why not make your own cleaner? Keeper Of The Home suggests combining white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda will just about clean everything. You can add lemon juice or essential oils to give it a nice smell.
Swap out plastic cleaning utensils
Your cleaning utensils also use a lot of plastic and you might not realise it. Dishcloths and other cleaning clothes can contain microplastics so it might be worth looking for clothes made from more sustainable materials. If you have clothes in your wardrobe that are too small or too big that you just don't wear anymore, you can repurpose these to use as cleaning cloths.
Brushes that you use to scrub your pots and plates clean are usually made from plastic, but you can swap these for one made of bamboo to be more sustainable.
Do eco-friendly cleaning products work?
Eco-friendly cleaning products are made without the harsh chemicals usually found in household favourites, so you might be thinking do eco-friendly cleaning products work as well? You don't need to worry about the end result as natural cleaning products are just as effective. They swap synthetic compounds for eco-friendly alternatives that are usually biodegradable. They're just as good at eradicating dirt and bacteria, without the impact on the environment.