During this difficult pandemic period, sustainability is perhaps not too high on people’s agenda. If anything, an undesirable side effect was the shunning of reusable options, especially outside the house. Moreover, we have also unwittingly increased the amount of disposable plastic, be it wipes, plastic gloves, disposable face masks, as well as take-away containers or other unrecyclable packaging when you did not have another choice based on what is available in the shops.
However, life will go back to normal at some and we should go back to the good habits that we might have started forming with regards to reducing the amount of waste in our lives. And why not take the time now (if you have it) to start preparing those items you might need?
So, following my previous posts about reducing waste on the go, in the bathroom and in the kitchen, here are some more ideas related to cleaning yourself or your house.
Header photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash
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ZERO WASTE HOUSE CLEANING IDEAS
I feel I have been spending a large part of my time in lockdown cleaning my home. Not sure if it’s because I notice things more for being in the house all the time, or things get dirtier because we spend more time at home.
Cleaning your home has massive potential for reusing scrap textiles, so it could be a great way to reduce waste. But there are also plenty of opportunities to create waste, because hey, convenience.
So here are some tutorials and ideas of what you can replace with reusable versions that you can make or sew yourself.
REUSABLE MOP HEADS FOR SWIFFERS
If you have a swiffer mop (the flat headed one instead of the one with many strings), the pads can be easily replaced with a DIY version made from old towels. Some mops come with reusable heads, but others use disposable sheets, like wipes. This idea can be used as a replacement for both.
Here are some tutorials:
REUSABLE DUSTERS
Ok, any piece of leftover fabric can be used as a dust cloth, but here are some ideas to replace the fancy ones with a handle and tentacles for lack of a better word.
- How to make a swiffer duster reusable pad (video)
- Fleece reusable duster (video)
- No-sew DIY reusable duster
REUSABLE DISH SPONGES
I really hate doing dishes and as much as I’d like to just put everything in the dishwasher, we still need washing up sponges. So here are some ideas on how to make your own, reusable ones.
- How to make plastic-free unsponges
- DIY Reusable sponge with heavy-duty tulle
- Reusable sponge with plastic mesh (video)
- Twine dish sponge
ZERO WASTE PERSONAL CLEANING IDEAS
A bath sponge is an integral part of my shower routine, to remove dead skin and to make my skin feel soft and glowy. I used to go through loads of plastic sponges each year, which are not recyclable and I felt terrible about it. Until I discovered loofah, the plant-based ones. However, it’s not quite like a poof if you fancy those, so here are some ideas on how to make your own bath sponge alternatives.
ZERO WASTE BATH PUFFS
DIY BATH MITTS
If you want to go down a different route, here are some other ideas for plastic-free showers.
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This was a really informative blog sharing various zero waste sewing projects for cleaning both around the house and personally. I loved all the reusable alternatives provided to reduce plastic waste from things like mop pads, dusting tools, and bath poofs. Projects like these are such a creative and sustainable way to cut down on disposable cleaning items.