Spring Cleaning
Only seven more sleeps left until it is officially Spring, hurray! So it’s only appropriate we share our sustainable spring cleaning tips; ranging from natural cleaning remedies to practical advice for what to do with any unwanted items!
1. Go back to basics with naturally eco-friendly household cleaning remedies
Our first tip is an oldie but goodie! You’ve probably already heard that the cleaning solution to (almost) everything is white vinegar. You can buy it in your supermarket, it’s cheap and you can use it to clean basically everything! It inhibits the growth of bacteria by creating an acidic environment, is non-toxic and really easy to use.
We can’t forget about the other timeless remedy: baking soda. As a natural abrasive, deodorizer, and cleanser, baking soda can be used on nearly every surface of your house!
Natural oils are a good addition to natural household cleaners and they can add a lovely aroma, avoiding any harmful “perfumes”. For example,we swear by eucalyptus oil as it’s excellent at removing sticky bits/glue left over from stickers and, as a bonus, leaves a lovely fresh scent behind!
Now, all you need is a sponge or a piece of fabric, then you’re good to go! If you have an old ripped t-shirt, cut it into a few pieces and have new cleaning cloths, giving your old t-shirt a new, practical use.
2. Create your own eco-friendly cleaning remedies
If you want to further ensure your cleaning products are as eco-friendly as possible, you can even make them yourself! There’s plenty of information online, so you can follow tutorials on making your own laundry powder, dishwashing liquid, and soap bars. You can also look for workshops and, at the same time, meet like-minded people who care about our planet.
3. Rehome any unloved items
Whether it’s to buy or to give, rehoming your items through Charity Shops is always a great solution: you’re helping a good cause and you’re giving a new life to all kinds of items. Or you can call 0800 138 9100 and EnviRecycle will take everything away responsibly for you.
If you’re getting rid of some furniture, clothes, or anything in good enough condition for it to be used again, take them to a Charity Shop so they can have a new home. In the same way, if you need new items, you’ll find a lot of valuable articles on the Shop’s shelves. Sometimes, you can even find brand-new products which still have a tag on them. Online selling apps and Social Media can be great ways to connect with people and sell or give away items.
4. Repair and re-purpose
Before thinking of throwing something away, always try to see if you can repair a broken item. If you don’t know, check online, ask for advice as someone might’ve had the same problem or head to a Repair Cafe. Repair Cafes are great community events where you can bring damaged items to skilful volunteers who will happily try to fix it for you.
When it can’t be repaired, there is almost always a way to re-purpose it and use it for something else. Don’t worry if you’re not the crafting type yourself, there are plenty of easy, no hassle ways of re-purposing items! Take a look below, for example…
5. Recycle
Did you know you can check if an item is recyclable through your local council? Thanks to Recycle Now, they provide useful and detailed information about all types of items. You can also contact your local council when recycling rules are specific to each council.
For other items which are “hard to recycle”, we offer free recycling programmes in the UK. With our programmes, we aim to prevent waste from polluting our planet, by not sending anything to landfill or incineration. All the waste we collect is transformed into new material and used to create new products.
We even have programmes specially made to recycle your cleaning products. That way, if you have to use single-use products, you can still recycle them afterwards, like disposable gloves, Flash wipes, clothes and pads or even dishwashing and cleaning product packaging.
Are you looking to recycle something we don’t have a recycling programme for yet? We have the perfect zero-waste solution, the All-In-One Zero Waste Box™! Put in all the items you’d like to recycle, and we’ll do the rest.
Ultimately, the most important thing is always to choose a circular approach. Use eco-friendly products when possible, try to reuse or repair them first and if you need to, recycle in Surrey!
