We know that living a plastic-free life can be a challenge. Plastic seems to be everywhere. At the grocery store, at the coffee shop, and upon closer look, all around your home, including the kitchen sink! A clean kitchen without plastic is possible by choosing cleaning equipment that is made with natural materials and using natural cleaners that you mix together in a bucket or a jar. It's about going
back to basics as our grandparents lived: simply and smartly. Read on as we show you how to clean your kitchen without plastic.
Choose natural kitchen cleaning equipment
Kitchen cleaning equipment made from natural plant fibres, not plastic.
Cellulose sponges Pure cellulose sponges are made from cellulose that has originated from wood pulp and a natural fibre such as cotton as reinforcement. They are the most environmentally-friendly sponge as the end of their life they fully biodegrade and can be thrown in your compost. Do make sure you look for 100% cellulose with no polyester filling. Cellulose sponges can be used just like a paper towel, but again and again. They are perfect for wiping up spills, washing dishes or cleaning tables. Plus, they leave a streak free finish, so work well on glass. When they become a bit grubby, just throw in the washing machine to refresh.
At Biome, we like If You Care cellulose sponges. Each If You Care cellulose sponge can be washed up to 300 times, which can replace up to 15 rolls of paper towel (which is also often wrapped in plastic)! Their packaging is also compostable.
Shop If You Care cellulose sponges here > Natural bristle brushes If you are already living a plastic-free life, you may have already converted to using kitchen brushes that are made from plant materials. If not, we recommend using up your plastic brushes to the end of their life, then simply replacing them with a natural brush choice. When looking for a natural bristle brush, choose one that is fair trade and made from sustainably-sourced materials, from the handle to the bristles. You will soon notice that one of the great advantages of natural fibre brush is that the bristles won't flatten like nylon bristles do, so they are much longer lasting.
EcoMax plant fibre brushes are handmade ethically from biodegradable, environmentally-friendly natural fibres. Unlike the plastic brushes you will be replacing, these EcoMax brushes contain no plastics, and the plant fibre bristles are compostable. This leaves only the galvanised wire to recycle. We think they look really smart in the kitchen too.
Shop EcoMax brushes here > Natural latex gloves If you like to use gloves when you clean, 100% natural latex rubber is the way to go. When looking for latex gloves, look for latex that has come from an FSC certified source, and that are not lined with synthetic materials.
If You Care rubber gloves are made from FSC certified ethically sourced latex, and lined with 100% cotton. These gloves also come packaged in FSC certified recyclable cardboard. Not an ounce of plastic in sight!
Shop If You Care rubber gloves here >
Natural dish washing & hand washing
To avoid plastic bottles you will need to make up your own cleaners, which is quite easy with a few simple ingredients such as bi-carb soda, vinegar, lemon and essential oils. You'll find some great
DIY cleaning recipes here > Soapberries (soap nuts) One of our favourite natural cleaners at Biome is soapberries (also known as soap nuts).
Read our blog post about soapberries for more information about these wonder nuts > Soapberries are a well known alternative to regular laundry detergent, but did you know that you can use them in the kitchen too? For dish washing, place two or three into the sink (or in the end of an old stocking to keep them together) and run water over them. Now wash the dishes normally. If you have a dishwasher, place the soapberries in a bag (or an old stocking) into the bottom of the cutlery holder. The temperature of your water is a factor when it comes to how long you can reuse the same berry. As a guide, soapberries will release their surfactants quicker in warmer water. Once the soapberries look pale and squishy on the inside, and are brittle when dry, it's time to throw them into the garden or compost.
Shop soapberries here > Bars of soap instead of liquid soap dispensers! It's time to let go of liquid soaps in plastic dispensers and keep a bar of natural soap next to your kitchen sink! To prolong the soap's life, rest it on a
timber soap rack so it dries between uses. Dindi Naturals have a wonderful range of natural bars of soaps. We love Dindi Naturals because their soaps are completely free from palm oil, synthetic colours and fragrances, plus their ingredients are fair trade and sustainable. The bar of soap comes packaged in a recycled cardboard box, which is biodegradable. So at the end of the product's life, nothing ends up in landfill!
Shop our range of Dindi Naturals soaps here > Sign up to our newsletter to receive ideas to live a more eco and ethical lifestyle, plus exclusive specials to make it easier for you > Save Save Save Save Save Save
