Better Product Swaps
HOUSEHOLD
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Chemicals from your detergent will not only enter our water, but you will be exposed to them when you wear your clothes.
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Laundry detergents can contain carcinogens like 1-4 dioxane and benzene. They have been shown to release carcinogens into the air through dryer vents. Source
Water-safe, chemical-free detergent
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Conventional Dyed & Toxin-Filled Detergent
RUNNER UP:
Laundry Detergent Strips
Laundry detergent strips reduce your plastic waste. However, I have yet to find a brand that makes a truly safe and natural detergent strip that doesn't use the same harsh chemicals found in conventional liquid detergents.
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Hemp Dryer Balls
Single-use dryer sheets are not biodegradable - they are made of plastic and can take hundreds of years to decompose.
Chemicals like benzene, quaternary ammonium compounds and other volatile organic chemicals hurt aquatic wildlife as well as humans. Source
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Toxic Single-Use Dryer Sheets
Lavender dryer sachets
For adding scent:​
Lavender Dryer Sachets
For the classic floral lavender scent, try lavender sachets made for the dryer.
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Custom Essential Oil - Dryer Balls
Adding some drops of essential oil to your dryer balls can make your laundry have more of a nice scent. I've tried cinnamon and the smell lasted!
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Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap
Your soap touches your dishes, kitchen, food, and surfaces you come into contact with. You will ingest and be exposed to the chemicals in your household soap.
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Dr. Bronner's is made with the purest, organic & safe ingredients. No dyes, harsh detergents, unpronounceable chemicals.
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*Note: Dr. Bronner's uses palm oil which is bad for the environment (in terms of harvesting). However, their product is still better than toxic chemical dish soap.
Harsh Chemical Dish Soap
NATURAL CLEANING STATION
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Using a mix of:
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Castile Soap
Essential Oils
Hydrogen peroxide
Hot water
Essential oil air freshener
Book recommendation:
The Organically Clean Home
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1) Save money
2) Save the environment
3) Save your health
4) Protect animals
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Homemade cleaners are cheaper, safer, customizable in terms of scent AND save the planet and prevent animals from being tested on!
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​I've had success using homemade drain cleaner, bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner, air freshener and more.
I only clean with the ingredients on the left and have no problem.
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Chemical-based Multipurpose Cleaner
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Bathroom cleaners
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Drain cleaners
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Floor cleaners
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Kitchen cleaning spray
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Perfume air fresheners
IF YOU INSIST:
Best Natural Cleaning Spray
It's cheaper and better to make your own, but if you want to buy a commercial spray, this is the best one I could find. The bottle is plastic and only comes in a small size which is not ideal for waste; the only non-ideal ingredient is denatured alcohol. The spray works well and is effective. Zum All-Purpose Cleaner
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Reusable "Paper Towel"
Reusable towels made of cotton and bamboo (like the ones shown in the photo) are a much better alternative!
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Paper towels contain chemicals like chlorine, formaldehyde, and BPA which get transferred to soil (and food) when paper towels biodegrade (Source). Bleached paper towels are the worst.
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They have more of an impact than you may think - creating them requires deforestation and water use, and when they end up in landfills, they release methane (Source), a greenhouse gas with more warming effect than carbon dioxide.
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Not to mention, they're often wrapped in plastic--more waste!
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Chemical-filled, single-use paper towels
RESOURCE:
Eco-friendly paper towels
If you want single-use disposable paper towels, learn about how to buy better ones for the environment (and about finding ones that are compostable)!
RUNNER UP:
Swedish Dishcloths
Still made of tree fiber and hard to find undyed, Swedish dishcloths are at least washable, reusable and significantly more absorbent than paper towel. They also wear out after ~6 months of use (hence why they earned second place compared to the long lifespan of reusable towels).
