The Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Cleaning

Switching to a zero-waste cleaning routine has been one of the best things I’ve done for my wallet, health, and the environment.

Switching up my cleaning caddy was one of the very first zero-waste swaps I made and I couldn’t be happier. If you’re just starting to try and reduce your waste, I think starting with your cleaning caddy is a great idea.

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Most conventional cleaning products are irritating to both the nose and throat due to artificial fragrances, volatile organic compounds (the same building blocks that create smog), and other toxic ingredients. Most conventional cleaners are also packaged in plastic and many of them aren’t biodegradable meaning they won’t break down in nature.

Why are we using cleaning products that will wind up in our waterways and natural environments if they’re toxic and won’t breakdown?

cleaning supplies:

First, let’s talk about the tools we clean with. Most cleaning tools in your house are probably made from plastic, and that’s a-ok!

There’s no reason to run out and replace your cleaning supplies with plastic-free counterparts. I still have a plastic toilet brush that will probably last me for the next decade.

But, once it finally breaks and is no longer functioning, I will probably upgrade to a nice, chic bamboo one. But, I’m also really intrigued by this steel and silicone brush… I don’t know if you’d ever have to replace it.

I keep all of my supplies in a metal cleaning caddy which was a Christmas gift from Justin a few years ago. You can find a similar one online or at a your local craft store.

In my caddy, I stash a feather duster, cleaning spray, wooden dish scrubs, a hand broom, a few reusable bar towels (they’re the BEST at absorbing water), a small container of baking soda, vinegar, and a metal dustpan. 

Let’s take a closer look at some zero waste cleaning supplies:

• Feather duster: You can certainly get a plastic-free feather duster. Just be aware that most plastic-free feather dusters are made from ostrich feathers and wooden handles. I recommend getting one-second hand, so that way it’s already in existence and you’re just keeping it out of the landfill. If you feel like feather dusters just move dust around, or onto the floor, you can always just vacuum it up afterward. 

• Rags: You can use these in lieu of feather dusters to wipe up dust, or other messes. I prefer 100% cotton bar towels. They do a great job at absorbing liquid and picking up dust.

• Cleaning spray: This versatile all-purpose cleaning spray works on just about every surface, and in every room. It can be used to clean mirrors, windows, sinks, countertops and more.

• Dish scrubs: I like bamboo dish brushes because they last such a long time. There are several different kinds too – like a bamboo bottle brush which has a long handle or a handheld pot brush which I use on my tub and tile. These can be composted at the end of their life.

• Wooden hand broom + metal dust pan: If you want to sweep up some small accidents without breaking out the vacuum, get a hand broom and a metal dustpan. Mine are both secondhand so if you’re looking for something similar I’d check out an antique mall.

• Wooden broom: When you have to sweep something up, but don’t want to break out the vacuum, a classic wooden broom is the way to go. Most brooms on the market are made from plastic (including the bristles!), but you can certainly still find wooden brooms with natural bristles online, and I’ve heard a few people have had great luck at TJMaxx with finding a bamboo swiffer with a reusable and washable pad.

• Wooden toilet brush: Most toilet brushes are made from plastic. But, there are several options like a bamboo one or the steel and silicone brush I mentioned earlier.

• Mop: Finding a plastic-free mop is easy is you stick with what I like to call the old-school janitor mop. Justin insisted on having this sort of mop and since he felt so passionately about it, I told him he could have his mop if he did all the mopping. He accepted and it’s probably the best purchase I’ve ever made.

• Vacuum: I personally have a Dyson Animal, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Dyson offers a lifetime warranty, so if you do buy one of their vacuums you can feel pretty good about that purchase because heir vacuums are built to last. Fun fact: dust is compostable. Most carpet is made from plastic, but if you have 100% wool or silk rugs you can compost what’s in your vacuum.

cleaning recipes:

I like to DIY my cleaning products because it’s soooo cheap, easy, and doesn’t take much time at all. There’s also the added benefit of knowing exactly what ingredients are in your cleaners.

However, there are a few really great cleaning brands out their like blueland. They sell tablets that you mix with water in your own home, they’re also cruelty-free, zero waste, and biodegradable.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes.

• Tub scrub – This stuff is amazing and will make your tub look spotless.

• All-purpose cleaning spray - I use this to clean pretty much my whole house.

• Orange peel vinegar cleaner – All-purpose cleaner you can use on just about any surface.

• Toilet cleaner – If you want to keep your toilet bowl looking nice, give these fun DIY toilet cleaner bombs a try.

• Bleach – An all-natural bleach alternative that works.

• Makeup brush cleaner – Because makeup brushes get dirty too.

To get all of my cleaning recipes, be sure to check out my book 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste!

areas of the home:

Now that you have a good idea of which tools and recipes you might want to try, here’s a little run down of how both Justin and I clean the house.

kitchen: 

Now, I typically tackle the kitchen.

After making a big meal, I tend to wash the dishes using either a DIY dish soap (recipe in my book 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste) or one like Filaree.

I use my bamboo dish scrubs for things that need to be hand washed and load the dishwasher. Dishwashers do save more water than handwashing so if you have a dishwasher, load it up!

I typically use cast iron pans when cooking so here’s a blog post on how to clean those pans, if you have any which I highly recommend because they’re awesome and they’ll last forrrevverrrr.

Then lastly I wipe down my counters, oven and sink with my all-purpose cleaning spray and a rag.

bedroom: 

Now, I have a dog who just loves to snuggle in our bed which isn’t super great. So, we make sure to change our sheets every week, and always keep the pillows and top sheet covered so she isn’t rubbing all over what we directly sleep on.

One of the best ways to clean out the air in the bedroom (dog) is to simply open the window!

If you’re looking for tips on laundry, be sure to pick up a copy of my book! I’m also very spoiled because Justin does all the laundry and hangs everything to dry. It’s a total dream.

And, be sure to check out my blog post, if you’re interested in finding organic and sustainable linens for your bed.

bathroom: 

I also typically clean the bathroom, and swear by my tub scrub. Seriously. Go read the comments on that post. Everyone is obsessed. I spread the scrub all around the tub and then use a bamboo scrubber, specifically for the bathroom, to wipe away any grime.

Then I use the all-purpose cleaning spray for the toilet, mirror, and sink. I use my old plastic toilet brush for inside the bowl and rags for everything else.

floors:

Since every room has floors, I figured it’d be best to have this as a sperate entry. Justin also tackles all of the flooring. He vacuums every other day with our Dyson because Nala sheds like crazy.

Around once a month he hits the floors with a mop. He just puts a little bit of Dr. Bronners soap in the bucket to clean the floors.

Well, that’s it. That’s our big bi-weekly cleaning routine. Do you have any zero waste cleaning tips and tricks up your sleeve?

DIY Makeup Brush Cleaner

My favorite honorary "R"s is repair! It may have not made it into the top 5 "Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot," but it's got to be soooo close. 

Repairing is a huge part of the zero waste lifestyle. It honestly shocks me that my instincts used to be, "If it's broken, toss it and buy another one!" 

It's so engrained in our disposable culture. A lot of manufacturers actually participate in creating this disposable culture. It's called planned obsolescence. 

The idea of planned obsolescence isn't new, in fact it dates beck to the 1920s when the market was being flooded with vehicles. Ford and GM were both trying to find ways to increase sales. 

They came up with the idea to create new models each year to encourage the consumer to "upgrade." The goal was to make older models feel outdated and undesirable. 

It didn't become a common turn of phrase until Bernard London wrote the pamphlet "Ending the Depression Through Planned Obsolescence." It proposed legal obsolescence on items to stimulate the economy.

The idea really took off in the 1950s. Brooks Stevens used it in his speech to an advertising company. "[planned obsolescence is] Instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary."

Apple has been accused of this on multiple occasions from making custom screws only they have the screwdrivers to unlock and intentionally slowing down your phone with the most recent iOS update riiiiiiiiiiiiiight before a new phone is released. A little too convenient, eh? 

There are five different types of planned obsolescence, but this post is about makeup brushes! Looks like I've got another post to write for you on this topic. 

The moral of my story is, repairing is huge. A lot of companies don't want you to repair their items. They want you to buy new ones. 

While not everything is easy to repair, mend, or fix a lot of things are. Sometimes it means making better purchases. Other times it means learning a new skill! 

I remember when I first heard that you should be cleaning your makeup brushes. 

I took a hard look at the brush I used on a daily basis and saw quite a bit of built up product. Old me would have tossed that brush, thinking it was just time for a new one. 

But, I learned it just needed a good cleaning! Now it's as good as new. I clean my brushes often to keep them in tip top shape, and hopefully they'll serve me for many years to come. 

You can buy brush cleaner, but it's SO easy to make. Plus, it's totally zero waste. 

DIY, Zero Waste, Makeup Brush Cleaner: 

• 2 Tablespoons of Soap like Dr. Bronners
• 1 Tablespoon of a Sweet Almond Oil 

You can use another oil like olive oil. Sweet almond is what I had on hand. I bought it in bulk from Rainbow Grocery. 

Step 1. Pour the almond oil and soap onto a plate. The oil helps condition the bristles keeping them nice and soft. Using only soap could be a little harsh and dry them out over time.

Step 2. Swirl your brush around in the mixture until it's clean. Use your hand to agitate and remove any of the residue. 

Step 3. Rinse the brush off in COLD water. I rinse my brush off into a cup of water because you want to keep the brush facing down. You want to prevent the bristles from standing up so water doesn't drip down the shaft. 

Step 4. Hang the brushes to dry bristles down 24-48 Hours

If you have really product heavy brush, you may need to repeat this and add a little extra soap. 

Clean your brushes every 4-6 months depending on use. In between cleanings, I spray my brushes with this disinfecting solution. I store it in a small 2oz spray bottle. I don't over do it, because I don't want to dry out my bristles! 

Have you cleaned your makeup brushes recently? Did you DIY? 

How to Maintain a Healthy Safety Razor

Leaving my safety razor in the shower finally caught up with me. Alas, rust has taken hold of it. I had a friend who told me, when her safety razor rusted she recycled it and bought a new one. Looking at my newly rusted safety razor, I really did not want to buy a new one.

This goes so much deeper than zero waste. Recycling isn’t the answer but rather a band-aid, and beyond that… I just can’t fathom buying a new safety razor.

One of the main appeals of zero waste, to me, is only having to buy something one time.

I have always been very conscious about budget. I want to buy something once and never have to buy it ever again. Zero waste is as much about the environment as it is about my bottom line.

It’s just a little rust, but for some reason, it evoked a deadly fear of tetanus.

I don’t know why my parents liked to frighten me as a child. Maybe they weren’t trying to frighten me, but rather inform me. No matter their intentions, I had a horrible fear of death by tetanus.

First, your mouth would slowly stop working until you couldn’t eat or say anything, then you’d silently starve to death. Of course, this is wildly inaccurate, just how I felt as a child. Plus, I haven’t had my tetanus booster to make matters worse...

So, this rust problem. It must be solved ASAP... before I accidentally gave myself tetanus. With a quick search of google, I came up with numerous ways to give your safety razor a good cleaning.

Before you recycle or throw anything away, always ask yourself if there’s something you haven’t tried! I would much rather ruin my razor in an attempt to save it, than just toss it without ever trying.  

Let’s talk about how you should care for your safety razor. 

For more information on how to use a safety razor, please see this post here.

don’t leave it in the shower or tub:

Duh. When the metal is constantly damp it’s easy for rust to form. Once there’s a tiny speck of rust it will quickly spread.                      

dry it after each use:

To avoid this dry your safety razor after every use. While you towel off, towel off your razor too. Dry the body and the blade.

store some place dry:

Whether it be a cabinet or by the sink, try and keep the razor some place dry. Also make sure you’re storing it someplace sturdy. The only time I’ve really been cut by my razor is when reaching for it and it fell. In its descent towards the ground, it took a lot of skin with it.

Even if you’re very diligent in your razor care, you can still slip up. Leave the razor in the shower on accident one too many times and rust starts to form. No fear! There are some really quick and simple solutions. I used two different methods to clean up my safety razor.

method one:

Castile soap, warm water, and an old toothbrush.

Who says that you have to compost the toothbrush as soon as it’s no longer fit to clean teeth? (remember that question we’re supposed to ask ourselves?) Old toothbrushes work great to scrub all sorts of small spaces. Especially handy to get into the nooks and crannies of a safety razor.

Run the razor under warm water. Squirt some liquid soap onto the toothbrush and scrub away. I got great results with my fillaree dish soap, but any liquid castile soap would do. The rust on my razor was pretty persistent, so I needed to do something a little more heavy duty.

method two:

Soak the razor in a mixture of half warm water and half white vinegar. Add 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda. It will get super fizzy and start attacking the rust. Let it soak for an hour or two, but don’t let it soak too long.

Grab a rag and most of the rust will wipe away. For hard to get to places, use the toothbrush.

The thing about rust, is that ALL of it has to be gone. If any is left, it will come back almost instantly. Make sure to be thorough. Better to clean it once very thoroughly than to keep having to do it.

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Do you have any tips for safety razor care? Have you recovered from a rusty razor?

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