Choose Plastic-Free Cleaning Cloths & Sponges
Cutting plastic waste at home makes a real difference. Cleaning is part of daily life and swapping to plastic-free cloths and sponges is a solid step. Microplastics from synthetic cloths sneak into water systems every wash.
By picking more natural options, you’re helping keep the planet cleaner without losing cleaning power. Here are smart picks that keep plastic out of your routine.
Use scent-free biodegradable cleaners for pregnancy/breastfeeding and affected medical conditions. Or for cleaning or washing-up near babies or pets (citrus oils are toxic to pets).
Anything in excess (esp. essential oils) can harm aquatic life. Never mix vinegar or lemon juice with any bleach (even oxygen bleach) as it causes toxic gas.
You can recycle empty bottles of chemicals with kerbside recycling. For half-full bottles, ask your council as these must be disposed of as toxic waste at the tip.
Seep Rubber Gloves in Cardboard Packs
SEEP Natural Rubber Gloves are sold in three sizes with textured grip, and in cardboard packaging.
Keep rubber cleaning gloves away from children and pets (and also from dementia patients, as apparently they are not safe nearby, due to risk of swallowing).
Seep Cleaning Cloths and Products
SEEP offers a full line of home cleaning options, all with plastic-free materials and compostable packaging. Their sponges, cloths, and rubber gloves use natural fibres, making it easier to cut plastic from your cleaning habits. They’re tough on dirt while being kind to the earth.
Eco Sponge Cloths are sold in 4 unique designs. These are ‘Swedish dishcloths’ that are made from wood pulp cellulose and repurposed cotton, and can absorb 13 times their weight in water.
One cloth can replace 15 rolls of paper towels, ideal to wipe up spills or washing-up. These are the alternative to those pink cloths that ‘break off bits’ when they get wet or worn.
Pop-up sponges are made from wood pulp, so they come flat to save on packaging. Wet them and they spring to shape. They’re durable and plastic-free, giving you a quick clean with less waste.
Eco Sponge Scourers (sold in a set of 12) are ideal for washing-up, containing loofah (a plant related to cucumber) and wood pulp cellulose. Safe enough to use on non-stick pots and pans. An alternative to those green plastic nylon scouring pads.
Copper Scouring Pads
Copper scourers clean tough dishes without microplastic shed and won’t rust as quickly as steel. They’re durable, recyclable, and handy for everything from pots to oven racks. Alternative to silver ‘scourers’ sold in plastic packaging.
Seep Bamboo Cleaning Cloths
The bamboo cloths can be used wet or dry, and are easy to recycle with other textiles. Sold in a pack of three (neutral, navy, turquoise), you can keep one for each cleaning tasks so you don’t get them mixed up, and end up cleaning the loo with the washing-up cloth!
Choose Swedish Dishcloths
Swedish dishcloths are made from a blend of cellulose and cotton. They soak up spills, last for months, and break down in home compost when you’re done with them. You get absorbency without plastic waste.
Try Coconut Fibre Scrubbers
Coconut fibres provide a natural scrub that’s stiff enough to handle pots and pans but won’t scratch. These scrubbers are biodegradable, keep their shape, and last longer than many synthetic sponges.
Use a Guppyfriend Mop Filter
For cleaning floors, use a Guppyfriend bucket filter, to stop microplastics going into the waterways. This fits any conventional bucket, and is made from a fine filter fabric, that doesn’t lose fibres itself. Durable and alkaline-resistant.
