5 Genius Hacks for Zero Waste Cleaning (My Favorite Products and Routine!)

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Switching to a zero waste cleaning routine can simplify your life and potentially save you money! These are the ways I stay on track with my zero waste cleaning routine and don’t slip back into purchasing toxic cleaning products wrapped in plastic. 

After learning about all the best zero waste cleaning products and hacks you will be well equipped with a zero waste cleaning routine that suits your busy schedule and budget.

This post is all about the best zero waste cleaning hacks to ensure your cleaning routine is toxin-free and uses minimal waste!

The Best Zero Waste Cleaning Hacks

Keep it simple 

Don’t get dragged into all the marketing for the gazillion cleaning products available. Choose a couple of cleaning products that are versatile and effective. If you want to switch up the scents you can always add essential oils. 

If you do prefer to have a more robust cleaning proutine I will mention some awesome eco-conscious brands later on! 

Stock up 

Buy ahead of time so you’re not tempted to pick up nonsustainable items at the store. It can be expensive to buy more than you need ahead of time so no worries if this doesn’t work for your budget. Some stores of course offer deals on bulk purchases so that is something to consider too! 

Shop sales 

Get on the email lists of your favorite eco-conscious brands to make sure you know when they are having sales.

If you hop on my email list or follow me on Instagram I try to include when zero waste shops are having sales too.

Repurpose before buying new cleaning tools 

Use old rags, towels, t-shirts etc. as cleaning tools instead of purchasing plastic brushes/sponges etc. Just like opting out of getting all of the cleaning products, you can also keep your cleaning tools minimal. 

Where to Shop for Zero Waste Cleaning Products 

Local zero waste shops

It makes me so happy to see zero waste shops popping up in more and more communities! This is the best place to purchase cleaning products because you can refill your bottles rather than purchase new ones. 

A lot of zero waste stores prioritize stocking products from small businesses and choose more natural cleaning options. 

A few of my favorite zero waste stores are:

• Protea Zero Waste
• Keep it Simple
• R Planet 
• Onekea Bros 

If you are new to shopping at zero waste stores I have a beginner guide here. 

Online Zero Waste Shops

Unfortunately, not all communities have a zero waste store yet. 

How cool will it be when zero waste shops are normalized to the point that they will be like grocery stores and every community has one?! 

Anyways, for now, there are online options. These are some of my favorite eco-conscious cleaning brands that you can purchase online. 

• Package Free 
• Blueland 
• Grove Collaborative
• Public Goods 
• Dropps 
• Clean Cult 

Health Food Stores

If all else fails, you can always check out your local health food store. Some shops have refill options and if they don’t then they definitely have eco-friendly cleaning products. 

Big Box Stores 

The last resort is bigger chain stores like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Sometimes due to accessibility, these are the only options available! 

And these bigger companies have honestly started carrying some great low waste options. I love this. Sustainable choices should be accessible to everyone. 

Here are a couple of brands to look for when shopping at a bigger chain store. 

• Grove Collaborative 
• Dr. Bronners 

Things to look for when buying eco friendly cleaning options 

This list is from best to worst! Start at the top and work your way down. Of course, any kind of conscious shopping is great to begin with so no worries if your cleaning products aren’t 100% refillable. 

Refillable 

Being able to get cleaning products refilled is the best option! Instead of creating more waste from plastic bottles, you can just hold on to one bottle. 

Made from recycled materials 

Some companies are starting to use recycled plastic to fill their cleaning products in. This is great because it is not new plastic that is being created which requires tons of resources.

Compostable 

Some items that are listed as compostable are only able to be composted in a facility rather than simply backyard composting. Be sure to watch out for this! There is still some room to grow in this category but I am excited to see where it goes! 

Recyclable 

A good portion of items that are put into the recycling bin do not actually end up getting recycled. This can be due to wish cycling where people hope that something is recyclable and just throw it in the bin without knowing for sure if it can be recycled. Brush up on your local recycling guidelines before wish cycling. 

If you don’t have recycling in your area and you really want to go the extra mile to recycle your cleaning products you can send them to TerraCycle and they recycle everything! Literally. 

Simple and Versatile Zero Waste Cleaning Products and Routine

My apartment is tiny so it is really easy to keep it clean! Regardless of how much space you have to keep clean, simplicity is best. There are more important things to do than spend time overcomplicating cleaning your home. 

These are my favorite cleaning products that I have been using for a while now. It’s a short list because I have found what I like and it works for me!

The basis of my routine starts with: 

• Castile soap
• Vinegar 
• Baking soda

I KNOW it’s boring but the majority of my cleaning routine is just soap and water. No toxins, intense smells, fear of mixing chemicals-it’s a stress free cleaning experience. I dilute the soap in a spray bottle with water and clean away! I don’t have exact measurements. I just eyeball it. 

I use this spray on my countertops, toilet, walls, floors-whatever! It really can clean it all. I suggest you do a tester spot if you use it for your furniture, floors, walls etc. Castille soap is super gentle but I don’t want you to hate me if it stains your home goods! 

So when castile soap and water can’t get the grime off I come through with vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar makes surfaces shiny and the baking soda grips onto grime and pulls it from surfaces. 

And that’s really it! You would be surprised at how powerful a simple cleaning routine can be. 

Zero Waste Cleaning Tools 

You might be noticing a theme by this point-which is simplicity over everything. It is no different when it comes to the tools I use to clean. 

These are pretty much the only things I use to clean: 

• Cleaning cloths and/or old towels 
• Silicone bottle brush 
• Spray bottles 
• Repurposed bottles

Package free.com and Earth Hero have some great options if you are in need of specific cleaning tools like lint rollers, toilet brush, etc. 

Give Yourself Grace 

I want to scream this from the roof tops-you do NOT have to be a perfect zero waster! Just try your best and if that means some of your cleaning products come in plastic then it’s ok, the sustainability police aren’t going to come after you. Just do what you can to choose the most sustainable option when possible. 

Do you have any other zero waste cleaning hacks you could share with the community? Have any thoughts on making zero waste options more accessible? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 

This post is all about the best zero waste cleaning hacks to ensure your cleaning routine is toxin-free and uses minimal waste!

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Stay well, 

Maggie 

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