DIY Sustainable Cleaning Products - Put To the Test!

At Fifty Shades Greener sustainability is a priority in everything which we do.

In this spirit it was decided that as a team we would each test out different homemade DIY environmentally friendly cleaning recipes and share our experiences in a blog.

Giving our readers insight as to what solutions are just that and what one’s are best missed!

Why is it your interest to bother to make your own eco friendly cleaning products?

Better Air quality

Commercial cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are dangerous to our health causing eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as headaches, dizziness and memory loss!

Save your Money 

Making your own eco cleaning products is actually more affordable than using commercial brands. Many green products simply use ingredients such as white vinegar, baking soda, water and citrus.

Better for our planet

Toxic chemicals from cleaning products are flushed down the drain and enter our waterways. Using chemical free products is one of the many things you as an individual can do to protect the planet earth.

Protect your pets!

Your beloved animals will absorb any toxic chemicals that you use on floors/ carpets and furniture!

Less worry for the family

Why stress about your toddler getting into the cleaning press? Take one worry away by having only natural, chemical free products.

A longer lasting home

Commercial cleaning products actually affect the texture and condition of your floors, surfaces, kitchenware, and furniture. Whereas natural cleaning products cause less long term damage.

So now that we have considered some of the many reasons why using natural and sustainable cleaning products is preferable let’s take a look at how our team got on!

To begin, I, Alice, researched some easy and inexpensive recipes for eco cleaning and selected a few to trial and share with the team. These involved a lemon dishwasher detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, and drain unclogger. I tried all and had positive results but this was as a once off, the next thing to see is do these solutions stand the test of time?

Ellen, our educator and content creator, tried making a lemon dishwasher detergent! Here’s how she got on –

“I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of this eco-friendly dishwasher detergent recipe. Not only was it easy to make, but the smell that came from my dishwasher after the cycle was gorgeous! Following the recipe was very simple, making it an ideal recipe for whipping up larger batches to keep your dishes clean throughout the year but also to reduce the impact your household has on water pollution! I put this homemade concoction to the test with a full load of very greasy dishes! To my surprise, it effortlessly tackled the grime, leaving my dishes spotless. I recommend trying this recipe out! Your dishes and the planet will thank you!!”

Materials: This involved 1 lemon, water 1/8 cup of vinegar and 1 /4 cup of salt

Method

• Cut lemons into small ¼ inch-thick chunks, making sure all seeds are removed.
• Place the lemons into a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of water.
• Heat the lemons and water to a slow boil. Simmer for 20 minutes until water is reduced and syrupy and the lemons are very tender. Make sure to stir frequently and add water if needed.
• Add the cooked lemon and syrup mixture to a blender with 1/2 cup of water, and blend on high until very smooth.
• Strain the lemon mixture back into your saucepan using a small colander.
• Add vinegar and salt to a saucepan and stir until well combined.
• Bring mixture to a slow boil and cook for 10-15 allowing it to thicken slightly. It will be the consistency of runny applesauce when done.
• Cool completely in a saucepan, stirring occasionally to incorporate salty crust that may form on the top. To wash dishes: Fill your dishwasher detergent dispenser with the fresh lemon gel. I use about 3 tablespoons of detergent.

Sam, one of our project managers also tried out this dishwasher detergent recipe – “Our dishwasher has been acting up the last little while. The mechanical cycle seems to be broken so it never goes through a full wash cycle, which means the dishes are never fully cleaned and often have some remnants of dishwasher tablets on them. Using the lemon and vinegar mixture proved to be very useful because it dissolves quicker than the dishwasher tablets meaning there is no residue left on the dishes, while also still cleaning the dishes. This means that we can use a shorter cycle which saves water, and can avoid using harmful chemicals in our dishwasher. It has also help to eliminate the odour of stagnant water that was building up due to the dishwasher not utilising the drain cycle correctly, so a win-win!

Our Operations leader, Eimhin, tried out a shower drain formula using just vinegar and baking soda.

“I use baking soda for a lot of my cleaning endeavours! So I was delighted when Alice presented us with these recipes. I used this weekly in our upstairs shower drain which can be slower to drain. It has proven extremely effective and unlike drain unblockers or bleach, the smell is not offensive or overpowering. It not only keeps the drain water flowing smoothly, it also keeps that area where the baking soda is clean! I often sprinkle some around the drain hole itself. It is a great remover of unpleasant smells! I also started using it in our kitchen sink particularly over the festive season. It is fantastic at speeding up the draining of water. I find these two ingredients combined are a dynamic duo that you can use on virtually anything to clean including pots and pans and your oven! I will absolutely continue to use this recipe and it is also cost efficient as well for the ingredients but also for the volume required for each recipe.

Materials: This involved ¼ cup of baking soda + ¼ cup of vinegar.

Method:

• Pour the baking soda down the drain,
• followed by the vinegar.
• Let it sit.

Finally, Marta, our head of R&D, ESG & Net Zero, made a toilet bowl cleaner again using only baking soda and vinegar!

Here’s how she got on – “I’ve been using this recipe for one month, and it’s proven it’s easy, cheap and highly effective! Using vinegar as a mild acid for cleaning not only disinfects effectively but is also less abrasive than bleach. What’s more, this eco-friendly mixture is free from any toxic chemicals that can pollute the water. I highly recommend giving it a try for a cleaning solution that's both effective and environmentally conscious!”

Materials: This involved 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of white vinegar

Method

• Pour vinegar into the toilet and leave it sit for 30 minutes
• Sprinkle baking soda over the toilet surface, you´ll see that it bubbles!
• Clean out the surface by scrubbing with the toilet brush

Such positive results! So what’s next you ask? Try them yourself and let us know how you get on!

We hope you’ve found this blog helpful, it is so incredibly important that we as individuals do what we can to improve our impact on the planet. You would be surprised but there is a lot of power in individual action, if many people make changes – we will be looking at mass change and improvement!

Do you want to learn more about how you can work to reduce your own environmental impact through greener choices? 

ESG stands for Environmental Social Governance in the private sector and it aims to embed  all 17 Sustainable Development Goals into an organisation. Become an ESG Leader with our 5 month Online Educational Programme. More info HERE

Thank you for reading today!

The FSG Team 💚