Six tips for a greener spring clean

With Eco-Max’s helpful advice, now is the perfect opportunity to refresh your cleaning routine with eco-friendly practices.

As the weather starts to warm up, our thoughts often turn to cleaning, tidying and organising our spaces. The good news is that you don’t have to use harsh chemicals to keep your space clean. Green cleaning is a great alternative that’s practical, effective, and easy to adopt.

Our friends at Eco-Max have provided a helpful guide to greener cleaning this spring.

Line-dry your laundry on dry spring days

The fresh outdoor smell of line-dried laundry is impossible to imitate. Using plant-based laundry detergents like Eco-Max Laundry Liquids can help you capture that fresh outdoor smell by removing harsh-smelling and residue causing ingredients from your laundry day.

Choose the fragrance-free variety for the shortest ingredient list. If you like a light scent, Eco-Max’s Laundry Liquids are naturally scented with the purest essential oil extracts of lavender and orange so washed clothes don’t smell like synthetic perfumes.

Invest in wool dryer balls

If wet weather means that line drying is difficult, then a quick boost in the tumble dryer may be impossible to avoid. Replace disposable dryer sheets with reusable wool dryer balls to naturally soften fabrics and reduce drying time. These eco-friendly alternatives help to prevent static cling, minimise wrinkles, and fluff up your laundry without the need for synthetic chemicals.

Versatile vinegar for glass and mirrors

Are you struggling to keep your mirrors clean? Instead of using harsh cleaning products, why not try a gentle and natural solution?

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water to make a cleaning solution that will leave your mirrors sparkling. To wipe off the solution, you can use newspaper or a dry cloth. It’s an easy and effective way to achieve a perfect reflection.

If you do not want to make your own glass cleaner, then try Eco-Max Bathroom, Shower and Glass Cleaner – this versatile product for glass windows, mirrors and shower cubicles is available in a generous 800ml spray bottle and 5 litre refill size.

Lemon leftovers are great for green cleaning

The fresh citrus smell of lemons is often used in natural cleaning products. Rinsing a dirty container with lemon juice can help remove stains and smells. You can also use a combination of lemon juice and salt to clean your chopping board.

If you prefer to use a natural cleaning product, then Eco-Max Washing-Up Liquid in orange, lavender or fragrance free is perfect for the job.

Eco-max washing up liquid bottles lined up on a table top

Lemons are also a perfect natural cleaning agent when mixed with baking soda. This solution can be used to deep clean all metal surfaces, including taps, showers, sinks, cutlery, and hob surfaces.

Declutter and donate

Spring is a great time to declutter in your home. Why not take this opportunity to get rid of any items that you no longer need or use? By donating your clothing, furniture, and household items to local charities, you’ll not only reduce waste but also give back to the community, so everyone benefits!

Goodbye tea and coffee stains

Do you have a favourite cup that you use for your daily tea or coffee? Over time, it may accumulate some stains, but there’s an easy and natural way to remove them.

First, mix baking soda with a small amount of water to form a paste. Next, apply the paste to the stained areas of the cup and gently scrub using a washing-up pad or kitchen cloth. Finally, rinse the cup thoroughly with water and Eco-Max Lavender Washing-Up Liquid for a stainless shine.

Eco-Max special offer

While it is great to make your own natural cleaners with store cupboard ingredients like vinegar, lemons, and baking soda, if you’re short on time, or find the idea too complicated, then simply switch to eco-friendly plant-based products such as those made by Eco-Max.  

For a limited time, save 15% on the Eco-Max range* and embrace the feel-good factor of reducing energy and using cleaning products and accessories that prioritise your health and the planet, for a more environmentally friendly spring clean.

*Offer ends 23:59 Sunday 28th April.

Copper: An eco friendly cleaning material

When it comes to keeping your home neat and tidy without harming the planet, there are a few materials available like cellulose sponge, loofah and coconut fibre.

But have you considered copper? Copper was a traditional material found in Victorian kitchens before it fell out of fashion. Its unique properties make it a really great choice for lots of cleaning tasks and in this blog, our friends Seep will explore why.

Durability

Copper is very durable, especially when used in the form of copper cleaning scourers. These scourers can withstand heavy use and abrasive scrubbing. Whether you’re trying to shift ingrained residue or a greasy, crusty lasagne dish, copper scourers can handle the job efficiently and don’t lose their effectiveness over time.

Three Seep copper scourers stacked against each other with the packaging in the background.

Eco-friendly

Copper is a natural resource that can be endlessly recycled, reducing waste in the long run. Some councils will recycle copper as part of your normal collection, others will have a waste metal recycling centre. Alternatively, you can take them along to your local scrap metal merchant and they may even give you some cash for them.

Copper can also be used as a slug and snail deterrent, so when you’ve finished using the scourers in your kitchen, you can wind them around your precious garden plants to protect them.

Corrosion resistance

Copper’s natural resistance to corrosion sets it apart from many other metals. You can confidently use copper scourers with water and various cleaning solutions without worrying about rust or deterioration.

This corrosion-resistant property makes copper scourers suitable for a wide range of cleaning tasks, from stainless steel appliances to ceramic surfaces. If they do tarnish a little bit over time, you can brighten them up quickly in a bowl of warm water and a few spoons of citric acid.

Antibacterial properties

Copper has innate antibacterial properties that help you keep things hygienic. Bacteria and germs have a tough time surviving on copper surfaces, making it an excellent choice for cleaning areas where cleanliness is super important, such as kitchens and bathrooms. It’s the reason that copper was used for milk jugs many years ago.

Heat conductivity

Copper has amazing heat conductivity which makes it a versatile choice for cleaning really tough messes with hot water. Don’t forget, if you want to protect your hands while using copper scourers with hot water, make sure you use some gloves.

In summary, copper’s durability, corrosion resistance, antibacterial properties, heat conductivity, and eco-friendliness make it an excellent choice for cleaning scourers.

We also think they’re really pretty when placed next to your sink!

Save during Veganuary

Throughout January we’re offering 3 for 2 across the Seep range. Purchase three (or more) items from the the range to take advantage of the discount. For every three items you purchase, the cheapest item will be free.

Offer ends 23:59 Wednesday 31st January 2024.

LoofCo – Plastic Free Brushes underpinned by ethical practices.

We are proud to be working with LoofCo to promote a more sustainable solution to cleaning and washing. Find out more from Lois Clark:

We all know the importance of finding more sustainable, plastic free alternatives when creating an eco-friendly lifestyle. When we founded LoofCo in 2017, our mission was to create products that offer simple, affordable switches while helping to reduce household plastic use & waste including the microplastic particles released by plastic washing-up scourers, sponges & brushes.

Continue reading LoofCo – Plastic Free Brushes underpinned by ethical practices.

What is Closed Loop Recycling?

You may have heard the term ‘closed loop recycling’ but do you know what it really means? Well let’s take a look and you may be surprised that you may have already recycled in a closed loop system!

First let’s look at open loop recycling, this is what you will probably imagine when you think of recycling, it’s what you do when you take your recycling out to be picked up by the council. If you do this regularly and check packaging to see if it is recyclable you will probably know how problematic this could be, are all the items you see in the recycle bins actually recyclable and one council may accept certain items where others do not based on the local recycling capabilities. With an open loop system a product is recycled into a different product, for example a plastic drinks bottle may be recycled into shoes, sleeping bags or jackets.

Continue reading What is Closed Loop Recycling?

Maemara – Sustainable Homeware

We are delighted to introduce Maemara onto the site with a beautiful range of new sustainable homeware. Founded in 2019, Maemara is a brand with a conscience, founded by three earth and ocean-loving individuals – Hannah, Alan and Jane. Their gorgeous cushions are both stylish and sustainable, made with 100% recycled materials both inside and out.

Continue reading Maemara – Sustainable Homeware

Brand Story: Nkuku

Nkuku produce beautifully handmade home and lifestyle products. Every one of their products has a story to tell through the talented artisans that created them.

Nkuku was founded in 2003 by Ali and Alex Cooke. The brand was inspired after the pair set off on a year-long round the world trip. Through their travels, Ali and Alex were inspired and humbled by the talented craftspeople and their beautiful work. Upon returning from travelling they moved from their busy London home to rural Devon to start their next adventure.

Completely inspired and amazed by their travels, they then started to work with artisans from around the world. Ali and Alex were passionate about supporting and celebrating these artisan skills through bringing their products to a wider audience and sharing their talents with the world.

Continue reading Brand Story: Nkuku

Brand Story: Milly & Sissy

Milly & Sissy produce a range of unique powdered beauty products where you simply need to add water to activate them.

Milly & Sissy was founded by good friends Milly and Sissy who both have a passion for animals and the environment. Milly has had a career working in the health and beauty industry and has lived abroad in Asia and Europe. Sissy lives in the Midlands with her family and growing number of animals which includes sheep, guinea pigs, dogs, cats and horses. Combining their passion and talents they were able to create the Milly & Sissy brand. They are always looking for ways to improve our way of living that will have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. They believe that every single person can make a difference based on the small changes that we can make to our lifestyles.

Their aim is to try and reduce our negative impact on the environment.

Continue reading Brand Story: Milly & Sissy

Fashion Revolution Week 2020 – Our Brand Spotlight

2020 marks the seven-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster. The Rana Plaza factory was a five-story building that housed garment factories for big global brands. In 2013, the factory collapsed killing 1,138 people and injured 2,500 more people; many of the victims were mostly young women.

From this the Fashion Revolution movement was born. The people behind the Fashion Revolution movement have called for an overhaul of the fashion industry and strive to make sure exploitation of people comes to an end and ensure that production methods respect our environment.

Taking place from the 20th – 26th April, this year’s Fashion Revolution Week will once again encourage millions of people to come together to campaign for systemic change within the fashion industry.

Continue reading Fashion Revolution Week 2020 – Our Brand Spotlight

Sustainable Nappies from Eco by Naty

Choosing the right nappies for your little one is important. Babies are so delicate and prone to rashes and often times it’s due to the chemical ingredients of cheap nappies. The nappy range from Eco by Naty has been designed to not only work without the toxic chemicals, but also lower your carbon footprint in the process. Continue reading Sustainable Nappies from Eco by Naty

How to have an ethical festival

We’re thrilled to welcome Jess Efford of Waterless Ltd – who make our great products Nilaqua and Zerreau – for this guest post about ethical festival fun.

Are you all set for your summer festival, but have you thought about what impact this has on the environment? Noise pollution, electricity, litter, nature, the list is endless. Festivals can only do so much with recycling, however here are some top tips to help you do your bit…. Continue reading How to have an ethical festival