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.

How can I be sure that my beauty product is natural or organic?

Our friends at Salt of the Earth explain what to look out for.

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your entire body and that what you put on it is likely to be absorbed into the bloodstream?

Alarmingly, any beauty product can be labelled as organic or natural as there is no legal standards for the use of the term. Therefore, even if it only contains 1% of natural or organic ingredients or materials, it means that it can be called organic.

Water isn’t organic

This may come as a surprise but water cannot be organic. That means that a beauty product such as roll-on deodorant which may contain lots of water, would only have a low percentage of organic or natural materials.

As a result, products labelled as organic or natural could still have lots of synthetic ingredients and have a low amount of natural or organic ingredients.

Certified organic

The exception to this is the certified organic products. These are products that are natural and organic but also guarantee environmentally sustainable sourcing and production as well as only containing natural ethos ingredients.

cosmos natural certification infographic

Infographic explaining which products don't have natural certification

With natural cosmetics rising at a fast pace, many are forgetting what it means to be natural. This has led to lots of misuse and confusion of the word and amplifies greenwashing. It also presents an issue to customers who are purchasing these products with little ways to know if the product is natural or organic.

So, to be sure, only products with independent certifications to a recognised standard guarantee that the product is genuinely organic or natural. Make sure to look out for COSMOS Organic or COSMOS Natural next time you’re shopping.

Salt of the Earth

All Salt of the Earth UK manufactured deodorants and foaming hand washes are certified as COSMOS Natural through the Soil Association. This means you can be assured their products are truly natural and free from harmful chemicals.

Products with this COSMOS Natural certification:

  • have been assessed against a rigorous, third-party standard
  • don’t contain any harmful ingredients

Products with the Soil Association COSMOS logo guarantee:

  • NO animal testing
  • NO GM ingredients
  • NO controversial chemicals
  • NO parabens and phthalates
  • NO synthetic colours, dyes or fragrances
  • NO synthetic micro plastics
  • NO harmful effects to marine life nor the wider environment when washed down the drain
soil association cosmos natural logo

This certification evaluates the entire supply chain for its environmental footprint. It involves scrutinising packaging materials and mandating the use of exclusively non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products in manufacturing facilities. Licensees are required to implement an environmental management plan aimed at minimising waste through reduction, reuse, and recycling.

To uphold these standards, all licensees undergo a rigorous yearly inspection.

Don’t be greenwashed by organic and natural claims; look for a reputable certification logo – such as COSMOS, or alternatively, ECOCERT or NATRUE which have strict certification standards too. These certifications offer a consumer guarantee for buying genuine organic and natural cosmetic products.

Shop Salt of the Earth products.

Natural Home Cleaning Tips

Now more than ever we are aware of the importance of our cleanliness, both personal hygiene and around our home. Conventional household cleaners tend to use harsh and sometimes toxic chemicals that are abrasive and can irritate. However, there are much simpler natural cleaning alternatives you can use that are gentle yet effective.

We’ve put together a short list of tips and suggestions for cleaning your home naturally, which you can find below. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you try any, or if you have your own tips to share.

Continue reading Natural Home Cleaning Tips

How to Create a Sustainable Wardrobe

The choices we make day to day impact our planet. There are a limited number of resources available and the Earth is only able to put up with a particular amount of greenhouse gases in order to stay healthy. It can sometimes be hard to identify ways in which you can be sustainable, so it’s better to focus on one area at a time. Follow these tips on how to create sustainable wardrobe to get you started.

Continue reading How to Create a Sustainable Wardrobe

How Important is Sun Protection?

The weather might not know it yet, but it’s almost Summer! I know it’s true the temperature doesn’t really get very high here in the UK, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays! If your sun care often slips, learn why it’s important here. Continue reading How Important is Sun Protection?

Tips to Reduce Household Waste

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – a mantra we’ve all heard, and for the younger generations, three words drummed into you practically from birth, and for good reason too! Millions of tons of household waste ends up in landfill sites every year, with a lot of that actually being recyclable! Here are some tips to reduce your household waste so we can all work together towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle! Continue reading Tips to Reduce Household Waste