A stroll along the cleaning aisles in a supermarket will reveal a staggering
array of different products, each with the aim of cleaning specific areas in
our homes or our bodies. Some of them have two attendant environmental
consequences attached: most are packaged in plastic while many are filled
with chemicals that can affect both our health and the receiving
environment. A glance at the contents can reveal a worrying number of
toxic ingredients. Bleach is particularly harmful as, once mixed with water
and washed down the drain, it can cause dioxins to be released, which are
carcinogenic. Initially, smaller niche-market shops started selling ecofriendly products but now some supermarkets do too, due to consumer
demand. Examples to reduce plastic include bamboo toothbrushes, soap
instead of shower gel, bars of shampoo soap and deodorant, washing
powder in cardboard boxes (as they used to be) and, most importantly,
buy fewer cleaning products. Our forebears used simpler cleaning agents,
that were kinder to both humans and the environment – soap and water;
white vinegar; bicarbonate of soda. The addition of lemon juice or essential
oils can add a pleasant smell.