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Spring Cleaning the Zero-Waste Way
In a yearlong challenge to live waste-free, Amy Korst and her husband managed to produce less trash than most Americans do in a day. So little, that the full year of waste fit into a standard shoebox, and the lifestyle was so easy to sustain that the pair continues to live nearly trash-free today. Better still, the endeavor proved as gentle on the wallet as it was on the planet. Here are Amy’s tips for spring cleaning the zero-waste way. Before my zero-waste lifestyle, I bought all sorts of cleaning products and accessories designed to make my house sparkle and my rooms fragrant. Who doesn’t want to live in a clean home, after all? For me, clean equals happy and healthy, so I give my whole house a good scrubbing each weekend. It wasn’t until I adopted zero-waste as my mantra that it occurred to me to make my own cleaning products. Now that I’ve discovered how easy it is, I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t start earlier. Here’s a rundown of the products I used to buy: glass cleaner, wood polisher, all-purpose cleaner, surface wipes, and countertop disinfecting spray. I also bought plug-in scent diffusers and quite a few candles to make the house smell good after the cleaning was done. What I realize now is how much “scent overload” my body was going through. A huge benefit of switching to homemade cleaning products is that you force your body to go through a natural period of scent and chemical detox. I mean this quite literally. With a zero-waste lifestyle, you eliminate practically everything you used to buy in the cleaning aisle of the grocery store. Some people worry that green cleaning products do not clean as well as conventional chemical-filled ones. And I’ll admit, there are some messes that are so gross that green cleaners can’t begin to tackle them. However, I’ve found that my cleaning bucket filled with homemade cleaning products does the job around my house 99 percent of the time. Before making your homemade cleaners, I recommend putting together an arsenal of green cleaning tools. Every good cleaning bucket needs lots of rags for wiping household surfaces. I used to use paper towels, and I also purchased three types of throwaway wipes: wood, stainless steel, and all-purpose. Now I don’t buy any of those. Instead, I spray my all-purpose cleaner on a cloth rag and wipe away. A well-stocked cleaning bucket should have at least a dozen wipes. You can use old T-shirts, washcloths, or microfiber cloths. If you need to purchase new cleaning rags, try the auto parts section of a store, where rags are sold in cheap bundles. You’ll also need a broom and a mop. I’ve used the same bristle broom for years, but I switched mops when I went garbage free. I used to have a mop that used disposable sheets to wipe up the floor. Today I use a mop and a bucket of cleaning solution, and mop the old-fashioned way, with lots of elbow grease. If you’re having a hard time parting with those disposable static-cling cloths that attract hair, dirt, and dust like a magnet, try this trick: cut an old pantyhose at the knee and stretch the foot part over your broom. Sweep as usual, and watch as the hose attracts hair and dust in much the same way as a disposable wipe. Making Homemade Cleaners Most homemade cleaners can be made with just a handful of cheap, easy-to-find ingredients. One of my favorites is this all-purpose cleaner. I love this cleaner, and I use it for everything—sinks, countertops, toilets, showers, and wiping down appliances and walls. I even use it and a little elbow grease to scrub down soap scum and rust buildup in the shower. Yield: 2 cups 1 teaspoon baking soda
Mix together all of the ingredients except the essential oil. Allow the mixture to cool, add the essential oil, and pour into a spray bottle. When you clean your home regularly with eco-friendly, homemade products, you live in a home that not only smells fresh, but is free from chemicals that are harmful to you and your family. You save money because you no longer have to buy cleaning supplies. Plus, you’re not making trash as you spruce up your home. What could be cleaner than that? Adapted with permission from The Zero-Waste Lifestyle by Amy Korst (Ten Speed Press, 2012).
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