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These are the natural and eco-friendly alternatives helping to scrub out plastic waste
Many of us are trying to be more ecwith positive intentions and on the search for ways to introduce good habits into our lives. One simple way to do this, and show the environment some love, is to switch to refillable cleaning products.
After all, UK households use over 70 million cleaning sprays every year, which generates more than 140 million pieces of plastic. Not to mention the bleach bottles, toilet cleaners and other numerous plastic bottles cluttering cupboards up and down the country.
Switching to cleaning refills is not only great for reducing single-use plastic packaging, but it can also work out cheaper (depending on the brand and product) and be more aesthetically pleasing. Also, as well as reducing the amount of throwaway plastic packaging, many home cleaning brands that offer refills naturally have a focus on non-toxic and environmentally friendly ingredients.
From signing up to subscription-based models to taking empties down to a local refill station, there are a number of ways to switch to refills. As well as ready-to-use liquid options, some brands sell concentrated solutions, soluble sachets or pods that just need mixing with water, or even offer the product in the form of a dissolvable sheet or tablet.
We think it’s great that there are so many options available now, but it can get a bit confusing. So, with that in mind, we’ve refilled and scrubbed our way through a range of cleaning products designed to make your home shine, to see which deserve a spot in the cupboard under the sink.
As well as looking for cleaning products that offer refill options, there were a number of other factors that we took into consideration: price, accessibility, ease of refilling, product range, the overall aesthetic of the containers and of course, whether the cleaning products actually worked. We spritzed windows, mirrors, bathtubs, kitchen counters, toilets and anything else that needed a clean, and tested the products out over a couple of months to get a real feel for how they performed.
There are more and more choices now when it comes to refillable cleaning products, which is very exciting. For ease of use, performance, aesthetic and value, we really rated Neat’s range of refillable cleaners. If you’re after something a bit more premium, and love to have a spa-like scent in your home, we’d recommend Nookary’s offering.
Calling all tea lovers – check out our round-up of the best plastic-free tea bags for a more sustainable brew