Eco Friendly Tips For Laundry & Cleaning, From Wikaniko

Rethink your laundry habits. 

• Everything that we put into our laundry in the way of detergents ends up staying on our clothes; some scientists believe that this is why people now have sensitive skin and many more people, including babies and young children, are prone to skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. Even the fragrance used in detergents is comprised in most cases of synthetic chemicals. Wouldn’t it be nicer to use something on your clothes that not only meant that they were fresh and clean but also mean that your skin stayed healthy too?
• The chemicals in detergents get washed away to be dealt with by water treatment plants so that the water can then be used again. However, some of it ends up in water courses where these chemicals cause many problems such as death of aquatic life or the over production of algae. (we’ve all seen those green, stagnant ponds and rivers)
• Sometimes the water is not completely purged of all the unwanted chemicals, so it comes back to us with traces still present. That’s not very healthy, is it?
• There are many options now available to you that get your clothes clean and don’t harm anyone along the way, such as the Bio D range of products that are biodegradable and are totally harmless even if they do make it into the waterways. Or try soapnuts - so natural that they actually grow on trees, and amazingly economical! (see my separate blog post on soapnuts) Why not investigate the Biowashball which will do around 1000 washes for under £25? All are better for the environment, your family, and your purse.
• Washing clothes at lower temperatures means less energy used, so the less CO2 you are producing and the lower your energy bills will be. Most detergents, whether eco friendly or not, are now designed to be effective in cooler washes, so turn it down! Just get into the habit, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Personally I rarely wash anything above 30 degrees C nowadays.

Change your cleaning products as fast as possible!

•  Did you know that due to the amount of chemicals now found in cleaning products, air fresheners and so on, the level of air pollution inside a home can often be worse that outside?
• Also, the amount of chemicals in the home has been blamed by some scientists for the sharp increase in childhood asthma over the last few years.
• We have become so obsessed with clinical cleanliness that we kill beneficial bacteria too! As a result our immunity to the harmful bacteria is decreased, whilst they become increasingly resistant to methods of killing them. (Just think of those “superbugs” that are the scourge of hospitals these days)
• There are many great cleaning products available that are not only extremely effective, but also kind to you, your children, your pets, and the environment.
• Here’s a simple test to see how harmful your current cleaning products are: Go to the place where you keep your cleaning products. Take out the bottles, and read the labels to find out how many hazardous chemicals you are keeping in one place in your home (You can stop at 12, because by then you will get the general idea).
• Now, have a look in the cleaning section of my Wikaniko Shop for some examples of the amazing range of eco friendly products available to you, most of which are designed to perform several functions. Products like the Pink Stuff or the Eco Buddy, or even the magic eraser or the micro fibre cloths that require nothing but water to clean effectively. We also do refills for many of the products, which save you money, and reduce the amount of plastic going into landfills. What could be easier?