Eliminating plastic from around the home isn't difficult if you look at one area at a time. Here we look at plastic waste free washing up! Plastic and synthetic products are often in abundance around the sink: Chux wipes, those green and yellow scrub sponges, plastic dish washing brushes, washing up liquid in plastic bottles... it's everywhere! However it needn't be, and here we show you how. By making the switch to a soap shaker, a bar of natural,
palm oil free soap, and natural fibre, biodegradable cloths and brushes, you can eliminate plastic waste in another area of your home or workplace in no time.
Switch to a soap shaker
You might remember seeing one of these next to your grandmother's kitchen sink. Well, we're bringing the humble soap shaker back! Made from 301 grade stainless steel, this is one of those buy once,
buy for life products that you'll be using again and again. To use, simply place a bar of your favourite dish soap into the cage, close it up and swish it around in the basin. It will create enough suds to wash the dishes.
Buy the Urthly Organics Dish Swisher Soap Cage here >
Swap washing up liquid for a bar of dishwashing soap
There are a couple of ways you can use a bar of soap to wash the dishes. Add one to a soap shaker like the one above, or swirl a pot scrubbing brush (see below) over it before scrubbing pots and pans. Store on a soap rack to allow it to dry properly in between uses. Be sure to use a bar of soap especially designed for washing dishes. We love the
Crawford & Co range.
Scrub pots and pans with biodegradable materials
This is such a useful scrubber for dealing with pots and pans that end up with lots of baked on food. It also doubles as a veggie cleaning brush! To use, simply swirl the pot scrubbing brush over a bar of soap before scrubbing your dirty pots and pans. Made from beechwood with plant fibre bristles, at the end of its useful life you can it to the earth by composting or burying it.
Switch to natural fibre dishwashing cloths
Natural fibre dishwashing cloths help you to reduce the number of synthetic microfibres being released into our water ways and oceans. We love the beautiful square Full Circle cloths pictured. They are made from organic cotton and have been dyed naturally using pomegranate, tea leaves, and aster flowers, and are a great replacement for synthetic Chux style cloths. Use them to dry wet hands, wipe down messy counter tops or wash dishes.
Opt for an unsponge!
What's an unsponge? A fabulous plastic free, heavy duty alternative to disposable dish sponges. Made from wide mesh hessian on one side for heavy duty scrubbing power, whilst the other side is cotton waffle fabric for gentler scrubbing. The unsponge is machine washable and all components are plant based and biodegradable.
Swap to an unsponge here >
