Our Earth is not only holding the weight of the human world but also the hefty load of human waste we produce. Our environments are littered with plastic, our air is gassed with pollution, and our waterways are flooded with chemicals.
Trying to mitigate these harrowing facts can often feel like a hopeless mission. However, we as individuals hold the power of change within our palms. We can grasp certain habits and behaviours that can positively impact the planet and those who reside on it.
One of the ways to curb both plastic and water pollution is simple - do it yourself. Making your very own cleaning products is a simple yet extremely effective sustainable solution to decrease waste of all kinds.
In this post, we unearth the dangers of store-bought cleaning products, why making your own at home is better for the environment, and six recipes for different cleaning and hygiene products.
Easy, accessible, and affordable, this is your guide to homemade non-toxic products.
The dangers of cleaning products
​
Cleaning and hygiene products, such as all-purpose cleaners and toothpaste, generally contain harmful chemicals that pollute our waterways. Many of these products come in plastic packaging, often of the type that is seemingly impossible to recycle, not to mention the destructive process required to make the products themselves.
These products can also have harmful impacts on humans as we indirectly ingest particles of these chemicals.
Most importantly, toxic cleaning and hygiene items lead to an increased amount of chemicals that seep into our waterways.
These hazardous chemicals enter ecosystems and cause devastation, eating away at the foliage, polluting the water, and becoming a part of the food chain. In fact, over 60% of rivers and lakes in the United States of America have been found to contain chemicals that derive from disinfectants. The problem is clearly becoming more prevalent.
Eventually, the chemicals that fail to break down make their way into the systems of fish and other marine and water animals.
This causes havoc with biodiversity, ecosystems, and the health and wellbeing of all life on Earth. Not only do humans consume the very fish that they poison, which then poisons them, but we are also drinking up the discarded toxins.
More than 250 different types of chemicals are found in our drinking water that none of us even know is there.
The benefits of homemade cleaning products
Making your own hygiene and cleaning products has numerous benefits for your health, the planet’s wellbeing, and your wallet.
Below are the top five reasons DIY products are better: 1. Control over ingredients: You never know what’s really added to products made elsewhere. However, when you make your own items, you have complete control over what goes in them. This can help alleviate allergies in the house and mitigate the leaking of harmful toxins into the environment. It also means you won’t be passively consuming particles of harmful toxins that store-bought cleaning products are composed of. 2. Healthier home air quality: As mentioned above, when you have control over your own ingredients, you can choose healthier options. This often results in cleaner air quality as you’re less likely to opt for hazardous ingredients. 3. Cost-effective: Supply and demand for cleaning products are in a constant loop, and prices, therefore, rise with the years. However, when you make your own cleaning and hygiene products, you will only need a small measurement of certain ingredients which you can use to create more of the product you’ve made. This ends up being cheaper in the long run. You’re also reducing the demand for cleaning products, hopefully contributing to an overall end to the production of harmful products altogether. 4. Safe for the environment: When you have control over what goes into your cleaning products, your air, and your waterways, you have a say in what seeps into the environment. By creating your own products, you have the freedom to choose items that are healthier and less toxic for the environment as opposed to choosing ignorance. ​ 5. Reduces plastic pollution: Many to almost all cleaning and hygiene products come in non-recyclable plastic packaging. Most of this waste is tossed after usage and ends up in landfills or the ocean. But when you curate your own products, you will not be contributing to plastic pollution. You can recreate your items in reusable containers and no waste is necessary.
The best five DIY cleaning product recipes
Below are some of the easiest, most affordable, and eco-friendly recipes for homemade cleaning and hygiene products:
1. Coffee Exfoliator
Instead of purchasing a body or face exfoliator from the store, which often contains harmful chemicals that negatively affect both you and the environment, why not make one yourself? If you’re a filter coffee lover or have a friend that is, this is the perfect recipe for you.
Ingredients
½ Cup used coffee grounds
½ Cup brown sugar
½ Cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix all together and voila!
​2. All purpose cleaner
This is for those grimy countertops, the discoloured bath, and the stained floors. You don’t need a fancy product with tons of harmful chemicals to wash away any of this dirt.
Ingredients
1 part warm water
1 part vinegar
A few squeezes of lemon/ drops of lemon essential oil
Mix together and now you have an effective yet unbelievably simple and cost-effective all purpose cleaner! Pour your mixture into a spray bottle and shake before use. Bonus tip: for those really grimey surfaces and tough-to-clean stovetops, add a sprinkle of baking soda before topping with your all-purpose cleaner. 3. Deodorant This hygiene product is detrimental to our health as well as the environment. The packaging is unbearable while the chemicals that stick to our skin eventually make their way into our waters. However, there is an easy fix for this! Ingredients
2 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
2 ½ tablespoons shea butter
¼ cup corn starch/ flour
1 ½ tablespoons baking soda
12 drops of your favourite essential oil (eg. ylang-ylang, cedarwood, rose geranium or lavender)
Smoosh all of these together in a glass jar and now you have an effective paste that forms the perfect zero-waste deodorant!
4. Dish Soap
This harmful product directly runs into our waterways. It’s important to have clean dishes, but these toxic-paced products are not necessary.
Ingredients
¼ grated soap bar
2 cups water
1-2 tablespoons white vinegar
5 drops of lemon essential oil
Mix together and your dishes will be clean and fresh in no time!
5. Toothpaste
One of the worst things about toothpaste is the plastic waste that is near impossible to recycle, often ending up in landfills or polluting the ocean. To lessen this plastic plague of which toothpaste waste is a contributor, make your own!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons coconut oil
10 drop peppermint essential oil
And that’s it! Now you have toothpaste that is both safe for the environment and effective for you.
