Sustainable Spring Cleaning Made Easy

The clocks have sprung forward and the official first day of spring is just a few days away. For most Canadians, this signals the beginning of the annual tradition of spring cleaning.

It’s time to dust off the winter and make a fresh start. What a perfect time to reassess the cleaning products and practices you have in your home. Not only are the toxic chemicals a concern for the health of you and your family, single-use paper towels and plastic bags leave an unhealthy footprint on the environment. 

Spring 2023 sees more Canadians than ever looking for eco-friendly, sustainable cleaning alternatives to bring into their homes.

Thanks to the many small businesses in Canada offering thoughtful, beautiful, and effective solutions for a greener way to clean your home, it’s easy to reset and refresh your spring cleaning. 

From eco-friendly printed dishtowels in the kitchen, and innovative cleaning tablets, to storage baskets made of upcycled materials, you can spring into sustainable cleaning with our round-up of some of our favourite finds.

(Even if the snow is still falling outside your window.) 

A Recipe for Refreshing Your Clean Routine

When going green in your home, the kitchen is the best place to start. 

With some simple, budget-friendly swaps, you’re protecting both the environment and your family from unhealthy chemicals and unnecessary waste.  

Soak It Up!

Swedish Dish Towels and Cloths are a simple, budget, and eco-friendly swap for paper towels. They’re like regular tea towels and dishcloths, only better. 

Durable, versatile fast-drying, and machine washable, they can be used over and over again for kitchen clean-ups —and beyond. In addition to getting your dishes sparkling clean, these reusable wonders can be used for dusting shelves and baseboards, polishing stainless steel, and making mirrors gleam.

Made in Sweden, the OEKO-TEX-certified linen/cotton tea towel in spring-fresh designs to complement any decor, Plantish’s collection of Swedish Dish Towels and Cloths make a refreshing addition to your spring-filled kitchen. 

These paperless towels from Ardent Earth are a reusable replacement for wasteful paper towels. Spool them around your regular paper towel holder or keep them handy in the drawer for kitchen clean-ups. 

Made from 100% cotton deadstock fabric, paperless towels divert textile waste from landfill.  

Plantish’s bestseller set of 3 pop up kitchen cleaning sponges pairs perfectly with their plastic-free solid dish soap! Made of 100% vegetable cellulose (wood pulp), these kitchen sponges feel and function like traditional sponges but are completely plant-based, plastic-free, and compostable.

The solid dish soap lasts longer than traditional liquid soap and suds well to effectively cut grease and stubborn stains. This bundle makes a perfect eco-friendly addition to your spring-fresh kitchen.

Brush up!

Move over plastic bristles and flimsy handles! These sustainable brushes are durable with lots of cleaning power. 

This cleaning kit from Plantish includes eco-friendly brushes and solid dish soap. With crack and mold-resistant bamboo handles and naturally durable sisal the set contains:

• 1 Sisal Hand Brush
• 1 Sisal & Palm Pot Scrubber
• 1 Cotton Bag with Drawstring

The ergonomically designed pieces let you scrub pots, dishes, and other surfaces with ease. The sisal brush head can be replaced when needed and you can repurpose the used brush heads for general house cleaning, gardening, or shining up your spring sneakers!

It’s in the Bag!

Canada has taken a lead in the fight against climate change with its ban on the manufacturing and importing of plastic bags.

The following excerpt from canada.ca highlights the significance of this ban:

Over the next decade, this world-leading ban on harmful single-use plastics will result in the estimated elimination of over 1.3 million tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste and more than 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution, which is equivalent to over one million full garbage bags.

The absence of plastic bags at grocery stores and retailers has encouraged most Canadians to reconsider their relationship with plastic. The good news is that there are plenty of plastic alternatives!

Replace single-use plastic baggies with these adorable snack bags. Made in Canada, with 100% cotton exteriors, leak-free polyester lining, and zippers that are lead and nickel-free, these patterned pouches are a welcome alternative to plastic waste. 

Easy to clean and to pop into lunch bags for a convenient way to pack on-the-go snacks, these Colibri snack bags have been tested and certified to meet both FDA and Health Canada food safety standards.

This set of reusable dish covers is an eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap, plastic bags, and aluminum foil. Made of silicone, these bowl covers are dishwasher-safe and temperature resistant. Also, you don’t have to search in your container drawer for missing or broken lids.

Another replacement for plastic bags and containers, these cotton muslin bags can keep leafy kale and other delicate greens fresh and ready for your next healthy meal.

Out of Sight

With cleaning comes the inevitable need to organize. 

Once you’ve determined what can go and what can stay, having stylish storage for keeping everything looking neat and tidy is a must. As Ardent Earth states in its description, with these chic storage baskets, you’re not only getting a basket, but you’re also caring for the planet.

Created from upcycled burlap coffee sacks and deadstock fabric that was once destined for the landfill, these baskets are practical, eco-friendly, and lightweight. And, due to the upcycled nature of the material used for these baskets, each one is unique.

Use these one-of-a-kind baskets on your kitchen counter, in your pantry, or anywhere in the home where you want to keep clutter at bay. 

Raising the Bar

If you’re making a switch from foamy dish and hand soaps to more eco-friendly soap bars in your home, a self-drying soap dish offers a water-absorbent, quick-drying, and decor-friendly place to store it. 

The 100% plant-based Self-drying Soap Dish is designed with drain holes and pathways to ensure soap bars stay dry and your surfaces clean from soap residue. It pairs perfectly with our best-selling solid dish soap bars. 

Designed to stand the test of time, the soap dish can be a part of your forever, eco-friendly home.

The Perfect Solution

If you’re looking for a cleaning solution that not only eliminates harmful chemicals and toxins from your home but also reduces the need to purchase plastic bottles, these All Purpose Cleaning Tablets are an eco-friendly and sustainable solution. 

Here’s more info from Plantish:

Made from natural and plant-based materials, they are gentle on all surfaces (including yoga mats!) while not losing any of the cleaning power.

1 Tablet = 16 ounces or up to 500 ml of liquid cleaner!

Use it in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, office, everywhere you need to clean. Our cleaning tablets are a plastic-free solution and are much kinder to the planet by minimizing plastic and carbon pollution! This is an easy and affordable way to start your zero-waste and sustainable living journey!

By simply placing the tablets into a reusable container filled with warm water, you create your own safe and effective all-purpose household cleaner. 

Spring Forward!

The signs of spring are everywhere. Days are getting longer, birds are beginning to return to share their song, and Canadians are rolling up their sleeves to dig into some spring cleaning. 

Embrace the season of fresh starts with these sustainable and stylish cleaning tips and tools. Just like Canada is leading the way to reducing plastic waste, Canadian small businesses are doing the same for eco-conscious Canadians like you!