I have a confession to make. For someone who writes about sustainability for a living, I used to be shockingly uncritical about cleaning products. There I was, meticulously composting every scrap of vegetable matter and refusing plastic bags like they were coated in poison, while simultaneously spraying god-knows-what chemicals around my home from plastic bottles that would outlive my great-grandchildren (if I had any, which I don’t because, you know, climate anxiety).
The wake-up call came when my bathroom sink got blocked about five years ago. Instead of calling a plumber, I decided to be self-sufficient and bought the strongest chemical drain cleaner I could find. I still remember reading the warning label that basically said “this will dissolve your skin on contact” and thinking, “And I’m about to pour this down a drain that leads to… somewhere in the environment?” That night I had an actual nightmare about fish swimming in a river of blue chemical goo. Dramatic, I know, but it prompted a proper rethink.
So began my journey into zero-waste cleaning—a journey that, like most of my sustainability experiments, involved numerous disasters before arriving at solutions that actually work. And that’s what I want to share with you today: not the Instagram-perfect version where everything is in matching glass jars with cute labels, but the practical, evidence-based methods that clean effectively without the waste or harmful chemicals.
The first thing I learned is that most commercial cleaning products are about 95% marketing and 5% actual cleaning power. We’ve been convinced that we need specialized products for every surface in our homes, when in reality, a few simple ingredients can handle most cleaning tasks. The core arsenal in my cleaning cabinet now consists of white vinegar, baking soda, washing soda, castile soap, and essential oils (which aren’t strictly necessary but make things smell nice). Oh, and citric acid, which is my secret weapon for hard water issues.
My first attempt at homemade all-purpose cleaner was a disaster. I mixed vinegar and baking soda together, excited about the bubbly reaction, not realizing that once the bubbling stops, you’ve basically just created salt water. Chemistry wasn’t my strongest subject in school, clearly. I spent an afternoon “cleaning” my kitchen with what was essentially slightly vinegary salt water and wondered why nothing seemed any cleaner.
After some actual research, I developed a proper all-purpose cleaner: one part white vinegar to four parts water, with a few drops of castile soap and essential oil in a glass spray bottle. The vinegar works as a mild disinfectant and cuts through grease, while the soap provides additional cleaning power. I use tea tree or lavender oil most often because they have natural antimicrobial properties, but honestly, they’re mainly there because I got tired of my flat smelling like a chip shop.
Quick chemistry note: never mix vinegar and castile soap in concentrated form—they react and form a goopy mess. Always dilute them in water first. I learned this the hard way when I created what can only be described as cleaning product cottage cheese in an expensive glass spray bottle that I then couldn’t clean out. Twenty quid down the drain (not literally, because it was too goopy to pour).
For bathroom cleaning, I initially went overboard trying to recreate commercial cleaners without the chemicals. I made this elaborate paste with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, essential oils, and crushed dried herbs (why? I have no idea what I was thinking). It was meant to be like a natural version of those scrubbing bubbles products. What I created instead was a mess that looked like I’d smeared green porridge all over my bathtub. It cleaned okay, but also left bits of herb stuck to the tub that then dried like concrete.
Now I keep it much simpler. For toilet cleaning, I use a shaker jar (old pasta sauce jar with holes punched in the lid) filled with baking soda, a few drops of tea tree oil, and dried lemon peel. Sprinkle it around the bowl, spray with my vinegar solution, let it fizz, brush, and flush. Works just as well as the commercial stuff that makes my eyes water.
For tougher jobs like soap scum on shower doors (the bane of my existence), I mix equal parts washing soda and baking soda with enough water to make a paste. Apply, let it sit for 10 minutes, scrub, rinse. Washing soda is more alkaline than baking soda, so it cuts through body oils and soap residue more effectively. Just wear gloves—it’s natural but can still be harsh on your skin. Found that out when I got distracted by a phone call and left my hands covered in the stuff for 20 minutes. My hands felt like sandpaper for days.
Floors were tricky to figure out. I’ve got vinyl in the kitchen, tile in the bathroom, and hardwood in the living room. I tried a lot of different homemade solutions before finding what works for each. For vinyl and tile, it’s one part vinegar, two parts water, and a squirt of castile soap. For hardwood, I use strong black tea—the tannic acid cleans and polishes without damaging the finish. Sounds bizarre, I know, but an old carpenter told me about it, and it works brilliantly. Just make sure it’s not too wet—damp mop only. I may have warped a floorboard or two in my early experiments with overly wet cleaning methods. My landlord, thankfully, never noticed.
The biggest challenge in zero-waste cleaning isn’t the formulations—it’s the tools. Those disposable wipes and dusters and mop pads are incredibly convenient, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss them sometimes, especially for really mucky jobs. I’ve built up a collection of cleaning cloths over the years—some purpose-bought microfiber ones (which I know aren’t perfect because they release fibers in the wash, but I’ve had the same ones for five years), plus a stash made from old t-shirts and towels cut into squares.
For scrubbing, I use brushes with wooden handles and natural bristles that can be composted at the end of their life, plus loofah sponges that I grow myself. Yes, I actually grow my own kitchen sponges—loofah gourds are surprisingly easy to cultivate. I started growing them three years ago after I saw the price of natural loofahs in a zero-waste shop (highway robbery, frankly). They grow like mad if you give them something to climb on. I’ve got one drying in my bathroom right now that’s the size of my forearm.
What about effectiveness, though? That’s the question I get most often. Do these natural cleaners actually work, especially for disinfecting? The short answer is yes, with some caveats. Vinegar kills many bacteria and viruses, but not all. For most everyday cleaning, it’s perfectly adequate. Studies have shown that white vinegar can kill around 80% of mold and bacteria species. During flu season or if someone in the house is ill, I sometimes bring in the big guns—70% isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle (which you can actually buy in glass bottles from some suppliers now).
For food preparation surfaces, I’m particularly careful. I use hot, soapy water with castile soap first, then spray with either the alcohol or a strong vinegar solution. The key is to let it sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping—contact time matters for disinfection. A lot of people spray and immediately wipe, which doesn’t give the disinfectant enough time to work.
Oh, and a word about washing up liquid. I tried making my own for months—countless variations of grated castile soap, washing soda, and various oils. Every single version was a spectacular failure. Either it didn’t clean well, separated into weird layers in the bottle, or left a film on everything. I’ve accepted that this is one product I buy ready-made, though I get it from a refill shop in a reused bottle. Sometimes you have to recognize when the homemade version just isn’t cutting it.
Laundry detergent was another learning curve. I initially used soap nuts, which worked okay but not great on really dirty loads. Then I went through a phase of grating pure castile soap and mixing it with washing soda and baking soda. Cleaned well enough but occasionally left white residue on dark clothes. Now I’ve settled on a liquid version: washing soda, grated castile soap, water, and a bit of borax for stain-fighting power, dissolved together and stored in an old vinegar bottle. It’s not perfect—somewhat labor-intensive to make—but it works reliably.
The thing about zero-waste cleaning is that it forces you to engage with the actual chemistry of cleaning rather than just blindly pouring blue liquid on things and expecting magic. You start to understand which ingredients serve which purposes. Acids like vinegar and citric acid dissolve mineral deposits and kill certain bacteria. Alkalines like baking soda and washing soda cut through grease and protein-based stains. Surfactants like soap break surface tension so water can penetrate better. Once you understand these basics, you can troubleshoot and customize your cleaning approach.
Cost-wise, I’m spending a fraction of what I used to on cleaning products. A huge bottle of white vinegar costs less than £2 and makes dozens of batches of cleaner. Baking soda and washing soda are similarly inexpensive bought in bulk. The initial investment in glass spray bottles and good quality brushes adds up, but they last for years with proper care. My bathroom spray bottle is going on four years now, which means it’s avoided at least 12-16 plastic bottles from commercial cleaners (based on how quickly I used to go through them).
The biggest savings, though, might be to my health. Indoor air pollution is a real issue, and conventional cleaning products are major contributors. Since switching to natural alternatives, I’ve noticed I don’t get headaches while cleaning anymore, and my partner’s mild asthma isn’t triggered when I’m on a cleaning spree. That “clean” chemical smell we’ve been conditioned to associate with cleanliness is actually just… chemicals. You don’t need your house to smell like an industrial disinfectant for it to be properly clean.
Of course, there are still challenges. Some tasks do take more elbow grease than with conventional products. I haven’t found a natural solution for oven cleaning that doesn’t involve significant scrubbing (though a paste of washing soda and water left overnight helps). And I’ll admit that when faced with particularly nasty bathroom mold in a rental once, I caved and bought the toxic stuff because I wanted my deposit back and had already tried everything else.
The other challenge is time. Making your own products does take longer than grabbing something off the supermarket shelf. I usually batch-prep my cleaners every couple of months, which takes about an hour. It’s become a bit of a Sunday ritual—brewing fresh batches of cleaners while listening to podcasts. Oddly meditative, really.
What I’ve learned through this whole experiment is that cleaning is both simpler and more complex than marketing would have us believe. Simpler because you don’t need specialized products for every surface. More complex because effective cleaning often involves understanding the interaction of different factors—the pH of your cleaner, the type of dirt you’re tackling, the surface material, water hardness in your area.
If you’re just starting out with zero-waste cleaning, don’t try to replace everything at once like I did. Start with an all-purpose cleaner and expand from there as you use up your existing products. Be patient with yourself when things don’t work perfectly the first time. And remember that “zero waste” is an aspiration, not an absolute state. Even the most dedicated zero-wasters occasionally find themselves buying something in plastic when alternatives don’t exist or aren’t accessible.
The main thing is that each small change adds up. I calculated once that my switch to homemade cleaning products has avoided roughly 60-70 plastic bottles over five years. That’s not going to save the planet single-handedly, but it’s not nothing either. And the ripple effects matter—friends have started bringing bottles to refill from my bulk supplies, conversations get started, awareness spreads.
Besides, there’s something deeply satisfying about cleaning your home with ingredients so non-toxic you could technically eat them (though I wouldn’t recommend it—washing soda doesn’t taste great, trust me on this one). It connects you to a long tradition of household keeping from before everything came in plastic bottles with warning labels. My grandma cleaned with vinegar and newspaper long before it was considered eco-friendly—it was just what made sense. Sometimes the old ways really are the best ways. Though I draw the line at making my own vinegar. Some things are definitely best left to the professionals. I tried once and created something that smelled like chemical warfare and definitely wasn’t food safe. Even sustainability has its limits.
