Cleaning Products and Tools for an Eco Friendly Kitchen
I fill the stereotype: I’m a woman, and I love spending time in the kitchen. I spend on average 4 hours a week baking (usually zero waste treats), enjoy cooking dinner with my husband every night, and think of the kitchen as one of my ‘happy places’.
Whether you can relate to this or not, you’re going to have to make food, do the dishes, and clean your kitchen at some point in your life! When you do, I hope you use eco-friendly products that won’t pollute water ways or end up in landfill.
Here are my favourite eco-friendly kitchen cleaning products and tools…
P.S. As I am an eco lifestyle blogger, some of these items are gifted and some I purchased myself.
Use up what you have before you buy anything else, and only buy if you need it.
Image by Nectar Photography
Dish Washing Liquid
I use two different types, and I’m not sure yet which I like best. For years I have filled up my bottles at GoodFor with ecostore dishwashing liquid- the grapefruit scent is my favourite. Refilling my bottles means there’s less waste, and buying in bulk means I only have to refill every 3 months or so.
The second one I use is The Zero Waste Dish Washing Block from The Minimal Co. It’s not a liquid: it’s a bar! It sits on a wooden block by the sink. When I need to use it, I grate it into a tub of hot water, or simply squish the whole block around. This bar is vegan friendly, palm-oil free, cruelty free, and very easy to use! It lasts forever too- though sometimes if I don’t rinse the dishes well enough, they look a little greasy (be a diligent rinser if you use this).
Surface Cleaners
Okay, you’ve got a lot of options here! All the solutions below work really well to clean surfaces without nasty chemicals. My favourite is the Second Nature Botanicals spray as it smells divine, and I love the aesthetics of the brown spray bottle (you can get refills too).
Second Nature Botanicals Organic Cleaning Spray - you can read all about them in another blog here
Figgy & Co - DIY it or order the Bench Spray ready made
Conscious NZ Surface Spray - made by an awesome couple in Northland
Tough Grime Cleaner
You know that classic kiwi cleaner that all New Zealander’s have in their home, Jif? Well, this is it’s eco-friendly alternative! Honestly, my husband is the biggest critic of eco-cleaning products and he truly loves it. Use this paste to clean tough grime around your sink, your kitchen, and appliances. Grab it from Figgy & Co.
Image by Nectar Photography
Dish Washing Powder
The Minimal Co. Dishwashing Powder works a treat! Also try the Figgy & Co. Dishwasher Powder or purchase their bulk ingredients to make your own- it’s super simple, though I’m still trying to figure out quantities as sometimes my dishes aren’t fully cleaned. I use white vinegar as a rinse aid.
Cleaning Brushes and Scrubbers
I have brushes for all sorts of occasions, in all different sizes - it kinda looks like I collect them. You may not need as many as I do, but here’s several that I recommend.
Use your old bamboo toothbrush to clean the grooves of your kitchen sink
The Natural Co. Wooden Dish Brush
The Natural Co. Eco Max Bottle Brush
BeVibrant Vegetable Scrubbing Brush
BeVibrant Biodegradable Pot Scrub/Scourer
Bento Ninja Stainless Steel Pot and Pan Scrubber
Eco Warehouse Kitchen Scrubber
Drying Rack
Is it sad if upgrading my dish wrack was a big highlight of 2019? My Bento Ninja Stainless Steel Dish Rack is a kitchen game changer. If you look after it well (make sure it’s dry when you put it away) it won’t rust, plus the shelf on top and the cutlery holder are both moveable. This means it’s easy to store and change around depending on what shaped dishes you need to dry.
Image by Nectar Photography
Flora and Fauna If You Care Household Gloves
I would be lying if I said I used these every time I do the dishes, but they’re brilliant to have handy. If you have eczema or sensitive skin, wearing gloves when you do the dishes is really important too. Or if you simply don’t want to chip your nail polish.
I bought these gloves as they can be composted at the end of their life- though I’ve had them for a few years and they’ll last for many more.
Kitchen Cloths
I’m super lucky: most of my dish cloths were hand knitted by my mother-in-law or my grandmother. I also have a few SPRUCE cloths which dry a lot faster than my knitted ones. All my kitchen cloths can be washed in the washing machine and used for years. If you don’t have cool family members who knit kitchen cloths while they watch TV in the evenings, then find some 100% cotton cloths at The Natural Co.
Discount Codes:
Bento Ninja - ETHICALLYKATE for 10% off
Eco Warehouse - ethical10 for 10% off
The Minimal Co - ETHICALLYKATE for 10% off
The Natural Co - ETHICALLYKATE for 10% off
Conscious NZ - ETHICALLYKATE for 10% off
Second Nature Botanicals - ETHICALLYKATE for 20% off
If there’s a kitchen item I have missed and you’d like to know about… send me an email: kate@ethicallykate.com