The COP26 conference has brought climate change into sharp focus. Environmentalists say big changes to the way we all live are needed if we are to avoid a climate catastrophe. Some changes, like switching from petrol to electric cars, will need to happen over a period of years. But there are lots of other little swaps you can make for the good of the planet. One example is the looking at the way you clean your home, and specifically the cleaning products you use.
Cleaning products contain a lot of harmful chemicals
Next time you’re at the supermarket, pick up a bottle of cleaning fluid, or something similar, and read the list of ingredients. There are literally thousands of chemicals used in various household cleaning products. Most have long names you won’t necessarily be familiar with, such as ethylene glycol monobutyl acetate, sodium hypochlorite, or trisodium phosphate. Unfortunately, the effects of these chemicals are quite well known.
Damaging to aquatic life and the environment
They can often take a very long time to break down once they’re washed down the sink. They end up sitting in our waterways, polluting our streams and rivers. The longer they take to break down – if they break down at all – the more likely they are to enter the food chain and poison our aquatic life. It’s one of the reasons why so many people are not just switching to eco-friendly cleaning products but ignoring cleaning products altogether, opting for more natural ways of cleaning their homes.
It’s not just cleaning chemicals themselves which are harmful to the environment, it’s the packaging they often come in, too. Many cleaning sprays, polishes and air fresheners come in aerosol cans. These contain what’s called a propellant, a gas that fires the spray out of the can, which is proven to damage the atmosphere.
A lot of packaging in still non-recyclable
Then there’s the issue around recycling. Cleaning chemicals tend to get packaged in bright, colourful bottles that are lightweight and easy to use… but not always easy to dispose of responsibly. While a lot of plastic bottles can be recycled these days, you’re often not able to recycle the whole bottle. It’s common to find your local recycling centre can take the part that holds the liquid but they’re unable to recycle the lid. The trouble is plastic takes decades to degrade meaning that often the plastic you throw away ends up in landfill.
Even before the cleaning products arrive on the supermarket shelves, there’s a host of fuel costs involved which contribute towards climate change. Firstly, the factories that manufacture cleaning products typically rely on fossil fuels to drive the production process. Then when the product is ready it is freighted across the world, burning even more fuel. Then finally, you have to drive to the supermarket, or have the supermarket’s delivery driver bring it to you. Imagine how many times in your life you’ve bought a household cleaning product. Then imagine how many other people just like you have done the same thing. It’s easy to see the scale of the problem.
Switch to more environmentally friendly cleaning with H2O
The good news is there is a way to keep your home not just clean but sanitised, too, . without using a single harmful chemical. Just check out the H2O range of household cleaners.
You’ve probably come across the H2O HD steam cleaner. After all, it’s been featured on some of the UK’s most popular TV channels, including ITV and Channel 5. Why is it so famous? Because it keeps your entire home clean using nothing but tap water! Powerful yet lightweight, the H2O HD steam mop transforms common tap water into a powerful jet of steam that’s proven to kill 99% of germs & bacteria, including Salmonella, E.coli, Influenza and Listeria. And because you only need tap water to make it work, it’s the sanitiser that never runs out.
Powerful cleaning using nothing but water, salt and a bit of electricity!
Another product from the H2O range that’s well worth checking out is the H2O e3 Cleaning System. It’s not a steam cleaner, this time but it does do an unbelievable job of keeping your home clean, sanitised and deodorised… using nothing but table salt and tap water. It works like this: The H2O e3 eActivator emits low levels of electricity, which break apart the water and salt molecules to form two powerful oxidants. One cuts through grease and grime. The other deodorises and sanitises, killing 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses.
Together the H2O family of household cleaners are transforming the way people in the UK keep their homes clean, without harming the climate. Find out how you can switch to effective, economical and more eco-safe cleaning with H2O here.
