Are you conscious of your cleaning products?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

I am aware that some hosts do the cleaning in their properties themselves, and that some hire cleaners to do so🧹🧽. This reminded me that a while ago, some hosts in the community mentioned using sustainable cleaning products or even homemade cleaning products!

Over the years, there have been many changes concerning cleaning products. For instance, some laundry detergents use less packaging, and are more eco-friendly. Recommendations on washing laundry are usually also noted on the back of the package, mentioning that washing laundry at a lower temperature/eco-mode can help save energy and water💧.  

About 2/3 years ago, I decided to switch over to more eco-friendly cleaning products. I decided changing my dish soap, dishwasher tablets, handwash, laundry detergent, disinfectants, and many more products to more eco-friendly ones. One of my colleagues @Francesca, even made an eco/natural soap bar which I was able to use for quite some time 🧼. 

Are you conscious of your cleaning products? Which tips and recommendations would you give your fellow hosts?

I look forward to hearing your answers.

Quincy

[Colleen253]

@Quincy I try to be as eco conscious as I can, bearing in mind the limits of the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol, which presents some challenges to being environmentally friendly, of course. I have never used bleach and never will, but thankfully soap and water do the trick just fine. Many home made alternatives just are not reliable for killing icky things, especially during these pandemic times. And using lower temps for laundry is out of the question, naturally! But yes there are ways to do what we can, such as you mention re packaging and such. I have actually made my own laundry soap for years, as we have a septic system so I must be mindful of what goes in it. It’s a pretty easy process with few ingredients, and makes a whopping batch that lasts a good year, for pennies to boot!

[Mark116]

@Colleen253 what was your laundry soap recipe 

[Colleen253]

@Mark116  3 bars soap ( I use my home made Castile soap, but sunlight, ivory etc would work)

1 box borax

1 box washing soda

1.5 lbs Oxi Clean (I buy the big 3 lb box at Costco and use half of it)

Grate the bar soap, add to the other ingredients and mix to combine. You can grate the soap by hand, but I use a food processor (outside on a nice day as its dusty). Takes a few minutes and like I say, makes a boatload that lasts a long, long time, and costs very little. 

I’ll add that at home my water is very soft well water, I use cold water for most things, and vinegar in the rinse. In the Airbnb, it’s municipal water, I wash on hot, and usually use vinegar in the rinse as well, with fabric softener occasionally. The home made detergent works well all around.

[Mark116]

@Colleen253  Thanks!  Is washing soda 'baking soda' or something else?

[Emilia42]

@Mark116 

@Colleen253 I used to use a very similar recipe. I need to get back into making my own again. It really is incredibly so inexpensive. But of course, we are brainwashed by these big Procter and Gamble companys into thinking that staples like name-brand laundry detergent are essential.

[Quincy]

I have the same brand soda as depicted on the image you shared @Emilia42. It works quite well for many cleaning tasks 🙂. 

[Quincy]

I understand that under the current circumstances, things will need to be washed up to certain temperature. 

Thanks for sharing your homemade soap recipe @Colleen253, it's amazing that you do this! It definitely saves quite some money on a yearly basis! 

[Christine2998]

@Colleen253 

would you share your recipe for laundry soap? 

[Christine2998]

Oops, just found it. Thanks

[Emilia42]

I am very eco-friendly in my own house/life. But in my Airbnbs, no, never.

[Lawrene0]

I clean with water, vinegar, castile soap, Pinesol, Oxi Clean, Tru Earth strips, wood ash, and host tears. 

[Quincy]

Great tips @Lawrene0! Not sure about the host tears part though as that would take too much effort 😆. 

[Mauricio467]

Host Tears, those clean everything. lol

[Sarah977]

I've never been someone who uses a  huge array of cleaning products, with one for countertops, one for the toilet, one for the floor, one for the fridge, one for the shower tiles.  I basically use one type of liquid cleaning solution, and it's not something organic and natural. But it's not real harsh, has a citrus smell which evaporates pretty quickly, it doesn't linger. I use that for everything- floors, shower, toilet.

I don't use vinegar because I loathe the smell (and taste) of it.

Rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to sterilize.

Laundry detergent I do use eco-friendly, as well as dish soap. And Bar Keepers Friend for stainless fixtures, which has oxalic acid as the main ingredient, a substance found in foods like spinach and rhubarb.

There isn't a big selection of eco-friendly options here in Mexico, like there are in many other places. They love heavily scented products here.