5 Easy Ways to Switch to Plastic-Free Cleaning
Share
Let me paint you a picture: It's 2019, and I'm standing in my laundry room staring at a mountain of plastic bottles. Dish soap. Hand soap. All-purpose cleaner. Toilet bowl cleaner. Glass cleaner. Each one a different color, each one screaming "NEW AND IMPROVED" in aggressive capital letters.
And then I had the thought that changed everything: All this plastic will go to a dump when I'm done with it.
The terrible reality that it will go into mostly landfills and oceans, where it'll outlive me, my future grandkids, and probably the next ice age. Cool, cool, cool. Not dramatic at all. (ugh!)
That moment sent me down the rabbit hole of plastic-free cleaning, and honestly? It's been one of the easiest lifestyle changes I've made. Easier than giving up my Starbucks habit (still working on that one). Easier than pretending I'm going to meal prep every Sunday (lol, never happening).
Here are five swaps that genuinely work and won't make you feel like you're living in a commune (unless that's your vibe, then, enjoy).
1. Ditch Liquid Soap for Solid Bars or Tablets
This is the gateway swap. Liquid soap is like 90% water and 100% plastic bottle. Solid soap or refillable tablets? Zero plastic, same clean, way more counter space.
We make Foaming Hand Soap Tablets that you drop into a foaming soap dispenser, add water, and shake. It's like a science experiment, but you end up with hand soap instead of a volcano. Same with our Solid Dish Soap, it lives in a ceramic dish, lasts forever, and makes washing dishes feel slightly less soul-crushing.
2. Swap Paper Towels for Reusable Cloths
I know, I know. Paper towels are convenient. But so is not constantly buying more paper towels. Swedish dishcloths, old cut-up t-shirts, microfiber cloths, they all work. Toss them in the wash, use them again. Revolutionary.
Pro tip: Keep a separate stash for gross jobs (looking at you, mystery floor spills) so you don't have an existential crisis about laundry contamination.
3. Use Concentrated Cleaners (or Make Your Own)
Most cleaning products are water with a tiny bit of cleaner mixed in. Buy concentrates (Coconut Liquid Soap) or make your own, vinegar and water in a glass spray bottle is shockingly effective for most surfaces. Baking soda paste for scrubbing. Castile soap for basically everything else.
I'm not saying you need to become a DIY wizard. I'm saying you can stop buying twelve different bottles of colored water.
4. Rethink Your Scrubbers
Plastic sponges are basically germ hotels that fall apart after three uses. Switch to natural fiber brushes, copper scrubbers, or compostable cellulose sponges. They last longer, work better, and don't shed microplastics into your sink (and eventually, the ocean).
We love a good wooden dish brush paired with our Solid Dish Soap. It's like the cleaning version of a power couple.
5. Buy in Bulk or Choose Refillable Options
If you love a specific product, see if it comes in bulk or refillable packaging. More brands are catching on. Refills mean less waste, less shipping, and less guilt when you run out of hand soap at the worst possible time.
Here's the Thing
Going plastic-free doesn't mean you have to be perfect. It doesn't mean you never buy a plastic bottle again or that you have to make everything from scratch while wearing linen and humming folk songs.
It just means you make a few swaps where you can. You choose the option with less packaging when it's available. You try something new and see if it works for your life.
Some of it will stick. Some of it won't. And that's okay. Progress, not perfection.
Start Here
Pick one swap from this list. Just one. Order it, try it, see how it feels. If it works, great. If it doesn't, no big deal, try another one.
My vote? Start with Foaming Soap Tablets. They're easy, they work immediately, and every time you wash your hands you get to feel smug about not creating more plastic waste. It's the little wins, people.
If you make a swap this week, let me know which one. I love hearing what works (and what doesn't) for real people in real homes. We're all just figuring this out as we go.
xx, Jen
Founder, Sea Spray Soap Co.
Ready to make natural living even easier? If you loved learning about easy ways to switch to plastic-free cleaning, our monthly subscriptions are a simple way to keep your favorite Sea Spray products stocked without the hassle of reordering - just honest, handcrafted products delivered to your door every month. And every purchase you make earns you points through the Sea Spray Rewards Program - rack up points for shopping, leaving reviews, visiting the blog, and more, then redeem them for discounts or even free products. It's our way of saying thank you for choosing natural, intentional living. 🌿
