How do you wash your dishes? Are you still using conventional detergents and scouring pads? With today's post, we hope to convince you to make the permanent switch to sustainable alternatives .
With this change , you'll significantly reduce your environmental impact . We assure you the transition is well worth it. It's easy to eliminate plastic in this everyday action . If you switch to solid soaps and scrubbers and/or brushes made of natural, biodegradable fibers, the entire planet's waters will thank you because you'll be freeing them of toxins and microplastics . Plus, what we're offering are zero-waste solutions. You won't be able to resist.
How do you make this transition? Let's talk about soap, scrubbers, and brushes so you can see how easy it is.
NATURAL SOAP
Switch to natural soaps . The easiest way is to buy them in solid form, but you can also make your own with a homemade recipe. These soaps, free of toxic substances and made with biodegradable elements, won't pollute the water . Treatment plants won't have to do extra work to compensate for the amount of components that water shouldn't contain.
In Alma Eko's online store, you'll find two options for handmade solid soap: the special dish soap from El Zorro d'Avi and the Marseille soap cubes. We're torn between the two. They're both of excellent quality, and it's hard to choose one. We'll share our impressions with you in case it helps.
But first, let's clarify one thing. Natural soaps will foam less. THAT'S OKAY! That doesn't mean they clean less, even though decades of cleaning product marketing have led us to believe this. Still, in case it's something you're having trouble adjusting to, we'll tell you which option foams more.
El Zorro d'Avi soap may have the greatest degreasing power of any we've ever tried (including conventional detergents). It creates less foam, which can be a bit of a shock when you first start switching, but as soon as you scrub your first pan, you realize it's not that important. I was amazed when I saw the traces of oil practically disappear with the first wipe.
You'll find Marseille soap cubes in three different sizes . If you're trying it for the first time, it might be a good idea to get the smaller one, but if you like it, you'll quickly upgrade to the larger one. Although it also degreases easily, this isn't as surprising as the previous soap. It foams much more , almost as much as a conventional detergent, and if you upgrade to the larger size, it's especially affordable and long-lasting .
Furthermore, Marseille soap is multipurpose . It solves almost all the hygiene and cleaning needs of an entire family . This represents a significant reduction in environmental impact. A single cube, broken into pieces, can be used for many different things besides washing dishes, such as washing your hands, face, and body, pretreating tough stains, as a multipurpose surface cleaner, natural insecticide, or laundry soap.
In addition to these solid soap options, you can also make liquid soap with soap nuts or Marseille soap itself . We'll teach you how to do this in the next post on "Alma Eko's Potions."
Scourers and brushes made of natural fibers
Banish conventional synthetic scouring pads once and for all , made from plastics whose microfibers end up polluting rivers and oceans because wastewater treatment plants can't filter them out. This doesn't happen with natural fiber scouring pads and brushes , as they are biodegradable . If a piece breaks off and goes down the sink, it wo n't pollute the water .
Scourers, and especially brushes, are handled differently . They're usually stiffer. It'll take some time to get used to them , but once you do, there's no going back because they're super effective. Plus, our online store has many different, very affordable options, so you can try the one you think will work best for you right away and then try other options over time if you like.
You'll see we have scouring pads made of different materials, such as loofah, esparto grass, and jute; brushes of various hardness, shapes, and bristles; as well as a wide range of brushes for cleaning bottles , baby bottles, and even straws.
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOUR DISHWASHING PRODUCTS
This aspect is very important. Soap, scrubbers, and brushes should all be allowed to air dry . Keep in mind that they are made with high-quality raw materials, without preservatives or treatments. Proper drying is essential to increase their durability. A soap dish with drainage is essential.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I USE A DISHWASHER?
If you machine-wash your dishes, you'll have to wait for us to share solutions in another post. We're currently testing different alternatives .
What we can tell you is that grated Marseille soap could be an option for use in the dish soap dispenser, and that we're testing different formulas with ingredients like citric acid and baking soda to create our own dishwasher tablets. We're eager to share our findings with you.
Are you switching to zero-waste, plastic-free, and non-toxic dishwashing?
