Forget about baking, gardening, or knitting. The past year that has kept us busy the most is cleaning. Sales of laundry detergents, polishes, and cleaning products have increased as millions of us rolled up our sleeves and stalled to make our homes glow, hopefully virus-free.
Disinfectant sales rose by more than two thirds, and shoppers spent almost £ 600 million more on household cleaners in 2020 than in 2019. Cleanfluencers like Sophie Hinchliffe, better known to her four million Instagram followers as Mrs Hinch, have also helped .
While analysts warn that much of this growth has come at the expense of eco-friendly products, they believe greener brands will soon thrive as people do their best to keep cleaning harder than ever as the world gradually opens up again and the virus is still there.
Green shoots: I am a guide to help the planet in your everyday life
“We saw consumers run into a hygiene and environmental dilemma during the pandemic,” said Richard Hopping, global household analyst at research firm Mintel I. “Many people have shifted their habits primarily towards safety, for example by using harder cleaning products. However, after the pandemic, we expect the environment to return to consumer thinking on an even greater level. “
Mahira Kalim, CEO and founder of Spruce, launched her new environmentally friendly brand in February with two cleaners that are mainly made from food and cosmetic quality ingredients with organic essential oils as a fragrance.
After years of sterility, Kalim feared that household products might be partly to blame. Virginia Tech University researchers found in 2014 that two ingredients commonly found in detergents, disinfectants, hand sanitizers, makeup, and fabric softeners caused decreases in mouse reproduction, and that this may also apply to humans. In 2017, a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that women with higher levels of organophosphate flame retardants found in many cleaning products were 10 percent less successful with IVF.
Kalim wanted to eliminate these dangers while reducing waste. Your products are delivered in refillable aluminum bottles. “My reason for starting Spruce was health-related and also to help the planet.”
Mahira Kalim with one of her products (Photo: Fichte)
Brands like Bio-D and Clean Living are also challengers. They join more established names like Ecover and Method, both of which are part of the US company SC Johnson, which also owns mainstream brands Glade, Pledge and Duck. Method was one of the biggest winners of the past year, increasing its annual sales by £ 6.9 million, an increase of 31 percent.
“If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have said green cleaning is a niche,” says Nancy Birtwhistle, former Great British Bake Off winner, who has just published her book Clean & Green. “But people have been really focused over the past 12 months. The problem is the price. As a young working mother, there was no way I could have afforded the move… It’s okay if money isn’t an issue, but for most people it is. “
Birtwhistle’s solution is to make her own products so she knows what goes into her. Also, “they cost less than regular products because you buy the ingredients in bulk”.
What about those of us who don’t have the time? The Ecover toilet cleaner costs £ 1.75 at Tesco compared to £ 1 for the Ducks version, while the Method all-floor cleaner costs £ 4 versus £ 1.50 for a slightly larger bottle from Cif, a part of Unilever.
Wilko eco cleaning package
Winner of I‘s “Best Buy” title in 2019, which includes detergent, toilet cleaner, multi-surface spray, dishwasher tablets, fabric softener and washing liquid. £ 12.50 each
Koh Starter Bundle
Universal cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, two atomizers, four cloths and four sponges. £ 34.95
Spruce Starter Kit Duo
Multipurpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner and two refillable bottles. £ 19.99
Delphis Eco cleaning box
Hand soap, disinfectant, detergent, toilet cleaner, bathroom cleaner, drain cleaner tablets, “XFactor” cleaner for hard work. £ 30
Hopping agrees that if they want to grow, green brands have to be cheaper and get past the idea that they are less effective. “These two barriers are slowly being dismantled,” he says, “but they still have to be addressed.”
Whether green cleaning marks match others is subjective. Hull-based Bio-D and Ecoleaf, part of the Leeds-based Suma cooperative, have both received Best Buy certification from Ethical Consumer Magazine.
Delphis Eco, calling itself the UK’s leading manufacturer of eco-friendly cleaning products, has committed Sarah Beeny to their compliments.
The presenter recalls being inundated with eco cleaning products after watching a TV show on the subject. After testing them all, she found that Delphis Eco’s products worked better than others. “If you can be green and clean, it’s a no-brainer,” she says. “I also liked the price: it’s pretty much the same as a non-eco-friendly brand.”
Homemade DIY preparations by Nancy Birtwhistle
All-purpose cream cleaner
“Take 200 g of soda bicarbonate, 70 ml of vegetable glycerin, 30 ml of environmentally friendly dish soap, 10 drops of essential oil and whisk them together. You get a nice smooth white cleaning liquid that you can use on any surface: sinks, bathrooms, cabinet doors, baseboards. “
Detergents for clothes
“This also works for heavily soiled garden clothes and dog towels. Take between 60g and 80g English ivy leaves, the bigger the better. They are rich in saponin, a natural detergent and foam agent. Wash them, cut them open with scissors, and put them in a laundry bag. Add 3 tablespoons of washing soda to the drawer – this will soften the water and help the ivy do its job. Your laundry will smell like pine. “
Toilet magic
“All bleach does is to lighten everything. I use citric acid, which kills germs and dissolves lime. “You can buy a 5kg bag for £ 16.99 on sites like naissance.com. “Put 200 g citric acid in a heat-resistant measuring cup and cover with freshly boiled water. Stir to dissolve the crystals, then add 20 ml of environmentally friendly dish soap and 10 to 20 drops of tea tree oil; Mix well with a small whisk. Let cool uncovered for a few hours and then pour into a spray bottle. “
Odor eater
“Soda bicarbonate is great for getting rid of odors. Use it in a sugar shaker with a few broken cinnamon sticks or some dried lavender to infuse, sprinkle around carpets to freshen things up in a room, and vacuum up the next morning. I have two dogs and it’s great for pet odors. “
Nancy Birtwhistle’s Clean & Green is available now (Pan Macmillan, £ 12.99)
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