A nice and easy way to make your life healthier and more sustainable is to replace products you use every day with a sustainable variation of the product.
In this blog our theme will be:
How can you wash dishes healthily and sustainably?
subjects
-Impact of disposable products
-Which products to replace and how
-Extra: DIY dish soap
Impact of disposable products
In most households, the standard plastic sponge and/or a washing-up brush are used. Of course these do their job well: they make your dishes sparkling clean. However, these products are not a healthy and sustainable solution for your dirty dishes.
By using the traditional (or yes... actually we haven't even used it that long, but more about that later) sponges and brushes made of plastic, countless micro and nano particles of plastic are released. These particles cannot be seen with the eye, they are so small.
Why that is so bad?
The bad thing about this? Plastic does not disappear! All sponges and brushes that have been used - the advice is to take a new one every week- are therefore spread everywhere in our environment (in the water in nano particles and as trash in the sea or earth), and do not decay.
Small math
When I was 19 years old I started living on my own, which means that as an individual I would have to use a new sponge every week from the age of 19.
When I was 19 years old I started living on my own, which means that as an individual I would have to use a new sponge every week from the age of 19.
I am now almost 35 years old, which means that in the past 16 years i had to throw out:
16 x 52 (weeks in a year) = 832 sponges.
Even if you don't use a new sponge every week, but for example every two weeks, you end up with a gigantic number of 416 sponges.
Can you picture it already? How big is this mountain of waste, which does not decay or cannot be reused? Right! Gigantic!
Health
Besides the fact that we should not want this mega mountain of waste, there is another problem: it is bad for our own health.
An article was published in 2020, which showed that microplastics have been found even in the placentas of unborn babies.
The other studies done via animals have shown that micro/nano plastic can disrupt the metabolism and the intestinal system.
So it's time to do it differently!
Which products to replace and how?
We are now talking about how to do your dishes as clean and green as possible, what do you need for this?
First step is to replace your plastic sponge!
This can be done in many ways, our favorites are:
Luffa is really a wonderful product! It is 100% natural, because it comes from a plant (zucchini family). When the plant has grown and is dry, it is a natural sponge inside. Hard when dry, softer when wet. The beautiful structure makes it perfect to do dishes with (or to wash yourself with).
Eco Era grows the Luffa themselves, with a lot of love, in Altea (Spain)!
These sponges, handmade by Eco Era, have a soft (bamboo) and abrasive side (sisal). Ideal for washing up! Rinse after use and let dry. Perfect!
Beautiful dishwashing brush made in Spain! The handle is made of bamboo and the brush itself is made of sisal. This makes it very convenient to use! Allow to dry thoroughly after use! Ready for a new one? Throw the brush in the compost bin!
Extra: DIY dish soap
In addition to these products, the soap is also very important. There are many beautiful alternatives on the market, but of course you can also make it yourself. This is not difficult at all!