Big Green Week: Groves Helps You with Eco-friendly Ways to Clean Your Home
As part of Big Green Week, Groves is sharing how people can live a more eco-friendly life, save money and support our rivers.
Have you ever thought about what happens after we rinse something down the sink?
It’s easy to think it just disappears. But it doesn’t. Everything we pour down our drains eventually makes its way into our waterways—into the streams and rivers right here in our community - and that includes our cleaning products.
Many conventional cleaners contain synthetic chemicals—designed to kill bacteria, strip grease, or smell “fresh.” But once they leave our homes, those same chemicals can affect aquatic life and add pressure to water treatment systems.
The encouraging part is—we don’t actually need most of them.
At Groves Shop, we like to encourage people to go back to simple, effective basics for cleaning.
· White vinegar
· Citric acid
· Bicarbonate of soda
These have been used for generations, and they still do the job brilliantly. Let’s break it down simply.
White spirit vinegar (not malt vinegar): is brilliant for cutting through and dissolving limescale. Kettles, taps, glass – white vinegar handles them all without leaving behind harmful residues.
Citric acid: is like vinegar’s slightly stronger cousin. It’s excellent for descaling appliances like washing machines and dishwashers as well as showers and toilets.
Bicarbonate of soda: is a gentle abrasive and deodoriser. It’s perfect for scrubbing sinks, lifting stains, and neutralising smells.
The nice thing is you don’t need complicated recipes to use these.
When you are using these, it really comes down to three simple measures:
“half and half, a tablespoon, or just a sprinkle.”
· Half and half — vinegar and water for sprays and descaling
· A tablespoon — citric acid in warm water
· A sprinkle — bicarbonate of soda for scrubbing
With just these three, you can replace a surprising number of products under the sink.
And what we’ve found in the shop is that once people try them, they often don’t go back—not because they feel they shouldn’t, but because they realise they don’t need to.
And, there is another benefit: simplicity and cost effective!
Fewer products. Fewer plastic bottles. Less money spent!
You also use less of the other cleaners, saving you money. It makes water softer. Softening water means soap doesn’t have to fight the irons in the water as much, which means you use less soap.
Now, to be clear, this isn’t about perfection or throwing everything out overnight. There are still times when stronger products are needed. But if we can reduce what we use day-to-day, that has a real impact.
Start small:
· Use vinegar to descale your kettle
· Use bicarbonate of soda to clean your sink
· Try citric acid in your dishwasher
See how it works for you! It’s not about giving things up but finding better options that work just as well. Every small change reduces what ends up in our rivers.
And if you’re wondering where to start locally, at Groves Shop we carry these basics all in one place. We have natural brushes and cloths that avoid plastics and last much longer, rounding up your eco-friendly cleaning supplies.
We recognise that some people may choose to have on hand easy to use eco-friendly products as well. With this in mind, we currently stock Ecover refillable products at the shop. You can bring your used plastic bottles of Ecover to the shop and we will refill them. And, we are planning to expand to other refillable products in the near future.
So, the reality is you don’t need a cupboard full of chemicals to keep a clean home. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Because protecting our rivers starts with what we pour down the drain.
If you’re curious, we’re always happy to chat in the shop, answer questions, and help you find what works for you. You can find out more about living eco-friendlier by visiting Sustainable Wychwoods at www.sustainablewychwoods.co.uk.