I use a mixture of natural products and those nasty toxic ones. For my drains, I regularly rinse them out with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, with something a little more potent every once in a while to get rid of the deeply embedded gunk.
As for cloths and sponges, I buy those but I wash and reuse them all the time. Once those designated for the kitchen start getting old and ragged, I’ll use them in the bathroom. They go through a long and tough life cycle before they get chucked. And I never ever buy paper towels.
Sometimes I use lemon rinds as a sponge, especially because I can’t compost them. They work pretty well and smell great. I especially like cleaning out the sink with them and making it smell all fresh and lemony. Of course, I have to throw it away after one greasy swipe, but at least I put the last few squirts to good use. Homemade cleaners out of water, vinegar, and orange peels are another alternative and give you something to do with the peels you’d normally chuck out.
Making your own household cleaners cuts down on waste and the exposure to all those nasty chemicals found in typical household cleaners. However, these DIY solutions are not usually as strong or potent, so you need a lot of elbow grease too! And while they remove dirt, they tend not to disinfect. As tough as it is, the key is not letting the dirt and grime build up in the first place.
Read more about the Earth Hero Zero Waste Challenge here.
You can’t compost lemon peels? I’ve been dicing up my orange peels and tossing them in the compost for years. I dice up most of my compostibles because I like to chop.
When I didn’t have access to a composter I used to blend my kitchen waste with some water, dig a hole out back and dump it in. One time as I went to put the dirt back in the hole I saw that I had dug into a mole’s tunnel. He got tskeout delivery that night.
I see a lot of back and forth on citrus peels. It takes longer to break down and may repel worms, but it’s not as bad as throwing in meat or dairy. I think you’d need to consider the size of your compost pile and if you don’t throw in too much or too often it should be fine. It’s great that you chop it first, as that’ll help it break down faster. Hope the mole enjoyed his meal 🙂