How to clean sustainably
One of my most frequently asked questions is what I use for cleaning my apartment. And specifically what ratio of vinegar and water do I use. So today I thought I’d show you and explain which products and tools I use and where. I’ll also explain why it’s difficult to answer the vinegar ratio question.
One of the first videos I shared on my YouTube channel was a cleaning supply organization video. That was almost four years ago and in the description box I wrote: Side note: I’m trying to go more eco when it comes to cleaning (microfibre cloths are my favorites!) and am switching to eco friendly products as my current supplies run out.
Looking back and rewatching that video I have arrived at my goal. So let’s look at what I use today.
Cleaning the bathroom with vinegar
Four years later I’ve narrowed my cleaning products in the bathroom down to mostly vinegar and bicarbonate. There is an exception which I’ll explain in a minute.
About vinegar
I live in Sweden and we have three main types of vinegar in the grocery stores.
There’s Vinäger which is the vinegar we use for cooking and salad dressing. We also have Ättiksprit and Ättika. Those also used to be primarily for cooking, pickling etc but in recent years they’ve been rediscovered for cleaning.
Vinäger has an acidity of 5-8%.
Ättikssprit has an acidity of 12%.
Ättika has an acidity of 24%.
So as you can see the acidity varies a lot so when you’re creating your cleaning mixture, how much water to mix in depends on the strength of the vinegar you’re using.
I usually get the 24% Ättika (because it’s a small bottle and easy to carry home) and just eyeball the measurement in my spray bottle to be honest. I want it to be potent and remove limescale but I also want to be able to breathe and for my eyes not to water when I use it so that’s kind of how I go about it.
I keep my bathroom cleaning solution in a spray bottle in my bathroom cabinet so it’s easy to reach when I need it.
Edit 2024: Since I moved apartments to an area with harder water and using bar soap which leaves more residue I use this for the sink.
Cleaning the drain
For the drain in my shower I use vinegar and bicarbonate. I pour a splash of vinegar down the drain, add some bicarb, let it fizz and do its thing and then scrub with an old toothbrush and rinse. Works SO well.
Please note! Don’t use vinegar if you have stone or marble surfaces in your bathroom, the acidity will ruin those and it’s irreversible!
Cleaning cloths
As for cleaning cloths I mostly use old Swedish dishcloths in the bathroom. They’re made of cellulose, are completely compostable but before you do that you can wash them in the washing machine on hot, to reuse for months and months.
Mine start out fresh in the kitchen. After they get to a point where the stains won’t come out despite getting laundered on hot, I demote them to bathroom duty. To tell them apart I snip the corners off the bathroom use ones.
Their last cycle is usually after using them outside on the patio when spring cleaning outdoor windowsills. Those black city stains just won’t come out and at that point they need to be discarded or if you can, composted.
Cleaning the floors and shower
To clean the floors and shower walls and glass in my bathroom I use the vinegar and water spray mixture and parts of the Muji cleaning system. I love the look of it and since I don’t have a place to store the handle other than to keep it out I’m happy it’s wood but to be honest, the joints are a bit flimsy. In the past when I had a tall cleaning cabinet where I could hide it away I used this set and it was great. That one now lives at my son Wille’s place.
Cleaning the toilet
The one cleaning product I still buy for the bathroom is a toilet bowl cleaner. The shape of the bottle with the nozzle is just something I still want. I get a local brand Såklart which is sustainable and scent free. I can’t stand those strong WC cleaner scents and instead occasionally use these drops to freshen the air. Edit 2024: I now refill the Såklart bottle with a vinegar, water, dishsoap and lemon essential oil mixture and use that to clean my toilet bowl. Works and smells great!
Cleaning the kitchen sustainably
Because I have marble counter tops and backsplash in my kitchen I can’t use vinegar to clean my kitchen. It’s acidic and would damage the surface.
Day to day cleaning
For day to day cleaning for the most part I just use water on a microfiber cloth or dishcloth or add a couple of drops of dish soap. I get a sustainable local brand called Änglamark and decant it into a squeeze bottle that I keep in the sink along with my Swedish dishcloth and a scrubby brush.
Washing dishes
On my sink I have this dish rack but in the bigger Lawn size and on it rests my wooden dishbrush.
My dishcloth hangs to dry on one of these in the sink.
For the dishwasher I use Änglamark eco friendly dishwasher tablets. I’m still using a commercial rinse aid but I hear vinegar can work too but I have to do some research into that first.
Cleaning marble countertop and backsplash
To deep clean the marble I started using Savon de Marseille a while ago after a subscriber recommended it. I keep the bar of soap on a flat dish and a soft brush to work the wet soap into the marble. Then I use a microfiber cloth or dishcloth to wipe the excess soap off. The oil in the soap seems to seal the marble and I really like the way it turns out. It also smells amazing.
Cleaning eco friendly
For the other rooms in my home I pretty much only use water on a microfiber cloth. It removes almost everything but if there are greasier stains I use my mixture of a few drops of eco friendly unscented dish soap in a spray bottle of water. I sometimes add a few drops of essential oil for a fresh scent.
For mirrors I use a specific e-cloth for mirrors and glass and for dusting I use a regular microfiber cloth or this duster for taller spots like ceiling lights and tops of closets.
Note! Microfiber = micro plastics so use a Guppyfriend laundry bag when washing these types of e-cloths.
Cleaning and maintaining hard waxed floors
Before I moved into my (Edit 2024: old) apartment three years ago I had the previously varnished and very damaged floors sanded and hard waxed.
It’s a beautiful treatment that leaves the floors velvety smooth but in hindsight I would not have chosen that treatment if I knew what I know today.
Products for hard waxed floors
Hard waxed floors require some maintenance and specific products to keep nice looking. I quickly discovered that unless you treat the floors on the regular with wax they stain easily. Simple water drops or god forbid acidic cat spit ups or oil drips leave stains.
These stains can be removed but it’s not just a quick wipe with a damp cloth which would work on a varnished floor. I have to use a special cleaner for hard waxed floors. In order to maintain them a little bit easier, I’ve made a mixture in a spray bottle so I can quickly spot treat.
Mopping and vacuuming
When I do clean the whole floor I use a microfiber mop set similar to this one. I don’t use a bucket. Instead I fill the kitchen sink and wear rubber gloves to wring the mop after each space I’m cleaning. Edit 2024: Back to using a yarn mop with bucket in my new apartment.
The vacuum cleaner I use is a few years old now, the Dyson V8 Fluffy. It’s been ok but I don’t love that it doesn’t come with a motorized floor head. If I were to get a new Dyson today I’d get the V11. My best friend Anne has that one and she loves it. Edit 2024: Now have a Dyson V12 and I love it!
Edit 2024: For stains on anything (cabinet doors, rugs etc) I have great luck with bile soap.
I hope that answers your questions about my cleaning arsenal if you had one. Leave a comment if there’s still something that’s unclear.
This blog post contains affiliate links. That means I earn a small commission if you buy anything through the links but at no extra cost to you. Here are more cleaning sources for your convenience.
Ps. This article explains the difference between white vinegar and cleaning vinegar which are the common ones in the US as far as I can tell.
