Website of the UK government

Clean your house the friendly way

Here are some things you can do:

• be sparing with your detergents and cleaners – don’t use more than the recommended dose, and use the mildest cleaning product needed for the job
• use the minimum dosage for the hardness of the water in your area
• washing clothes at 30 degrees saves energy, and is just as effective for normally soiled clothes
• where there’s a choice, machine wash rather than dry-clean clothes: some dry-cleaning chemicals are toxic and ozone-depleting substances
• read the label and follow the proper storage and disposal advice for cleaning products
• recycle plastic, cardboard and metal packaging according to the product label
• don’t pour cleaning products down the drain unnecessarily: remember that our drainage ends up in seas and rivers

• How to help the environment when doing your laundry Opens new window
• Tips on natural ways to clean and shine Opens new window
• Watersense: a guide on using chemicals in your home to avoid causing pollution Opens new window

What cleaning products should you buy?

Some things to think about are:

• choosing concentrated products where possible helps the environment by saving on packaging and transport
• buying refill systems also helps cut down on packaging

• Find out more about eco-friendly brands Opens new window

Check the logo

The European Union (EU) Ecolabel guarantees that the product will minimise or prevent risks to the environment and human health

• The EU Ecolabel

Cleaning without chemicals

Not all chemicals in cleaning products are harmful to the environment, but if you want to avoid them you might be surprised to learn that many everyday items can make effective cleaning solutions. For instance, vinegar and warm water makes a great window cleaner, and you can use salt to scour dirty dishes.

• Natural alternatives to chemical cleaning products Opens new window

The wider issue

We now come into contact with more chemical substances than at any time in human history, and many of them have brought great benefits to society. However, some of these chemicals accumulate in us and in the environment.

The challenge is to achieve the appropriate balance so that we all enjoy the benefits of chemicals without current or future harm to humans or wildlife. There are good systems in place to test both new chemicals and those already on the market; but it makes sense not to use more than we need, as this reduces exposing ourselves and the environment to them.

It’s easy to flush or rinse something away and forget all about it, without stopping to think where ‘away’ is. But all the drainage points in our house – sinks, toilets, washing machines and baths – drain into sewers; this wastewater flows to treatment works where it is treated then returned to the water environment: our rivers, lochs and seas. Most of the chemicals in wastewater get removed during treatment, but some inevitably end up in rivers and the sea where they can harm wildlife.

A growing number of properties also have incorrect connections meaning that wastewater from sinks and washing machines can drain straight into local rivers without treatment. The link below will help you check if any of your drains are misconnected.

• More information about checking for misconnections Opens new window
• Watersense: a guide to protecting the water environment Opens new window
• More on pollution