Stressed with internships? Swamped with CCA commitments? In need of something refreshing to freshen up your room?
We've got you covered with a 3-in-1 eco-cleaner that acts as an antibacterial, all-purpose cleanser and room freshener. All this can be achieved with hassle free DIY materials that can be easily found in our household.
We had the chance to be a part of Zero Waste SG’s collaboration event with SMU’s Project Midori 6.0 for making homemade eco-cleaners. Together with my partner Aaron Khoo and his outstanding snapshots, we’ll walk you through how to make your very own cleaner.
What’s so Special About Eco-Cleaners?
“Reduce” is Ms. Jasmine Tuan’s (the conductor of this eco-friendly event) favourite waste management term. As an advocate for Zero Waste SG and the founder of CLOOP, Ms. Tuan shows us her perseverant success in revolutionising her lifestyle to be more sustainable.
Her eco-cleaner reduces not only the chemical waste in water bodies, but also plastic usage by reusing plastic containers.
Think about it, if each household reduces their demands of bleaches and stronger washing chemicals, we can slowly decrease our dependence towards them and enhance marine life and better food security.
Eco-cleaners, as the name suggests, are eco-friendly cleansers utilising only all the household ingredients that we have. It can clear out marker stains, muddy marks and more.
The eco-cleaner is an all-in-one sanitizer and cleanser for all types of smears. Calling all natural and art lovers and those with sensitive skin; not only do these eco-cleaners clean all types of stains, they are also milder in formula which is gentler and safer on the skin.
This is all made possible, thanks to the main ingredient, vinegar. To ensure our skin from burns or to make the formula even milder, extra water can be added to balance the acidic pH.
Hate the overwhelming musty odour from the purchased cleaning formulas? Say no more, by adding citrus peels, this eco-cleaner has natural aromas to fend off unnecessary headaches, maintaining a harmonious, yet fresh citrusy smell.
Ms. Jasmine Tuan explaining the benefits of having the eco-cleaners in her daily life.
The Impacts of Traditional Cleansers
Have you ever wondered where our bleach and heavy chemicals go after they pass through the sink? Are they the sole panacea to ensure 100% cleanliness at all times? Even if it’s so, what’s the aftermath?
Almost 10% of the world’s toxic dump is in the oceans.
Biomagnification, whereby toxins are built up in every stage of the food chain, is the main danger of water pollution.
Imagine a body of water is polluted with your household bleach. The algae gets affected and the zooplanktons that eat them gain a higher concentration of toxins. This compounds in the food chain until it eventually reaches us humans when we consume fish.
Now you know the impacts of traditional cleansers!
Ms. Jasmine Tuan explaining the process of making the eco-cleaners.
How to Make Your Very Own Eco-Cleaner
It’s ridiculously easy.
Hearing “DIY” might be a mind-boggling experience for many, but this effortless eco-cleaner takes only four steps.
Step 1: Take a plastic/glass container
Finally, your mother’s or grandmother’s secret stash of plastic containers can be put into good use. Any jar is optimal to become the vessel to contain your home-brewed cleaner.
Step 2: Add Citrus Fruit Peels
The fruit peels give you a soft earthy and citrusy scent that ensures a better smell that is not overtly strong. Furthermore, it isn’t artificial and definitely does not contain carcinogens.
My best law buddies are in charge of putting the peels.
Step 3: Add water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio
There’s nothing better than a girls-day-out with mini eco-friendly DIYs. As one can never go wrong, it’s all about preference and certainly about the ratios. The ‘agak-agak’ (approximate) method as Ms. Tuan would say, signifies how flexible the concoction can be.
Vinegar ensures sanitization as the all-natural acetic acid found in vinegar has the disinfectant nature that helps in reducing the number of germs that cause food-borne diseases.
Step 4: All’s good for those who wait!
Keep your container sealed for 2 weeks to ensure that all the eco-cleaner is optimally and naturally mixed into the brew. You may also add drops of essential oil to add an earthy scent for the household, making it easy on the nose, and of course all in an affordable budget.
Happy smiles from the happy participants.
Results
This DIY recipe works wonders for scrubbing the stubborn fatty stains off our stainless steel after a hearty meal.
Don’t take our word for it, but the smiles of the participants don’t lie. It has been a fun, minimalistic DIY experience that has allowed us to gain insight into sustainability and budgeting at the same time. The best part is - it’s fast, easy and achievable.
On behalf of all of the participants and organising committee of Project Midori 6.0, I am incredibly grateful to Ms. Jasmine Tuan for the productive and insightful session.
About Ms. Jasmine Tuan:
(Left to Right): Ms. Jasmine Tuan from NetZeroWaste SG and founder of CLOOP, Aaron Khoo (Khoo Xuan Yang) the exclusive photographer and our writer, Winnie.
The best one-word description I can use to describe Ms. Tuan is inspiring. She has been consistently working to nip overconsumption from the bud by unlearning old habits, and has slowly become an advocate and a role model for sustainability. She champions the belief that sustainability is a step-by-step process which involves embracing gratitude and happiness in all the little things we have and own.
“We came with nothing and we go home with nothing”, is her powerful motto.
Looking to further scope down her overall consumption in the future, she further challenges the quote, “If less is more, then nothing is everything”; Ms. Tuan is paving her way and encouraging everyone to do so as an essentialist. It’s all about the mindful perspective of our expenditures and our needs on top of our wants or demands.
What goes around, comes around; we must take ownership of our actions and inactions as they are collectively impactful to the future we live in.