Being stuck at home has brought out my inner domestic goddess. Chores that I used to dread, like washing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry, are now head-clearing coping mechanisms that I look forward to.

[READ: My quarantine therapy is cleaning and here’s why it should be yours, too]

Back when going outside wasn’t hazardous to your health, I used to have a cleaning service come in every week. I’d leave the house in the morning and come back after work to find it spick and span. Now that I’m limiting my contact with the outside world, yes I do the cooking, yes I do the cleaning.

I didn’t realize it before, but cleaning products come with a lot of unnecessary waste, especially their packaging. If you clean regularly, you’re going to have to get bulk-sized or multiples of one item so you don’t have to run to the store if you run out.

On my quest towards greener living, I found a few stores that sell eco-friendlier products that do less harm to the environment than the sachets of detergent I used to frequently buy. Better yet, all of them are Filipino-owned brands, so it’s supporting local, too.

Ritual

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh3Dn9in6GS/

As their website says, “Ditch that weird smelling, bright pink stuff.” Although Ritual’s physical space may be closed, their online shop is still open for business. Aside from selling all kinds of native products and eco-friendly goods, they’ve also dedicated a section of their online store to green cleaning. Their roster of cleaning products include deodorizers, dish soap, laundry bars, baking soda and borax. The cleaning products all come in brown wrapping paper or glass bottles. You can get your bottles refilled by appointment once you’ve used them all up.

You can shop online through their website

Simula PH

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDdJr3_nOzP/

Simula houses a variety of local eco-friendly brands under one (online) roof. Their laundry and cleaning section isn’t just made up of detergent and soaps, they also have stuff like yoga mat sprays, organic, biodegradable baby wipes, vegetable cleaner and reusable kitchen towel rolls. For pet parents, they also sell compostable poop bag rolls and dispensers for when your furbaby answers the call of nature on a walk. Most of their cleaning stuff is also refillable, so you never need to throw away another sachet again.

You can shop online through their website

The Little Green Home PH

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFCgXyqHyiN/

Soaps, disinfectants, dishwashing liquids and multi-purpose cleaners are what’s on The Little Green Home’s virtual shelves. Their lemon and calamansi natural dishwashing block is vegan friendly, fragrance and colorant free and actually gets all the grease and gunk off of your dishes. The Little Green Home also believes in plastic-free packaging when shipping out their items, so all their packages come in recycled or woven bags.

You can shop online through their Instagram

Human Nature

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fzxboFjPT/

Human Nature is arguably the biggest, homegrown brand that has put sustainability and the environment at the forefront of their brand. Although their packaging is still made from plastic, the company is taking whatever steps they can to curb their contribution to the world’s plastic problem. A big plus Human Nature has is that they’re available in groceries and department stores, which makes them easily accessible. They’re also certified cruelty free, which is good news to a lot of us.

You can shop online through their website

Header image by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

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