Get set for spring cleaning with these innovative planet-friendly products.
If you’re planning to get stuck into spring cleaning, you may want to consider how to make it lighter on the environment. A number of new products are here to help, with refills and concentrates cutting down on packaging and shipping costs, and plant-based and probiotic formulas eliminating the need for harsh chemicals.
BioKing
BioKing has been making its innovative probiotic cleaners for the commercial market since 2020, but from September the locally-made cleaners will be available online for everyday consumers. The chemical-free formulations are made from probiotics, so instead of solely eliminating bad bacteria, they repopulate an area with good bacteria. This inhibits future growth of pathogens and helps surfaces to stay cleaner for longer, while ensuring no bad bacteria are left behind to multiply and become resistant to cleaners.
Founders Ian and Mariska Murgatroyd have a background in probiotic food development. Having moved here from South Africa just before the first lockdown, the couple switched their focus to probiotic cleaning products after realising the increased need for cleaning during the pandemic. The brand’s multi-purpose cleaner and odour neutraliser will be available as 50ml sachets of concentrate, to be mixed with water in the brand’s refillable 500ml “Forever” bottles, with a hand cleanser also available.
Dazz
Dazz was launched in Mt Maunganui this January, and sells US-made biodegradable cleaning tablets with refillable glass bottles. The tablets, which come in all purpose, glass and bathroom, are designed to be added to water, with the packets able to be returned to Dazz for commercial composting.
RAAD
RAAD, which stands for “remarkably awesome and dirt-free”, launched in 2020. Founders Matt Saunders (who previously co-founded clothing company ilabb) and his wife Bec were inspired to create the beautifully fragranced range after their second daughter was born prematurely and they subsequently needed to keep their home germ-free. Products are made in New Zealand from plant-based ingredients, with custom fragrances that are a mix of natural and synthetic ingredients, designed by a top local perfumer and made in France. Offerings include dish liquid, surface cleaner, laundry liquid and more, with refills and a subscription service available.
Tru Earth
Tru Earth, which also became available locally in January, has a similar concept to Dazz. Its zero-waste Eco-strips are imported from Canada by Napier-based Eco Products, and can be added to water to create a spray cleaner, laundry detergent, floor cleaner and toilet cleaner. The biodegradable strips are packaged in a compostable cardboard sleeve.
Everdaily
Everdaily launched in June with a simple solution – one refill concentrate makes a number of different products, including the multipurpose “Everything Spray”, as well as glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, dishwashing liquid and laundry liquid. The plant and mineral-based formula is made in New Zealand and is designed to be mixed with water in the brand’s refillable spray bottles, or added to a load of dishes or laundry.
Ecostore
Ecostore has offered refillable products for over a decade and now has more than 200 refill stations around the world. In May, the brand launched a range of concentrates for its cleaning products. The bathroom, glass and multipurpose cleaning concentrates are sold in 50ml glass bottles, and when mixed with water will make 500ml of cleaning product.
Will&Able
Will&Able is a social enterprise which launched in 2019 with the purpose of offering people with disabilities meaningful work. The brand’s locally made products are certified by Environmental Choice NZ and include a toilet cleaner, multipurpose cleaner, dish liquid and more. Empty bottles can be sent back for reuse, and subscriptions are available, with products filled, packed and labelled by employees with disabilities.
There are a number of other New Zealand companies which make plant-based cleaning products, including Earthwise, Conscious and Orchard Organic. You can also make your own cleaners from simple ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda. And don’t forget to use cloths made from natural fibres, rather than microfibre cloths or plastic sponges, to avoid microplastics going down the drain. Good Change cloths, available from Commonsense Organics, are made from cotton and sustainably harvested wood pulp, and are compostable at the end of their life.
