12 Things I Swapped Out in My Kitchen On My Clean Journey

Eco Friendly, Sustainable + Clean Alternatives To Common Kitchen Products

Plastic Containers

My first goal when going clean was to replace as many plastic products as possible. I traded in all of my plastic food containers and bowls for glass containers.  Glass containers  are found all over at places like Marshalls, Target, Walmart and Amazon. You can buy a whole set, or start slow and buy them as you need. Either way make sure to get sizes that work for you. I do a lot of meal prep and love these deep containers and also have smaller ones for snacks, fruit, dips, etc.

Plastic Wrap/Saran Wrap

Instead of using plastic wrap out of habit to keep food fresh, I have completely eliminated plastic wrap with beeswax wraps, and silicone food huggers. My favorite reusable beeswax wraps I've found is from Goldilocks Goods. It's super strong and can be reused for monthsss!

The food huggers come in handy to preserve leftover fruit and veggies. They're dishwasher safe and can be reused over and over again rather than continually restocking plastic wrap.

Grocery Bags

Although this isn't technically a kitchen item, it's an important, related step for transforming your kitchen to be more sustainable. Get yourself a bunch of cloth or cotton totes to use in place of plastic bags at the grocery store. I have some in my  shop to get you started but you can also get any you like on Etsy, Amazon, or in local shops.

In addition to replacing plastic grocery bags, I also replaced the plastic produce bags with reusable bags as well. I found a great set on Amazon by Urban Noon and use them all the time for dry goods, herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Plastic Sandwich Bags/Ziploc Bags

If glass containers won't do the job and you need something like a ziploc bag, silicone storage bags are a great alternative to single use plastic. You can replace plastic sandwich bags with Stasher bags or any silicone storage bags. Depending on the brand, they are reusable, BPA free, freezer and dishwasher safe.

Paper Towels

Over the last year, another goal of mine was to cut down on how many paper towels I use. I've supplemented bigger messes and routine surface cleaning with rags cut from old towels. It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done! I've seen cute reusable paper towels on Amazon but honestly the rags do the job just fine. When you're done using the rags, throw them in the washer and they're good as new, ready to be used again for the week ahead.

As much as I love using rags in place of paper towels, there are times when a paper towel is nice to have as well. For those instances, I purchase 100% recycled or bamboo paper towels. They can be a little pricier but it evens out since I am not buying them as often.

Hand Soap

My favorite Environmental Working Group, (EWG) verified hand soaps are Attitude Super Leaves and Sensitive Skin Hand Soap and  Everyone Hand Soap Apricot + Vanilla, Meyer Lemon Mandarin, or Spearmint + Lemongrass.

I would definitely recommend these products over Mrs Meyers and Everspring. Although they look clean and are advertised as so, both have poor EWG ratings due to fragrance and other chemicals.*

*In the US, the ingredient 'fragrance' is an umbrella term for many individual chemicals, such as phthalates, that don't legally have to be listed and pose health risks. In fact, the EWG traced over 3,000 ingredients that can be hidden under the term fragrance. So, if you see fragrance listed as an ingredient without further disclosure, that's a red flag there could be more chemicals in the product than the ones listed on the product label.

Dish Soap

If you want an EWG verified product, I'd recommend the AspenClean dish soaps.  In general, AspenClean consistently meets clean standards. Most other brands may make one product variety clean and another full of potentially and proven toxic chemicals, which can be exhausting to keep track of.

Other great products with an EWG score of 'A' include : Puracy Natural Dish Soap, Green Tea & Lime, The Honest Co. Honest Dish Soap, Lemon Verbena or White Grapefruit, CVS Total Home Earth Essentials, Liquid Dish Soap, Eucalyptus Lemon, and Trader Joes Liquid Dish Soap, Lavender Tea Tree.

Dishwasher Detergent

There are so many options for dishwasher detergent, it can be overwhelming to choose the right ones. To find truthful brands, I always use the EWG app to make sure the product I'm interested in is actually clean. For an EWG verified dishwasher detergent, I'd recommend AspenClean.  As mentioned above, they are really consistent with having clean, quality products.

Other good products, that are readily available, include Walgreens Nice!Dishwasher Packs Single Dose Detergent, Seventh Generation, Inc. Dishwasher Detergent Packs, Free & Clear, and Love Home & Planet Dishwasher Detergent Packets, Lavender & Argan Oil. Each of these specific products are graded 'A' by EWG and are safe to use.

Surface Cleaner/ All Purpose Cleaner

One of the safest and effective kitchen surface cleaners is white vinegar. Pour white vinegar or distilled white vinegar into a spray bottle and use it as you would any other surface cleaner. Lemon and baking soda are also great, natural cleaners that work with vinegar to clean grease and tougher messes. 

The smell of vinegar dissipates quickly but if it bothers you and want something with a different scent, I like Public Goods surface cleaner. They have transparent, clean ingredients and list out chemicals used for fragrance.

Some, more common products include Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner, Green Tea & Lime and Seventh Generation, Inc. Disinfecting Multi-Surface Wipes, Lemongrass Citrus. Both products are graded 'A' by EWG and are safe to use.

Trash Bags

At one time, I was purchasing lavender + vanilla scented trash bags only to find out later how toxic and terrible they are for the environment! Since then, compostable, biodegradable trash bags have become a staple in my house. I like World Centric when I'm in a pinch and grab them at my local Sprouts. These are great  for composting food scraps. If you want a thicker option for general trash use, Public Goods has biodegradable bags that are made from 100% recycled materials.  Other readily available options include  Reli and Emily's Choice which can both be found on Amazon.

Plastic Cooking Utensils

Plastic, in general, leaches toxic chemicals when heated. So, when it comes to stirring spoons in a boiling pot or flipping pancakes on a griddle with a spatula, I recommend swapping plastic cooking utensils out for wooden and stainless steel counterparts.