When I was in India, I never thought that cleaning could be such a big thing. Firstly, I used to live in my own house, so I never bothered about how much I need to pay when I have to move out of the house. But, once I have to live in rented apartments and that too in foreign lands like Canada and super clean Switzerland, cleaning kind of become a priority for me. There are so much variety of cleaning products and many brands and I often get confused or feel overwhelmed. So, here I am sharing my journey of learning about different types of cleaning products.
1. Floor cleaners and disinfectants
2. Bathtub/Shower/washbasin cleaner
3. Tiles cleaner
4. Window glass cleaner
5. Shower glass cleaner
6. Oven/grill and gas top or kitchen counter cleaner
7. toilet cleaner
8. Suction pipe cleaning
Some products are environment-friendly, while others have so many chemicals in it.
1. Chlorine is a very common bleaching agent and has very strong fumes, so we should use a face mask or vinyl hand gloves while cleaning.
2. Ammonia is also a gas and heavily used in cleaning.
3. Borax is also used in multi-purpose cleaning.
Sorting the Waste: One important aspect of cleaning is to properly sort the waste into recyclable and landfill waste. Waste sorting is very important from the environmental cleaning and sustainability point of view. Most people, especially in developing or underdeveloped countries as a fancy thing, but it is the need and demand of today's time for securing the better environment for the future generations.
Plastic is everywhere, it is such a synthetic material that has not left any place unaffected. But, there are different types of plastics, and all plastics are not recyclable or reusable. It is very important to know the various types and uses of plastics to keep our families healthy. Because plastic is a very durable material and last for long, but all plastics are not meant for reuse. Out of ignorance, sometimes we make the poor choice and make the lives of ourselves and our families at risk. Some plastics are not biodegradable and need to be properly disposed of, to keep our environment safe.
For deciding the re-usability and/or recyclability, we need to see the packaging of the product. It can have seven different symbols of "chasing arrows" or Mobius loop with 1 to 7 numbers inside it.
1. PET(PETE): It is polyethylene terephthalate. This type of plastic is recyclable but not reusable i.e. it is intended for only one-time use. It does not contain BPA or phthalates if it is not temperature abused. Otherwise, some studies have shown traces of antimony (a toxic chemical) leaching out from the plastic to the water when kept in the heat for prolong duration.
2.HDPE: It is High-density polyethylene. This plastic can be recycled and is considered one of safest forms of plastics. It is a thermoplastic made from petroleum and can withstand somewhat high temperatures. This plastic is reusable and recyclable.
3.PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride. It is one of the toxic plastic and should be strictly avoided. It is soft and flexible because it uses phthalates, which are very harmful to the endocrine systems. This plastic is non-recyclable.
4.LDPE: Low-density polyethylene. It is considered less toxic than other plastics. It can be reused but not always recyclable.
5. PP: polypropylene. It is a thermoplastic polymer, it means that it is strong, tough, and has high resistance to heat and acts as a barrier to the moisture. Most PP plastics are microwave and dishwasher safe. This plastic is considered food safe. It is considered safe for reuse and less likely recyclable.
6.PS: Polystyrene. It should be avoided wherever possible as it is carcinogenic in nature. It can not be recyclable.
7.Others: PC(polycarbonate): This plastic usually contains BPA, which is very harmful to endocrine health. Polycarbonate gives a very durable, microwave safe plastic.
1. Floor cleaners and disinfectants
2. Bathtub/Shower/washbasin cleaner
3. Tiles cleaner
4. Window glass cleaner
5. Shower glass cleaner
6. Oven/grill and gas top or kitchen counter cleaner
7. toilet cleaner
8. Suction pipe cleaning
Some products are environment-friendly, while others have so many chemicals in it.
1. Chlorine is a very common bleaching agent and has very strong fumes, so we should use a face mask or vinyl hand gloves while cleaning.
2. Ammonia is also a gas and heavily used in cleaning.
3. Borax is also used in multi-purpose cleaning.
Sorting the Waste: One important aspect of cleaning is to properly sort the waste into recyclable and landfill waste. Waste sorting is very important from the environmental cleaning and sustainability point of view. Most people, especially in developing or underdeveloped countries as a fancy thing, but it is the need and demand of today's time for securing the better environment for the future generations.
Plastic is everywhere, it is such a synthetic material that has not left any place unaffected. But, there are different types of plastics, and all plastics are not recyclable or reusable. It is very important to know the various types and uses of plastics to keep our families healthy. Because plastic is a very durable material and last for long, but all plastics are not meant for reuse. Out of ignorance, sometimes we make the poor choice and make the lives of ourselves and our families at risk. Some plastics are not biodegradable and need to be properly disposed of, to keep our environment safe.
For deciding the re-usability and/or recyclability, we need to see the packaging of the product. It can have seven different symbols of "chasing arrows" or Mobius loop with 1 to 7 numbers inside it.
1. PET(PETE): It is polyethylene terephthalate. This type of plastic is recyclable but not reusable i.e. it is intended for only one-time use. It does not contain BPA or phthalates if it is not temperature abused. Otherwise, some studies have shown traces of antimony (a toxic chemical) leaching out from the plastic to the water when kept in the heat for prolong duration.
2.HDPE: It is High-density polyethylene. This plastic can be recycled and is considered one of safest forms of plastics. It is a thermoplastic made from petroleum and can withstand somewhat high temperatures. This plastic is reusable and recyclable.
3.PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride. It is one of the toxic plastic and should be strictly avoided. It is soft and flexible because it uses phthalates, which are very harmful to the endocrine systems. This plastic is non-recyclable.
4.LDPE: Low-density polyethylene. It is considered less toxic than other plastics. It can be reused but not always recyclable.
5. PP: polypropylene. It is a thermoplastic polymer, it means that it is strong, tough, and has high resistance to heat and acts as a barrier to the moisture. Most PP plastics are microwave and dishwasher safe. This plastic is considered food safe. It is considered safe for reuse and less likely recyclable.
6.PS: Polystyrene. It should be avoided wherever possible as it is carcinogenic in nature. It can not be recyclable.
7.Others: PC(polycarbonate): This plastic usually contains BPA, which is very harmful to endocrine health. Polycarbonate gives a very durable, microwave safe plastic.
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