How to Care For Your Eco Products

So, you’ve just invested in some brand new eco-friendly products (hopefully some of ours!) Congratulations for starting to live a more plastic-free life. 👏 We want to make sure you get the most out of all your eco-products and one way to do this is to make sure you are taking the best care out of your sustainable new friends. 

Here are some of our top tips for caring and looking after your eco products. 

Metal Straws. 

metal straws from My Eco House

Metal straws should be cleaned regularly and ideally after every use. There’s nothing worse than getting a build up of smoothie stuck in there from your breakfast a few days back. 

This is exactly why our stainless steel straws come with a fantastic cleaning wand that helps you to get all the nasties out of your straw everytime. For maximum effect, use this cleaning wand with a little hot water, dish soap and baking soda.

 

Step 1: Rinse the inside of the straw as soon as possible after you’ve used it to ensure nothing hardens in there. Allow hot water to run through the straw for a few seconds to get rid of any big chunks. 


Step 2: Add a little bit of dish soap onto your cleaning wand and scrub away. Make sure you repeat from both ends of the straw to ensure you are getting all the way through.


Step 3: Next, you need to bring in the big guns. Add some baking soda onto your cleaning wand and scrub again. (Please note, this step is optional - but good to do every now and again to get rid of any really stubborn leftovers!)


Step 4: When you’ve finished, and are convinced there’s nothing left in the straw, rinse with warm water for another minute to flush away any soap or baking soda. If there’s any left in there you are going to get one nasty tasting cocktail on your next night out. 



Bamboo Products.

bamboo cutlery from My Eco House

There’s a few things to note when taking care of your bamboo eco-products - whether that’s cutlery, toothbrushes, hair brushes or any other bamboo utensil. Here are a few tips and tricks on looking after bamboo, or other wood based products properly;

  • Clean your products 🧼✨

Clean any bamboo products, e.g. your amazing My Eco House bamboo cutlery with hot water and add a little bit of dish soap too. If you left it a little too late this time and find that your food has hardened use a soft scraper to remove any leftovers. Rinse the dish soap off immediately and allow the bamboo products to dry. Try to dry them with a dry cloth rather than air drying them so they don’t stay damp for too long. 

 

  • Oil your products 🥥

Every now and again, you should also oil your bamboo products. We suggest organic coconut oil - just use a very small amount on a soft cloth and wipe your bamboo products and utensils. This will keep the wood soft and reduce splintering. 


  • Keep them away from water 🌊

Obviously, you need to clean them… but apart from that make sure you are not leaving them in water for long periods of time. If the wood isn’t treated with a waterproof agent it can cause big water damage issues on your products and they will end up needing to be replaced. 

 

  • Keep your products out of dry heat 🌡️

Too much dry heat, like direct sunlight or dry vent air, will cause shrinking of the wood. Store your bamboo products in a dry place away from extreme temperatures that can cause cracking and splitting.

 

  • Keep away from sharp objects 🔪

Wood-based products are delicate, make sure you keep any sharp objects away from them if you want to make sure they stay in top condition for longer.

If using a bamboo chopping board or other utensils in the kitchen, this may be hard to do… but chop lightly and eliminate making too many nasty marks. 

 

🚨 PSA on Bamboo Toothbrushes: 

Did you know you’re meant to change your toothbrush regularly? Every 2-3 months according to multiple dental hygiene experts! This is exactly why we created the toothbrush bundle pack, with seasonal carvings on the neck of the brush to make sure you remember to dispose of the old, and bring in the new every few months. 

bamboo toothbrushes from My Eco House

Organic Cotton Products.


Any products made out of organic cotton need to be treated differently to conventional cotton and caring for the organic products can vary significantly. Everything from the weave, colour and cut of organic cotton fabrics affect how it needs to be cared for so make sure you read the labels carefully! 


  • Washing and drying
  • Most products you buy should come with care instructions that outline the basics of washing your products. Whether it needs to hand washed, washed in cold water or line dried should be clearly stated on the label. The fact that organic cotton products are free of harsh chemicals, could mean everyday detergent affects the colouring more than it would with conventional cotton. Play it safe and read the label carefully. 


  • Removing any nasty stains 
  • Stains can be incredibly temperamental on most fabrics, and dealing with stains on organic cotton really depends on what’s caused it. The Green Earth Cleaning website recommends reading the care instructions straight away.


    For machine-washable items, try treating the stain yourself, but always use caution. In general, it’s a good idea to spot clean the stain before putting it in the wash, just by running water over it and a little bit of laundry detergent (or dissolved laundry powder).


    Another option is to soak the clothing for a few hours or overnight, then put it through the wash as normal. Basically, it’s a good idea to err on the side of caution when it comes to stain removal and if a stain is severe or you are afraid of ruining the item, play it safe and take it to a cleaner.


    We’re going to be getting some amazing new cotton products onto the My Eco House site VERY soon, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. 


    There you have it - a few top tips on caring for your eco-products to make sure they last. If you need anymore advice on caring for the products you bought on My Eco House - feel free to send us a message or leave us a comment below 👇


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