Household Products - A Step in the Right Direction

So in October the British Government introduced the ban on animal testing for finished products, and some ingredients, of household products. This is a big step forward in the battle for cruelty-free products, but the fight for animal welfare is definitely not over. The ban will include all 'detergents, polishes and cleaning products, laundry products, air fresheners, deodorants, paints and other decorating materials', which is a great success. This means that from now on the any of these products you buy will not have been tested on animals. For some that might be enough. But I still am not happy that some components of these products are still needlessly tested on animals.

 

There are some brands that are cruelty free however. I've previously mentioned deodorants in my Non-Beauty Cruelty Free Update. However, I've never really mentioned cleaning products etc. So with this ban being recently introduced I thought I'd take the opportunity!

Brands I deem cruelty-free:

• Asda own brand
• Marks and Spencer own brand
• Method
• Sainsbury's own brand
• Superdrug (deodorant)
• The Co-operative own brand 

Waitrose own brand - although their statement is that they are willing to use new ingredients that have been tested on animals by law... however with the new laws introduced and the progress hopefully that will not be the case anymore. However this is a grey area so it is your choice if you wish to purchase these products or not.Stear clear from anything made by Proctor & Gamble, Lever Brothers, S.C. Johnson, Reckitt & Colman and Colgate-Palmolive, these are sadly the producers of several household names including Fairy, Daz, Ariel, Lenor and Mr. Muscle to name a few.

It is important to remember that there are SO many more options online, many of which ship internationally if they are not based in the UK to find a long list of companies that have leaping bunny certification enter your criteria and research away here. Let me know if you try any out you'd recommend!

Finally, there's nothing wrong with good old fashioned DIY. I got this table from animalaid.org, an organisation based in Kent, and thought it was a great thing to share. They have some great info you can check out here but its a big post so I thought I would pick out some of the key bits.

Requirement	Solution
Washing powder	Mix 1 cup of finely grated soap, 1 cup of washing soda, and 2 tsp of lavender oil.
Fabric conditioner	Soak herbs in white wine vinegar. Alternatively, buy a 'Wash-It laundry ball' for £9.50 (e.g. from www.lakelandlimited.co.uk) to replace washing powder and conditioner altogether - it really works!!!
Stain remover	Washing soda removes tea, fruit juice and blood. For oil, rub white chalk into the stain before laundering.
Scouring powder	Bicarbonate of soda can be used for sinks and baths ('Astonish' paste, also available from Lakeland, is quite astonishing!)
Window cleaner	Vinegar.
Floor cleaner	Washing soda crystals in water.
Oven/microwave cleaner	Mix baking soda and water to form a paste.
Furniture polish	Mix three parts olive oil and one part vinegar, or one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil. Use a soft cloth.
Silverware polish	Apply bicarbonate of soda paste with a damp sponge or soft cloth.
Air freshener	Leave opened box of bicarb soda in the room or add cloves and cinnamon to boiling water.
For clogged drains	Pour ½ cup bicarbonate soda, then ½ cup vinegar down the drain.