Taking care of the environment is just as important as taking care of your health and that is why using eco-friendly cleaning methods is a key part of sustainable trainer maintenance. Understanding how trainer cleaning can make a negative environmental impact and what you can do to mitigate that influence are the first steps in reducing the potential harm to the environment.
Sustainable Cleaning Practices to Use When Cleaning Trainers
With a little forethought and some simple changes, you can make a positive difference which will benefit both you and the environment for years to come. To ensure that you are leaving the smallest environmental impact while keeping your trainers clean and well-maintained, follow these guidelines.
Avoid Using Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) are gases that are dispersed into the air as a result of a chemical process or from products themselves, such as cleaners. Not only can these VOC’s potentially harm the environment, but these harsh chemical by-products can cause serious damage to your body. Avoid VOC’s if possiblewhen cleaning your trainers.
Buy from Socially Responsible Companies
It can be counter-productive for you to make positive changes to your routines to benefit the environment if you still fund the companies that have bad practices that create larger, negative impacts. Do some research and buy only from companies that preserve natural resources and use processes that benefit the environment.
Use Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products
VOC-free and low-impact cleaners, sometimes referred to as “green cleaning products “, can help reduce the impact of your trainer cleaning routine. When you choose environmentally conscious products, you can almost totally eliminate any residual negative effects that are downstream from cleaning your trainers.
Reduce Water Usage
Reducing water usage is beneficial in multiple ways. It comes with cost savings for you as a user. It also reduces the overall amount of wastewater generated and while it may seem like a negligible amount, every little bit helps.
Use Microfiber Cloths
Reducing the number of consumable items you use (paper towels, etc.) means less garbage in the landfill and less wasted resources. Microfiber cloths are a great tool that can be used over and over again, with little to no waste.
Buy in Bulk
Increasing the amount of cleaning product that you buy at one time allows you to return to the store less frequently, using fewer resources overall (whether that be petrol or electricity for your car or public transport). Buying in bulk means you need to travel less to clean more. In that case, everyone wins.
Sustainability for Trainer Cleaning
According to Jo-ell from My New Kicks “Cleaning your trainers doesn’t have to be a detrimental process.” By choosing the right cleaning products, buying products in bulk, reducing the number of consumables you use and buying from socially responsible companies, you can keep your trainers clean and looking brand new while protecting the environment.