I’m far from being a crunchy mama, but I try to make suitable, healthier choices for my family regarding how we live. I’d like to think I’m setting a good example for my daughter in getting daily exercise, exploring my creative outlets for stress relief, and better food and product choices for the family. All those little things add up to big things in life.
Tru Earth is a brand I came across one or two summers ago when I decided to give their laundry strips a try. I was really impressed with how a skinny little strip of concentrated “soap” would work to clean our clothes, but it did, and I’ve used them on and off since. I love the idea of reducing the amount of waste our family produces, along with using products that have less questionable ingredients in them, which is why I decided to give the entire line of Tru Earth products a try in our home.
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Reusable Cotton Rounds
Using reusable cotton rounds was one of the easiest ways to incorporate a more sustainable way of living. My entire family uses cotton rounds, so why wouldn’t we try and replace those with something we can just wash and reuse. Tru Earth Bamboo rounds can be used at least 1000+ times before needing replacing and are soft enough for daily use without irritation. I really like the feel of these rounds. I have a few brands I use and these are some of the more soft, plush ones I have. They have a bit of thickness which adds some cushion to it. And no weird, scratchy seams or tags. They also include a nice cotton mesh bag to keep your rounds in when they go in the wash!
We don’t use these for things like nail polish since I don’t want those to end up in my washer or dryer, but anything else we need to clean or sweep our face with we can!
Other brands of cotton rounds I use:
- Daily Concepts – fewer rounds, but comes in multiple sizes per bag. Felts like soft felt.
- Sephora – dual-sided, 100% cotton rounds, comes with a bag
- Face Halo – slightly different. Very plush, like a thick, cushioned terry towel.
Swedish Dishcloths
I’ve kinda been a paper towel fanatic when it comes to cleaning my home. When you have kids, you automatically start buying in bulk because of constant spills and messes. But they are a single-use item and when I see the amount I throw away when I do a full house cleaning makes m shake my head.
Swedish dishcloths have been around what seems like forever — I remember seeing them as a kid but never bought them for myself. I figured I would give Tru Earth dishcloths a try and see if they held up to my cleaning standard or were difficult to incorporate. What’s great about these is they are supposed to last around 50 uses before replacing (they are biodegradable and compostable). They soften up nicely once they get wet and actually protect my fingertips a little bit better when cleaning around bathroom faucets and refrigerator door handles. I don’t know about anyone else, but I always seem to bang my fingertips and it hurts! Tru Earth Swedish Dishcloths have been really easy to swap from paper towels. I like that I can still use my cleaners if needed and then toss them all in the wash with my other towels. They just need to be laid flat to dry! They come in a pack of 4, but I’ll be getting more to use in other parts of the house.
Dryer Balls
Another thing I’ve seen for ages and have never tried until now! I’m kicking myself on this one because it’s quite possibly one of the easiest switches to make. I love the scent of fresh laundry out of the dryer. But dryer sheets aren’t the best for a few reasons. For one, they can leave a residue on clothing and your dryer that can be irritating on the skin and interfere with sensors in your dryer. They can also be irritating for those ultra-sensitive to fragrances. Plus, you have to keep buying them over and over.
Tru Earth dryer balls are made from New Zealand wool and work in the most common-sense way! Essentially, they are able to absorb some of the moisture from wet clothes in your dryer, while also separating clothing so hot air can circulate better. What’s even better is that they can reduce the drying time of your clothes in some cases, so not only do you save on buying dryer sheets but it can make some small dents to your electricity or gas bill over time.
Still want fragrance in your clothing? I get it. I really do. Adding a couple of drops of essential oil is an option! I found these clean options for fragrancing your dryer balls: Woolzies , Indigo Wild Zum Spray (love their scents!!!)
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Multi-Surface Cleaner Strips
Trying out a different multi-surface cleaner was really going to make or break this whole “trying to live more sustainably” thing. I’ve tried other non-toxic cleaners and found them underwhelming in terms of cleaning capabilities. I definitely plan to explore this area more and have a few brands I’d like to try out and compare this to. But what’s unique about Tru Earth’s version is that they are solid strips of concentrated cleaner that you drop into a spray bottle or bucket filled with hot water! You can clean your entire house with this! Floors, countertops, appliances, toys, toilets, and a bunch of other things that need constant cleaning in your home!
It’s not meant for wood or glass, but that’s fine. I’m still able to cut down the number of bottles under my kitchen cabinet which is always a plus. Less clutter means a happier Claudia and I’m all for it.
I found these easy to “mix” with water and had decent cleaning capabilities. I do wish it was for glass too, but maybe down the road that will happen.
- Other options I’m interested in: Branch Basics Concentrate, AspenClean Concentrate, Grove Essential Cleaner Concentrate set
Laundry Strips
Can’t forget about the original reason why I tried Tru Earth, and that’s their solid concentrate laundry strips! Forget lugging those enormous plastic bottles from the car into the house. Tru Earth is making life easier for you with its zero waste compostable packaging and the ability to work in any washer you own!
Tru Earth laundry strips come in a few options (fragrance-free, or a few scents) and can be bought in bulk as well. It’s so easy to use; you just rip off one or two detergent strips and toss them into your wash. They work well in both hot and cold cycles and are vegan and biodegradable. Seriously, this should be the mainstream way to offer detergent. I’m very happy with the strips and will need to try their “platinum” version next which is for ultra dirty clothes, like my gym clothes. Haha.
Tru Earth has a few other items in its shop that can help you move towards more sustainable living. It’s fun to explore and see where we can make small changes that can affect us in the long run, health, environment, and financial-wise.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this post helpful! It’s a bit different from what I usually share, but something I’ve been wanting to touch on for a while now. Maybe you found something you’d be willing to try or explore? I think it’s important to find ways that are easy to incorporate so that we’re more willing to stick to them, and these are all options that are realistic and work for me.
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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I can’t lift the detergent bottles that we buy from Costco and buying the smaller size at the grocery store is like throwing out money. I think these laundry strips would be perfect for me and I’m thrilled they have fragrance-free. Those and the cloths to use instead of paper towels would help me a lot.
What great options for a more sustainable household. I recently began using reusable cotton rounds, and while it has taken some getting used to, I am happy that I did it!