Greenhouse effects: E-Cloth

Tony Juniper
Over recent decades, the amount of chemical pollution discharged into the air, sea and rivers from industry has been cut dramatically. At the same time, however, the quantity and variety of chemicals used in our homes has mushroomed — much of it in the form of cleaning products.
These can find their way into the environment by various means: via the drains, or what is left on packaging when it is sent to landfill. Manufacturing them also requires energy and natural resources. In addition, our increased exposure to chemicals (and modern superclean homes) may at least partly explain the recent rise in allergies.
One product that could cut down the need for cleaning products is the E-cloth, which works without detergent. The general-purpose cloth will remove dirt, grease and bacteria from all hard surfaces, including stainless steel, glass, marble, ceramic, granite, chrome, wood and plastic. All you have to do is moisten it with water and, when you’ve finished, wash it out and use it again. The manufacturer guarantees it for 300 washes; a separate polishing cloth is used to remove any smears and is especially good on glass.
We find it particularly good on the stainless-steel panel at the back of the cooker, and for removing limescale from various surfaces in the bathroom — including the glass shower screen.
A variety of E-cloths are available, depending on the job at hand. There are packs designed for kitchens and bathrooms, and packs for windows.
The manufacturers say that every square centimetre of E-cloth has nearly half a million fibres, each of which is 1% of the width of a human hair. The edges of these break down and pick up the dirt and grease.
The multipurpose E-cloth costs £4.88 (£13.69 for a pack of four).
If, as the manufacturers suggest, you cut cleaning-product use by 90%, this could save you up to £100 a year. Even if it’s less than that, it means fewer chemical products being made and less chemical residue discharged into the sewers — which has to be a good thing.
e-cloth.com
Tony Juniper is an environmental campaigner and former director of Friends of the Earth; tonyjuniper.com
greenhouse@sunday-times.co.uk