When it comes to cleaning, I’m an anomaly. I love it. The feeling I get after a long cleaning session is comparable to Christmas Day. Because of this weird obsession, naturally, I’m a fan of quality cleaners.

I’ve dabbled in eco friendly cleaners for quite some time, but I have never been brave enough to make my own. The idea of looking at a list of ingredients I’ve never heard of before, sourcing them from god-knows-where, and mixing them up in the hopes they’ll clean my home effectively, is daunting. Frankly, it doesn’t sound like it would work either.

That’s why I am thrilled to welcome Figgy & Co to my cleaning cupboard.

Image by Nectar Photography. — Image by Nectar Photography.

To be honest, I’ve been trialling them out since February 2019, but sometimes that’s how long it takes to make sure a company is the real deal and good enough to present to YOU!

Figgy & Co exist to help you clean your home without unsafe and untested chemicals, in a budget friendly way. They understand that daunting feeling I described of attempting DIY alone, and have created a one-stop-shop for all your natural cleaning ingredients and recipes. Figgy & Co offer DIY packs paired with a wonderful recipe booklet, and pre-made products that they’ve whipped up themselves (best for when you’re time poor).

Figgy & Co have tested and trialled each and every product and ingredient in their own family homes. They describe each product transparently so you can understand your cleaners and have control around what goes into your cleaning products. To add the cherry on the top, they ship their products in eco friendly materials, pack ingredients in brown paper bags, and encourage you to reuse your containers and simply mix up new recipes when needed. A whole lot of waste is avoided!

From your laundry to your kitchen, Figgy & Co have developed a DIY natural cleaning range that is certain to float your boat in all areas of your home.

I’ve loved using their laundry powder, and most recently mixed up two recipes (in a forest, because that’s how I roll) from a DIY pack that have become house hold favourites too.

The Bench Paste & Cleaning Spray Pack

Figgy+&+Co+10.jpeg — Image by Nectar Photography.

This pack blew my mind in terms of price. At $55 for the glass pack, the spray and cleaning paste is expected to last a whole year. The pack comes with enough ingredients to fill up the bench spray (see the one I’m holding above) 25 times, and the cleaning paste 3 times. You know how people say “Oh it’s so easy to make!” and then they hand you a recipe with 100 ingredients and 25 steps. I get annoyed at those people too, so I promise I’m not lying when I say: THIS WAS LEGITIMATELY REALLY EASY TO MAKE.

Bench Spray

One of the main things I appreciate about this spray, is that you can choose your preferred essential oil, and dictate the scent of your home. I chose peppermint: it’s divine. The spray is easy to mix and shake up, and leaves my bench streak free and fresh. As I have free range cockatiels (birds) who hang around the kitchen a lot, I’m grateful for a product that is cockatiel friendly and means I don’t have to worry about little bird feet rashes.

Cleaning Paste

Ever since I stopped buying the standard mainstream cleaners about two years ago, I have struggled to find a product to replace ‘Jif’: a paste that removes harsh dirt, beyond your usual cleaning sprays. My husband is a tough critic when it comes to cleaning pastes, and has been frustrated in the past at a few I’ve trialled. So, I put the cleaning paste test in his hands. He mentioned it’s slightly different to use than Jif, so you have to account for this difference and wait slightly longer for the paste to ‘do it’s thing’. But the result was excellent, and I’m happy to announce that there will be no more Jif in my household!

Figgy+&+Co+9.jpeg — Image by Nectar Photography.

Aimee and Jane, the founders of Figgy & Co have an infectious happiness, and I’ve not even met them in person (yet!)! Their desire to help kiwi’s with their toxic free home cleaners is so genuine; I’m really proud to be a part of sharing their goodness with the world. So you get to know a little more about Figgy & Co and what goes on behind the scenes, I asked Aimee and Jane a few questions.

How/why did Figgy & Co first begin?

We both have science backgrounds and met working as health professionals. For both of us, Motherhood brought into focus the chemicals in our homes, and this combined with our working backgrounds didn't sit easy. We started to DIY our own cleaners using pared back ingredients with known safety profiles (think baking soda, soap, vinegar etc), but found it hugely frustrating having to source these ingredients from various places to get the best priced/quality ingredients. Quite literally, over a cup of tea the idea of Figgy & Co was born - a one stop shop to get all your natural cleaning supplies.

What's your favourite part about the day-to-day running of Figgy & Co?

The companionship we have. It's so great to come to work each day with a colleague (and friend) who you share a common interest with. And I think this filters down to our awesome customers (our Figgy Family) who also want to live with less chemicals in their lives. There's great reward in working with, and working for like-minded people. It's also wonderful to set our own pace and have the flexibility we both want as we raise our respective families alongside running Figgy & Co.

If you could describe Figgy & Co in just 3 words, what would they be?

Natural cleaning, honestly.

If you had one piece of advice for those people first beginning to make eco swaps in their cleaning cupboard, what would it be?

Pick the thing you use the most and swap that out first. For example, most people use a surface cleaner, so the bench spray would be a good starting point. Soon this swap will be your new normal, and then you can swap out your next item, and so forth. Before you know it, you'll have momentum going and would have worked your way into a whole new eco regimen. Don't change everything at once if you don't have the confidence to - bit by bit will more than likely set you up for success.

Is it best to throw your current toxic cleaners down the drain and switch to Figgy & Co, or use them up first and slowly swap them out?

We generally say use up what you have first, as it is wasteful to throw away for the sake of something new. The trick is to plan your next eco swap before it runs out, so you don't fall back into habit and purchase what you already know. Having said that, if you are using a cleaning product that is an irritant to you or your family, we'd say stop using it at once - your health is a major driving factor as to why pared back cleaners like Figgy & Co are so important. You could pass these products on to someone that doesn't have the same reaction so its not wasted. Failing that, most refuse centres (tips) have a hazardous material drop off point. Don't tip them down the drain.

If you’re Do-It-Yourself inclined, or interested in natural pre-made cleaning products, Figgy & Co may just be for you! Watch out for their refillery stations popping up across New Zealand, as they just might be in a store near you too!

Shop Figgy & Co here.

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. I send the brand a large list of questions to answer first, and trial the product properly before saying yes to anything. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.

All images are taken by Nectar Photography.

My Favourite Do-It-Yourself Natural Cleaning Products On A Budget