My wife eyes my role as Frost Magazine’s wines and spirits reviewer with deep suspicion,  no matter how often I explain how tough it is to have to taste each and every drop of wine before I can express an opinion – ho hum. She maintains crisply that tough isn’t the word she would use. So imagine her delight on hearing that my latest task was to review  – wait for it – wait … cleaning materials.

She was even quicker to point out that to be able to review them properly, I really had to test each and every article thoroughly in our kitchen and bathroom.

The new Seep range consists of plastic free and compostable sponges, that not only look good but  can be machine washed for longevity. You see  as they don’t contain plastic,they won’t release microplastics when washed – how excellent is that.

Now to be honest the aesthetics of kitchen or bathroom cleaning items has never been at the forefront of my mind, but I do believe that to change to something else, it would need to do the job at least as well as my usual brands.  The Seep range, I  learned was  carbon positive, offsetting their carbon footprint by 3 times each year by supporting reforestation projects around the world. So Seep and I were off to a great start. 

Carrying out everyday chores in the Rowan household is both tiresome and unrewarding. Whilst we have made many positive changes to be more in line with the environment, the tools that we use, remain laden with plastic – mainly because there was no other option available. But now, with Seep, small, greener choices can add up to a bigger change.

First, I tried the Seep all Purpose Dogbone Sponge – RRP £6.50 for a pack of 2

The shape of the sponge ‘feels right’ if you know what I mean. Sturdy and durable and due to its size, versatile. I can attest to this, as my wife insisted that I reviewed the sponge thoroughly, on kitchen surfaces, both horizontal and vertical; awkward corners where apparently, I do not reach properly with a mop.

It was excellent for the bigger washing tasks too, The Seep All-Purpose Dogbone Sponge is made from cellulose wood pulp, its larger size and seriously soft and absorbing 100% renewable material is ideal for most washing tasks, especially those of heavier duty both in and out of the house. At the end of its useful life this sponge can be placed in a garden compost bin where it will naturally break down.

The Seep bin liners are the brand’s latest addition to the range. Coming in a handy 50L, 30L or 10L roll, the compostable, biodegradable liners are a high quality, gentle on the planet option. The bases of the liners have also been reinforced to prevent annoying leaks. Which I confess is something of a bug bear of mine, as I transport it from the kitchen caddy to the compost bin at the end of the garden.

Speaking of bin liners, these are made from one of the best bio polymers on the market – taking less than 8 weeks to break down in a composting facility. If they are used for normal household waste and disposed of in landfill or an incinerator, they are still better than their traditional plastic counterparts since they don’t release microplastics or toxins. And they don’t stick to the tines of your garden fork when you are trying to dig in the compost (I speak from bitter experience.)

There are also bin liner bundles to choose from

Small Compostable Bin Liners 10L – RPP £17.50 for 5 x rolls / 25 bags (125 bags in total)

Medium Compostable Bin Liners 30L – RRP £25.00 for 3 x rolls / 25 bags (75 bags in total)

All Seep products are available here: www.theseepcompany.com or via Amazon.