Colt & Willow cleaning products
There are effective natural cleaning products – and now there are effective natural cleaning products that SMELL AMAZING. And we know what we'll be switching to. (Because you don't need to be a #cleanfluencer to want to pimp your chore experience.)
Yes, Colt & Willow's cleaning products are several times pricier than your Mr. Muscle or your Jif. But when it turns the tiresome task of cleaning into an actual sensory pleasure (yes, that IS possible), we think that's not such a high price to pay, for those who love to smell good things.
Cot & Willow is a plant-based range created by Annie and Tony McWilliam (that's Annie, above), who gave their home an eco-makeover after having kids – and then got to that bit under the sink... There are of course environmentally friendly ranges out there (we're longstanding fans of Method, Ecover and also Waitrose's own eco-range).
But they identified a gap for a biodegradeable, refillable, family-friendly – and plastic-free (if you don't count the spray bit) range, and set about creating this brand. A PR got it on our radar, but there were no press samples available, so we bought one of the 'bundles' to give it a go. Highlights, for us...
• Geranium Leaf All-Purpose Cleaner/£12 for 470ml. Gosh, we could clean all day with this: a wonderful granny's greenhouse scent, as you spritz to get things gleaming.
• Rhubarb Washing Up Liquid/£12 for 470ml. Tart and tangy and nicely but not overly sudsy, effectively cutting through grease and making glasses sparkle. (And our only caveat would be is that if you have a stone or enamel sink, you'd need to be careful with the amber glass bottle – though you could always decant the formula into an old washing-up liquid bottle, albeit not so attractively.)
• Rosemary, Lemon & Juniper Berry Bathroom Cleaner/£12 for 470ml. (As with the above two products, one-litre PET refills are available for this, so you can hang onto the original bottle and spray.)
Having been soundly convinced by the above, we'll now also be investing in the Wonder Scrub Bicarb Soda Cream Cleaner/£12 for 545g.
We'll never LOVE cleaning. But we definitely like it a whole lot more.
Find Colt & Willow online here
