It’s the time of year for deep cleaning, and for those of us seeking environmentally-friendly detergents there are endless sprays and soaps all promising to be “planet-friendly”. Berlin-based Moanah has a range of cleaners which they believe really do offer green cleaning. The difference? Rather than liquid cleaners, the startup offers powder-based detergents which you mix up at home with simple tap water to make into a spray. When the bottle is empty, you just refill it with some fresh solution. As well as producing less packaging, doing it this way means less CO2 spent transporting bulky liquid cleaners (which are typically 90+ percent water). The powders come in three varieties – for windows, bathrooms, and general cleaning – with each 5g packet sufficing for a 500ml spray bottle of gentle detergent that can still tackle the toughest of jobs.

For co-founder and Mannheim native Salar Armakan, avoiding excessively harsh chemicals was crucial: his mother worked as a cleaner after immigrating to Germany from Iran and found commercial cleaning products harmful for her lungs and skin. Driven by this experience, Armakan teamed up with business partners Felix Kleinhenz and Katharina Zurmühlen to launch the eco cleaner range in 2019. The team’s starter set includes all three powders, a cleaning cloth and elegant glass spray bottles – though you can just use any bottle you have in your cupboard. With just a mix and a squirt you can make your spring clean a bit more green. 

Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Moanah & Karolina Grabowska

Moanah cleaners and bottles can be ordered online.

@moanah.official

Intense taste without any artificial flavors? At Mondhügel Kreuzberg the motto is “naked drinking”: the makers of spirits and syrups keep things 100 percent natural by using only gently extracted ingredients in their Berlin-made drinks. Behind the brand are Philipp Schmitz, a sommelier with a fine-dining background, and former marketeer Benito Opitz. Since April 2020, the pair have been tinkering in their “innovation lab” at Markthalle Neun to achieve maximum taste from small quantities. The result is a 500ml syrup bottle that is good for up to 25 drinks – perfect for creative mixing, both with and without alcohol. Booze wise there’s the likes of the Kreuzberg Gin with wild juniper, cubeb pepper and lemon which offers the perfect accompaniment to the Kreuzberg Tonic, made from yellow chinese bark, fresh lime juice and lemongrass. The two combine to make drinks that are sustainable, organic, fair trade – and delicious. You can order the whole range here. 

Text & Photos: Bui Luu Quynh Nguyen

Mondhügel Kreuzberg

@mondhuegel