A Greener Clean: The Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Home
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We should all know by now that including a picture of some herbs and the words “natural” or “plant-based” is not enough to make a cleaner truly kind to the environment. But even if your all-purpose counter spray really is made with only USDA organic tree bark and locally sourced goji berries, eco-friendly cleaning products are about more than just ingredients.
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If you really want to green-up your spring cleaning routine, think about things like eco-friendly reusable wipes, packaging and buying in bulk, in addition to the formula’s ingredients, to find products that deliver actual performance, rather than just performative words.
What Are the Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products?
In a perfect world, we’d all be living zero-waste, like a vegan YouTuber or Alicia Silverstone. But until that day, we can still do the dishes using sustainable detergent, and swap paper towels for washable dishrags. The EPA has several recommendations for sustainable cleaning products, and you can search the organization’s database for certified Safer Choice brands and products here.
Sites like Amazon are also beginning to distinguish between brands that are not only have trusted sustainability practices, but are less harsh on the environment. Their “Everyday Essentials” section where you can shop for household goods for less features some of our favorite eco-friendly cleaners from brands like Mrs. Meyers. For a limited-time, Prime members can save 20% when you spend $50 or more on select Everyday Essentials from Amazon brands, just in time for Spring cleaning season. Check out the deals here.
If you’re looking for cleaners free of harsh chemicals, the best cleaners for allergies, or just a more sustainable way to clean your home, here are our top picks.
1. Force of Nature Cleaner
Looking to boost your spring cleaning regimen? Force of Nature is a cleaning gadget that actually uses electricity to convert tap water and a recyclable capsule into a powerful all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant.
Each “Activator” capsule contains just salt, water, and vinegar, but has just as much germ-killing power as bleach, without any potentially harmful chemicals, fragrances, or irritants. Unlike some other “all-natural” cleansers on the market, Force of Nature kills 99.9% of germs and is on the EPA’s List N, the disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, which is a big bonus.
The Starter Kit comes with five Activator capsules, enough to make five bottles of cleaner, the Electrolyzer appliance, power cord, and a 12-ounce reusable spray bottle. Safe enough to use around your home, and for use on virtually any surface, this cleaner is a powerful contender against any mainstream all-purpose option.
Force of Nature Cleaner
2. Blueland The Clean Suite
Blueland completely innovates the way you’ll think about traditional cleaning supplies. Their non-toxic home cleaning products come in dissolvable refill tablets, so all you need to do is pop them into one of Blueland’s spray bottles and add water (though you can also use your own refillable spray bottles, if you want to go the extra mile in terms of sustainability.)
We love that you can use your own reusable bottles if you want, but Blueland’s Clean Suite set has everything to get you prepped for a full deep clean: it includes multi-surface, glass and mirror, and bathroom cleaners, powdered dish soap, 40 dishwasher tablets and 40 laundry tablets. The kit also comes with three durable and sleek spray bottles, a foaming soap dispenser, a silicone shaker (for the dish soap) and steel tin containers.
Need to restock? You can easily set up a subscription, which will save you 10% on supplies all year-round.
3. Cleancult All-Purpose Cleaner
From natural ingredients to paper-based packaging to performance, Cleancult redefines the word “clean”. You can gently clean any countertop or surface with the natural, non-toxic power of their all-purpose cleaner, which includes no harsh chemicals and helps to reduce plastic waste.
Each refill is packaged in recyclable milk cartons and sealed fresh with their innovative plant-based cap. You can pair their All-Purpose Cleaner assortment with Cleancult’s glass spray bottle, and save 20% off when you subscribe to 32-ounce cleaner refill cartons.
This cartons come in a variety of fragrances, like Sweet Honeysuckle, Blue Sage, Orange Zest, and Bamboo Lily, but they’re fairly subtle and come from all-natural essential oils. Cleancult also makes a variety of dish soaps, hand soaps, and dishwasher tabs, if you can’t get enough of their all-natural cleaning power.
Cleancult All-Purpose Cleaner
4. Biokleen Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
Devoted fans of the Biokleen brand use this all-purpose cleaner for literally all purposes, including everything from scrubbing the floors to washing dishes to laundry. It’s super concentrated to reduce waste, and is free from any potentially harmful chemicals or substances, including artificial fragrances, so it’s safe for use around babies and pets.
Biokleen Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
5. Seventh Generation All-Purpose Cleaner
Seventh Generation is a popular, trusted brand for good reason. While this all-purpose cleaner is not concentrated, it is VOC-free, biodegradable, doesn’t release any harmful fumes, and is USDA-certified. It’s a safe cleaner for basically any hard surface, with no risk of danger to kids or pets. And, importantly, users also attest to the effectiveness of the “tough on grease” formula.
Seventh Generation All-Purpose Cleaner
6. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder
The Charlie’s Soap laundry powder is EPA Safer Choice-certified, so you can trust its concentrated, sustainable formula. The non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free ingredients effectively clean clothes without leaving behind residue or scents that might be irritating to sensitive skin. In other words: it’s gentle on clothes and skin.
Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder
7. ECOS Hypoallergenic Dish Soap
ECOS is another popular brand that we really like. This concentrated dishwashing solution is hypoallergenic and free from dyes and perfumes, and is produced in zero-waste facilities that are carbon and water-neutral, and powered by renewable energy. Dish soap can be harsh on hands, which is why this non-toxic formula is such a favorite with those with sensitive skin.
ECOS Non-Toxic Dish Soap
How to Find the Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Here’s what else to keep in mind when shopping for the best eco-friendly cleaning products online.
Formula: Look for formulas that are biodegradable, pH balanced, and free from potentially harmful chemicals, including likely carcinogens or highly irritating or corrosive substances. They should also be free of artificial fragrance and have a low volatile organic compound (VOC) level, which can negatively impact air quality.
Packaging: Sustainable packaging is also an essential component of sustainability in household products. Concentrated formulas are not pre-diluted with water, which cuts down on bulk and makes shipping more efficient. We also recommend buying in bulk whenever possible, to minimize the amount of packaging waste you’re generating. Packaging made of recycled materials are also a big plus.
Reusable Tools: Swap items like paper towels and single-use spray bottles with reusable versions.
1. Biokleen Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
Devoted fans of the Biokleen brand use this all-purpose cleaner for literally all purposes, including everything from scrubbing the floors to washing dishes to laundry. It's super concentrated to reduce waste, and is free from any potentially harmful chemicals or substances, including artificial fragrances, so it's safe for use around babies and pets.
Biokleen Natural All-Purpose Cleaner
2. Seventh Generation Hard Surface Cleaner
Seventh Generation is a popular, trusted brand for good reason. While this all-purpose cleaner is not concentrated, it is VOC-free, biodegradable, doesn't release any harmful fumes, and is USDA-certified. It's a safe cleaner for basically any hard surface, with no risk of danger to kids or pets. And, importantly, users also attest to the effectiveness of the "tough on grease" formula.
Seventh Generation Hard Surface Cleaner
3. Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder
The Charlie's Soap laundry powder is EPA Safer Choice-certified, so you can trust its concentrated, sustainable formula. The non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free ingredients clean clothes without leaving behind residue or scents that might be irritating to sensitive skin. In other words: It's gentle on clothes and skin.
Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder
4. ECOS Non-Toxic Hypoallergenic Dishmate Dish Soap
ESOS is another popular brand that we really like. This concentrated dishwashing solution is hypoallergenic and free from dyes and perfumes, and is produced in zero-waste facilities that are carbon- and water-neutral, as well as powered by renewable energy. Dish soap can be harsh on hands, which is why this non-toxic formula is such a favorite with those with sensitive skin.
ECOS Non-Toxic Hypoallergenic Dishmate Dish Soap
5. Reusable Unpaper Towels
Replacing paper towels with reusable wash cloths is an easy way to reduce household paper waste, and we really like these washable organic cotton towels. Just like disposable paper towels, they are convenient, soft and absorbent, with the added benefit of being more durable than paper.
Reusable Unpaper Towels
6. Empty Amber Glass Spray Bottles
Instead of buying cleaners in individual, one-use spray bottles, it's more eco-friendly to buy concentrated formulas in bulk, which you can then pour into reusable spray bottles made of a sustainable material like glass. We like these bottles, which are small and comfortable to hold, and amber-colored to protect sensitive formulas (like in skincare products) from UV rays.
Empty Amber Glass Spray Bottles
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