There has been a long-standing belief that environmentally friendly cleaning products don’t work as well as their traditional counterparts. However, that is largely a misconception. As it turns out, greener cleaning options can be just as effective at getting the job done.
And if you can get your home squeaky clean while keeping the planet clean too, why wouldn’t you?
How We Ended Up With Cleaning Products Filled With Weird Chemicals
The first cleaning products used by people were of natural origin. Ingredients like vinegar, lemons, and alcohol have been used for centuries – some for a few millennia. Vinegar is likely the oldest cleaning agent, being traced all the way back to 5000 BCE when the Sumerians used it. Later, this same civilization mastered soap-making using animal fat and wood ash.
Somewhere along the way, people started turning to natural ingredients less.
During the 20th century, companies were introducing new cleaning products that used highly toxic ingredients in place of things like vinegar or citric acid. People became fascinated with “modern” items as they rejected traditional cures. Advertising was a booming industry, and companies were promoting their new cleaning products with campaigns that touted how well they worked – while glazing over all the harmful effects the toxic ingredients had on human health and the environment.
And just like that, every household had a stash of conventional cleaning products. While they might leave your home looking sparkling clean, they also utilize ingredients like ammonia, formaldehyde, PERC (perchloroethylene), phthalates, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and so much more.
To make matters worse, these toxic ingredients can become even more harmful when mixed. For instance, accidentally using a product containing bleach with a product containing ammonia can lead to chronic breathing problems and even death. Both of these ingredients are found in quite a few conventional cleaning products.
Plenty of People Are Going Back to Natural Ingredients
The more people start researching the toxic ingredients in traditional cleaners, the more they are switching to cleaning products made with more natural ingredients. We all want our homes to be clean, but we also want them to be safe! And in the face of global warming, poor waste management, air pollution, and soil and water contamination, many people are hoping to keep the planet safe, too.
Related: How to Love Cleaning Your House
This means a huge shift to eco-friendly products. While these cleaning products utilizing non-toxic, natural ingredients certainly aren’t new, the category as a whole is seeing exponential growth.
Long-standing heavy hitters like Seventh Generation have been around in the eco-friendly space for decades. This company is one of the most well-known and respected eco-friendly brands. However, they have been joined by a ton more companies in recent years. And these new options are coming to the table with plenty of effectiveness and affordability.
Today’s Highly Effective Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Speaking of effectiveness, today’s environmentally friendly options are squashing the idea that the absence of harsh chemicals means they don’t work as well. You don’t have to sacrifice cleaning power when looking out for your own health and the health of the planet. I think the products on this list will prove it!
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Real hardwood floors need a special cleaner to ensure your floors stay looking their best. This cleaner from Bona is fast-drying and leaves no residue, making it safe for unwaxed, unoiled, and polyurethane-finished wood floors. It also meets EPA product standards and carries the EPA Safer Choice Certified label. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is water-based and biodegradable, made with plant-derived ingredients, and is phthalate and paraben-free.
Get it here: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Ecover Pine Fresh Toilet Cleaner
Yep, even your toilet bowl can get an environmentally friendly clean. Ecover Toilet Cleaner boasts a mostly plant-based, cruelty-free formula with a clean-smelling pine fresh scent. It relies on citric acid to cut through limescale and tough stains. The product comes packaged in a recyclable bottle made of plant-based materials, too.
Get it here: Ecover Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Blueland Toilet Cleaner Starter Set
Blueland’s eco-friendly toilet cleaner comes in tablet form, making it incredibly easy to use. All you have to do is drop it in, give the bowl a quick brush after the tablet dissolves, and then flush. These simple tablets work hard to remove limescale, mineral deposits, hard water, and even rust stains. At the same time, though, they are made with a 100% bio-based formula and are entirely plastic-free. The starter kit arrives in a reusable metal tin. Refills arrive in compostable paper packaging. Blueland Toilet Cleaner Tablets are EPA Safer Choice Certified, Leaping Bunny Cruelty-Free, and climate neutral.
Get it here: Blueland Toilet Cleaner Starter Set
White House Lemon Scented Cleaning Vinegar
Many people will tell you that good ol’ vinegar is the holy grail of natural cleaning products, and they are absolutely right. In fact, there are so many uses for it around the house that it is easier to list when not to use vinegar. Although vinegar is incredibly effective for cleaning tons of things, not everyone is all that excited about the smell of it. You can always mix up your own concoction with essential oils, but White House Lemon Scented Cleaning Vinegar does the extra work for you. The only ingredients you’ll find in this bottle are white distilled vinegar, water, and natural lemon extract.
Get it here: White House Lemon Scented Cleaning Vinegar
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Dropps Dishwasher Detergent Pods
Getting dirty dishes sparkling clean in the dishwasher can be tricky because you need a detergent that cuts through grease and grime like a champ. Even some conventional chemical-laden products can’t deliver. If you’re trying to skip the weird toxic ingredients, check out Dropps Dishwasher Detergent Pods. Not only are they convenient, they’re also eco-friendly. The outside of the pod fully dissolves in water and is then completely broken down in the water-treatment system. They also show up in compostable and recyclable packaging and arrive with carbon-neutral shipping.
It’s worth noting that Dropps was awarded EPA’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year in 2017.
Get it here: Dropps Dishwasher Detergent Pods
Dropps Biodegradable Laundry Detergent Pods
Dropps is also bringing pods to the laundry room with their Biodegradable Laundry Detergent Pods. Again, the outside of the pod is water soluble and dissolves upon contact with water, and then is completely broken down in the water-treatment system. The detergent inside uses natural enzymes and plant-based ingredients to tackle stains and odors. Despite being tough on the yucky stuff, these laundry detergent pods are dye-free, optical brightener-free, phosphate-free, phthalate-free, paraben-free, and never tested on animals.
Get it here: Dropps Biodegradable Laundry Detergent Pods
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Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner
It’s impossible to have a list of environmentally friendly cleaners without including Dr. Bronner’s. The Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner is the ultimate multi-purpose cleaner that is also biodegradable and 100% cruelty-free. Made with plant-based surfactants and natural fir needle and spruce essential oils, you won’t find any synthetic dyes, fragrances, or preservatives in here.
Get it here: Seventh Generation Liquid Dish Soap
Seventh Generation Foaming Dish Spray
Seventh Generation is definitely a leader in the eco-friendly space, so it’s a no-brainer to include it here. Sprayable dish soap has become the latest and greatest product, and this eco-friendly option is Seventh Generation’s answer. Seventh Generation Foaming Dish Spray promises less scrubbing to get the dishes clean, thanks to three grease fighters that break down tough messes. Best of all, it’s made of 100% biodegradable ingredients and carries the EPA’s Safer Choice label.
Get it here: Seventh Generation Liquid Dish Soap
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Grove Concentrated Essential Cleaners Set
If you are giving your cleaning cabinet an eco-friendly makeover, knock out three birds with one stone by snagging Grove’s Concentrated Essential Cleaners Set. It includes a multi-purpose cleaner, a tub and tile cleaner, plus a glass cleaner. The products are concentrates that arrive in glass bottles, which you can then dilute in a spray bottle, which reduces plastic waste. The set comes in a handful of different scents made with 100% natural fragrance, or choose the free and clear version. Everything is made with no parabens, phthalates, phosphates, formaldehyde, dyes, ammonia, or chlorine bleach.
Get it here: Grove Concentrated Essential Cleaners Set
Tru Earth Laundry Eco-Strips Laundry Detergent
Laundry detergent in general is no bueno for the environment. Plastic laundry jugs are filling up landfills, they contain chemicals that pollute waterways and suffocate aquatic life, plus they’re mostly water which makes them heavier to transport. That’s where Tru Earth Laundry Eco-Strips come in. These laundry detergent strips are so lightweight, that they dramatically reduce the fuel consumption needed to transport them. They arrive in recyclable packaging instead of a plastic jug. They’re also paraben-free, phosphate-free, and don’t include any bleach or added dyes.
Get it here: Tru Earth Laundry Eco-Strips Laundry Detergent
