Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

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Cleaning is essential and inevitable. There’s just no way around it, and dare I say, I kind of enjoy it. Or maybe I just love the end result? With a baby, a cat and a dog, the dirt, dust, and crumbs creep up on you very fast. Home cleaning is such a regular part of life, and the supplies we use on a regular basis come in contact with surfaces we touch, food we eat, and floors we walk (or crawl) on. It’s always my goal to use eco-friendly and non-toxic cleaning supplies that won’t harm the environment or bring toxic chemicals into our living space. 

So what does eco-friendly even mean? And what are eco-friendly cleaning products? To put it plainly, eco-friendly cleaning products are products made using sustainable manufacturing methods and safe ingredients. These ingredients are non-toxic, biodegradable, cruelty-free, and are mainly plant-based. This means they do not have a negative impact on the environment or your family’s health. With eco-friendly products from sustainable cleaning brands, you can not only keep toxins out of your house but reduce the environmental impact of your cleaning.

Navigating the world of eco-friendly cleaning products can be overwhelming and confusing. Trust me I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and I’ve tested A LOT of products. So if you’re looking for the best eco-friendly cleaning products, you’re in luck. Today’s blog post is all about eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Keep reading for recommendations on some of the best natural cleaning products to use for your home. 

Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

Biokleen Bac Out Stain & Odor Eliminators

The first time I used Biokleen Bac Out Stain Eliminator was a few years ago when we were renovating our basement in Rhode Island. We ripped up the old flooring and there were some suspect stains that looked like they’d been there a while. I poured this all over the stains, let it soak and cleaned it up, and it completely eliminated the odor. I was honestly shocked and very impressed.

It gets rid of stains and odors naturally with a unique blend of live enzyme cultures, botanicals, and plant-based surfactants. It’s eco-friendly, non-toxic, plant based and has no artificial fragrance. If you have pets or kids this stuff is amazing. It works great on carpets, laundry, cloth diapers and more.

Follain Everything Soap

Exactly what it says, soap for everything! Use it as hand soap, for your dishes, your dog, Follain’s Everything Soap is a refillable, all natural, biodegradable, vegetable-based soap. Scented with essential oils in lavender or lemongrass, they are gentle, non-toxic and cruelty free. They come in glass bottles and the best part, if you live near a store you can bring in your bottle to refill. You can also order the refill size online. Use code JESSANNKIRBY15 for 15% off your first purchase at Follain.

Bon Ami Powder Cleanser

Have trouble getting your tub clean? Or how about getting stains out of your farmhouse sink? Or getting those pots and pans completely clean? Look no further than Bon Ami Powder Cleanser. You may have seen me demonstrate how amazing this stuff is on my Instagram before. Yellow coffee stains in our white farmhouse sink, gone. Messy, dirty cookware with stubborn spots, not a problem! For tougher stains, mix with water and let the paste sit for a bit. Use it as a bathroom cleaner, kitchens, on tiles and cookware.

Molly’s Suds Laundry Detergent

I love this laundry detergent because it lasts FOREVER. I’ve only had to repurchase once in over a year. It comes in peppermint or unscented, and is a natural and effective laundry powder. It’s eco-friendly and specifically designed for sensitive skin, allergies, and those with eczema. It’s formulated with only five ingredients and has no synthetic fragrance, dyes, petrochemicals, bleach, SLS or 1,4 dioxane. Most importantly, it works. I’ve been using it for all of Marin’s clothes and it has been great for her sensitive skin.

To pretreat a stain, wet the stain, mix some of the powder with water to make a paste and let it sit before washing. To make your whites brighter try Molly’s Suds Oxygen Whitener.

Grove Collaborative Wool Dryer Balls

Did you know regular dryer sheets contain toxic chemicals? They also damage the environment and pollute the air. There’s a healthy, safe and natural alternative, wool dryer balls. They’ll soften your clothes and help eliminate wrinkles but unlike dryer sheets, they’re hypoallergenic and eco-friendly. They can reduce drying time by 25% and last for up to 1,000 loads. I’ve had these from Grove for two years and they’re fantastic.

Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner Vinegar Wash

Containing only vinegar, essential oils & plant-based ingredients this concentrated natural floor cleaner will make your floors sparkle and shine. The vinegar dissipates naturally, leaving a neutral scent. Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner has an A-rating from EWG. Use on tile, concrete, linoleum, vinyl, and laminate. Note the company says it can be used on hardwoods, but we do not. I don’t use vinegar on wood floors as it’s too risky with our hardwax oil finish.

Aunt Fannie’s Wood Floor Cleaner

Mr. Clean without the toxic chemicals! I have tried too many wood floor cleaners to count at this point, finding one that works and that’s eco-friendly has not be an easy task. We love Aunt Fannie’s Wood Floor cleaner for all of our hardwood floors. It’s a vinegar-free, non-toxic concentrate that’s made with 100% essential oils for a fresh lemony scent. Safe for kids and pets, this works on all types of wood flooring including solid, engineered and bamboo. If you want to really go the extra mile we bought this steam mop from Bissell. It’s been two months so far and wow it’s AMAZING. It kills bacteria and germs with the power of steam and you can control the level of steam with the settings. We put the wood floor cleaner down and then go around with the steam mop. Our floors look brand new afterwards.

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Meliora All Purpose Cleaner

I just discovered this brand through MightyNest. Meliora’s All-Purpose Cleaner is a multi surface cleaner great for everything from walls to countertops and yes, even as a glass cleaner. Meliora’s tablet formula makes it super easy, just add water for a cleaner that’s free of fragrances, dyes, and preservatives. You can purchase their glass bottle with the tablet or buy the tablets and use your own bottle.

Melioria all purpose cleaner is completely biodegradable, vegan, safe for pets and babies, and never tested on animals. The tablets come in recyclable paper packaging.

ECOS Treeless Household Paper

This Zero Waste Platinum certified green cleaning brand has been family-owned and operated for almost 50 years. Eco-friendly home cleaning has been its promise since the beginning. They power all of their facilities with 100% renewable energy. Plus they only use carbon-neutral plants. They have affordable prices and a true commitment. Their treeless paper is a real home run. 

These paper towels are not your ordinary paper either. They make the towels from highly renewable bamboo and sugarcane waste. Plus up to 10% of recycled materials are in their paper. They are cruelty-free and vegan, free of dyes, parabens, phosphates, or phthalates, and environmentally sourced. They also offer hypoallergenic options.

Swedish Dish Cloths

If you’re ready to ditch paper towels altogether Swedish dishcloths are the way to go. I always give these as gifts around the holidays because they are a great household staple. They come in tons of cute prints, and will save you tons of money in the long run. Made from 100% plant-based cellulose they are completely biodegradable and compostable. They typically last for up to 6 months, and can be washed in the washing machine, dishwasher or microwave.

Bona Microfiber Dusting Pad

Instead of using disposable dusting cloths like Swiffer for your floors, Bona microfiber dusting pads are completely reusable. Just throw them in the wash after you’re done dusting. We have had ours for years and they’re still good as new. For hard to reach areas and places like bookshelves, ceiling fans, and baseboards this machine washable duster from Full Circle is great.

Seventh Generation Household Cleaners

Seventh Generation has really established itself as an industry leader when it comes to green cleaning supplies, and anyone can easily see why. They have a vision for an eco-friendly future that shows in their products. Their household cleaners come in a variety of specializations. So you can be sure to find the right fit for your home. There are glass, granite and stone, wood, tub and tile, toilet, and even all-purpose cleaners. All you need to do is spray on the desired surface, rinse, and wipe clean. 

All household cleaners from this brand are plant-based and leaping bunny certified. Seventh Generation makes their spray bottles from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and the scents come only from essential oils and botanical ingredients. You can check EWG for their product ratings (not all have an “A”). My top pick is their toilet bowl cleaner (they recently came out with a plastic free version too but I couldn’t find it online). I also like their free & clear dishwasher detergent packs. They work really well and don’t leave behind any residue.

Grove Collaborative’s Dish Soap

This B Corp company offers a subscription-based array of home cleaning and personal care products, all eco-friendly and with a gentle price tag. They ship your chosen products on a monthly schedule. This is perfect for when you’re busy and prefer to skip the line at the local store. Their mobile app has over 10,000 5 star ratings, showing this brand truly makes green cleaning more accessible to the daily hustler. 

Their liquid dish soap can clean up to 2,000 dishes, and they even sell their own reusable dish wash soap dispenser ( all eco-friendly too! ). So you’re doing your wallet and environment an extra favor. Grove Collaborative’s dish soap is free from of any toxic chemicals, synthetic fragrances, and single-use plastics. This plant-based product is a game changer for your cleaning routine. 

DIY

If you want to get crafty there are some great ways to make your own eco-friendly, non-toxic cleaning supplies. We have a blog post from a few years ago with home cleaning supplies you can make with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Check it out here.

What is your favorite eco-friendly cleaning product? 

Those were some of my favorite eco-friendly cleaning supplies. We make our best effort to reduce our carbon footprint and choose wisely when it comes to cleaning products. The goal is always to try and remain carbon neutral while helping to protect the environment, but also keeping toxic chemicals out of our house as much as possible.

The cleaning industry and the products available are always changing. As more eco-friendly options become available it will only become easier to choose sustainable and non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Let me know if you have any other favorites!

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Supplies