Looking to find more eco-friendly cleaning products? There are dozens on the market to choose from. Unfortunately, terms like “environmentally friendly,” “eco safe,” or “green” are often used interchangeably, allowing some brands to imply their products are safe for the environment (and for humans) when they aren’t all that different from traditional cleaning products.
Thankfully, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers the Safer Choice database, a tool that allows you to look up eco-friendly cleaning products and verify that they actually contain safe ingredients. The products on this list are all Safer Choice-certified as better for you, and better for the planet. Here are the five best ones to get your hands on.
Best all-purpose cleaner: Arm & Hammer baking soda
Anyone who has watched CleanTok videos know that most cleaning experts recommend having a box of baking soda on hand for just about every cleaning need. Baking soda is good for removing rust stains, cleaning a mattress, polishing brass, wiping down kitchen countertops, deep-cleaning your oven, deoderizing your fridge…and the list goes on. It’s also fine to use if you have sensitive skin. Plus, it’s affordable and available at most supermarkets.
Best range: Blueland
Blueland offers a range of cleaning products delivered in tablet form and designed to be diluted in reusable, plastic-free bottles. The brand’s Starter Kit includes reusable spray bottles and soap dispensers, plus tablets for multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and glass and mirror cleaner. Blueland also offers laundry soap, dishwashing essentials, and various accessories.
“They do a fantastic job, they smell amazing, like lemon and cedar, and they come in a cute metal canister,” said one review of Blueland’s bowl cleaners. “You just throw one in the toilet, leave it for 30 minutes or an hour, scrub, and … voilà! Your toilet is perfectly clean. And you haven’t smelled any horrible chemicals or bought any plastic.”
Best for spills: Cloud Paper Reusable Dish Cloth
Cloud Paper makes a range of 100% plastic-free and responsibly-sourced bamboo paper products that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. One of the brand’s most attractive products are the Swish Cloths — cellulose sponge cloths that you can use to wipe up spills multiple times on virtually any surface. Each reusable cloth can last up to six months. Wash it with your clothes or in the dishwasher.
Best laundry detergent: Dirty Labs
Dirty Labs is serious about sustainability, taking a holistic approach to not only the ingredients in its products, but also its supply chain. DirtyLabs products are 1,4 dioxane-free, California Prop 65 chemical-free, and also hypoallergenic. The laundry detergent also comes in delicious scents like Magnolia and Murasaki, which is a mix of jasmine, matcha, and vetiver.
Best dishwasher detergent: Dropps
Dropps was awarded EPA’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year in 2017. The brand’s new line of dishwashing products has yet to make it into the EPA database, but it’s already getting high ratings from consumers. The dishwasher pods come in three scents and wash away baked-on food and stains with no pre-wash needed.
The pod itself is made from a water soluble casing called Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), so you can be assured you’re not adding microplastics into the water supply. Plus, Dropps uses compostable packaging to ship products.
