Best Natural and Eco-friendly All Cleaners for an Eco-Conscious Home

Investing in natural and eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners and cleaning products is one of the simplest and easiest ways to create a sustainable home. Eco-friendly cleaning products have seen a massive rise. Many people are looking for safe and natural alternatives to mainstream cleaning products containing chemicals and single-use plastic.

We have spent over 25 hours reviewing eco-friendly cleaning products and testing the best in the batch. Below, we have listed some of them for a healthy and sustainable home and excellent choices for offices and workspaces.

The best organic and natural all-purpose cleaners:

1. Meliora
2. Attitude living
3. Method all-purpose
4. Seventh Generation
5. Ecover

Other options in the UK

1. Ocean Saver

The problem with mainstream cleaning products

Isn’t it ironic that most conventional cleaning products are not even ‘clean’? The usual cleaning products are pretty dangerous for aquatic life when the chemicals get into waterways after being washed down the drain.

Besides the environmental damage, some of these chemicals can also be unsafe for kids or even adults over a period of time. The trouble is that there are very few or negligible regulations over the ingredients that you find in household cleaning products. Some of these bottles might sight the potential health hazards.

Are eco-friendly cleaners and eco-friendly products effective?

Despite the number of harsh products found in the market, many safe and eco-friendly cleaning products are available. Considering that we are spending more time indoors due to the pandemic, we must remain extra cautious about cleaning our areas at home. Besides this, there are many benefits of using natural cleaning products:

1. Biodegradable cleaning products are suitable for the environment as they contain biodegradable and low volatile organic ingredients like limonene, hydrocarbons and glycol esters.
2. These all-purpose natural cleaners contain few allergens.
3. Plant-based cleaners are cruelty-free and vegan.
4. Eco-friendly cleaners are typically gentler on the skin than the mainstream alternatives.

Why use eco-friendly cleaning products? What makes a cleaning product eco friendly?

Any sustainable cleaning product can be called eco friendly if it ticks the following:

1. Does not contain toxic chemicals
2. Contains biodegradable ingredients
3. Made from plants
4. Does not use single-use plastic in either the product or the packaging
5. Is refillable
6. Creates almost zero waste
7. Is certified vegan and cruelty-free

Not every eco-friendly product will match all the eco-friendly requirements; you can choose what meets your needs and from where you are comfortable to start.

The best all-purpose eco-friendly, and green cleaning products

This article focuses on eco-friendly cleaning brands available in both the UK and the US.

Affiliate Disclaimer: If you buy something using the links in this article, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. For every dollar we earn, we plant a tree.

#1 The Meliora

How it all started - Meet the founder Kate Jakubas

Kate was passionate about making sure the products she was using at home were safe, but she grew frustrated about not finding enough information about the ingredients. Without knowing the exact ingredients, she could not understand if she wanted to use it at home. The husband-wife duo started experimenting with their products at home, where Meliora was born.

Meliora Product brief

The Meliora Cleaning Products are made from safe ingredients. The brand offers a variety of cleaning products and safe quality products. They are packaged in either tin or paper without any plastic.

The products are 100% plastic-free, dye-free, preservative-free, biodegradable, and septic-safe.

Meliora’s ethical practices and certifications

Meliora boasts many certifications:

1. Certified B Corporation
2. MADE SAFE
3. 1% for the planet
4. Leaping Bunny

Meliora cleaning products are transported using responsible shipping practices on all their orders.

The brand’s products are price-conscious and eco-conscious. The combination is unique because it focuses on making toxin-free products that are packed and shipped responsibly.

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#2 Attitude living

How it started - Meet the founder of Attitude Living

Attitude is one of the biggest “natural” cleaning product brands out there. The Attitude was born in the spring of 2005 by Jean-Francois Bernier and Benoit Lord in Montreal. They were inspired by their own families and wanted to leave an inspirational legacy for the next generation. They desired to create a range of household cleaning products made from natural ingredients that were better and safer, while also being effective.

Attitude Living all-purpose cleaner brief

There is no denying that the brand has taken a creative and minimalistic, yet artsy approach to its branding. The images of pandas and leaves signify the company’s commitment to supporting nature.

Attitude chooses to have the gentlest fragrances for their cleaners. The brand also has a fragrance-free version. Attitude has gone a step further with telling the relative percentage of the ingredients in their formulation. They are gentle and while remaining effective at combating bacteria and viruses.

Attitude Living ethical practices and certifications

1. According to the specifications, EWG Verified mark guarantees that Attitude’s products are free from any health.
2. ECOLOGO Certified products
3. PETA Beauty Without Bunnies certification

Attitude has partnered with two leading non-profit tree planting organisations, Eden Reforestation Projects and One Tree Planted, to plant a tree for every product purchased online or in-store.

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#3 Method all-purpose cleaner

How it started - Meet the founder

Method’s brain parents Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, have single-handedly changed the consumer-packaged industry. Eric wanted to create modern cleaning products that people didn't have to hide, and Adam knew how to make them do good for the planet. By combining their powers, they created a line of home and personal care products that are powerful yet gentle and safe.

Method’s All-purpose cleaner brief

The natural and chemical-free formulation of many all-purpose cleaners is tough enough to remove stains and grease but might not be effective on bacteria. But Method’s all-purpose and anti-bac cleaner kills 99.99% of harmful bacteria and viruses.

The solution is ideal for all surfaces that aren’t porous. It has a biodegradable formula that is BPA-free, vegan and gluten-free. The patented power green technology removes the toughest stains and is strong enough for any cleaning task.

Method’s ethical practices and certifications

1. The company owns Cradle to Cradle GOLD which means that all the ingredients pose no risk to human health or the environment.
2. Cradle to Cradle Certified by the product design - eligible for LEEDv4 credits.

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#4 Seventh Generation

How it started - Meet the founder

Jeffrey Hollender started the company in 1988 - decades before eco-friendly cleaning products were even a thing. He gradually built a business with nine-figure annual sales. The company began to sell everything “eco-friendly” before the phrase was even famous: organic cotton sheets, organic paint and comforters made from milkweed.

Seventh Generation’s all-purpose cleaner brief

The neutral ingredient of this trusted eco-friendly brand wins the approval of conscious consumers. It is highly recommended for parents looking for cleaners that can disinfect surfaces naturally with safe and biodegradable ingredients. The primary benefit of using this product is that it kills germs with natural and plant-based ingredients. It works on all surfaces except porous surfaces.

Seventh Generation’s certifications and eco-friendly practices

1. Certified B Corporation
2. MADE SAFE Certified
3. USDA Certified Biobased Product

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#5 Ecover

How it started - Meet the founder

Ecover was founded in 1979 by Frans Bogarets to create phosphate-free cleaning products to reduce their impact on the environment. Ecover is now available in around 40 countries. Besides being a pioneer in creating organic products and cellulose surfactants, the company also uses bottled products made from 100% green polyethene.

Ecover’s all-purpose cleaners

Ecover’s all-purpose cleaners have a subtle fragrance that is quite soothing unlike overwhelmingly fragrant mainstream cleaners. It works pretty well with hard surfaces. It also helps to tackle crayons, pens or other stubborn marks on surfaces, which is impressive. The Ecover All Purpose Cleaner works on par with standard cleaners but without harmful cleaners. The product is completely biodegradable and cruelty-free. It is safe for use in septic tanks and has no impact on aquatic life.

Ecover’s certifications and eco-friendly practices

1. All of their cleaners are approved as cruelty-free under the Leaping Bunny Program
2. Palm oil is certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
3. Platinum zero-waste by TRUE - which assesses reducing waste and maximising energy efficiency.

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How to choose the best eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner

The solution is a surfactant, an active component combined with several cleaning agents - more on these later.

Surfactants are one-of-a-kind molecules with a head that dissolves in water-based stains and a tail that dissolves in oily stains. Surfactant cleaning agents are the best choice for an all-purpose home cleaner since any stain will fall into one of these two categories.

While surfactants are incredibly good at eliminating many types of stains, dissolving them and washing them away, they often fall short when it comes to tenacious, in-built stains like corroded pipes, where mineral deposits are present. Acids can help wear them down adequately so that you can easily wipe them away.

Then there are alkaline cleansers, which are very useful for eliminating oily marks — remember how we said Method All-Purpose Cleaner was also one of the finest we've ever evaluated for cleaning oily spots? The following are the main elements in their formula:

• Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)
• Carbonate of Soda

These are both alkaline cleansers. Can you see how components are essential?

What characteristics should you look for in an all-purpose cleaning solution?

#1 Look for a decent balance of mild detergents, such as those indicated above.

#2 Look for a mixture of cleansing agents to treat numerous spots at once – this is THE key to a superb all-purpose solution. – Look for an acid or alkaline cleanser – perhaps both!

How to Use a Multipurpose Cleaner

The whole point with an all cleaner is that it's simple to use. There's no need to buy, store, and switch between different cleaning supplies. There's no reason to be concerned about harmful compounds released when home cleansers are mixed. On a heavy cleaning day, there's no need to bring five separate bottles to your kitchen and bathroom. Simple and efficient. Fuss-free.

Simply spray an all-purpose cleaner directly onto your rough surfaces and wash away.

It's worth noting that occasionally the extras you use to clean make a difference  — for example, we've always found that balled up newspaper works best on mirrors.

Extra tip: If you prefer to mop floors with a scrubbing brush, dissolve all-purpose detergents with water, dip, and swipe.

Conclusion

I sincerely hope you liked this post! If you know of any environmentally safe brands or services that should be included in the list, please tell us in the comments below.

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