• 09/07/2023

The Best Green Cleaning Products for Your Safe, Sustainable Home 

An arm wearing a pink glove holds a yellow and red cleaning spray bottle on a teal backdrop

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You love your family and pets and want a clean and safe environment for them to live in. However, certain commercial cleaners contain toxic chemicals you don’t want around your toddler or Fido. What are the best green cleaning products you can feel good using around those you hold most dear? 

Fortunately, you have many options besides mixing cleansers yourself. Manufacturers have begun heeding the demands for eco-friendliness and launched new lines while improving on old favorites. What should you use on your next clean day? Here are the best green cleaning products for your safe, sustainable home. 

1. Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap

You might be familiar with Dr. Bronner if you’re a happy camper. This stuff is so pure you can take it into pristine wilderness environments without fear it will harm native wildlife. That’s a pretty big testimony to its safety and earns it the number one spot on the list of the best green cleaning products for your home. Those who make DIY cleaners will no doubt recognize this product from many recipes. 

Pro-tip: If you do take this miracle juice in the wild, learn to dispose of it properly. Instead of dumping it in the river, dig a hole at least 200 feet from the waterway to let the dirt filter out the suds. 

2. Humble Suds All-Purpose Cleaner 

Do you fall into the trap of believing that natural products can never work as well as artificially produced chemicals? Humble Suds may change your mind. The beauty of this formula is that it scrubs like few other cleaners — you’ll feel like you need industrial gloves. However, it’s gentle and vinegar-free, making it safe for porous and non-porous surfaces. 

3. Babyganics Surface Wipes 

Grove Collective is a primary supplier of Babyganics, and they’ve built their business model around creating the best green cleaning products. They recently partnered with Target, meaning you can find these wonders on your typical shopping run — there’s no need to head to a specialty store or order online. These wipes are free of phthalates, sulfates, parabens, silicons and dyes, and they’re made of cellulose meant to biodegrade in wet environments.

4. Thymes Magnolia Willow Dishwashing Liquid Soap

Many commercial liquid dishwashing soaps contain triclosan, a substance that’s toxic to aquatic life. However, Thymes Magnolia Willow uses a plant-based blend of willow, magnolia blossoms, jasmine and white mahogany with other naturally derived ingredients for a non-toxic way to wash your plates. It’s also a great choice to grab if you DIY cleansers and see clear dish soap as an ingredient. 

5. Aunt Fanny’s Vinegar Floor Wash 

Finding a floor cleaner that works on multiple surfaces without hurting the planet in the bargain is tough. Aunt Fanny’s Vinegar Floor Wash has you covered. It’s safe and effective on hardwood, tile, concrete, linoleum, bamboo, sheet vinyl and laminate flooring. You can make every hard surface safe for your baby to crawl on without worrying about what chemicals they may get on their wee hands. 

6. ECOS Toilet Cleaner

Cleaning the toilet may win first prize for the most undesirable household chore, but ECOS bowl cleaner does the job hands-free. This greywater and septic-safe formula is even safe to use in your RV. It’s free of lye, phosphates, mineral acids and chlorine, making it the ideal toilet cleaner for your home — and your home away from home. 

7. Seventh Generation Unbleached Recycled Paper Towels 

Let’s face it: throwing paper towels in the trash is cringeworthy, as you know they’ll contribute to methane emissions once they reach the landfill. However, how else can you get every speck and strand of hair?  Did you know these common household items are compostable as long as they’re free of harmful chemicals? Seventh Generation uses 100% recycled material to create these towels and keeps them bleach-free, letting you kick cleaning-day guilt to the curb. 

8. Grove Dishwasher Pellets 

Many dishwasher pellets aren’t great for the environment. They contribute to plastic pollution, and humans already contain microplastics in their blood. Scientists don’t know how this will affect health. In keeping with its promise to go plastic-free by 2025, Grove dishwasher pellets are 91% plant-based. They’re fragrance-free and contain no parabens or dyes. 

9. Dropps Laundry Pods 

Dropps Laundry Pods also help reduce plastic waste. Although made of polyvinyl alcohol film, technically a type of the material, the wizards at Dropps have engineered them to biodegrade in water. Plus, your order comes shipped in compostable, recyclable and repulpable packaging as certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council. Even the packing tape is compostable. 

10. Biokleen Carpet and Rug Shampoo 

Industrial carpet cleaners can use harsh chemicals to remove stains, but that’s where your baby crawls, rolls around merrily and takes their first steps. To keep your family safer, opt for Biokleen Carpet and Rug Shampoo. It’s engineered to protect your kids and pets while eliminating odors and ground in grime. 

11. Bon Ami Powder Cleanser 

This powder cleanser is eerily similar to another popular line known for tackling the toughest baked-on messes. However, it’s the gentler of the two, judging by the ingredients list, and it’s just as tough on grime. Tackle stubborn toilet and oven messes without punishing your upper body muscles.

12. Grove Walnut Scrubber Sponge 

Grove products appear a lot on this list because they’re awesome. Sponges are notorious for harboring germs. Guess what? The news gets worse. They also release microplastics when you wash them — and then enter landfills where they contribute to climate change. The walnut scrubber sponge is safe for even fine cookware as it won’t scratch delicate surfaces while removing grime. 

13. Puracy Natural Stain Remover 

You spilled red wine all over your white blouse, couch and carpeting. How can you tackle tough messes that leave you looking like the prom scene in “Carrie?” Spritz a bit of Puracy Natural Stain Remover on your clothes, waiting 15 minutes before laundering. Follow the same procedure on fabrics you can’t wash, alternating cloths with fresh water to imitate rinsing. 

14. Common Good Bergamot Hand Soap

It’s hard to find a hand soap that’s among the best green cleaning products that doesn’t have an overwhelming scent. The gentle notes of bergamot in this blend leave behind a delicate hint of citrus that doesn’t overpower your senses. The packaging makes it extra eco-friendly: it comes in a giant compostable box with a spout handy for refilling all your other bottles. 

15. Good Old Arm and Hammer Baking Soda 

If you make DIY cleansers, you undoubtedly recognize baking soda as a key ingredient. Arm and Hammer has been the standard of purity since its launch in 1846, way before people realized the dangers of climate change. It’s also great for solo use. Mix it into a paste with water to tackle tough oven messes or scrub the filth out of your grout. 

16. GreenPolly Trash and Recycling Bags 

Extracting fossil fuels for single-use plastics is an ecological disaster. GreenPolly aims to change this by using 90% certified post-consumer plastic and 10% bioplastic from renewable sugarcane in their trash bag design. Their clear recycling bags are even greener, meeting the standards for municipal clear bag recycling programs where applicable. 

17. Krud Kutter Degreaser 

If you’ve ever used this stuff to clean an old hunting trailer covered in muck and left to sit in the sun for years, you’ll wonder how on earth it can possibly be a green cleaning product. This stuff takes off everything — including gel nail polish, so wear gloves if you’re glam. This last product on the list wins second place overall and is a hands-down gold medal winner for the nastiest messes. 

Despite its strength, it’s non-toxic, unscented and certified biodegradable by Scientific Certifications Systems (SCS), a leader in sustainability certifications. Despite its gentle touch on the planet, it’s tough enough to tackle the following:

  • Food and drink stains
  • Dried latex paint
  • Glue and tape residue 
  • Bird droppings 
  • Smoke damage
  • Marker and crayons
  • Brake dust
  • Makeup and nail polish
  • Blood stains 

The Best Green Cleaning Products 

You want a tidy, safe, sustainable home for you and your loved ones. What you need are the best green cleaning products to tackle tough messes. 

You don’t have to DIY every cleanser. Fill your shopping cart with these best green cleaning products and pat yourself on the back for being eco-friendly the easy way. 

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