When you’re cleaning your home, you’re getting rid of germs and toxins and making it a healthier place, right? Don’t be so sure.
Depending on the cleaning products you’re using, you could actually be making your home more toxic.
There are many toxic ingredients in conventional cleaning supplies, such as ammonia and sodium hypochlorite. These are hard on your lungs and can irritate your skin and cause a variety of other problems.
If you regularly use cleaners that contain these ingredients, it’s time to switch things up.
Read on to learn about some of the best eco-friendly cleaning products you should be using in your home.
1. Vinegar
Vinegar is the ultimate eco-friendly cleaning product.
It’s an impressive mold killer and it does a great job of destroying odors and getting rid of tough stains. Vinegar helps to get rid of grease, soap scum, and other types of buildup as well.
One of the best things about vinegar is that, though it may smell a bit harsh, it’s a very gentle cleaning product (when it’s diluted with water). You don’t have to worry about it stripping your furniture or leaving stains or damage behind.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda is another essential cleaning product for anyone who wants a germ-free home but doesn’t want to use toxic chemicals.
Baking soda works well for scrubbing away difficult stains, eliminating grease, and brightening up dull surfaces. You can also combine baking soda with vinegar to clean your garbage disposal and get rid of odors.
3. Essential Oils
If you prefer cleaning products that have a fresh, natural scent, try adding essential oils to your cleaning solutions.
Essential oils are all-natural and don’t cause any harmful effects the way artificial fragrances do.
Try adding tea tree oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, or lavender oil to your vinegar and baking soda or vinegar and water solution.
Your home will smell amazing after cleaning with oils, but you won’t have to worry about getting a headache from artificial scents.
4. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is another great natural cleaning product that everyone ought to keep on hand.
It helps to get rid of mold and mildew, as well as grease and soap scum.
As an added bonus, cleaning with lemon juice also leaves your home smell bright and fresh!
5. Castile Soap
If you’re not in the mood to make your own cleaning products, you can’t go wrong with a good castile soap.
Castile soap is a plant-based soap that doesn’t contain any harsh ingredients or chemicals.
Castile soap contains oils like olive oil and hemp oil and does a great job of cutting through grease and getting rid of stubborn stains and buildup.
It is often scented with essential oils, too, so it smells great while also leaving your home sparkling.
Dr. Bronner’s is a reliable castile soap brand, but there are plenty of other manufacturers that also make effective soaps if you don’t have access to this particular brand.
6. Ecover
Ecover is another trustworthy, eco-friendly cleaning brand.
Ecover makes a variety of natural cleaning products, including all-purpose cleaners, dish detergents, and laundry detergents.
The great thing about Ecover, too, is that their products are highly affordable, so everyone can give their home a nice, green clean without breaking the bank.
7. Nu-Eco
If you’re looking for cleaning products that are 100 percent natural and good for the environment (right down to the bottles they arrive in), you definitely need to give Nu-Eco a try.
Nu-Eco bottles are totally biodegradable, and the products themselves are free from known toxins like parabens, chlorine, sodium lauryl sulfate, and triclosan.
There are tons of Nu-Eco products to choose from, including multipurpose spray, laundry soap, and dishwashing gel.
8. Greenscents
Greenscents is an online brand known for making sustainable and ethically sourced cleaning and laundry products.
These products are scented with ethically sourced essential oils and are certified by the Soil Association.
If you want to feel confident that you’re cleaning your home with safe, sustainable products, Greenscents is the brand to buy.
9. Ecos
Ecos products are natural, organic, and carbon neutral.
When you buy products from Ecos, you’re also supporting a family-owned and operated business (one that’s been in operation for almost 50 years).
The folks at Ecos are dedicated to sustainability and their facilities are powered exclusively by renewable energy.
Their products are highly affordable, too, and are available in tons of stores throughout the country.
10. Seventh Generation
It wouldn’t be a list of eco-friendly cleaning products without mention of Seventh Generation.
Seventh Generation is leading the pack when it comes to green cleaning. All their products are natural and organic, and they make use of recycled packaging and sustainable sourcing practices.
Their cleaning products are available in most grocery stores — even Walmart — and they also produce other green products like toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, and diapers.
Beyond Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
There are lots of different eco-friendly cleaning products you can use to freshen up your home without increasing your exposure to toxins.
There’s more you can do to make your home eco-friendly, though.
For example, you may want to start learning about solar energy pros and cons and looking for ways to reduce your water usage.
Don’t forget the benefits of driving less or switching to a more energy efficient car, either.
Green cleaning products is a great first step, but there are plenty of other ways you can do your part to help out the environment.
Learn More Ways to Go Green Today
It can be frustrating at first to learn that the products you use to clean your home could actually be making it more toxic.
Hopefully, though, this list has given you some inspiration and shown you that there are lots of eco-friendly cleaning products you can start using instead.
Do you want to learn about other ways to make your home clean, safe, and eco-friendly? If so, be sure to check out the Green Living section of our site today.
You’ll find all kinds of helpful articles here on everything from cleaning up your diet to switching to a more eco-friendly mattress.
