No, using eco-friendly cleaning products won’t clean your house for you (we wish!), but they sure can remove a lot of the hazards.

We’ve all swept dust under the rug, but we’re also (figuratively) doing it when we use conventional cleaners that make our planet a little dirtier. Because their use ironically contributes to the build-up of toxic waste and plastic pollution (more on this at the bottom of the article).

Which is why we’re on a green cleaning mission to spotlight natural alternatives that ensure a healthier home and planet, and that surely provides some motivation for those chores.

So after a lot of research, reading ingredient labels, and testing (i.e. cleaning), we’ve rounded up our favorite brands that stick to safe, effective formulations, ethical sourcing, and low-waste packaging.

As we refresh our eco-guides in the coming months, our new Brand Rating System will be applied to brands to score them against an array of factors, from chemical use to biodiversity considerations in the supply chain. You can learn more about these criteria here.

We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.

The Best Eco-Friendly Cleaners For A Sustainable Streak-Free Shine

Transparency, recycled packaging, safe ingredients, concentrated cleaning power—Meliora’s catalog of laundry detergent and home cleaning solutions hit all of our marks and provides some of the best bang for buck considering how much product we needed to get the job done.

We’ve tried nearly all of Blueland’s cleaners, which come courtesy of subtle fragrances, non-toxic ingredients and totally zero waste packaging—even for all your favorite cleaning liquids!

Index: Eco-Friendly House Cleaners

  1. Blueland Jump to brand
  2. Meliora Jump to brand
  3. Miniml Refills Jump to brand
  4. Ecologie by Danica Jump to brand
  5. Jungle Culture Jump to brand

Blueland

Blueland has not been rated.

Blueland’s Home Cleaning Products

Price Range: $18–$61

Blueland offers some of the best eco-friendly cleaners, and we should know—we’ve tried pretty much all of them.

The Clean Essentials is the perfect starter kit, and it’s what started our love of Blueland, too. It includes their Glass + Mirror, Bathroom, and Multi -Surface cleaning sprays as well as their foaming hand soap.

While each of these products end up as liquids, they don’t start that way. Instead, they come in the form of tablets in composable packets. Just drop in water and let the cleaning magic begin. When you need a refill, order the tablets alone and keep using each colorful spray bottle received in the initial kit for years to come.

About Blueland

As a Certified B Corp, Blueland ensures its supply chain and labor practices are ethical. The Climate Neutral company also has certifications from Cradle to Cradle, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Safer Choice, MADE SAFE, USDA BioPreferred, and EWG.

Blueland only uses gluten-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and plant-based ingredients in their products—all of which contain the Leaping Bunny stamp of approval.

Their efforts have eliminated over one billion single-use plastic bottles from the ocean and landfills. The company continues to support social causes like DigDeep to bring clean water to homes in America and Lonely Whale to help reduce plastic waste even further.

Our Personal Review of Blueland’s Clean Essentials Kit:

“We’re now regular Blueland users, and this kit started it all. Its three household cleaning sprays pretty much cover all our cleaning needs in an all-natural and lightly-scented way (read: our home smells like a field of flowers, not a chemical factory on cleaning day!). We love how effective these products are and how waste-free they are. Because everything comes in tablet form, the only waste is a paper refill packet we can toss in our indoor compost bin once we’ve moved them into Blueland’s elegant, reusable containers.

If you only select one product from the Clean Essentials Kit, I recommend the Multipurpose spray. It can be used on everything the bathroom and glass cleaners are designed for and seems equally effective in my experience”

Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head Of Content

Meliora

Meliora has not been rated.

Meliora’s Cleaning Products

Price Range: $5–$29

Meliora is most well-known for its Eco Laundry Powder, which uses the power of organic plant-based ingredients to clean without compromising the health of our planet. Everything is made with non-toxic ingredients, like organic coconut oil.

Zero waste laundry detergent aside, some of their most popular offerings include all-purpose home cleaning spray, a home cleaning scrub, Castile dish soap, and even a refillable glass cleaning spray bottle that can be used with cleaning spray refills.

About Meliora

Meliora started with a question: can you name five of the ingredients present in your cleaning cabinet? Most of us can’t, and neither could Kate, the co-founder of Meliora. Once she started doing a little digging, she found most weren’t even listed. Even worse, there weren’t laws in place that required a company to disclose what their products contained.

Years later, Meliora proudly discloses all plant-based ingredients and only uses those that are effective, people-friendly, and planet-friendly. All products feature Leaping Bunny and MADE SAFE certification, and are vegan, phthalate-free, and sulfate-free.

Aside from packaging products in compostable and or reusable containers, they ship in plastic-free and recyclable containers. Everything is produced in their environmentally-responsible Chicago factory by workers who receive living wages.

Giving back is essential to this Certified B Corp, which is why they partner with 1% for the Planet to support the organization Women’s Voices for the Earth.

My Personal Review of Meliora’s Gentle Home Cleaning Scrub:

“I’m all about keeping my cleaning supplies simple—cluttered under-sink cabinets are a no-go for me! Meliora’s Gentle Home Cleaning Scrub helps with this, as the powder is suitable for all hard surfaces. It works like any all-purpose cleaner but with some extra scrubbing power, and I especially love using it on my stovetop. Regular sprays just can’t tackle stuck-on food, but the granules in this scrub do all the heavy lifting, especially when paired with a coconut coir pad. Everything just lifts right off.”

Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content

Miniml Refills

Miniml Refills has not been rated.

Miniml Refills’ Cleaning Products

Price Range: £2.50–£25

Miniml Refills is among the most unique cleaning brands we’ve come across with a closed-loop product design. It works like this: You purchase an initial reusable glass bottle, purchase a refill of your choice, refill your bottle, and send back the empty packaging for cleaning and reuse.

They do contain “perfumes” to get scents like Sorrento lemon, blood orange, wild rhubarb, and cucumber, which likely means they’re synthetic. All their cleaning supplies are free of VOCs, chlorine bleaches, solvents, lanoline, sulfates, parabens, and phosphates.

About Miniml Refills

Miniml’s closed-loop system is its claim to fame. The returned, empty containers are cleaned and sanitized in a large industrial washer at the Miniml Headquarters in Yorkshire Dales. They also have in-person refill stations across the UK, including in numerous zero waste shops in London.

Miniml Refills plant-based cleaning products are vegan and cruelty-free, they provide a full list of the ingredients they include and don’t include. Items are shipped in recyclable cardboard boxes with paper tape.

My Personal Review of Miniml’s Starter Bundle:

“I loved testing out their Clean Kitchen Starter Bundle. It was super effective, tough on grime, fairly concentrated too, so a little goes a long way. Good value for money at the price point, not to mention the circular approach which is novel in the cleaning niche. I would suggest the Ultimate Household Bundle is the easiest way to get in on the whole system, as it includes dish soap, hand soap, a multipurpose cleaner (which I use for just about every bit of mess and dirt), and a white vinegar solution—each shipped in reusable spray bottles.”

Review by Jenny Bell, SJ’s Senior Writer

Ecologie by Danica

Ecologie by Danica has not been rated.

Ecologie by Danica’s Cleaning Supplies

Price Range: $6–$42

Ecologie by Danica’s Swedish sponge towels will help you say goodbye to the paper towel.

The reusable paper towel replacements are made from 70% sustainably-sourced cellulose and 30% cotton, and can be used for everything from absorbing spills (holding up to 15 times their weight in water), to removing tough stains on the dishes or cleaning bathroom surfaces.

About Ecologie by Danica

Ecologie by Danica’s cleaning supplies are made using traditional techniques from the 1950s and screen-printed with fun designs using non-toxic inks. In our opinion, probably the best designs we’ve seen on reusable paper towels.

The cotton in each cloth is “waste cotton,” or cotton fibers that are too short for traditional textile usage.

They’re shipped in recyclable packaging and made in Sweden and Ecologie donates a portion of its sales to Education Without Borders.

My Personal Review of Ecologies’ Swedish Dishcloths:

“I own a couple of Ecologies’ cleaning cloths and can confirm they absorb an impressive amount of liquid. What’s even more impressive is how long they last. They don’t strike you as something that will stand the test (and justify the extra expense, than say something less sustainable like disposable cloths) but so far we’ve been using ours almost daily for most cleaning jobs and they’re still going strong after about 9 months. They’re also odor-free, dishwasher safe (which I love, as I can throw them in the washer too so more sanitizing options), and because they’re 100% biodegradable, I can compost them when they’re finally checked out.”

Review by Joy McConnochiel, SJ’s Co-foudner

Jungle Culture

Jungle Culture has not been rated.

Jungle Culture’s Cleaning Products

Price Range: £4–£13

Jungle Culture develops a wide variety of zero waste bathroom and home goods.

But their Natural Dish Brush set is the perfect biodegradable plant-derived cleaning product for a eco-chic kitchen. The brushes are made from plant-based materials like bamboo and fibers from coconut husks and sisal plants. The plant-derived brushes are completely organic, vegan-friendly, and biodegradable. The natural coarseness of the sisal and coconut fibers gets rid of stubborn stains and soap scum and doubles as a kitchen tile cleaner if you’re in a pinch.

If you have fragile glassware, the organic hemp and cotton cleaning cloths will be a go-to.

About Jungle Culture

The UK-based company ships everything in plastic-free packaging made from recycled kraft paper. Jungle Culture works with small farms and craft workshops across Asia in places like Vietnam. They regularly visit their partners in person to ensure they meet their ethical manufacturing practices.

A member of 1% for the Planet, they donate a portion of sales to various environmental organizations.

My Personal Review of Jungle Culture’s Brush Set:

“My husband and I are regular users of their brush set. Very good quality, we used the main dish brush for about 6 months before it started to show real wear and tear, and even then we continued to use it for a while longer. We also especially appreciate the fact that the dish brush has the option to easily replace the heads via a bit of wire when the wood or bristles start to look a bit worse for wear. Having a permanent handle means just a little waste—even if that waste is 100% natural materials.”

Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content

Why Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products?

Ironically, most of the products we use to clean are those that end up making our planet and homes much dirtier. Not only do they come packaged in single-use plastic bottles (that mostly end up in landfills, despite being thrown in the recycle bin), but they contain dangerous ingredients we can’t pronounce.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), cleaning supplies often produce fumes that may trigger health problems, are known carcinogens that cause chemical burns and poisoning, among other health concerns. Chlorine bleach is an eye, skin, and respiratory irritant (and can be fatal if mixed with ammonia, another common cleaning agent).

Speaking of ammonia, it can blind you and burn your skin. Triclosan and Triclocarban (used in dish soaps) are linked to hormone imbalance and breast cancer. The list goes on.

These ingredients are just as toxic for our environment, releasing volatile organic compounds that cause smog and contributing to eutrophication—AKA nutrient overloading in water bodies that can be toxic for aquatic species and lead to algal blooms. Somehow a bright and shiny toilet bowl doesn’t seem worth the damage to our biodiversity.

So why use natural cleaning products?

Because chemo-kills are doing the opposite of cleaning, where it counts, chasing dust bunnies or removing stains with products that have less of an impact is far better for you, your home, and our shared home.