Walk down the cleaning aisle and almost every bottle has a leaf, a green cap or the word “natural” somewhere on it. All that branding makes choosing eco-friendly cleaning products harder than it should be, because the packaging tells you very little about what is inside.
You do not need a chemistry degree to choose well. A few habits will help you skip harsh chemicals and find products that are gentler on your family, your pets and the water that leaves your drain.
What Are Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products?
Eco-friendly cleaning products are made with ingredients that are safer for people and the environment than many conventional cleaners. They also tend to come in packaging that is easier to recycle or refill. Shoppers often search for them as non toxic cleaning products, green cleaning products or natural cleaning products, and the terms overlap.
The catch is that words like “green” and “natural” are marketing language. To help companies avoid environmental claims that mislead buyers, the Federal Trade Commission publishes the Green Guides. As the FTC puts it, what a company thinks its green claim means and what shoppers understand can be two different things. Treat a label that says “eco” as a reason to look closer.
Look for a Certification You Can Check
A third-party certification is the most reliable shortcut. In the United States, the program to know is EPA Safer Choice. According to the EPA’s page on the Safer Choice label, every chemical ingredient in a certified product is reviewed, no matter how small its share of the formula. The program also checks pH, packaging and volatile organic compounds, and the product has to clean about as well as a conventional one.
Nearly 2,000 products carry the label, and you can look one up in the EPA’s Safer Choice product search before you buy. The search lets you filter by home or business use and by product type, from all-purpose cleaners to dish soap. There is also a fragrance-free version of the label for anyone sensitive to scents.
How to Choose Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Use this short checklist the next time you shop.
- Look for a certification you can verify, such as the Safer Choice label, and check the product in the EPA’s search.
- Read the full ingredient list. A brand that lists everything is easier to trust than one that hides behind “plant-based ingredients.”
- Choose fragrance-free when someone in the home has allergies, asthma or a sensitivity to smells.
- Buy concentrated formulas or refills where you can, so fewer single-use plastics end up in the bin.
- Match the product to the surface. Stone countertops, hardwood floors and stainless steel each have products made for them.
- Follow the label directions for dilution and contact time, because an eco-friendly cleaner used wrong works no better than any other.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Home
For most homes, a short list covers almost every job. A multi-surface cleaner handles counters, tables and spills. Add a glass cleaner for mirrors and windows, plus dish soap and a bathroom product for tile and fixtures. A concentrate lets you refill the same spray bottle instead of tossing it. The EPA’s search has a category for each of these, so you can find a certified option for every bottle under your sink.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Business
Offices, schools and other workplaces clean larger areas more often, so product choice adds up faster. According to the EPA, Safer Choice products are available for facilities like schools, hotels, offices and sports venues. A separate version of the label marks products made for business and institutional use.
Facility managers can use the same checklist at a larger scale. Ask your cleaning company which products they use and whether they can share the labels.
How Cleanerific Cleans
On our home visits, Cleanerific cleaners bring the vacuums, mops and eco-friendly products each job needs, so you do not have to stock anything. Explore our residential cleaning for houses and apartments, see our commercial cleaning for workplaces, or book a deep cleaning to start fresh.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning FAQs
Are eco-friendly cleaning products as effective?
Certified ones are, because the Safer Choice program requires products to perform comparably to conventional products in their category before they can carry the label.
Are non toxic cleaning products the same as eco-friendly ones?
Shoppers use the two terms for the same kind of product. A certification like Safer Choice is the clearest way to know a product was reviewed for both human health and the environment.
What is the best way to find safer cleaning products?
Search the EPA’s Safer Choice product list by product type and by home or business use, then buy from the brands that come up.