The Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products for Your Home
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I’m on the hunt for the best eco-friendly cleaning products. Deep-cleaning my house used to leave me with a lot of plastic bags, paper, and plastic containers to throw away. But I’ve been trying to reduce my footprint, and for this guide I tried to find an environmentally conscious recommendation that could fit in every step of your cleaning routine, including my favorite overall: the Blueland Clean Essentials Kit ($46).
Scientists are developing new ways to recycle plastic, but it's not an Earth-friendly material, and cleaning supplies use a lot of it. The supplies below won't feel too different from what you already use, and they’re relatively affordable. For the ultimate cheap, minimalist, homemade cleaning solution, baking soda and vinegar paired with elbow grease will do the trick for many tasks (though baking soda can harm certain materials like aluminum, so do your research).
Be sure to check out our other eco-friendly guides, like the Best Reusable Products, Best Recycled Products, and Best Clothes Made of Recycled Materials.
Updated April 2025: We've given this guide an overhaul with refreshed picks and updated information.
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What Makes a Product Eco-Friendly (or Not)?
Common solutions like disinfecting sprays and soaps are largely composed of water, which makes those products heavy and hard to ship efficiently. Excessive packaging is another factor in cleaning-product waste, as are harmful chemicals that can end up in the water supply (or in you). Add in the risk of microplastic shedding and a gazillion greenwashed Instagram ads, and it can be difficult to know how to make things clean and greener.
“Eco-friendly” is an extremely vague term that can be misleading, especially in marketing. No product is perfect, but the Environmental Protection Agency has some things to look for when searching for more environmentally friendly cleaning supplies.
Product composition: Generally, a shorter ingredient list is better. A concentrated product produces fewer carbon emissions and creates less waste to ship than a heavier, more diluted version, and a powder or tablet is even smaller. Look for products that are biodegradable or recyclable, with few fragrances and other unnecessary additives. More things to look out for are carbon-neutral shipping and minimal packaging.
Look for certifications: The EPA Safer Choice program vets products and certifies them if they meet the agency's standards for safer, more environmentally friendly products. Certified products feature the Safer Choice certification label on their packaging. Other certifications you may want to look for include those from the Rainforest Alliance, Leaping Bunny, and One Percent for the Planet. All of these certifications can help you make more sustainable choices when you're shopping.
How We Tested
I cleaned my house! I’ve been testing some of these supplies for years and some for just a few weeks, but I used them in my day-to-day life the same way you would. I wiped up spills, I did my laundry and my dishes, and I scrubbed the kitchen sink. I have used every product in this guide in my daily (OK, sometimes weekly) cleaning routines.
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Best Whole-Home Cleaning Starter Kit
Blueland The Clean Essentials KitBlueland's cheap refills come in the form of dissolvable tablets. You'll get a few reusable Tritan Forever Bottles by purchasing a $46 starter kit. You can subscribe to a refill plan for a bit less money. Starter kit refills include hand soap, bathroom cleaner, glass and mirror cleaner, and multipurpose cleaner. (And for what it's worth, I don’t go through a bottle of glass cleaner each month. Maybe I'm gross—I don't think most people scrub their mirrors every day—but if you're in the same camp, you might not need a monthly subscription.) Blueland also offers laundry soap, dishwashing essentials, and various accessories. You can mix and match products to suit your needs. Everything I tried did the job. The tablets can take a little while to dissolve, so mix the solutions up an hour or two before you tackle your chores. Once they’re ready to go, I find the solutions to be powerful and pleasant-smelling. Sometimes eco-friendly cleaning supplies smell a little too “crunchy” to me, but Blueland smells great and gets the job done. My fellow reviewer Nena Farrell also uses and likes Blueland.
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Refillable means a lighter shipping weight and less plastic waste. Plastic-free refills come in compostable packaging. Reusable bottles. Applicable certifications EPA Safer Choice, Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free, B Corp Certified. See the full list here. - Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Cleaning Starter Kit Runner-Up
Branch Basics Concentrated Cleaner KitThis starter kit gets you a 34-ounce bottle of sustainable, concentrated cleaning solution and three spray bottles with fill lines for easy dilution. You can choose between plastic or glass bottles. If you shop through Branch Basics, you’ll also get a tub of Oxygen Boost powder. You'll get enough concentrate for three bottles of all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and foaming wash, respectively, plus a 64-load laundry bottle. The unscented concentrate is powerful and made from simple ingredients. You can also buy it separately and supply your own bottles. Fans of nice-smelling cleaners might find this set lacking, but a few drops of essential oils would liven things up in the olfactory department. Overall, it’s powerful and works well, even on greasy dishes or tough laundry stains. I’ve used the Concentrate for every task it can complete, from my dishes to my laundry, and I’ve never had a bad experience. If you want fragrance-free environmental cleaning, this is a safe bet.
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Refillable means a lighter shipping weight and less plastic waste. Reusable bottles. Concentrated cleaning products mean less shipping waste. Applicable certifications Made Safe, Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best Reusable Paper Towels
Marley's Monsters Unpaper Towels 12-PackThese bright cotton flannel towels are durable and absorbent. They get even more absorbent after a few washes. They also cling together, so you can roll them up on a cardboard tube just like the paper alternatives. The clinginess means they attract lint and dust pretty easily, so be prepared to wash them often. But still! If you're trying to go zero-waste, these are one good way to do that. One thing I’ll note is that it’s really easy to use all 12 up quickly, and they can stain depending on what you’re wiping up. They also tend to cling together on the roll, so I prefer to just keep mine folded in a drawer.
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Tree-free! They’re washable paper towels. You don’t throw them away after using them. Plastic-free packaging. Fabric waste from the manufacturing process is upcycled or reused. Applicable certifications BRING Rethink - Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best Laundry Soap
Dropps Laundry Detergent PodsI freakin’ love Dropps. These pods smell fantastic, work with high-efficiency machines, get your clothes squeaky clean, and are made of USDA Certified Biobased ingredients. One of my favorite things about this product is that the box contains a full list of each ingredient and what purpose it serves. Rather than being mystified by a long list of things I can’t pronounce, I know exactly the reason behind each one. I’ve used a few different kinds of detergent from Dropps, and my clothes have always come out clean and smelling great (the company sells fragrance-free pods as well.) The activewear detergent is my favorite—it helps to get any lingering smells out of my disgusting workout clothes better than Tide.
I also like the company's wool dryer balls ($29) as an alternative to fabric softener sheets.
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Less water due to concentrated formula means less emissions waste. Recyclable packaging. Carbon-neutral shipping. Applicable certifications B-Corp Certified, Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free, USDA Biobased
- Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Another Great Laundry Detergent
Cleancult Laundry Detergent SheetsMaybe you don’t want laundry pods. How about laundry sheets? These detergent sheets are affordable and plastic-free. They smell great—my favorite scent is Juniper Sandalwood—and they've gotten stains out of my clothes to boot. They’re compatible with all washing machines and water temperatures. The only thing I dislike about them is that I’ve had a few close calls trying to grab one of these instead of a fabric softener sheet, but pay attention and you’ll be fine.
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Plastic-neutral. Concentrated formula means less emissions waste. Recyclable paper drawer box. Applicable certifications Certified Plastic Neutral, Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free - Photograph: Louryn Strampe
Best Swedish Dishcloths
Wettex Swedish Dishcloths (14-Pack)These are a mix between a washcloth and a paper towel. You can use the absorbent cloths to wipe up messes or to scrub the dishes. They’re composable and biodegradable, made from a mix of pulp and cotton. I like the cute, bright colors and how quickly they dry, which means they never get stinky (unlike traditional cotton washrags). They’ve been durable in my testing, but I’m glad to know that when they’ve run their course they won’t stick around and pollute the planet.
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Biodegradable and composable. Reusable. Applicable certifications Made with FSC Certified pulp. Oeko-Tex certified.
- Photograph: Amazon
Best Trash Bags
Matter Compostable Kitchen Trash BagsSome say compostable bags aren’t necessarily a win for landfills because they’ll still break down and produce methane, but I think everyone can agree that the less plastic being produced and put out into the world, the better. These plant-based bags are surprisingly thick and sturdy enough for regular trash, but they’re also great for food scraps and yard waste. When you're finished, you can just throw them right in your backyard compost pile. (Though keep in mind Matter says they can take up to a year to totally break down.) I’ve also had success breaking them down in a matter of hours in a Lomi kitchen waste recycler. —Kat Merck
What makes this product environmentally friendly? Biodegradable and composable. Reusable. Applicable certifications BPI Industrial certified. TUV Industrial certified.
Honorable Mentions
Papaya Reusable Paper Towels for $13: I mostly liked these cute, bright reusable paper towels, which are made from a mix of cotton and cellulose. They’re composable and absorbent. The reason they're an honorable mention is because the two-pack comes with a plastic hook. It makes sense to include something you’d need, since you’re supposed to hang these to dry them. But as best as I can tell, there’s no way to buy them without getting a plastic hook. Even if one towel replaces 17 rolls of paper towels, they’ll eventually need to be replaced, and I don’t need a gajillion hooks around (even if they are useful!). If this brand ever allows the opportunity to buy refills without a plastic hook, I’ll be more inclined to recommend it.
Fantasticlean Microfiber Cleaning Cloth Roll for $26: These tear-away microfiber towels are a solid replacement for paper towels, though microfiber is known for shedding microplastics. It feels silly to be weighing out which is worse: deforestation or plastic pollution? They’re both bad. These can be washed and reused up to 50 times, and they’re quite absorbent. I still think the cotton flannel towels above are a better pick, but if you're diligent about reusing these and you want a bulk quantity rather than the 12-pack above, these are worth looking into—especially if your house goes through a ton of paper towels like mine does.
Scrub Mommy Sponges (3-pack) for $22: This popular, cheery sponge lives up to the hype. The shape and texture make it super effective for scrubbing and wiping, and it’s durable. The reason it’s in this guide is because Scrub Daddy products are recyclable! If you need a new sponge, consider this one.
Safely Multipurpose Cleaner for $10: This cleaner comes from Kris Jenner’s new company and is really hard to find in stock. But it smells amazing, and the majority of the ingredients come from salt, coconut, and corn. The reason it’s an honorable mention is because it isn’t concentrated like the cleaners above, making it less eco-friendly. But I still think it’s worth telling you about because it does smell great and work well.
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