Eco-friendly cleaning products are products manufactured without harsh, non-biodegradable chemicals and usually have a biodegradable formula, often in compostable or plastic-free single-use containers. Below are some of my favorite cleaning products that try to be environmentally friendly. They won't feel much different from the ones you already use, and they're relatively affordable. For the best inexpensive, minimalist cleaning solution, baking soda and vinegar combined with elbow grease will do the trick (though baking soda can damage certain materials, such as aluminum, so do your research).
Don't you see anything you like? Be sure to check out our other green guides, such as the best reusable products and the best recycled products. You might think it would be easy to find an eco-friendly dish soap, but that's not always the case. Common Good dish soap fights germs and breaks down fat, in addition to using biodegradable ingredients and a recyclable bottle. It does not contain parabens or phosphates and contains essential oils that will not dry your hands.
Most eco-friendly cleaning products are plant-based, which means they contain natural ingredients that reduce the health risk to your family and pets. They do not contain toxic chemicals such as phosphates, chlorine and nitrates. Unlike most general cleaning products, green brands take pride in the ingredients they use, or rather, those they don't use in their products, and they are usually completely transparent to their consumers. For example, Tri Nature has an entire dedicated page on its website that describes the list of ingredients used in all of its products and even what they actually are.
Scientists are developing new ways to recycle plastic, but it's not an environmentally friendly material and cleaning supplies use a lot of this material. General household cleaning products aren't usually recognized as contaminants, but the harsh chemicals found in most general cleaners contribute to smog, damage drinking water quality, and are also toxic to plants and animals. If you're ready to go from mint green to avocado or even forest green in the green life color spectrum, you can make your own cleaning products with a few simple recipes. Choosing eco-friendly household cleaning products is just one piece of the sustainability puzzle, and if you want to make other changes, check out these articles on sustainable living, sustainable brands, and sustainable packaging.
There is a wide range of cleaning products that manufacturers advertise as environmentally friendly and healthy. In addition to the obvious aesthetic benefits of cleaning, the removal of dust, allergens, and infectious agents is crucial to maintaining a healthy indoor environment. For example, if you want to disinfect the toilet seat or bathroom countertops, you can spray the hydrogen peroxide solution on the surfaces you want to treat, go clean another area of your house, and then clean the bathroom again. The experts also recommended adopting other environmentally friendly cleaning practices, from using microfiber towels to developing your own cleaning solutions from products you probably already have in your home.
Companies like Blueland offer non-toxic cleaning products in tablet form that require consumers to simply add water. Green cleaning products should not contain hazardous chemicals, so they are likely to pose fewer health risks. If you use a cloth or sponge to clean surfaces with cleaning products and then rinse them in the sink, the residual cleaning product will enter the water system. There is no specific criterion that details what green or green means when companies add it to a product's packaging, explained Nancy Simcox, an assistant professor in the department of environmental sciences and occupational health at the University of Washington.
We contacted two experts in ecological cleaning to explain the meaning of the terms green and choose their favorite products in this category. Fans of cleansers that smell good may miss this set, but a few drops of essential oils would brighten up the olfactory. .
