Whether it’s picking up after the kids, cleaning up after dinner, or keeping the bathroom sparkling, getting your home spotless can feel like a never-ending chore. Worse yet, many of the products we use on a daily basis can have harmful effects on our water supply and air quality. The good news? There are plenty of options that are both eco-friendly and effective at keeping your house looking fresh—and we've rounded up the best ones out there. And for more ways to get your space spotless, check out these 33 Super Effective Old-School Cleaning Tricks You’ve Never Tried.
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1 | This natural wood polish
AmazonBringing your best furniture back to a youthful luster used to be hard without harsh chemicals, polishes, and waxes. However, thanks to this essential oil-based product, which removes dust and dirt from wooden surfaces while freshening your home with natural citrus aromas, that’s no longer the case.
2 | These reusable bamboo towels
AmazonWiping down, dusting off, and cleaning up usually requires a hefty amount of paper towels to get the job done, but all of that waste goes straight to the landfill when you're finished. This roll of 20 durable, machine-washable towels is made from bamboo—which naturally grows much faster than trees or cotton—and replaces 60 paper towels, saving both your budgetand the planet in one fell swoop.
3 | These natural dish detergent packs
TargetIt can be hard to imagine how many chemicals are released into the water system with every run of the dishwasher. If you want to protect the planet, start by making the switch to these convenient detergent packs, which are free of fragrances, dyes, phosphates, and chlorine bleach.
4 | This plant-based cleaner
AmazonTraditional surface cleaners are loaded with harsh chemicals, synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulfates, and optical brighteners. This product swaps out those industrial ingredients for naturally antiseptic tea tree oil and other mineral and plant-based cleaners, which will leave your home looking clean and smelling fresh. And for more ways to keep your house clean before you even reach for the supplies, check out these 50 Easy Home Tips That Will Instantly Save Your Sanity.
5 | This eco-friendly pet cleaner
AmazonPicking up after Fido’s accidents can be one of the trickiest clean-ups around the house, but that doesn't mean you need to resort to harsh chemicals to get the job done. This earth-friendly product can lift stains and smells out of clothes, carpets, rugs, or other water-safe surfaces with just a couple of sprays.
6 | This versatile organic soap
AmazonThere are very few products on the market that are as versatile and Dr. Bronner’s. This eco-friendly and biodegradable castile soap is considered an “18-in-1,” which is safe to dilute and use on your face, body, hair, food, dishes, laundry, mopping, pets, and for general cleaning around the house, because it has no synthetic preservatives, detergents, or foaming agents added.
7 | This natural shower cleaner
AmazonSoap scum and mildew can be some of the hardest home messes to clean, but there’s no reason to resort to harsh bleach and ammonia to get your shower clean. This non-toxic product can get those surfaces sparkling with its combination of tea tree oil and eucalyptus, leaving your shower both clean and smelling fresh. And for more ways to refresh your bathroom, check out these 20 Bathroom Accessories That Will Totally Reinvent Your Space.
8 | This multi-surface concentrate
TargetKeeping your counters and floors shining clean and smelling great doesn’t have to mean compromising your eco-warrior stance. This basil-scented multi-surface cleaner concentrate works in all rooms of the house with just a little dilution—and can also help save on storage space.
9 | These loofah dish scrubbers
Traditional household sponges are loaded with plastics and other materials that make them environmentally unsound to produce and mean they take forever to decompose in a landfill. These durable loofah scrubbers, on the other hand, come packed in brown paper, are designed to use less liquid soap on your dishes, and can be composted when they're worn out.
10 | This natural carpet cleaner
AmazonIndustrial carpet and upholstery shampoos are usually loaded with sulfates, chlorine, bleach, and synthetic fragrances. This environmentally-sound concentrate has naturally-derived detergents and deodorizers, and will safely lift dirt, stains, and odors either by hand or with your carpet cleaning machine.
11 | These biodegradable trash bags
AmazonPlastic products are one of the leading sources of the pollution problems plaguing the planet—and shopping and trash bags are among the biggest contributors to the issue. If you want an earthy-friendly alternative, these certified compostable bags are made from natural plant starches, meaning they can be tossed in with your usual compostables right at home.
12 | This naturally fresh-smelling all-purpose cleaner
TargetGiving your home an eco-friendly clean doesn't mean you have to forgo it smelling clean, too. This bio-based product will leave your home smelling naturally fresh, thanks to a hint of biodegradable perfume.
13 | This classic all-purpose cleaner
AmazonNot all earth-friendly products are new to the market. Bon Ami—a tried and true product that's been around for years— is made with coconut and corn oils and without chlorine or dye, making it an excellent eco-friendly solution for tough messes.
14 | This citrus-based degreaser
AmazonCutting through kitchen grease might seem impossible without harsh cleaners, but this citrus-based biodegradable cleaner has been a food service industry favorite for years. And once you’ve got things sparkling clean, you may want to check out these 25 Kitchen Decorations That Will Completely Transform Your Space.
15 | This vegan dish soap
AmazonWe’ve always wanted our dish soaps to be tough on grease and easy on hands—and, as it turns out, they can still be easy on the planet as well. This German-made vegan soap is wildly popular in Europe, made with 100 percent biodegradable plant-based surfactants, and it even arrives in sustainable recycled packaging.
16 | These bottle-saving cleaning concentrates
AmazonEco-friendly products should help the planet top to bottom, and that includes reducing the plastic waste created by empty bottles. Not only do these concentrated tablets make it easy to refill that bottle instead of tossing out, but they’re also formulated with plant and mineral-based ingredients.
17 | These biodegradable sponges
AmazonKeeping your dishes clean shouldn’t come at the cost of making the planet dirtier. Formulated with walnut shells and other natural ingredients, these soap-infused sponges are durable yet biodegradable, meaning they won’t clog up landfills like their plastic counterparts.
18 | This natural glass cleaner
AmazonMost glass cleaners use harsh ammonia as a base, which can be problematic for anyone with allergies or sensitivities. This vinegar and plant-ingredient based product will get smoke, dirt, and grease off of your windows, mirrors, and appliances without the pungent aftereffects.
19 | This plant-based toilet cleaner
AmazonIf you’re looking to help the environment, swapping out your bleach-based toilet bowl cleaner for this essential oil-based product is an easy and effective way to start. Plus, it decalcifies and smells naturally fresh! And for even more ways to get rid of grime, check out these 20 Amazing Tricks for Cleaning Your Bathroom.
20 | This toilet bowl ring remover
AmazonBesides using a cleaning product with eco-friendly ingredients on your toilet, you can tackle tough stains with this natural pumice stone scrubber. It’s one of the easiest ways to get rid of lime and rust build-ups there is! And for more home essentials, check out these 27 Genius Products Every Homeowner Should Own.
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