The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

11 best eco-friendly and natural cleaning products that actually work

We’ve found effective detergents for a sparkling, eco-conscious home

Emily Goddard
Friday 11 October 2024 05:15 EDT
We studied ingredients, checked the packaging and put the products’ performance to the test
We studied ingredients, checked the packaging and put the products’ performance to the test (The Independent)
Our Top Picks

A clean home is essential, but at what cost to the planet? For too long, too many of us have used products with harsh and toxic chemicals that can be harmful to humans, wildlife and the environment.

With spray cleaners such as furniture polish, you could inadvertently contribute to air pollution, not to mention breath in toxins.

That washing up liquid we pour down the drain when doing the dishes could cause chemicals to enter waterways and harm aquatic life. Then there is that mountain of plastic waste created when you have gone through your 100th bottle of window cleaner and the like.

While most people are keen to switch out their traditional cleaning products for more environmentally friendly alternatives, some fear formulas without strong chemicals are ineffective at shifting dirt and germs. After testing the products in this round-up, however, we can assure you quite the opposite is true.

We set out on a mission to find the best eco-friendly products that will get the job done while being kinder to the planet. Whether you need a surface cleaning spray that is made from non-toxic ingredients, or a plant-based and biodegradable washing-up liquid, read on to find out which products impressed us the most.

How we tested

We studied ingredients lists, to avoid solutions with harmful toxins and chemicals; checked the packaging, to find reusable or recyclable options; and put the products’ cleaning performance to the test, including on some of the ghastliest grime. It is time to clean up your cleaning act.

The best eco-friendly cleaning products for 2024 are:

  • Best overall – Vermont Soap castile liquid soap, tea tree: £21.50, Liveinthelight.co.uk
  • Best budget buy – Ecozone soap nuts: £6.52, Ecozonedirect.com
  • Best washing-up liquid – Method green tea and citrus washing-up liquid: £3.50, Sainsburys.co.uk
  • Best toilet cleaner – Bio-D toilet cleaner: £2.80, Biod.co.uk
  • Best multi-tasking set – Delphis Eco home hero bundle box: £29.95, Delphiseco.com
  • Best laundry detergent – Tru Earth eco-strips: £13.99, Amazon.co.uk

Vermont Soap castile liquid soap, tea tree

Vermont Soap castile liquid soap, tea tree
  • Best: Overall
  • Size: 1l (473ml and 59ml versions are also available)
  • Why we love it
    • Multipurpose
    • Lovely scent

Cleaning cupboards can so often be crammed with dozens of products for different jobs around the home, and this can result in a lot of waste. This multi-purpose, all-natural wonder from Vermont Soap, however, can clean almost anything, including the car, laundry and even our skin. The liquid soap is made from organic olive, coconut and jojoba oils as well as organic aloe vera, making it environmentally friendly and non-toxic for humans, plants and pets. The bottles are also recyclable and formaldehyde-free.

We added a dash and diluted it with some water in a spray bottle, to clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces; tested it out neat with a load of washing in the machine, and used it to wash dirty dishes. Everything comes up sparkling, and the scent of natural tea tree essential oil and rosemary extract is fresh and vibrant. We think having castile liquid soap in your life is an easy way to reduce the waste your cleaning routine produces, and it gives us extra confidence knowing the product is safe for our families and the environment.

Back to top

Ecozone soap nuts

Ecozone soap nuts
  • Best: Budget buy
  • Size: 300g
  • Why we love it
    • Hypoallergenic
    • Biodegradable
  • Take note
    • Plastic packaging

Putting what look like dried-up dates in the washing machine to clean our clothes felt strange, but soap nuts (or soap berries) have long been used for natural cleaning in south Asia. The little brown husks grow on trees of the Sapindus genus and are a source of saponin, which is a natural soap. They are simple to use: just pop the required amount – we used five in a hard-water area – into the zip-up pouch included and place with your laundry in the machine’s drum. Wash on your usual cycle then leave the soap nuts to dry after use (they can be reused four times). Our laundry came out fresh, clean and odour-free.

Using this organic, non-toxic, hypoallergenic and biodegradable product in place of a chemical laundry detergent is not just kind to the planet but also to your purse, as each wash costs mere pence. Our only complaint is the husks came in a plastic bag inside the linen drawstring bag, and we were not sure if that extra packaging was necessary.

Back to top

Cheeky Panda bamboo anti-bacterial surface wipes

Cheeky Panda bamboo anti-bacterial surface wipes
  • Best: For cleaning in a hurry
  • Size: Pack of 90 wipes
  • Why we love it
    • Strong
    • Kind to skin
    • Can be composted

Wipes are not typically associated with eco-friendly cleaning but these from Cheeky Panda are not your usual sort. They are made from FSC forest certified bamboo, which uses 65 per cent fewer carbon emissions than using trees, and the cleaning solution is made from simply water, aloe vera and fruit extracts, so, they are kind to your hands when mopping up spills. The wipes can also be put in the compost bin after use, and even the packaging is made from recyclable material. We found the wipes surprisingly strong, and they make cleaning up after sticky little fingers a doddle.

Back to top

Smol multi-purpose spray

Smol multi-purpose spray
  • Best: For sparkling surfaces
  • Size: Unspecified
  • Why we love it
    • Free trial available
    • Non-toxic formula
    • Reusable bottle
    • Recyclable packaging

We dread to think how many bottles of spray cleaner we have gone through in our lives. Smol has the answer to this waste problem, though – offering a multi-surface spray with a reusable bottle and a dissolvable tablet that provides the cleaning power when mixed with water.

Keep the bottle for life and buy just the concentrated tablet refills to make more spray. The cleaning performance of the non-toxic spray is excellent, and we liked the fresh scent. We were also impressed with the packaging, because it was 100 per cent recyclable and Forest Stewardship Council approved. You can also get a free trial, to find out if you’re as impressed with this spray as we were.

Back to top

Ecover cream cleaner

Ecover cream cleaner
  • Best: For shifting grease and grime
  • Size: 500ml
  • Why we love it
    • Biodegradable ingredients
    • Fragrance-free
    • No harsh chemicals
    • Recyclable packaging

Tackling stuck-on grime means bringing out the big guns. Traditional cream cleaners can be abrasive and scratch surfaces, but Ecover’s alternative does the job without the damage. We put it to the test on our stainless-steel gas hob and found it tackled even the most burnt-on grease; it was also terrific for cleaning the bathtub. This fully biodegradable cream cleaner is fragrance-free, and there are no harsh chemicals to breathe in or harm aquatic life. It is also not tested on animals, and the packaging is recyclable.

Back to top

Liga lobster and seaweed eco dishcloths

liga.jpg
  • Best: Cleaning cloth
  • Size: 20cm x 17cm x 0.5cm
  • Why we love it
    • Great designs
    • Versatile
    • Reusable

These are technically dishcloths, but we have been using them for all sorts of jobs around the home, not least wiping sideboards with the Smol multi-surface spray and Ecover cream cleaner that are also included in this round-up.

The cloths look fantastic, thanks to the seaside-inspired designs, and they are super absorbent, so they are perfect for mopping up spills. One side is smooth, while the other features textured scrubbing marks, which are brilliant for shifting stuck-on dirt. The best thing about the cloths is they are reusable and easily cleaned with a wash in the dishwasher.

Back to top

Method green tea and citrus washing-up liquid

method.jpg
  • Best: Washing up liquid
  • Size: 532ml
  • Why we love it
    • Biodegradable ingredients
    • Great scent
    • Cruelty-free

Traditional washing-up liquid can be seriously harmful to the environment, aquatic life and even our skin but Method’s offering is made with plant-based and biodegradable ingredients, to limit the damage to the planet. Our dishes came up squeaky clean with this sudsy formula, and the scent is gorgeously zesty. The recyclable bottle also looks super stylish on the sink. Even better, Method products are cruelty-free, and the company uses biodiesel shipping and offsets the carbon emissions it cannot avoid.

Back to top

Bio-D toilet cleaner

Bio-D toilet cleaner
  • Best: Toilet cleaner
  • Size: 750ml
  • Why we love it
    • Free from petrochemicals, phosphates and synthetic perfumes
    • Great results
  • Take note
    • We would have preferred a nicer scent

We all need to be more mindful about what we are putting down the toilet (wipes and sanitary products belong in the bin), and that includes the cleaning products we use. This Bio-D product means business when it comes to ridding bathrooms of limescale, but it does so in an environmentally safe way, as it is free from petrochemicals, phosphates and synthetic perfumes. As soon as this thick product hits the inside of the pan, it appears to begin to fizz. We left it a while to get to work on the nasties before flushing and finding a visibly clean toilet.

  1.  £2 from Biod.co.uk
Prices may vary
Back to top

Delphis eco home hero bundle box

delphis .jpg
  • Best: Multi-tasking set
  • Size: All 700ml bottles, apart from the hand soap (350ml) and the toilet cleaner (750ml)
  • Why we love it
    • Covers myriad cleaning jobs
    • Made with biodegradable plant-based ingredients
    • Recycled packaging

These cleaning products come with a royal stamp of approval, and if something is good enough for the royals, it is good enough for us. This helpful bundle is a simple way to source the tools for all your cleaning needs. Included in the box are an anti-bac kitchen sanitiser spray, multi-purpose spray, toilet cleaner, washing-up liquid, bathroom cleaner, glass and stainless-steel cleaner spray and even an anti-bacterial hand soap for washing your mitts after the cleaning is done.

We were impressed with the cleaning performance of the products and like that they are made with biodegradable plant-based ingredients and contain no toxins or strong chemicals. Interestingly, Delphis Eco is the first brand in the UK to make its packaging entirely from domestic recycled plastic milk bottles.

Back to top

Tru Earth eco-strips

Tru Earth eco-strips
  • Best: Laundry detergent
  • Size: 32 strips per pack
  • Why we love it
    • Great scent
    • Suitable for people with sensitive skin
    • Compact, compostable packaging

The fact that 32 washes worth of laundry detergent are contained inside this tiny flat packet blows our minds. Each eco-strip contains a measured amount of ultra-concentrated eco-friendly product, and they dissolve entirely, even on cold washes. Simply tear off one strip per load and either place it in the detergent drawer or in the drum with your laundry.

We loved the scent of the fresh linen variety and the fact this product is ideal for people with sensitive skin. We also like that the cardboard packaging is super compact, taking up hardly any space in our cupboards, and is compostable – this really is a zero-waste cleaning product.

Back to top

Tincture London glass, mirror, steel tincture

Tincture London glass, mirror, steel tincture
  • Best: For crystal clear windows
  • Size: 475ml
  • Why we love it
    • Great scent
    • Safe to use around pets and babies
    • Refills available

Stainless steel is notoriously tricky to keep looking sparkling and smear-free but we think we have found the answer to our prayers in this natural cleaner. Inside the chic spray bottle is a planet-friendly ammonia-free formula made with clove, eucalyptus and thyme oils along with chamomile extract, and it left our windows and mirrors crystal clear and stainless steel looking its best.

The spray has a beautiful scent and is safe for use around pets and babies, because it is free from all toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances. When you have used up the bottle, keep hold of it (we wouldn’t want to throw this stylish item away anyway) and use it again and again with Tincture’s refills, which come in a recyclable glass bottle.

Back to top

The verdict: Natural cleaning products

Vermont Soap castile liquid soap gives us the chance to do away with dozens of cleaning products for numerous different jobs, dramatically limiting plastic waste. The other huge plus is it is 100 per cent natural, making it safe for the planet and us. These reasons are why it is easily our best buy. We have also become huge fans of using Tru Earth eco-strips to clean our laundry and would recommend them to anyone. Good things really do come in small packages.

Want more cleaning recommendations? Check out our guides to the best vacuum cleaners

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in