Your Guide To Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

As we continue our series of environmentally sustainable practices, you may want to know what types of products and companies offer Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products. Whether you are tired of always using harsh chemicals in your home or it’s part of your effort to use greener brands, cleaning products are among the easiest ways that you can make the switch.

In this blog, we’re focusing on some of the go-to companies if you want to use eco-friendly cleaning products, along with their links so you don’t have to question what’s in that spray bottle.

Top Eco-Friendly Brands

Method

Chicago-based Method is a manufacturer of natural and organic cleaning and body products that are both ethically sourced and made in a Leadership in an Energy and Environmental (LEED) certified facility. The company lists impressive business models in its sustainable manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and recycling practices.

Method adopts multiple, sustainable industry standards and is a certified Cradle-to-Cradle program. (Modeling human industry to natural processes.) All ingredients are listed on the website, even those not used due to toxicity. Probably the one thing we found especially compelling was the fact they produce bottle packaging made from plastics pulled from the ocean.

They have several different products including hand soap (most popular), liquid laundry detergent, dish soap, hardwood floor cleaner, tile cleaner, glass cleaner, and all-purpose cleaner. Each product is delivered in packaging that was recycled from both consumer and industrial sources and meant to be returned to the recycling stream.

Meyer’s

You may recognize Mrs. Meyer’s brand because it has become something of a household favorite. The line has all the natural and organic basics you’d want or need like hand soap, dish soap, multi-surface cleaners, body care and air fresheners. You can also shop by the 25 available scents offered as a “basic set” of hand soap, dish soap and multi-surface cleaner.

Mrs. Meyer’s uses biodegradable formulas and renewable plant materials in the products, so you can feel comfortable about the ingredients being utilized and brought into your home. The company’s website includes a glossary of each ingredient used in production and which product it is found in, even if it’s synthetic. You can go straight to their Amazon Store by following this link.

Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation provides the eco-friendly cleaning products lines of soaps, kitchen cleaners and laundry detergents, but also provide have feminine care, natural baby care as well as home paper and trash bags made of recycled materials.

As with the other manufacturers listed, Seventh Generation has an extensive outlay in the scientific research and manufacturing of sustainable products. They list a glossary of ingredients, how they’re used, and what the environmental impact is.

Being a true leader in the green cleaning movement, the company operates The Seventh Generation Foundation, “…will make grants to non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that promote and improve environmental conservation, the sustainable use of natural resources, and human health and social welfare.”

Grove Collaborative

Grove Collaborative is a subscription-based service that offers their own line of sustainable products, but they also partner with the other companies listed here plus many more. Basically, you pay them a flat fee every month to receive your products but have the option of adjusting the frequency or pausing of deliveries. You can start off with one-time delivery and then add on those refill shipments if you like what you’ve been receiving.

This company also uses sustainable materials and reusable packaging and are a certified B Corporation, an industry mark in which an organization adheres to environmentally conscious standards. In such, all efforts are made to carbon offset each box and they send, the products are non-toxic, cruelty-free, plant-based and operate responsible supply chains.

So, if you prefer your favorites under one online roof, enjoy the convenience of recurring shipments, and the selection from multiple product lines, then this would be a viable solution for going green.

Other Honorable Mentions

So not all purchases have to be eco-friendly cleaning products to be counted as sustainable. Other companies (And I use their products in my home) that make a huge difference to our environment by developing biodegradable and compostable alternatives to plastics deserve to be noted here as well. (Check our blog on reducing plastic use!)

Hippo Sak

What brought me to use this line of trash bags was 1) Hippo Sak uses recycled ocean plastics collected from beaches in third-world countries, 2) they’re made in the USA with natural gas and NOT petroleum and 3) the company carries environmental accreditation and awards for their patented brand of plastic alternatives. And on a personal note, these bags are just plain tough! I’ve yet to break or tear one under above-average use. I’m incredibly happy to have something that works as advertised and is still good for the environment. If you use these bags you will not be disappointed.

Doggy Do Good

I mistakenly used plastic grocery bags to dispose of pet waste for years, having the wrong impression these bags were compostable. Once I found out how harmful they truly were to the environment, I switched to paper bags, with less than optimal results to say the least.

I started using Doggy Do Good for a couple of reasons. First, they are a small, “mom and pop” business which I will always go out of my way to support. Second, they give a portion of their proceeds to animal rescue and no-kill shelters. It’s a win-win in my book. Not to mention I get a warm and sincere thank you email every time I buy something from them. Their product is durable for the purpose, I haven’t broke one yet (which is amazing considering what my pets produce) and I don’t have to worry about the polyethylene in the landfill.

Final Thoughts

We must remember that we, as consumers, have a great deal of leverage with producers in this country and around the world. If we demand more responsibility from our companies, the supply will follow. Economics 101 in action! Even if you don’t shop with any of the companies listed in the blog, reach out to your favorite retailers and ask what they are doing to better our environment. Let them know you’re watching and remind them your buying decisions aren’t guaranteed!

As always, we hope that you’ve been able to pull some good information from our writing and use it in your daily life. If you don’t see something here you want covered, reach out to us through our Contact page or leave a comment below. All the best ~ Glen.