The Best Sustainable and Nontoxic Cleaning Products For Your Home
Let’s talk cleaning—but make it low-waste, vegan, and non-toxic. I used to think eco-friendly cleaning meant sacrificing effectiveness or spending a small fortune, but after lots of trial and error, I’ve finally found products that actually work and align with my values.
My number one recommendation is to do most of your deep cleaning with my favorite formula: white vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and tea tree oil. These are simple ingredients that you can find easily, are affordable, vegan, and non-toxic (but be careful with tea tree oil because it can be toxic for pets!). I use this mixture mostly for deep cleaning, mainly in the bathroom (works great for the bathtub, especially with a bit of eco detergent and hot water), drains, the dishwasher, and the oven. However, for cleaning surfaces like countertops or the fridge I use other sustainable products, which I’ll list below!
Whether you’re just starting your sustainability journey or looking to upgrade your everyday habits, here are my go-to cleaning essentials that keep my home fresh without trashing the planet.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliated; I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. These brands have been carefully chosen because they are committed to sustainability!
THE BEST ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTS: VEGAN, LOW-WASTE, NON TOXIC, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE THAN YOUR CONVENTIONAL ONES
Photo Credit: Zero Waste Store
VEGAN DISH BLOCK
by Zero Waste Store
If you want to reduce plastic in your kitchen, a great way is to start buying dish soap in a bar. It’s long-lasting, as it equals to 3 bottles of conventional dish soap!
Made with sustainable soap bark and coconut-based cleansing agents, this product is vegan, palm-oil and fragrance free nontoxic, and very gentle on your hands!
This soap is very versatile, as it can be used to clean dishes, but also to wipe down countertops and tables, spot clean stained clothes and carpets, or even remove adhesive labels off glass jars.
Photo Credit: SaveTrees
SWEDISH DISHCLOTHS
by Save Trees
Over 13 billion pounds of paper towels are used in the U.S. each year, leading to the loss of 110 million trees and 130 billion gallons of water annually—just for single-use drying.
A big R of sustainability is REUSE. Replacing single-use paper towels with reusable dishcloths is a great way of being more sustainable at home.
They dry quickly, leave no smell, and are compostable, not to mention they are the cutest! Add some color to your house and send some love to the environment by making Swedish dishcloths part of your eco must-haves.
Photo Credit: Blueland
MULTI-SURFACE CLEANER STARTER SET
by Blueland
I bought this starter set when I first decided to try Blueland products. I was looking for a surface cleaner that I could use abundantly (and softer than vinegar), but I didn’t want to buy a plastic bottle over and over again. This set provides the bottle and the tablets, and you just need to add water!
Once you have this bottle, or if you already have a spray bottle at home, you only need to buy the tablets as a refill!
This product is free from parabens, VOCs, ammonia, phthalates, chlorine, bleach, and are vegan and cruelty-free. Blueland is also a B-Certified Corporation, and Climate Neutral certified.
Photo Credit: Koala Eco
ALL THE ECO CLEANING PRODUCTS
by Koala Eco
This is one of my favorite sustainable brands for cleaning, laundry, and body products–and cutest branding! They even have an eco-friendly dog wash!
Their entire shop is amazing, so it’s great news that they sell bundles. This one includes every best seller: dish soap, kitchen cleaner, fruit & vegetable wash, hand wash, and my two personal favorite ones: glass cleaner and floor cleaner.
Koala Eco is Australian-Certified and Made-Safe Certified Toxic Free, not tested on animals, vegan, and they donate 1% for the Planet. Their bottles are also recycled, recyclable, and reusable.
Photo Credit: Zero Waste Store
VEGETABLE BRUSH
by Zero Waste Store
This brush is made with fibers from yucca and agave, which sound yummy, but also sustainable! I love this brush because it has dual power (the brown bristles are harder than the lighter-color ones). I use it to scrub stains on the floor or on the carpet, and it’s holding on even after so many years and so much use (and boy, do I scrub hard!).
It’s a great way to replace plastic scrubbers, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because this plant-based brush is eco-friendly, as it can be composted at the end of its life.
Photo Credit: Me Mother Earth
ECO DISH SPONGE
by Me Mother Earth
It may come as a surprise to some of you that conventional kitchen sponges are made of plastic. As they are short-lived, millions of them will end up in the landfill and will take hundreds of years to biodegrade (and will leave traces of plastic behind).
This sustainable alternative to sponges is made from Loofah, which is, basically, a plant! It’s therefore compostable and 100% biodegradable. It comes with a cotton loop that is very convenient for hanging it and letting it dry. You’ll get 3 sponges if you buy it, and the good news is, they can also be used in the shower!
Photo Credit: Zero Waste Store
MULTI USE HOME CLEANING POWDER
by Zero Waste Store
Sustainability is also about efficiency, so this eco-product is perfect to clean your house without the toxicity. This powerful 3-in-1 powder will wash up to 25 loads of laundry, 25 dishwasher cycles, and can be mixed with water to be used as a multipurpose cleaner.
The sticker and the bag are completely biodegradable, and can be cut into small pieces to add to your home compost.
What are your favorite go-to cleaning products that are more sustainable? Let me know in the comments below!
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Hi, I’m Melina,
I’m the creator of Sustainable Rookie, and my goal is to share what I learn throughout my sustainability journey, so that I can help other people live a more conscious life.
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