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These are the absolute best eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners we’ve found

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For those who prefer an eco-friendly household, it can be difficult to find effective cleaning products. While there are many on the market, it’s a challenge to determine which ones are best when it’s time to make a choice. Of course, you can always work with the old-fashioned homemade options (i.e. lemons, baking soda, and vinegar, for example), but for those who want a pre-made product, it can be hard to find anything affordable.

The good news is there are several affordable all-purpose eco-friendly cleaning products out there, and each one has earned high marks from various companies on their efficacy and prices. So, without further adieu, let’s take a closer look at the absolute best eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners we’ve found!

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Seventh Generation Free & Clear All-Purpose Cleaner:

If you’re concerned about germs or really need a fragrance-free product, this cleaner should do the trick. A well-known eco-friendly brand said to kill 99.99 percent of household germs including Influenza A virus, the common cold, H1N1, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and more (on specifically hard, nonporous surfaces), this product should put any germ-worried mind at ease. It’s also completely fragrance-free (not even lightly scented) and has no color.

Eco-conscious folks will like that Seventh Generation uses recycled packaging and sustainable sourcing, and has long been an advocate for earth-friendly products and policies as well. Get a 23-ounce spray bottle of Seventh Generation Free & Clear All-Purpose Cleaner for $4.00 at Walmart.

Blueland Multi-Surface Cleaner

Originally seen on Shark Tank, Blueland is a newer company focused on sustainability through limiting single-use plastics. Their Clean Up Kit offers 3 reusable bottles made to last forever and 3 refill tablets for diluting to refill the cleaning solutions (Multi-Surface, Bathroom, Glass & Mirror). Each refill tablet makes 20 ounces of cleaning solution. Need to order more refill tablets? No worries — they’re only $2.00.

Their ingredients list is easy to access, and the cleaning solutions are safe for the entire household including pets and children. Get the Blueland Clean Up Kit for $30.00 on the Blueland site.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Basil Scent Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner

Clean every surface in your home with this fresh-scented all-purpose cleaner. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Basil Scent Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner is easy on the skin with its plant-derived ingredient list and gentle essential oil fragrance blends. Aside from our favorite basil scent, you can choose from geranium, honeysuckle, rosemary, mint, rose, lavender, lemon verbena, lilac, and Iowa pine for your multi-surface everyday cleaner.

What’s more? Mrs. Meyer’s formulas are also vegan, paraben-free, American-made, biodegradable, cruelty-free, and Leaping Bunny-certified. Get a 16-ounce spray bottle at Walmart for $4.00.

Meliora’s Cleaning Products Gentle Home Scrub

When you need some gentle grit to your scrub, try Meliora’s. With a light and invigorating tea tree oil and mint scent, this scrub is perfect for scouring everything from tubs, basins and stove tops to stainless steel fixtures, poolside tiles, sticky or grimy garage spills, and more. Free of all synthetic fragrance and dyes, Meliora’s products are all 100% biodegradable, safe for the whole household including children and pets, and certified cruelty-free.
Ingredient list? We’re glad you asked. Here it is:
  • Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
  • Vegetable Soap [Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Water]
  • Organic Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
  • Organic Melaleuca Alternafolia Leaf (Tea Tree) Oil

Impressed? Get your 12-ounce can at Amazon for $14.00.

ECOS

Family-owned and powered by 100% renewable sources, ECOS offers a bevy of sustainable, plant-derived, biodegradable, pH balanced, cruelty-free cleaning products. Their popular all-purpose cleaner is known for its effective removal of everything from grease to grime on any kitchen or bathroom surface, leaving no residue behind. All ECOS products are free of dyes, formaldehyde, and animal ingredients, and they’re also septic safe.

Our favorite ECOS formula contains a delightful kick of fresh ginger for an original scent that brightens up the mood of the room as you clean. (If you don’t like ginger, there are several other scents to choose from.) This spray works best when applied to water-safe surfaces.

Get a 22-ounce spray bottle at Vitacost for $4.00.

Puracy Multi-Surface, Natural All Purpose Cleaner

With a light scent of organic lemongrass and a non-toxic, natural, hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, biodegradable formula, Puracy Multi-Surface, Natural All-Purpose Cleaner is guaranteed to safely clean any non-fabric surface without any residues left behind. Named the “best all-purpose cleaner” by the New York Times, this solution successfully clears away everything from dirt to tree sap to grease and oil  — and it works on every type of solid surface. Made in the USA, this formula is 99.5% natural and donates to local charities with every purpose.

Get a 2-pack of 25-ounce spray bottles for $12.00 on Amazon.

Method Home

A Certified B Corporation (meaning they meet certain sustainability and environmental standards), Method Home is cruelty-free, sticks with eco-friendly, recycled packaging, and uses only renewable energy. Their naturally derived products can be found in countless homes across the globe now since their start in 2001. This company makes everything from home cleaning products to hand washing soaps, body washes, laundry and dish detergents, and more. Choose from stimulating fragrances like crisp apple, clementine, grapefruit, lavender, and ginger yuzu when you buy yours.

Get your 28-ounce spray bottle for $6.00 on Vitacost.

Simple Green

Everyone’s all-time favorite, the zesty-scented Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is often meant to be diluted (check your package for dilution instructions please) as it frequently arrives in concentrated form. Once prepared properly, clean everything in sight! Simple Green removes all the dirt and grime you could hope for with their safe, non-toxic formula. It works on most surfaces, but skip the unfinished wood, suede, leather, and certain jewelry.

Want to give a little boost to your laundry detergent? Add 1/4 cup full-strength (not diluted) Simple Green to your laundry, alongside your regular detergent at regular measurement, while the machine fills with water. Throw in your laundry and wash, rinse as usual. The results will be a pleasing surprise!

Get a pack of 3 22-ounce spray bottles for $34.00 on Amazon.

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