Most cleaning products conceal their formulas from you. They don’t want their competitors obtaining the hard-won secrets. Which is why it’s hard to know exactly what you’re putting on the surfaces of your home.
The only thing you know about a cleanser sometimes is that it has bleach or ammonia.
But what about other things? What kinds of chemicals are actually in there? We’re going to go over those today.
But we also want to give you some alternative cleaning methods from your typical store bought cleaners.
We’re going to give you a list of organic cleaners you can trust.
First, What Chemicals Should You Avoid?
Laws about ingredient transparency for household products are rarely enforced.
Yes. Laws do exist and have been around for half a century or more. Yet, only recently have certain states thought it necessary to enforce the law.
But not all States enforce these laws. And you might end up with a chemical that you don’t want.
What are the offenders? Conventional cleaners contain harmful chemicals like toluene, xylene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and methanol.
Toluene is especially dangerous as it affects your central nervous system.
It can affect your coordination, impair your cognitive function, your vision, and your hearing.
High levels of the stuff can affect your baby if you are pregnant. It may lead to developmental defects such as mental retardation and growth retardation.
Many other ingredients such as formaldehyde are carcinogens and could be harmful in other ways.
So, let’s look at some household cleaners that definitely don’t employ these nasty chemicals. Let’s look at some of the best organic cleaners in no particular order.
1. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day
This is probably one of the more popular all-natural cleaners on the market.
On the bottle, it claims to be aromatherapeutic. This is mainly because it doesn’t use artificial fragrances. Instead, it uses the all-natural essential oils we all like to use in our diffusers at home.
One of the greatest things about Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day is that the company is absolutely transparent about what they put in their product.
So, you can go to their ingredient glossary and see for yourself that it’s safe for you to use in your house.
And you can be sure that you’re helping out the environment when purchasing a bottle. Their bottles are at least 25% post-consumer, recycled plastic.
2. Method
If you’re looking for an all natural spray, then grab some Method.
It doesn’t require any sort of dilution. So, it’s ready to use as soon as you bring it home.
It uses corn-based cleaning salts. These are dirt binding agents. And then it removes grease with its coco oil.
The name they give to this blend is “powergreen technology.” While this is just advertising at it’s finest, the stuff actually does work as well as any bleach based cleaner we’ve ever tried.
3. Free And Clear All Purpose Cleaner From Seventh Generation
Another great spray you can find right in your friendly neighborhood Walmart.
Its first ingredient is water. But the real power is in its glucoside and lauramine oxide.
These are powerful plant based cleaners that will cut straight through any dirt or stain on your countertops.
And the sodium carbonate will keep the cleaner from becoming nasty water spots on your white tiles.
It’s a USDA Certified Biobased Product. And you can be sure it’s safe for your home.
4. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds
Sal Suds looks like something you might find at a large animal vet hospital. But it’s a great concentrate for all purpose cleaning.
You couldn’t get a better plant based surfactant than their plant based than what’s in Sal Suds. And it’s scented with all natural fir needle and spruce essential oils.
So it will smell even better than your Pine-sol and it’s still certified organic and vegan.
It’s also packaged in 100% recycled plastics and materials. So, again, keeping the earth healthy!
5. Shaklee Get Clean Basic H2
If you’re looking for an old stand-by that’s time-tested, then look no further than Shaklee’s product line.
They’ve been in the business of making eco-friendly products for over five decades.
They are one of the first companies in the world to go completely carbon neutral.
If you want something you can use on pretty much all surfaces, get their Get Clean Basic H2.
It’s a concentrate you can use even on windows as well as the kitchen counter. And it will leave every part of your house sparkling.
6. Biokleen All Purpose Cleaner
Another concentrate that will have you singing its organic praises. BioKleen All Purpose Cleaner works in cold water. No need to heat the kettle. Just mix the water and dump it in a spray bottle.
And if you’re living off the grid, it’s absolutely safe for your gray water system. You can totally use it and not fear contaminating what you use for your plants.
7. Simple Green Naturals’ Dilutable Concentrated Cleaner
The great thing about this product is that it’s flexible. The instructions provide various recipes of water and cleaner for tougher and tougher stains.
It’s excellent for mopping. It uses essential oils to scent and clean. And it it’s completely safe to use on things your kids touch. You don’t have to fear poisoning or harmful side effects from the ingredients.
8. Ecover
This is one of the only products that comes in a bottle made of sugarcane plastic. And yes, that’s a real thing!
Like all of these products, it’s organic, plant based, and useful for all surfaces. And instead of your typical pine scent, it’s citrus based. So you get to imagine that you live in a Florida orange grove somewhere.
It even has an anti-streak agent made of fatty acids. With Ecover, you will never have those annoying streaks all over your nice granite countertops.
The Last Word on Organic Cleaners
Of course, these aren’t all the organic cleaners on the market. But they are the ones we think are the best on the market.
If you’re needed a deeper clean than just your household supplies, contact All Star Steam Cleaning to set up an appointment.
