The Best Natural Cleaning Products for Every Nook and Cranny in Your Kitchen
We tested a bunch of different brands to find everything from our favorite wipes to floor cleaner.
Building a clean, sustainable future isn’t just a trend; it’s a new way of living. You can’t unsee those reports about all the chemicals lurking in our processed foods or the amount of waste we create in one year alone, so it’s important to invest in products that are made with your and Mother Nature’s wellbeing in mind.
You might’ve switched to organic produce and invested in some metal straws, but have you cleaned up your cleaning routine?
Eco-conscious cleaning supplies are often met with skepticism: Don’t you need harsh chemicals to clean every nook and cranny? Aren’t they expensive? Do they even work?
Curious to see what’s available on the market, I received a boatload of responsible cleaning products. Some of these products impressed me so much that I actually threw my conventional, and chemical-laden cleaning products away. Best of all, most of them are pretty affordable.
Choosing a favorite responsible cleaning brand is virtually impossible, but there were some products that were good for certain tasks. Below, the best products to clean up your cleaning routine.
(Psst...have a eco-conscious cleaning brand you love? Go ahead and share it with us. We’d love to know!)
BUY IT: Target, $2.89
You may not use cleaning wipes on every square inch of your home, but they come in handy if you want to wipe down a tabletop or have a spill that needs to be cleaned, stat. Target’s new brand, Everspring, feaures a range of cleaning supplies that use natural fibers as well as biobased or recycled materials. Its cleaning wipes are cruelty free, non-toxic, and, best of all, they work. I spilled a big clump of pasta sauce all over my pristine white kitchen walls (yikes!) and these wiped away the fresh mess in one swipe.
BUY IT: Target, $3.99
I’ve been washing my dishes by hand for the past five years, so I take my dish soap very seriously. For the past five years, washing dishes has always felt like a long, grueling process; however, Love Home & Planet’s soap seemed to speed up the process. Whether it’s my dish soap or face wash, I like when my cleansers really foam because it gives me the reassurance that it’s really working. Love Home & Planet’s soap foams up nicely, but is easy to rinse off. It may sound simple, but it’s a big improvement from spending three minutes rinsing and re-rinsing each wine glass or sauce pan.
Oh, and did I mention this plant-based cleaner is vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and gluten-free?
BUY IT: Amazon, $11.64
Mrs. Meyer’s has been cleaning favorite for years — and for good reason. With a range of delicious scents, Mrs. Meyer’s makes effective cleaning products that are paraben- and phthalate-free. And while just about every Mrs. Meyer’s product gets the job done, you can’t go wrong with the liquid hand soap. This formula is packed with aloe vera and essential oils to keep your hands clean and soft.
BUY IT: Blueland, $12
Need to clean your microwave doors, glass kitchen cabinets, vases or candle hurricanes? Go for Blueland’s glass cleaner. Free of parabens, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds (a.k.a. VOCs), this direct-to-consumer gem will leave your glass and mirrors clean and streak-free. Plus, I love Blueland’s zero-waste approach. You can use Blueland’s glass spray-bottle over and over again — all you need to do is stock up on its dissolving cleaning tablets, which you mix with warm water.
BUY IT: Jet, $4.47
The responsible cleaning market is in not shortage of all-purpose cleaners, but this option for Jet’s Uniquely J line ticks all the boxes. Free of carcinogens, parabens, chlorine, phthalates, phosphates and formaldehyde, this cleaner was able to tackle tough oil stains and black soot from my candles. Plus, the lemon thyme basil scent is a serious mood-lifter. Sorry Windex, looks like I’ll be using Uniquely J now.
BUY IT: Blueland, $12
From dried egg residue clinging to my burner grates, to the little crumbs that are wedged into any small openings, to excessive oil splatters, I’ll be the first one to admit that my stovetop is a complete mess. And, for the past few years, I thought my stovetop would always be that way.
Until I tried Blueland’s bathroom cleaner, that is.
While this pick is designed for the bathroom, I had a sneaking suspicion that it could work in my kitchen, too. I thought, “If it’s good enough for my bathroom tiles, it might be a good fit for my pesky stove.” And I was right.
There’s something about the mix of citric acid and sodium lauryl sulfate that cut through the grease, showing a significant improvement with one swipe. The results were so impressive, I actually said, “Wow!”
Now, if I could only find a way to clean out those tiny crumbs...
BUY IT: Amazon, $8.49
I’ve been cleaning my floor with “wet pads” for the past five years and, if I’m being completely honest, I’m not impressed. These pre-soaked pads don’t pick up dirt, crumbs or hair (yes, gross) effectively — and only make my floors look even messier. But what’s the alternative? Using an oh-so archaic mop?
Skeptical to shake up my floor cleaning routine, I picked up one a spray bottle of Aunt Fannie’s cleaning vinegar. So far, I’m pleasantly surprised with the results. Vinegar is a great, chemical-free way to clean your space, and all kitchen floor’s grime and grit seems to cling to this formula. Fortunately, there are plenty of scents like eucalyptus and fresh lime mint, so your kitchen won’t smell like vinegar. As the cherry on top of a sustainable sundae, Aunt Fannie’s food-based, microbiomic formulas are designed to work with your body and the space around you.
Of course, there’s only so much ground you can cover with spray bottle and roll of paper towels, but this formula is actually persuading me into buying a mop and some formal floor cleaner.
BUY IT: Branch Basics, $59
Whether you’re living in a small space with limited storage or want to commit to one brand for all your cleaning needs, you might want to give Branch Basics a try. This direct-to-consumer find uses one non-toxic, sugar-based concentrate that you use in different recipes to make glass cleaner, laundry detergent, and so much more. How’s that for multi-purpose?
Related Links:
