The Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Spring has arrived here in the UK. We’ve been delighted to see some sunny days where we are, and daffodils are springing up everywhere we look.

With Spring comes the urge to spring clean and get everything fresh for the days ahead. But unfortunately, cleaning with your usual supermarket products causes big problems for the environment.

No need to worry, though; we have your back with our list of the best eco-friendly cleaning products, everything from toilet cleaner to laundry detergent; you’ll find all your spring cleaning needs covered here.

Why Should You Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products?

There are two significant environmental concerns connected to the cleaning products we traditionally buy from the supermarket: the harsh chemicals they contain and the plastic waste they produce.

The chemicals in cleaning products are the primary source of worry. Thousands of chemicals are commonly used, and many have not been tested for safety, even though their effects are well recognised. They have the potential to pollute streams and rivers and take a long time to decay into less harmful compounds. Some materials may not degrade at all, but they can persist in the environment. These may enter the food chain, being eaten by aquatic creatures and perhaps eventually by us. When consumed or absorbed through the skin, they may have harmful effects.

There are also concerns about the air pollution these products cause, especially those we spray or that are heavily scented with synthetic fragrances made from more chemicals. Many cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) in cleaning products that can affect indoor air quality and add to outdoor smog.

Some laundry detergents are now completely biodegradable; some break down faster than others. They still contain chemicals that might create difficulties. Many products also contain enzymes, bleaches, brighteners, and fragrances. These compounds may aggravate the condition of those with sensitive skin or allergies.

Many containers are not made from recyclable materials or mixed plastics, which are hard to recycle. Empty bottles often end up in landfills. Some heavy-duty cleaning products may contain hazardous materials.

So, lots of chemicals causing water and air pollution, harm aquatic life, and lots of single-use or problematic plastic packaging. Fortunately, many ethical companies are responding to the demand for eco-friendly products, and we are happy to share some of our favourites here.

Zero Waste Cleaning Products

One of the best ways to buy eco-friendly cleaning supplies is choosing refillable bottles for your household essentials.

Switch to plastic-free cleaning and hand wash refills with Raindrop. The same great cleaning you're used to, just without the plastic waste. An ethical eco cleaning brand, their eco-friendly cleaning and hand wash products are vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic and palm oil-free.

Raindrop's plastic-free hand soap and cleaning products use super concentrated drops that dissolve in water, meaning that you can get 95% of the cleaning fluid from your tap.

The drops are wrapped in polyvinyl, which is not plastic, despite sounding like it. It is dissolvable and biodegradable and actually forms part of the chemistry of the cleaning product.

Raindrop will last just as long as your regular big brand cleaning and soap products. Maybe a bit longer, you can use this cleaner very sparingly. Their packaging is 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and FSC Certified.

We love their Plastic-Free Anti-Bac Spray Bottle For Life and Three Refills Pack, which kills bacteria yet has biodegradable ingredients. Arriving with an amber glass spray bottle made from 50% recycled glass and their anti-bac cleaning drops. These are lightly scented with pine and are just as powerful as the household brands you are used to.

All parts of the packaging are biodegradable and plastic-free. Raindrop also donates 10% of its profits to clean water charitable causes.

Purdy And Figg Refillable All-Purpose Cleaners

Another one of our favourite eco cleaning companies, using all-natural ingredients and offering plastic-free cleaning, is Purdy and Figg.

We love their One Non-Toxic Cleaner that you can use on all surfaces. Free from any harsh and toxic chemicals Purdy & Figg cleaning products are entirely plant-based, paraben-free and GMO-free with natural essential oils and no synthetic fragrance or dangerous preservatives.

Ultra-concentrated, naturally scented, eco-friendly cleaning power that you dilute at home with tap water and designed to clean all the surfaces in your home. Their Eco Concentrate Surface Cleaner can be used on kitchen counters and stone, bath and enamel, glass and mirrors and even wood and floors.

Purdy and Figg’s 20ml concentrates fill 13x their volume to create 300ml of plant-powered multi-surface cleaner with 100% pure essential oils. Their technology allows flavour and aroma from the essential oils to be extracted properly, so they don’t need to use synthetic perfumes.

Phthalate-free, cruelty-free, with Purdy & Figg products, you are only breathing in natural plant-powered cleaners which have no negative impact on your microbiome or lung health. In fact, the essential oils used actively promote a healthy gut.

Made in the UK, we highly recommend these plastic-free, refillable products; Purdy and Figg are a great example of an authentic eco cleaning brand.

Splosh Refillable Toilet Cleaner

If you are looking for an environmentally friendly, refillable toilet cleaner, look no further than Splosh’s refillable option.

With a nozzle designed to reach right under the rim, this powerful product is tough on bacteria and limescale but gentle on the environment. Unlike many other cleaners on the market, it's mainly plant-derived, which means it will biodegrade quickly once it’s out of sight down your drain. This product is cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and septic tank safe.

We love that they have a Splosh Bottle-ometer that lets you count how many bottles you’ve stopped going to waste. Every time you buy a refill, your Bottle-ometer score goes up. So you can see the difference you’re making to the planet, one refill at a time.

Splosh products are delivered as concentrates in refill pouches, then diluted at home with tap water. They’re around three or four times more concentrated than comparable products in supermarkets, which mean they need three or four times less plastic packaging. When you refill with one of the pouches, you’re cutting plastic waste by around 95%. Also, if you return your pouches to Splosh, they will either re-use them as crinkly pouches or make them into entirely new products. That means you’ll have cut your plastic waste by 100%!

Splosh offer a range of eco-friendly solutions.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning With The Health Of Both You And The Planet In Mind

If you want your home, your clothes and bedroom linen to smell gorgeously clean and fresh but are worried about toxic ingredients, look no further than our next two recommendations.

Eco Friendly Laundry Products

For everything laundry, try Wilton Laundry products.

They have packed their formulas with natural essential oils to leave your laundry with an indulgent & botanical scent.

Wilton decided to kick out the nasty stuff and harnessed the powers of mother nature, so our formulas are kind to the environment and gentle on everything from your woolly jumpers to your silky panties. They took a new approach to fragrance and created a line of botanical scents in which essential oils take centre stage. As a result, your home and laundry will smell fantastic.

And of course, it's more than just about smelling clean; Wilton is a certified BCorp Business, choosing to put people, planet and community first. Their formulas are designed to be kind to the environment, and they are always looking at ways to reduce the impact their products have on the planet.

They use recycled, and recyclable plastic for their bottles and their online orders are shipped with plastic-free packaging.

We love the smell of their Jasmine Laundry Liquid Detergent and Fabric Conditioner· Eco friendly, vegan, biodegradable and non-bio. This eco-friendly laundry detergent and fabric softener is natural essential oils to leave your laundry with an indulgent & botanical scent. With only naturally derived ingredients in our formulas - for example, they use ingredients derived from the humble chicory root and mighty soybeans.

Made in the UK and registered with the Vegan Society, the Vegan Society, their products contain no GMO, no animal-derived ingredients, and they don't test on animals; your conscience will be as clean as your clothes if you use this laundry detergent!

Plant Based Ingredients, Sustainable And No-Toxic Cleaning For Your Family

Tincture started when a mother of four children searched for high-performance, non-toxic cleaning products that were totally safe to use around the entire family, including their pets, with no strong chemicals that didn't exacerbate her children's conditions such as asthma and eczema. She wanted safe, effective products and yet did not want the entire house to smell of vinegar!

After thoroughly researching the market, she discovered that most cleaning products contain ingredients not only harmful to the environment but also our health and well-being.

And so Tincture was born, where care has gone into every single ingredient, which are only used if 100% natural, sustainable and non-toxic. Tinture uses the power of nature to clean and restore your home without the use of artificial or synthetic ingredients.

All of their products are 100% natural and made from plant-based actives, essential oils and botanical extracts. They are also fully biodegradable, with all ingredients used sourced from sustainable sources.

The bottles they use are made from PP plastic containing silver to ensure the bottle material stays bacteria free at all times, making it safe for multi-use. The bottle is also fully recyclable.

The sleeves on the bottles are made from FSC certified paper and registered with the World Land Trust, where the emissions are offset by the purchase and preservation of endangered areas and natural rainforest.

We recommend their Chemical Free Starter Set, containing an all-purpose cleaner, washing up liquid, bathroom cleaner, floor cleaner and glass cleaner.

Tincture’s whole range is perfect for people and families with sensitive skin or allergies.

Don’t Forget Eco Friendly Cleaning Cloths

Many of us don’t realise our dishcloths are made out of microfibres, which are a kind of plastic. Every time you wash this synthetic fabric, millions of microfibres are released into the waters. As the name implies, microfibres are too small to be filtered out by waste treatment plants, so they end up in our waterways and oceans, wreaking havoc on marine animal health and our environment.

These plastics make their way into the bellies of marine animals, and people have found plastics mostly in fish and bottled water. A study done by the WWF says that people are now ingesting up to 2000 tiny pieces of plastic per day - around five grams worth a week.

So, switching to an eco-friendly dishcloth for cleaning and washing up is a no brainer in the fight against plastic waste.

Our organic cotton dishcloths are both practical and stylish. These dishcloths are made from knitted cotton and make a valuable and attractive addition to your kitchen. They're highly absorbent and durable; they will really work hard for you.

Made from organic cotton, when they have reached the end of their natural life, simply cut it into strips and place it into your compost bin; it will fully biodegrade back into our earth.

Or you might prefer our compostable Swedish dishcloth, an incredible and eco-friendly alternative to the traditional synthetic sponge or microfibre cleaning cloth.

These cloths can be used all around the house, on bathroom surfaces and kitchen countertops. These are made in Sweden to create a top-quality, authentic product. They’re hygienic, reusable, and fully biodegradable, made from 70% FSC certified cellulose and 30% waste cotton. The pack contains four different colours. No more mixing up the dishcloth and the bathroom cloth.

These cloths can absorb up to 15 times their own weight, clean up food and drink spills like a charm, and don’t leave streaks behind on windows or appliances. Once the cloth is dirty, you can easily throw it into your dishwasher or washing machine, and it is like new again.

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Wild & Stone's mission is to create stylish, easy to adopt and usable alternatives to common plastic products around the home. We source all our products sustainably, from raw material to final delivery. Shop our wide range today.