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One day 12 years ago, I found myself on my hands and knees, scrubbing the walls of our house. It was during the nesting phase of my pregnancy that I realized how much the fumes were affecting me. Back then, non-toxic cleaning products weren’t as readily available as they are now, but from that point, I made it a mission to find non-chemical cleaners that were safe for my baby and for the environment. Sometimes that also meant getting out the good ol’ vinegar and bicarb soda.
The Best Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Thankfully, brands have finally caught up with consumer demand, and the “clean” cleaning product market is booming. Awareness and education about the health implications of toxic chemicals have also made us choose cleaner beauty products and non-toxic cookware. But with so many brands to choose from, what are the best non-toxic cleaning products to buy?
Ahead, we share some of our favorite non-toxic cleaning products that actually work (including one brand five of our editors use!) along with the chemicals you should steer clear of.
What to Toss
If you’re ready to swap to clean cleaning products then it’s time to ditch the toxic chemicals once and for all. Some key ingredients to avoid include:
Methylisothiazolinone, ammonia, butyl cellosolve/glycol ether, parabens, phosphates, synthetic fragrance, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, 1-4 Dioxane, fragrance, dye, synthetic foaming agents, unnatural preservatives, water softening agents, pH adjusters, formaldehyde, bleach, artificial colors, and buffering agents.
Just like your food or beauty ingredient lists, always do your research. Look up the names of ingredients you’re unsure of, keep a list of the ones you want to avoid in your phone notes app, and typically (but not always) the fewer ingredients listed the better.
Healthier Non-Toxic Swaps
When possible, choose fragrance-free or all-natural organic products. Look for essential oils on the ingredients list for fragrance instead. (But opt out altogether if you’re sensitive to fragrances.) Use simple detergents and soaps with short ingredient lists, and avoid antibacterial products with triclosan for home use.
White vinegar is always a great choice for general cleaning and can also replace your fabric softener or dryer sheets—or opt for wool dryer balls.
Tea tree oil is another great antibacterial, antifungal alternative to chemical disinfectants. If you’re looking for an effective all-purpose germ-killing cleaner, simply add a few drops of tea tree oil and a tablespoon of vinegar to water (option to add your favorite essential oil for fragrance), then mix it all together in a spray bottle and start cleaning.
For stubborn surfaces like the bathroom, kitchen sink, or stovetops, I always reach for Bon Ami unscented powder. It’s made from natural ingredients like ground feldspar and baking soda without the added bleach, chlorine, dyes, or perfumes. It also doesn’t scratch surfaces. A hot tip for cleaning the toilet bowl: mix some vinegar with Borax powder.
Read on for more healthy swaps!
Starter Sets
Supernatural Cleaning Starter Set
When this set came out, it changed the game and helped launch more brands with a similar concept. Basically, you buy the starter set with four glass bottles—glass + mirror cleaner, counter + Granite cleaner, wood + floor cleaner, bath + tile cleaner. Simply add the Supernatural concentrate vials for each into the spray bottles with water. All you need to do is buy a new concentrate vial when you run out. So genius and they all smell amazing, too.
Blueland The Clean Essentials Kit
The Blueland range is based on a similar concept to Supernatural. You buy the set but instead of a concentrate in a separate bottle, Blueland founder, Sarah Paiji Yoo, saved any additional environmental waste by turning the ingredients into cleaning tablets that dissolve in the water. I really love this waste-free, sustainable approach.
Homecourt Kitchen Trio
These sleek, simple, and minimalist bottles keep my under-the-sink storage from looking like a disaster (anyone relate?). It comes with a surface cleaner, hand wash, and dish soap in five elevated fragrance options. Because my hands often feel stripped of moisture and natural oils after cleaning, I love that the brand thought to formulate its argan oil-infused hand wash for a gentle cleanse. Click through for your cleanest clean.
Branch Basics Premium Starter Kit
When I reached out to the Camille Styles editorial team to share the best non-toxic cleaning products they’ve tried, I was shocked when five of them replied at the same time with the same brand. That brand is Branch Basics. It helps our team pare down on single-use plastics and is Made Safe Certified, which means it’s made without the 6,500+ toxic chemicals known to be harmful to both humans and the environment.
Koala Eco Home Gift Collection
This company checks off all the boxes when it comes to creating beautifully fragrant, non-toxic products that still keep your home fresh and squeaky clean. This starter set includes the brand’s dish soap, multi-purpose cleaner, and hand wash. Each contains fragrances that’ll give every corner of your home major spa-like vibes.
Kitchen Cleaners
Biom All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes Starter Kit
Not only are these cleaning wipes a minimalist homeowner’s dream, but they also boast a plant-based and biodegradable seal. The wipes are gentle (safe on surfaces and skin!) and have a subtle, lovely scent in either grapefruit or lavender. They’re perfect for when you need to clean messy hands and countertops. And how cute is that refillable dispenser?
Cymbiotika Dish Soap Kit
That’s right, one of our favorite supplement brands also does non-toxic cleaning products. If you’re looking to make a non-toxic shift in the kitchen, then this Dish Soap Kit set is a good place to start. It will keep your dishes clean without the nasty chemicals and it looks nice, too.
Public Goods Surface Cleaner
Public Goods is all about making clean, sustainable cleaning products accessible to everyone. All of their products are affordable and effective. I also really love the branding.
Grove Co. Dishwasher Detergent Packs
Finding an effective but clean dishwasher detergent wasn’t always easy until now. This one does double duty and it’s good value.
Puracy Natural Dishwasher Detergent Packs
If you haven’t heard of Puracy, it’s time to get on board. I am a big fan of their surface cleaner (more on that later) so I can only imagine these have to be worth every penny as well.
Blueland Dishwasher Starter Set
I love that these dishwasher tabs come in this convenient and chic little case. Just buy the refills and save on water and waste.
L’Avant Collective High Performing Hand Soap
Every time I wash my hands with L’Avant Collective’s soap, it’s a luxe reminder to romanticize the little things in life. The bottle is impossibly chic for those of us who love pretty packaging as much as we love nourishing our skin with supportive ingredients. Win-win.
L’Avant Collective Fresh Linen Multipurpose Cleaner
If stylish packaging is also important to you, then L’Avant also makes this beautiful multipurpose cleaner that won’t look out of place on the counter if you forget to put it back under the sink after using it.
Puracy Natural Dish Soap
As I mentioned earlier, Puracy is a non-toxic cleaning brand that you need to have on your radar. It’s simple, fuss-free packaging with ingredients that smell good and do good.
Puracy Natural Disinfecting Surface Cleaner
The Puracy surface cleaner is the hero of this line (in my opinion). It uses the power of hydrogen peroxide to kill 99.9% of germs but it also cuts through grease and grime. I really love this product.
Everspring Lavender Bergamot Multi-Surface Cleaning Wipes
We are biiiig fans of Target’s non-toxic cleaning brand, Everspring. Camille loves the entire line but uses these cleaning wipes on the regular—very handy when you have young children! Not only do they cut through grease and grime but the compostable cloth is also ammonia-free with 100% natural fragrance and never tested on animals either.
Laundry Products
Grove Collaborative Wool Dryer Balls
Ditch the dryer sheets for these eco-friendly hypoallergenic reusable wool dryer balls that help to reduce wrinkles and drying time.
Grove Collaborative Auto-Dosing Liquid Laundry Detergent Dispenser
I invested in this dispenser because I wanted to start buying my laundry liquid in bulk to save on waste. What I didn’t realize until it arrived was that this design has an auto-dosing feature. So when you turn the nozzle, it only pours out the correct dose you need for that load. It’s just so genius. Highly recommend.
Grove Collaborative Ultra-Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent
There are so many fragrance options but I can never go past lavender. This one smells good and it also cleans our clothes well (because not all clean laundry detergents are created equal). If you want to remove tough stains though, I recommend trying out the Branch Basics Oxygen Boost.
Puracy Natural Stain Remover
Our Motherhood Editor, Brandy is a big fan of this stain remover and I have to agree. Unlike other non-toxic options, this one gets the job done.
Blueland Laundry Starter Set
If you prefer tablets to liquid, then this laundry starter set is a great option. The beauty of these is that they’re naked, meaning they do not come individually wrapped in plastic film (PVA/PVOH or polyvinyl alcohol). Simply drop them into your washer for an earth-friendly clean—without sending dissolved plastic down the drain.
Branch Basics Oxygen Boost
This is the number one product our editorial team swears by for removing stains. Contributing Editor Kelly is obsessed: “It’s got red wine out of a white blanket and completely blew my mind.” Needless to say, this is a must-have non-toxic cleaning product for every laundry.
Everspring Lavender Bergamot Fabric Softener
If you do want to use a liquid fabric softener then reach for this one. Its paraben-, dye- and fragrance-free formula is safe for all clothes and its biodegradable formula promotes sustainability.
L’Avant Collective Fresh Linen Laundry Detergent
When I first made the switch to sustainable, plant-based detergents, I was admittedly disappointed. While I was happy with all the good-for-the-planet options, I still couldn’t find a detergent that could get the job done. With L’Avant Collective, all of my laundry comes out without any stains or spots. My clothes are bright and smell amazing. Seriously—it’ll make you love wearing your clothes again.
Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Detergent
This scent is unreal. It’s a subtle mix of magnolia, bergamot, and cedar—in other words, just about the furthest thing from the artificial fragrances of bigger brands. The detergent features Dirty Labs’ Phytolase® enzyme cleaning technology, which eliminates odors while still being safe for sensitive skin.
Bathroom Cleaners
Blueland Bathroom Starter Set
When it comes to the bathroom, we want hardworking products. Bleach is usually the one ingredient we always reach for to kill germs and mold, but it’s not great for your health or the environment. This bathroom spray doesn’t act like bleach but is effective at cleaning down any surface area.
Blueland Glass & Mirror Starter Set
I’ve always loved Windex for the results but hated how it smells. This one from Blueland does the job without the fumes.
Public Goods Bathroom Cleaner
Once again, this isn’t bleach—but that’s the point. The blend of purified water, coconut-derived actives, citric acid, natural rosemary oil, and natural lemon oil combine to cut through dirt and clean surfaces with ease.
