Eco Friendly Cleaning Products I Can’t Live Without
The Prelude
Growing up, I had the privilege of living in one of the most tidiest homes in America (I’m not even kidding…my mom cleaned daily and was extremely neat). Sometimes I would just watch her out of pure amazement and curiosity and then somewhere along the line it became a goal of mine to be clean and tidy as well. I’m nowhere near her level, but I have developed the habit of cleaning daily and desiring for my home to smell pleasant. However, there is a tiny difference in how we approach things when it comes to cleaning. She tends to gravitate towards popular commercial cleaning products, whereas I find joy in creating my own cleaning products and reaching for sustainable brands when I’m unable to make my own products. As you can imagine, creating my own cleaning products means that I had to start from scratch, do a lot of research, and experience a lot of trial and error. Even so, I’ve been able to create a pretty solid cleaning system centered around sustainability.
I know there are others out there that desire to implement sustainability into their cleaning technique(s) as well, so I compiled a list of eco friendly products that I can’t live without. My hope is that by compiling this list, you won’t have to start from scratch like I did and hopefully it will make your trial and error process a little bit easier. So if you’re ready to ditch the commercial cleaning brands and start shopping for/creating your own sustainable cleaning products…then scroll down below. But before you scroll down entirely, make sure to read my side note below.
Sidenote: Please note that this article does contain affiliate links, so some of the items I link to may earn a small commission. However, any recommendations that I share are products that I faithfully use and have tried, tested, and ultimately approve of. Moreover, these commissions help support the Styled by Breyana blog so we can continue to offer you free resources (like this one) and the best pricing on wardrobe styling services. I’ve created a list for all of the cleaning products mentioned in this article so you can view them all in one place. So please consider purchasing them using the links on my list when purchasing (I would appreciate it so much!). Now that we’ve addressed that let’s start replacing those toxic brands!!
Eco Friendly Cleaning Products I Can’t Live Without
All Purpose Cleaners
White Distilled Vinegar: Honestly... I’ve never found myself reaching for a product so much. I use white vinegar to clean and sanitize my retainers (retainer cleaner is ridiculously expensive in my opinion so using white vinegar as a substitute is a more cost effective alternative for me). White distilled vinegar is also a key ingredient that I use in my homemade, all purpose house cleaner (more information on that later!). Most people are fine with using any white vinegar brand, but I personally have to have HEINZ (because it’s literally the best!). I will say that I’m a little more flexible on apple cider vinegar brands though but I’d still put HEINZ first!
Baking Soda: Growing up, every now and then I would hear the term baking soda. Naturally, I thought it was for baking (and it is), but I never imagined that the same product that you would use for baking would become a staple for household cleaning. I use baking soda to clean my drains, get grime off my stovetop, remove stains from countertops/carpet/Tupperware, and I’m also looking to add it to my laundry routine and use it to deep clean and freshen up my carpets as well.
Apple Cider Vinegar: When I’m not using white vinegar, then I’m using apple cider vinegar. Although I don’t like the smell of vinegar at all, apple cider vinegar is slightly more tolerable (don’t get me wrong though…the smell is still not my favorite but I have a soft spot for apple scented items). I primarily use apple cider vinegar when cleaning my floors and carpets to give the house a refreshing smell and I definitely use it to add a pleasant scent to my drains too.
Laundry Liquid: Hear me out. Laundry liquid isn’t just for clothes. In fact, I use mine to clean my drains, treat stains (especially on upholstery), and as the main ingredient for my all purpose house cleaner to give it a pleasant smell and scrub all dirt away. In addition to that, I also use it to sanitize my cleaning brushes, make up brushes, and it’s also one of the main ingredients in the solution I make to clean my sneakers. Ever since I discovered fresh ways to use my laundry liquid, I feel like I’m getting more value for my money and more satisfaction out of the product.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Surprisingly, hydrogen peroxide has become one of my all time favorite household cleaning products. I originally purchased some a few years ago as an alternative to using alcohol, but little did I know it would be used for a lot more. I have a lot of white marble countertops which often results in stains getting on them. The thought of stains use to stress me out. So much so that I cleaned my white countertops frequently with my homemade all purpose cleaner.
However, recently (as in like two months ago) I got a really ugly stain on my bathroom countertop and my all purpose cleaner wasn’t powerful enough to remove it this time. So I panicked and started researching how to resolve the issue. While researching, I found out that hydrogen peroxide can be used to get stains out of countertops depending on what kind of countertop you have (crazy right?!).
So after I learned that, I tested it out by making a paste with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. I let the paste sit on the countertop for 24 hours and I’m not even kidding…the majority of the stains went away! There was one stubborn stain that decided to stick around for a little longer, but it ended up fading so much that you can barely tell its there. I think it was at that moment my love for hydrogen peroxide grew tremendously. Now I’m looking to use it to clean my mirrors (once I run out of Windex), disinfect my toothbrushes, deep clean my stovetop, and even clean/disinfect my washing machine. I’ll keep you updated on how all of that goes.
Lemons: Lemons aren’t just for making homemade lemonade and garnishing certain food dishes. In fact, the juice from lemons makes a fabulous deodorizer for drains, a lifesaving stain remover in a pinch, and an exquisite bug repellant.
Rubbing Alcohol: Rubbing alcohol is not something that I commonly reach for when cleaning, but I do love that it can be used as a disinfectant (which is great during cold and flu season). I also love that I can use rubbing alcohol to safely (and effectively) clean my artificial plants (just an FYI…if you plan to use rubbing alcohol to clean your artificial plants, then make sure to dilute your solution with water. I’d recommend doing a 50/50 mixture so that you don’t destroy the coloring of the plant). As mentioned before, rubbing alcohol is not something that I commonly use for cleaning (I pretty much only have it on hand for first aid purposes and to clean my ears), but I’m happy that I discovered new ways to get more use out of it since ear cleaning and first aid situations alone won’t help me use my bottle up before the expiration date.
Natural Polishes
Coconut Oil: I don’t have a lot of wood furniture, but I do have a couple of eye catching pieces that I love to keep looking vibrant. About once a month I try to make it a goal of mine to polish my wood furniture and instead of purchasing expensive (and harmful) furniture spray, I use natural oils like coconut oil to achieve a glossy look and to make my furniture smell nice.
Olive Oil: Although coconut oil does make my wood furniture look and smell amazing, the oil that I typically lean towards the most is old fashioned olive oil. I’m not sure if I use it out of convenience or because I’m use to it, but I will always recommend olive oil as a furniture polish before recommending any other oil. It also goes without saying that “Newman’s Own” will always be my favorite brand (I love supporting sustainable brands and it’s always a plus when those brands support admirable causes. Newman’s checks both of those boxes!).
Natural Cleaning Tools
Microfiber Cloths: As I slowly and steadily move towards using less and less paper towels, I find myself getting more interested in microfiber cloths. I just bought a lot of them like a month ago and I plan to use my them to wipe down the glass in my house, to wash and dry my car, and to clean the interior of my car.
Steamer: When you think about a steamer, I’m pretty sure you don’t envision it as a cleaning tool. But it is (and a sustainable one at that!). Steaming kills approximately 99% of bacteria making it the perfect tool to use on your curtains (in between washes), your couch, and even your mattress. I use it for all three things and it’s made my home feel even more premium and has made the investment in my steamer feel so much more worthwhile.
Clothing Brush: I only use this brush for one specific cleaning task…but it is so worth it! I use this clothing brush to brush away dirt and get lint off of my couch. It makes a noticeable difference in the appearance of my couch, it makes vacuuming it so much easier, and it sounds a little strange…but it makes my couch look smoother as well (if that makes sense).
All Natural Wooden Scrub Brush Set: Okay...so I desperately need a toilet brush that isn’t plastic. Two of mine have broken and I’m finally ready for one (or a couple since I have multiple bathrooms) that’s sturdy, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing. When I came across this one I fell in love instantly. It meshes perfectly with the design that I’m building out for my master bathroom plus I think it would indirectly communicate such a positive message on sustainability for visitors (and by visitors I mean the plumbers and contractors that I hire). I’m also really looking forward to making yet another swap from plastic to natural. I’m super excited to let you know about the feel of it and all the different ways it transforms my bathroom space.
Natural Kitchen Sponge: I haven’t tried a natural kitchen sponge yet (if I’m being honest…I didn’t even know they existed until recently). However, now that I know they exist…I plan to get them soon. The reason these particular sponges made it on my list is because they are 100% natural and can be used for various things — washing dishes, exfoliating your body, etc. In my humble opinion, that’s a wonderful return on investment and I simultaneously get to protect me and my family’s health (which is an added bonus!).
All Natural Wooden Scrub Brush Set: I’m eventually looking to replace all of my plastic cleaning brushes for a more sustainable and sturdier alternative. I have my eye on these brushes as I feel they are going to work wonders on my floors (I’m starting to prefer handwashing them) and the other brush will be used for the floor of my bathtub (it’s just something about scrubbing the floor of my bathtub that gives me so much satisfaction. The end result looks cleaner too!). I’ll let you know what the final verdict is when I get them.
Which One Of These Cleaning Products Will You Be Using First?
You have officially seen my list for eco friendly cleaning products that I just can’t live without. Now I’m curious…which one of these products will you be using (or buying) first? Let me know in the comment section below.
