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There have never been more choices when it comes to organic, natural, or eco-friendly cleaning products. Knowing which products are certified organic and which are safer alternatives to traditional cleaners is often confusing. And how do you know which ones really get the job done?
That’s where we come in. To help you choose the safest and most effective nontoxic cleaning products, we’ve put together recommendations of 14 products that fit the bill.
Because the market for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified organic cleaning products is relatively small and some options can be on the pricier side, we’ve also included a few noncertified safer alternatives worthy of consideration.
- Best multi-surface cleaner: Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner
- Best plant-based all-purpose cleaner: Guests on Earth All-Purpose Cleaner
- Best countertop all-purpose cleaner: Go by Greenshield Organic Multi-Surface Cleaner
- Best concentrated all-purpose cleaner: Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner
- Best free and clear cleaner: Seventh Generation Free and Clear All-Purpose Cleaner
- Best pet stain and odor remover: FIT Organic Pet Stain & Odor Remover
- Best grease-fighting dish soap: Better Life Naturally Grease-Kicking Dish Soap
- Best plant-based dish soap: Eco-Me Dish Soap
- Best organic glass and window cleaner: Go by Greenshield Organic Glass Cleaner
- Best vinegar-based glass and window cleaner: ECOS Window Cleaner
- Best tub and tile bathroom cleaner: Better Life Tub and Tile Cleaner
- Best shower cleaner: Grove Co. Daily Shower Cleaner
- Best floor cleaner: Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner
- Best laundry detergent: Dropps Stain and Odor Laundry Detergent Pods
To curate our list of top-rated cleaning products, we considered many criteria. Some key elements include:
- The types of ingredients in a product: We took a careful look at the ingredients used in each product to make sure they were safe, nontoxic, and naturally derived. We avoided products with ingredients that have the potential to negatively affect your family’s health or the environment.
- Top choices from reputable environmental organizations: Groups like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publish annual reports on organic and natural cleaning products with rankings from best to worst. We also considered cleaners certified with the Green Seal, which are greener and healthier products.
- A product’s cleaning ability: The best organic cleaning products don’t only need to be safer and less toxic to use. They also need to do a great job at cleaning. We considered how effectively different products cut through dirt, grease, soap scum, or grime.
- The opinion of cleaning experts: We spoke to cleaning experts who regularly use organic and all-natural products. We asked for their input on what ingredients to look for — and avoid — and which products they recommend.
- Awards, user reviews, and customer feedback: We considered feedback from websites that sell organic products and only considered products that had significantly more raves than complaints.
“There are many cleaning products on the market that claim to be organic, but very few have the USDA-certified organic label,” says James Scott, co-founder of Dappir, a commercial and residential cleaning company.
“Usually, you’ll see [labels] like natural, all-natural, or plant-based, but these do not necessarily mean organic,” he explains.
While many of these cleaners are excellent options and are a lot safer than chemical-laden cleaning products, if they don’t carry the USDA organic label, they can’t be considered a certified organic cleaner.
If a product isn’t USDA-certified organic, we have called that out in our list.
Most all-natural cleaning products that are labeled clean or plant-based include safe ingredients, including:
- white vinegar
- baking soda
- thymol
- castile soap
- lemon juice
- vegetable glycerin
- citric acid
- oils like jojoba seed, coconut, olive, lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus
According to the EWG, using the terms “natural” or “plant-based” implies that at least some of the ingredients are natural or plant-based, but it doesn’t mean it applies to all ingredients. What’s more, terms like these aren’t regulated. So, always read the labels and do your research on what’s listed if this is a priority for you.
Organic cleaners often cost more than nonorganic products. In addition, within the organic cleaning category, it’s not uncommon to see a wide range of prices. With that in mind, here’s how we indicate price:
- $ = under $10
- $$ = $10–$20
- $$$ = over $20
Best multi-surface cleaner
- Price: $
- Highlights: eco-friendly, plant-derived ingredients
- Key ingredients: essential oils, decyl glucoside, sodium sulfate
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: basil, lavender, lemon verbena, geranium, honeysuckle, seasonal scents
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner is known for garden-inspired scents like basil, lavender, lemon verbena, geranium, and honeysuckle.
It’s also packed full of essential oils and free from formaldehyde, synthetic surfactants, ammonia, parabens, phosphates, and chlorine.
Mrs. Meyers isn’t a certified organic product. It can leave a slight residue on surfaces if not wiped thoroughly. The scent might be too strong for people sensitive to smells.
Best plant-based all-purpose cleaner
- Price: $$$
- Highlights: versatile, third-party tested for efficacy, plant and mineral-based ingredients
- Key ingredients: purified water, decyl glucoside, sodium bicarbonate
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: Dunes at Dusk, Desert Dawn
The all-purpose cleaner from Guests on Earth is a multi-tasking product made with nine plant and mineral-based ingredients. It can be used on all kinds of nonporous surfaces, like sealed marble, granite, wood, stainless steel, glass, quartz, and more.
It’s third-party tested to ensure efficacy. All ingredients are cruelty-free, natural, and fully biodegradable, with no synthetic fragrances, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, or GMO ingredients.
The kit includes a reusable aluminum spray bottle with two refill vials in a choice of fragrance.
Reviews are limited, but all are five stars. Customers say the fragrances are great and the product works well.
Best countertop all-purpose cleaner
- Price: $$
- highlights: organic, natural, eco-friendly, non-GMO
- Key ingredients: acetic acid, Dead Sea salt, ethyl alcohol
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: citrus grove
Recommended for stainless steel, sealed countertops, tile, as well as painted or plastic surfaces, Go by Greenshield Organic gets the job done at an affordable price.
Fragranced with essential oils, this USDA-certified organic cleaning formula is also available in multi-surface wipes. (But note that wipes are not environmentally friendly, if that’s a priority for you.)
Some users report a strong, sometimes strange, scent after spraying.
Best concentrated all-purpose cleaner
- Price: $–$$$
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly
- Key ingredients:sodium lauryl sulfate, essential oils
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: scented with fir and spruce
“Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds is a top multi-purpose cleaner pick for customers,” says Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, president of ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba, an Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration-certified cleaning company.
Free of synthetic dyes and preservatives, it works especially well as a hard-surface all-purpose cleaner and comes in a concentrated solution so you can dilute it for your needs.
While not certified organic, this product is certified green and has an A rating from the EWG.
Best free and clear cleaner
- Price: $ ($$ if you order the multi-pack)
- Highlights: plant-based, somewhat eco-friendly
- Key ingredients:decyl glucoside, lauramine oxide, sodium carbonate
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: fragrance-free
This Seventh Generation all-purpose cleaner works on most surfaces to cut grime, grease, and dirt. It contains plant-based biodegradable ingredients, and it’s free of dyes, VOCs, and fragrances, making it a good choice for people with allergies.
Plus, there’s no rinsing required after using on surfaces. Simply spray and wipe clean.
Note that this cleaner isn’t certified organic, and it contains a few synthetic preservatives. It isn’t recommended for killing germs or bacteria.
Best pet stain and odor remover
- Price: $$
- Highlights: organic, plant-based, eco-friendly, non-GMO
- Key ingredients: organic alcohol, organic glycerin, organic sunflower and coconut oils
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: citrus
For pet stains and odors, Matt Clayton, founder of PetHairPatrol.com, recommends FIT Organic Pet Stain & Odor Remover. “It’s USDA-certified organic and totally safe for your pets,” he says.
The product contains no artificial perfumes, GMOs, enzymes, dyes, or phosphates. Just spray the stain remover on the stained area and blot with a dry paper towel until the stain is lifted.
This product works best on fresh accidents and stains. It’s also a more expensive option than many other pet stain removers.
Best grease-fighting dish soap
- Price: $
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly, natural
- Key ingredients: purified water, lauryl glucoside, glycern, decyl glucoside
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: lemon mint, pomegranate, unscented
Better Life Naturally Grease-Kicking Dish Soap has the ability to cut through grease well while still being gentle on your body and the environment.
This affordable product is free of sulfates and contains vitamin E and aloe to help protect your skin.
While not certified organic, this all-natural product has an A rating from the EWG. This means it has few or no known health or environmental hazards, and the company has good ingredient disclosures.
Best plant-based dish soap
- Price: $
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly, natural
- Key ingredients:coco glucoside, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate, and lauryl glucoside
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: lemon fresh
Eco-Me Dish Soap is a plant-based natural dish soap that’s free of sulfates, perfumes, and harsh preservatives. The ingredients are biodegradable.
Gentle on your hands, this soap is safe to use on all dishes, baby bottles, glasses, and silverware.
This product isn’t USDA-certified organic, but Green Seal rates it as a greener, healthier dish soap option.
Best organic glass and window cleaner
- Price: $$
- Highlights: organic, eco-friendly, non-GMO
- Key ingredients: water, organic acetic acid, organic ethyl alcohol, organic fragrance
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: mint
Unlike other glass cleaners that contain multiple ingredients, Go by Greenshield only has four ingredients: water, acetic acid (organic), ethyl alcohol (organic), and organic fragrance.
The spray has a mild fragrance that comes from organic fresh mint. It’s USDA-certified organic and is safe to use around pets and children.
Note that you may need to clean glass a few times to eliminate streaks.
Best vinegar-based glass and window cleaner
- Price: $$
- Highlights: plant-based, natural, eco-friendly
- Key ingredients: water, alcohol denat, acetic acid
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: fragrance-free
This affordable, vinegar-based window cleaner does a great job on glass as well as on stainless steel, chrome, vinyl, and linoleum.
ECOS Window Cleaner is 100% natural, plant-based, and is free of ammonia, phosphates, chlorine, dyes, and petroleum ingredients.
It has a slight vinegar scent and isn’t USDA-certified organic.
Best tub and tile bathroom cleaner
- Price: $
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly, natural
- Key ingredients:water, decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, citric acid
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: tea tree and eucalyptus
Better Life Tub and Tile Cleaner is an affordable plant-based foaming cleaner and a favorite among those who prefer natural, greener cleaning products.
It effectively dissolves hard water stains, soap scum, and rust on a variety of bathroom surfaces, including tile, grout, porcelain, and fixtures.
This cleaner isn’t USDA-certified organic, and some people find the scent a little strong. It also can’t be used on marble.
Best shower cleaner
- Price: $
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly, natural
- Key ingredients: citric acid, tetra sodium, glutamate diacetate
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: lavender blossom and thyme, lemon and eucalyptus, orange and rosemary, free and clear
The Grove Concentrated Cleaner Kit is a good choice for reducing buildup and getting rid of soap scum. The formula is free of parabens, phthalates, phosphates, formaldehyde, synthetic dyes, ammonia, and chlorine bleach.
It’s available in multiple scents, including lavender and thyme, orange and rosemary, lemon and eucalyptus, and free and clear, which is a good option if you’re sensitive to fragrance.
This cleaner isn’t certified organic. Also, note that this product is only the concentrate. You’ll need to supply your own spray bottle. It’s also an oil- and liquid-based concentrate, so it may be too greasy for some people.
Best floor cleaner
- Price: $
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly, natural
- Key ingredients: decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: citrus mint
Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner is a plant-derived floor cleaner that’s safe to use on hardwood, tile, marble, vinyl, laminate, and bamboo surfaces.
The cleaner comes ready to use and has a pleasant minty-citrus scent. This formula is free of sodium lauryl sulfates, petroleum solvents, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and dyes.
It’s not USDA-certified organic and can be sudsy if you use too much of the product on the floor.
Best laundry detergent
- Price: $$$
- Highlights: plant-based, eco-friendly
- Key ingredients: alcohols, glycerin, lauryl glucoside, essential oil, citric acid
- Vegan: yes
- Fragrance options: eucalyptus, clean and crisp, orange blossom, unscented
This detergent is available in three fragrances — including lavender eucalyptus, clean and crisp, and orange blossom — and unscented. If you order through the website, you can participate in the subscribe-and-save program to receive automatic deliveries and monthly savings.
Dropps pods are free of dye, phosphate, phthalate, paraben, and optical brighteners.
Dropps isn’t a certified organic product. The three scents may be too strong for people with allergies or sensitivities. Dropps is also more expensive than other natural laundry products.
Product | Price | Highlights | Key ingredients | Vegan | Fragrance options |
Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner | $ | eco-friendly, plant-derived ingredients | essential oils, decyl glucoside, sodium sulfate | yes | basil, lavender, lemon verbena, geranium, honeysuckle, seasonal scents |
Guests on Earth All-Purpose Cleaner | $$ | versatile, third-party tested for efficacy, plant and mineral-based ingredients | purified water, decyl glucoside, sodium bicarbonate | yes | Dunes at Dusk, Desert Dawn |
Go by Greenshield Organic Multi-Surface Cleaner | $$ | organic, natural, eco-friendly, non-GMO | acetic acid, Dead Sea salt, ethyl alcohol | yes | citrus grove |
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner | $-$$$ | plant-based, eco-friendly | sodium lauryl sulfate, essential oils | yes | scented with fir and spruce |
Seventh Generation Free and Clear All Purpose Cleaner | $-$$ | plant-based, somewhat eco-friendly | decyl glucoside, lauramine oxide, sodium carbonate | yes | fragrance-free |
FIT Organic Pet Stain & Odor Remover | $$ | organic, plant-based, eco-friendly, non-GMO | organic alcohol, organic glycerin, organic sunflower and coconut oils | yes | citrus |
Better Life Naturally Grease-Kicking Dish Soap | $ | plant-based, eco-friendly, natural | purified water, lauryl glucoside, glycern, decyl glucoside | yes | lemon mint, pomegranate, unscented |
Eco-Me Dish Soap | $ | plant-based, eco-friendly, natural | coco glucoside, sodium lauryl glucose carboxylate and lauryl glucoside | yes | lemon fresh |
Go by Greenshield Organic Glass Cleaner | $$ | organic, eco-friendly, non-GMO | water, organic acetic acid, organic ethyl alcohol, organic fragrance | yes | mint |
ECOS Window Cleaner | $$ | plant-based, natural, eco-friendly | water, alcohol denat, acetic acid | yes | fragrance-free |
Better Life Tub and Tile Cleaner | $ | plant-based, eco-friendly, natural | water, decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, citric acid | yes | tea tree and eucalyptus |
Grove Co. Daily Shower Cleaner | $ | plant-based, eco-friendly, natural | citric acid, tetra sodium glutamate diacetate | yes | lavender blossom and thyme, lemon and eucalyptus, orange and rosemary, free and clear |
Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner | $ | plant-based, eco-friendly, natural | decyl glucoside, lauryl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine | yes | citrus mint |
Dropps Stain and Odor Laundry Detergent Pods | $$$ | plant-based, eco-friendly | alcohols, glycerin, lauryl glucoside, essential oil, citric acid | yes | lavender eucalyptus, clean and crisp, orange blossom, unscented |
To choose the right organic cleaner for your needs, you’ll want to consider factors such as ingredients, price, how the products are tested, and consumer reviews.
“You’ll want to choose a reputable brand that contains safe ingredients across the board,” says Rodriguez-Zaba.
Before choosing a natural or organic cleaning product, be sure to carefully review the ingredients label. To find the safest, most natural products, cleaning experts recommend staying clear of the following types of ingredients:
- phthalates
- phosphates
- petroleum solvents
- butyl glycol
- ethylene glycol
- monobutyl
- ammonia
- alkylphenol surfactants
- synthetic fragrances
- synthetic dyes
- VOCs
Also, look for products that are labeled as cruelty-free or not tested on animals.
If you’re not sure where to start, consider cross-referencing the EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning to see if a particular brand meets the guidelines. The EPA also keeps a list of products that are part of the Safer Choice standard.
What makes a cleaning product organic?
An organic cleaning product has USDA certification. Cleaning products that are labeled as plant-based or all-natural don’t mean they’re certified organic. However, products that use these plant-based ingredients may be a safer option than those made with synthetic ingredients.
Are organic cleaning products as effective as non-organic products?
Yes. Organic cleaning products are just as effective at non-organic products for general cleaning and dirt removal. But many of these products aren’t intended as disinfectants. Make sure to check the label for safe disinfectant ingredients if that’s your goal.
Which organic cleaning brand is safest?
Go by Greenshield is a safe organic cleaning brand. For plant-based cleaning products, Guests on Earth, Dr. Bronner’s, and Better Life are very transparent about their ingredients.
Can organic products disinfect against COVID-19?
Natural cleaning products are great for general dirt and soil removal, but they may not be the best at combatting the COVID-19 and other bacteria and germs. That’s because many eco-friendly cleaning products are not made for disinfecting.
For maximum protection, stick with the EPA List N, which contains all of the disinfectant products that are effective against COVID-19. You can search this list using keywords for safer disinfectant ingredients that the EPA still considers effective against COVID-19. This includes hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, isopropanol, peroxyacetic acid, citric acid, and L-lactic acid.
The
Using organic or eco-friendly cleaning products that are safer for your home, children, and pets is just one small step you can take to protect the health of your family.
The key to finding the best organic or all-natural products is to experiment with a few different brands or formulas until you find the ones that work best for your needs.
Carefully read the ingredients label of any cleaning product to be sure they don’t include toxic chemicals or harsh ingredients. When possible, opt for products that are USDA-certified organic or that use 100% natural or plant-based ingredients.