The 9 Best Natural Cleaning Products for a Non-Toxic Home in 2023
Updated: May 10, 2023Clean your home without using any toxic chemicals with these highly rated and expert-endorsed natural cleaning products.
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While lots of products claiming to be “natural” or “non-toxic,” if you are looking for truly natural cleaning products, read the fine print. “Generally speaking, natural cleaning products are solutions with natural, non-toxic ingredients without harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances,” explains Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean. “They are safer and healthier alternatives to traditional cleaning products, often containing harsh chemicals that harm people and the environment.”
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests avoiding products with problematic ingredients like formaldehyde, sodium hypochlorite, ammonium hydroxide and Borax and boric acid, which may negatively impact your health in a variety of ways. “Instead, natural cleaning products feature various ingredients, such as vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, essential oils and plant-based surfactants,” says Sokolowski. “These ingredients effectively clean and disinfect surfaces without leaving behind any harmful residues or fumes.”
Natural cleaning products are also typically biodegradable and designed to be environmentally friendly, and safe to use around children, pets and people with allergies or sensitivities to harsh chemicals. “They often come in recyclable packaging and are produced using sustainable manufacturing practices,” adds Sokolowski.
“Overall, natural cleaning products are a fantastic option for anyone who wants to clean their home effectively while minimizing their environmental impact and reducing their exposure to harmful chemicals,” she says. Here are the best natural cleaning products for everything in the home, including the best carpet cleaner, the best upholstery cleaner and some cleaning products professional house cleaners swear by.
The best natural cleaning products
- Best overall: Bon Ami Powder Cleanser
- Best multipurpose: AspenClean All-Purpose Cleaner
- Best for floors: Aunt Fannie’s Vinegar Wash Concentrate
- Best for dishes: Puracy Natural Dish Soap
- Best for toilets: AspenClean Green Powder Cleaner SuperScrub
- Best for stainless steel: Therapy Clean Stainless Steel Cleaner Set
- Best for carpet or upholstery: Better Life Stain and Odor Eliminator
- Best for glass: Method Glass Cleaner
- Best for bathrooms: Better Life Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner
Best overall natural cleaning product
Bon Ami Powder Cleanser
Finding the best natural cleaning products for your home may seem daunting, especially when thinking of every part of the house you need to clean. Bon Ami, a scent-free, scratch-free, all-natural alternative to Comet, is an effective and clean multipurpose cleaner for the entire house, ranging from the bathroom to the kitchen. It even works on sensitive surfaces like stainless steel and granite.
Made without chlorine, bleach, perfume or dyes, the list of ingredients includes feldspar mineral powder, soda ash, baking soda and alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, earning the product an A rating from the EWG. Even the packaging is environmentally friendly, made out of 65% recycled materials.
Pros
- Highly recommended by professional cleaners as the best all-natural cleaner
- The EWG gives Bon Ami an A rating
- 3,800 five-star ratings on Amazon
- Made with safe ingredients
- Environmentally friendly packaging
Cons
- Scent-free
Best multipurpose natural cleaning product
AspenClean All-Purpose Cleaner
AspenClean All-Purpose Cleaner, one of the most natural products on the market, is an excellent cleaning product for the entire house. Like other AspenClean products, this effective cleaner has an A rating by the EWG and is one of a few all-purpose cleaners to earn their “verified” badges. Not only is it effective as a fridge cleaner for wiping down the inside of appliances, but use it as an eco-friendly cleaning product everywhere else in the home, even on surfaces touched by pets and babies.
Pros
- Most natural, all-purpose cleaners on the market, verified by EWG
- Subtle but fresh smell
- Made with organic ingredients
- Made with 100% recycled bottles
Cons
- Only available on the AspenClean website
Best natural cleaning product for floors
Aunt Fannie’s Vinegar Wash Concentrate
Vinegar is one of the most effective all-natural cleaning agents, but some people aren’t crazy about the smell. Aunt Fannie’s Vinegar Wash Concentrate is wildly popular for floors, as it works efficiently, smells fabulous and also earns an EWG A rating, making it one of the safest for kids and animals.
Use the concentrate on sealed floors, including hardwood, tile, concrete, linoleum, bamboo, vinyl and laminate. Here’s how to use it: After diluting (one-half cup solution per two gallons of water), add it to a mop bucket, spray bottle or floor cleaning machine. The cleaner comes in three scents—lemon, eucalyptus and lavender.
Pros
- Non-toxic, vegan and safe for kids and pets
- Pet-safe floor cleaner that’s ideal for cleaning pet messes
- Use on any type of sealed floor
- EWG A-rating
- Available at Grove Co., Chewy and Amazon
Cons
- May leave floors sticky if not diluted enough
- Some users say they still trace the scent of vinegar
Best natural cleaning product for dishes
Puracy Natural Dish Soap
Finding an all-natural cleaning product for dishes is incredibly important, considering you eat off of them and may ingest traces of dish soap. Puracy Dish Soap, a favorite with Amazon shoppers, fits the natural bill with an A rating from EWG. Made out of 99.96% plant-based ingredients including coconut oil, natural salts and aloe vera, the non-toxic soap cleans dishes efficiently and smells wonderful but subtle.
Pros
- An efficient non-toxic dish cleaner
- Made out of 99.96% plant-based ingredients
- Earned an EWG A rating
- 6,700 five-star ratings on Amazon
Cons
- Pricey
Best natural cleaning product for toilets
AspenClean Green Powder Cleaner SuperScrub
It’s hard to find a natural toilet cleaner that works to fight against rust and hard water buildup in the bathroom, but “this natural scouring powder with organic essential oils will help handle these issues efficiently,” says Sokolowski.
Derived from tea tree and lavender—excellent antibacterial and antifungals—this multi-use cleaning powder is safe and prevents you from coming into contact with toxic chemicals contained in conventional cleaners and scrub powders. It also smells a lot better than conventional cleaners and cleans the toilet just as effectively.
Pros
- An effective all-natural toilet cleaner
- The main ingredients, tea tree oil and lavender, are antibacterial and antifungal
- Smells fresh and fragrant
- EWG gave it an A rating
Cons
- Only available on AspenClean website
Best natural cleaning product for stainless steel
Therapy Clean Stainless Steel Cleaner Set
With 17,000 Amazon ratings and a 4.6-star average, Therapy Clean Stainless Steel Cleaner Kit lands on top as the best natural stainless steel cleaner. Like other Therapy Clean products, the metal cleaning solution consists of plant-based ingredients and boasts USDA BioBased and cruelty-free certifications. Scented with lavender essential oils, it cleans efficiently and effectively.
“I was sold after the first use,” professional house cleaner and verified purchaser Chrystal writes in her five-star review. “The stainless steel cleaner does not leave a greasy residue behind and goes on smoothly with minimal buffing.”
Pros
- Cleans and polishes multiple stainless steel surfaces effectively
- All-natural formula with little scent
- 13,700 five-star ratings on Amazon
- Certified cruelty-free
- Available on Therapy Clean, Amazon and Walmart
Cons
- Some people wish the product had more of a scent
Best natural cleaning product for carpet or upholstery
Better Life Stain and Odor Eliminator
Rochelle Wilkinson, owner of Dirt Detectives Cleaning in Phoenix, Maryland says that Better Life Stain and Odor Eliminator is their go-to product for spot cleaning a “high traffic area like hallways where everyone walks.” The product is liquid, not foam, so you don’t need to spray as much. Over 1,400 Amazon shoppers gave the all-natural carpet cleaner a perfect five-star rating.
Reviewers attest that it removes everything from pet stains to blood, dirt and even Sharpie while being totally pet-safe, color safe and non-toxic. Another bonus is the spray nozzles offer two options, spray or stream, to control product flow.
Pros
- All-natural carpet and upholstery cleaner
- Removes everything from blood and pet stains to even Sharpie
- 1,400 5-star ratings on Amazon
- Pet-safe, color-safe and non-toxic
- Available on Amazon, Hive and Vitacost
Cons
- Some people complain that the spray option is heavier than a mist
Best natural cleaning product for glass
Method Glass Cleaner
Merin Jay of Top Window Cleaners in the U.K. swears by Method Natural Glass Cleaner as it eliminates streaks and grime, like on your glass shower doors, while remaining eco-friendly. “This cleaning product consists of almost 100% green ingredients, which makes it safe for pets, children, and basically the whole family,” she says.
“Also, the bottle is made of biodegradable plastic, which makes it an environmentally friendly way to clean the windows and save nature.” The ammonia-free cleaner, which earned a B rating from the EWG, also does an excellent job on a variety of other household surfaces, including tile and granite.
Pros
- Almost 100% green
- Non-toxic
- Biodegradable bottle
- 600 five-star ratings on Amazon
- Available at Target, Amazon and Grove
Cons
- Some people say to leave it on glass a little longer than products with harsher chemicals
Best natural cleaning product for the bathroom
Better Life Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner
Eco-friendly grout cleaners are few and far between. However, this Better Life Natural Tub and Tile Cleaner is an alcohol, bleach and chlorine-free product that effectively cleans grout without harsh chemicals. Made with plant-based ingredients, this cleaner earned over 10,000 perfect five-star ratings. Take advantage of the full whitening effect by adequately scrubbing the grout.
“The scent is nice and not overwhelming,” Cassandra said in her Amazon review. “I used this one and it got the scum right up.”
Pros
- Made with natural, plant-based ingredients
- 10,000 five-star ratings on Amazon
- Alcohol-, bleach- and chlorine-free
- Good on soap scum and hard water stains
Cons
- May need extra scrubbing in exchange for natural ingredients
What to consider when buying natural cleaning products
According to Sokolowski, here are some things to keep in mind when buying natural cleaning products:
- Ingredients: Sokolowski suggests first checking the ingredient list carefully and looking for products that use plant-based or biodegradable ingredients. Avoid products with artificial fragrances, colors or harsh chemicals like ammonia, bleach or chlorine.
- Certifications: “Look for products that have been certified by recognized third-party organizations like EcoCert, Leaping Bunny or the Environmental Working Group (EWG),” she suggests. These certifications ensure that the products meet strict environmental and health standards.
- Packaging: Consider the product’s packaging and look for options that use biodegradable or recycled materials. “Avoid products with excess packaging or that come in single-use plastic containers,” Sokolowski says.
- Performance: “Natural cleaning products should be effective, so look for reviews and recommendations from other users to ensure that the products work well,” says Sokolowski.
- Price: Expect to pay more for natural cleaning products than traditional ones, “but they are also more cost-effective in the long run,” Sokolowski points out. “Consider the value for money and the overall impact on the environment and personal health.”
- Brand reputation: Sokolowski suggests looking for brands with a good reputation for producing high-quality, effective and eco-friendly cleaning products.
Types of natural cleaning products
Just like traditional cleaning products, there are many types of natural cleaning products. There are all-purpose cleaning products available for many different surfaces, and then other products specific to a type of cleaning or place in the house. There are natural cleaning products for pets and carpets, hardwood floors, upholstery, stainless steel, bathrooms, glass surfaces, grout and dishes.
How we found the best natural cleaning products
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
FAQ
Do natural cleaning products really work?
Yes, natural cleaning products are effective at cleaning, but it depends on the specific product and the task at hand. Many natural cleaning products are for tough cleaning tasks and work just as well as chemical cleaners. For example, natural all-purpose cleaners and disinfectants containing plant-based ingredients like citrus or tea tree oil effectively remove dirt and kill germs. It’s also important to note that using natural cleaning products requires a different approach than using chemical cleaners. For example, natural cleaners may require a longer dwell time.
Why should you use natural cleaning products?
For one, they are better for your health. “Many conventional cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that harm our health. These chemicals may cause respiratory problems, skin irritation and other health issues,” Sokolowski says. On the other hand, natural cleaning products feature non-toxic, biodegradable and safer ingredients for you and your family.
Natural cleaning products are also better for the environment. “Conventional cleaning products often contain chemicals that harm the environment. When these chemicals wash down the drain, they pollute our waterways and harm wildlife,” states Sokolowski. Natural cleaning products contain renewable resources and are biodegradable, which means they break down naturally in the environment.
Natural cleaning products are also extremely versatile and clean a wide range of surfaces, including floors, countertops and bathrooms. “They also wash clothes and dishes, making them a versatile alternative to conventional cleaning products,” Sokolowski adds.
Are all-natural cleaning products safe?
Natural cleaning products are generally safe. However, some natural cleaning products may contain ingredients that may be irritating or harmful, especially for people with allergies or sensitivities. “Some natural cleaning products may contain essential oils that may cause allergic reactions in some people,” Sokolowski points out. So, to ensure the safety of natural cleaning products, it’s important to carefully read the ingredient labels and use the products according to the manufacturer’s instructions. “It’s also a good idea to test new products on a small area before using them on a larger scale,” she adds.
Sources:
- Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean
- Rochelle Wilkinson, owner of Dirt Detectives Cleaning
- Merin Jay of Top Window Cleaners in the U.K.
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