We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Four years ago, during the pandemic, I went down the eco-friendly-cleaning rabbit hole and never returned. As a parent of two young children, I am more compelled than ever to stock safe, non-toxic products in the house and I’m more aware of the waste we create. Paper towels, Ziplock bags, laundry detergent jugs: you just use a lot more of everything with kids around.
I regularly try new brands as they pop up and fine-tune my playbook. My criteria for what I’ll keep using isn’t based on efficacy alone. I’m a design editor and stylist, after all, and the products I regularly reach for need to be pleasing to the senses and, ideally, available in environmentally-conscious packaging. Luckily, there is no shortage of options that tick all of the boxes. Here are the items that I order again and again.
The Go-To Dish Soaps
In my experience, all of the dish soaps I’ve tried are generally effective. So, it comes down to personal preferences around scent and packaging (important to consider, since this item is often left out on display)—or, even feelings on sudsyness, as Domino’s Managing Editor Samantha Weiss-Hills, explained to me when professing her love for Sal’s Suds. These soaps are packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic and/or they offer concentrated refills, so you’re, in theory, reusing the plastic many times.
Most Efficient: Grove Co. Dish Washing Starter Set
Grove’s set includes a 16-ounce dish soap in an aluminum bottle and a scrub brush set. Add soap and a little water to the spring-loaded ceramic base, then pump the scrub brush up and down a few times to load it up with suds. The one-handed ease of this system is something this busy mom truly appreciates.
Most Gift-Worthy: Flamingo Estate and Homecourt
Both brands tout luxe, fragrance-forward formulas (Roma Heirloom Tomato, Neroli Leaf) that seem more akin to a perfume counter than home-cleaning and chic packaging. If there’s such a thing as status dish soap, this is it.
Most Suds Power: Dr. Bronner Sal’s Suds
Weiss Hills has been using Dr. Bronner soaps in the bathroom for two decades, and recently switched to the brand’s multi-purpose, biodegradable cleaner for dishes. She loves how concentrated it is, which means less is more—she mixes it 2-to-1 with water and the suds are still super strong. The scent is pleasantly pine-like without the intensity of conventional cleaners, and the value of 32 ounces at $15 is pretty hard to beat.
The New Dish Scrubber
Re_Grocery Compostable Scrub Sponge
This sponge is a completely natural take on the ubiquitous (generally made with plastic) style I grew up using. Other “eco-friendly” versions I’ve tried are either not as sustainable (i.e.: synthetic fibers mixed in) as they seem or feel like a compromise in the power department. This one—which is completely compostable and biodegradable—gets super-sudsy, and the scrubber side, made from coconut fiber, does the trick. Psst: If you don’t mind using a separate scrubber, try Trader Joe’s Pop-Up Sponges. They’re made from vegetable cellulose, are compostable, and come in a pack of 12 for just $8.
The Plastic Brush Replacement
Re_Grocery Natural Dish Brush
No planet-polluting plastics here. These bamboo scrubbers are available in two shapes and two natural-fiber bristle types, all of them will stand the test of time, thanks to a detachable and replaceable screw-on-head design. I’m a sucker for beautifully simple utilitarian items, and as far as dish-washing accessories go, it doesn’t get much prettier than this. Bonus points: If the time comes that you’re done with this tool, you can compost it.
The Stand-Out Surface Cleaner
Saint Olio Aromatic Cleaner
This is another one where scent preference plays a big part. My new favorite, bordering on obsession, is Saint Olio. Its essential-oil-forward all-purpose cleaners are so aromatic, they smell like I had a lit candle burning for hours after I’ve used it. Plus, the bottles are so pretty, I happily keep them out, which encourages more use (convenient because they can be used in all sorts of places, from kitchen counters to yoga mats). Anything that brings more joy to cleaning is a win in my book, and this product certainly does that.
The Paper Towel Alternative
Coyuchi Conserve Organic Paperless Towels
I finally stopped my extensive search for a reusable paper towel substitute once these 10-by-12-inch organic cotton cloths came into my life. They are the ideal combination of absorbent and quick drying (e.g. they keep mold and bacteria at bay), extremely durable, and can replace disposable paper towels completely.
The Plastic-Free Dishwasher Pods
Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets
Unlike most dishwasher pods on the market, these fragrance-free tablets are not coated in a layer of plastic to later be disposed of in our waterways. In fact, they’re plastic-free in every sense—including the packaging and even the shipping materials. Plus I’ve noticed that my glassware comes out clearer and my silverware brighter, so win-win!
The Tablet Toilet Bowl Cleaners
Multi-Purpose Magic: Humble Suds Miracle Cleaning Bombs
These cleaning bombs work as a toilet cleaner, but they deserve a category all their own because they do so much more. Use them to spruce up your garbage disposal, washing machine drum, humidifier, tea kettle, or coffee pot, too.
Powder-Based Power: Dirty Labs Probiotic Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Dirty Labs makes non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning supplies for the whole home, and even has a baby-appropriate laundry line. Their latest release is a toilet bowl cleaner that employs an enzyme-probiotic blend to get at the grittiest stains. Just add a scoop, let it bubble, and then scrub away, knowing that the remaining enzymes will work to keep stains and odors away between cleanings.
One-Drop Wonder: Blueland Toilet Bowl Cleaner Starter Set
These dissolving tablets just debuted a new scent of peppermint eucalyptus and get Weiss Hills’s toilet squeaky clean. Just like other Blueland products, they are packaged plastic-free; plus, this cleaner is 100% bio-based, biodegradable, and septic-safe. Just drop one in, let it fizz, scrub away stains, and then flush.
The Laundry Room Essentials
Best Complete Collection: Everneat
Everneat’s concentrated laundry soap comes in an infinitely refillable aluminum bottle and has a measured pump top that makes quantities super easy and straightforward (4 pumps for small loads, 8 pumps for large). Round out all your laundry needs with the brand’s oxygen bleach and stain remover. Don’t be surprised that the bottle will arrive with barely any liquid inside—the smarty pants behind this brand let you add your own water.
Best Scents: Musewash Laundry Detergent Sheets
If you gravitate towards scented detergents, get ready for an upgrade. This just-launched brand’s enzyme-blend detergent sheets come in three sophisticated scents (think hinoki, musk and fresh air), are pre-measured, and boxed in recycled-paper packaging.
Best Powder: Humble Suds Laundry Soap
Proof that simple and effective can go hand in hand, this powder formula is made from just five ingredients (just four in the unscented version) and zero plastic. You do have to use a scoop to measure this one out—a small concession for the sake of our environment.
Best No-Waste: Blueland Laundry Detergent Starter Set
Blueland
Laundry Detergent Starter Set
When you consider the convenience of pre-measured dry tablets that work in any washing machine, effectiveness, and sustainability (no plastic used and outer packaging that is compostable), Blueland’s laundry detergent comes out on top. It’s a win on all fronts.
The Dryer Sheet Alternatives
Homecourt Wool Dyer Balls
These 100-percent wool balls reduce drying time (which equals less energy consumption and a happier planet), help combat static and lint, soften fabrics, smooth wrinkles, and eliminate the need for fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Every time I forget to throw them in, I have to run my machine a little longer to completely dry that load. Simply add them to the dryer with your clean, wet clothes, and reuse them for up to 1,000 loads. Put a few drops of an essential oil or a laundry fragrance oil on them if you’d like to give your laundry a subtle, natural scent.
Coyuchi Climate Beneficial Wool Dryer Balls
Coyuchi is as innovative as they come with using sustainably-sourced wool in soft goods at home—just take a look at their washable wool comforters and mattress toppers. The brand’s dryer balls are filled with what it calls Climate Beneficial Wool, which is sourced from two ranches in Northern California. Weiss Hills has used them for years, and they’ve held their shape, eschewed the need for dryer sheets, and kept static to a minimum.