Building a more sustainable home doesn’t have to mean making huge lifestyle changes. Sometimes, it starts with the products sitting under your kitchen sink.
From plastic waste to mystery ingredients, conventional cleaning products often come with environmental impacts that many of us don’t think about until we start looking a little closer. The good news? There are now more options than ever for cleaning products that prioritize refillable packaging, plant-based ingredients, and lower-waste solutions.
If you’re ready to make a few simple swaps, we’ve rounded up our favorite sustainable cleaning products to help you create a cleaner home with a little less waste.
What Makes a Cleaning Product Sustainable?
Not all cleaning products marketed as “green” are actually better for people or the planet. Sustainability goes beyond a leaf on the label; it involves looking at ingredients, packaging, manufacturing, and overall transparency.
While no product is perfect, these are some of the qualities we look for when evaluating more sustainable cleaning products:
1. Plant-Based Ingredients
Many conventional cleaners rely on petroleum-derived ingredients and harsh chemicals. More sustainable options often use plant-based ingredients that can be gentler on both the environment and the people using them. That doesn’t automatically make a product non-toxic, but it can be a step toward reducing unnecessary synthetic chemicals in your home.
2. Biodegradable Formulas
Biodegradable ingredients are designed to break down more easily after they enter waterways and wastewater systems. This can help reduce the long-term environmental impact associated with household cleaning products. When possible, look for brands that clearly state their formulas are readily biodegradable and disclose the ingredients used.
3. Refillable Systems
Single-use plastic packaging remains one of the biggest sustainability challenges in the cleaning industry. Many sustainable cleaning brands now offer refill systems that allow you to reuse the same bottle repeatedly. Some use refill pouches, while others offer tablets or concentrates that can be mixed with water at home.
Refillable systems help reduce packaging waste and lower emissions associated with shipping heavy bottles of water.
4. Plastic-Free Packaging
While not always possible for every product category, some brands are moving toward plastic-free packaging made from materials like aluminum, cardboard, paper, or glass. Choosing products with minimal packaging can help reduce the amount of plastic entering landfills and the environment.
5. Concentrated Formulas
A large portion of traditional cleaning products is simply water. Concentrated cleaners, refill tablets, and powders require less packaging and take up less space during transportation, which can help reduce overall environmental impact. They also tend to last longer, making them a practical option for many households.
6. Third-Party Certifications
Certifications can provide additional assurance that a product meets certain environmental, safety, or ingredient standards.
Some certifications to look for include:
- EPA Safer Choice
- MADE SAFE
- Leaping Bunny
- Cradle to Cradle Certified®
- USDA Certified Biobased Product
While certifications aren’t the only factor worth considering, they can be helpful when comparing products.
7. Ingredient Transparency
One of the easiest ways to identify a more sustainable cleaning brand is by how transparent it is about its ingredients. Many conventional cleaning products still use vague terms like “fragrance” without explaining what those ingredients contain. Brands that fully disclose their ingredient lists make it easier for consumers to make informed choices and better understand what they’re bringing into their homes.
At Sustainably Chic, we always appreciate brands that prioritize transparency, whether through complete ingredient disclosure, sustainability reports, or clear explanations of their sourcing and manufacturing practices.
Ingredients We Try to Avoid
If you’re looking for more sustainable and non-toxic cleaning products, it can be helpful to pay attention to what’s inside the bottle… not just the marketing on the front label.
While everyone has different priorities, we generally try to avoid:
- Synthetic fragrances – Often made from undisclosed chemical blends.
- Chlorine bleach – A harsh ingredient that can impact indoor air quality and aquatic ecosystems.
- Ammonia – Can be irritating to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
- Phosphates – Historically linked to water pollution and harmful algal blooms.
- Certain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) – May contribute to indoor air pollution.
- Harsh antibacterial chemicals – Often unnecessary for everyday household cleaning.
No product is perfect, but choosing brands that prioritize safer ingredients and transparency can be a meaningful step toward creating a healthier home.
Our Top Picks for Non-Toxic Sustainable Cleaning Brands:
1. Public Goods
Categories: Laundry Detergents, Fabric Softeners, Dish Soaps, Dishwasher Detergents, Surface Cleaners, Bathroom Cleaners, Glass Cleaners, Cleaning Tools
Public Goods has a large selection of cleaning products and cleaning tools, all of which are very affordable. You can find laundry and dishwasher detergent pods, different kinds of cleaners, fabric softener sheets, liquid dish soap, as well as compostable trash bags, and walnut-based scrubber sponges.
Public Goods even sells organic castile soap, which can be used to clean everything around the home, from clothes to surfaces to dishes!
All the products are formulated with safe, non-toxic ingredients and are free of sulfates, parabens, and other harmful chemicals. The bottles are also made from 100% recycled plastic, every shipment is carbon-neutral, and the brand plants a tree for every order placed.
2. Earth Breeze
Categories: Laundry Detergent
Earth Breeze’s laundry detergent eco sheets are a fantastic alternative to conventional heavy plastic jug laundry detergents! Those plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose, but Earth Breeze packages its detergent in cardboard (which saves you a load of space, too). We love that they come in a sheet form because no liquid mess or extra waste is created.
And don’t let this small sheet fool you – over 2 million people have switched to this brand because of their performance. Eco Sheets can be used in any machine and are concentrated, premeasured, and low-sudsing. They are also Paraben Free, Vegan & Cruelty-Free, Bleach & Dye Free, Phthalate Free, and Phosphate Free. Plus, each purchase donates 10 loads to those in need – over 100 million loads have been donated so far!
3. Meliora
Categories: Cleaning Scrubs, Laundry Powders, Hand Soaps, Bleach Alternatives, All-Purpose Cleaning Sprays, Dish Soaps, Stain Removers, Rags
Meliora sells sustainable home cleaning and laundry products, all of which are Leaping-Bunny certified. The company formulates its products using only a short list of natural ingredients, such as baking soda, soap made from organic coconut and sunflower oil, sodium percarbonate, washing soda, organic essential oils, and glycerin produced as a byproduct of soapmaking.
The brand is a B Corporation and a member of 1% For The Planet, and all its products are MADE SAFE certified and rated A by the Environmental Working Group.
Meliora also uses compostable or recyclable packaging, and you can even buy some products in bulk in a bucket that you can ship back (for free) for it to be reused.
4. Blueland
Categories: Multi-Surface Cleaners, Hand Soaps, Dishwasher Tablets, Laundry Detergent Tablets, Toilet Bowl Cleaners, Sponges, Cloths
Blueland is on a mission to reinvent household products to end single-use plastic waste. Its products are all refillable, which means that you buy the bottle once and you then only need to purchase the refills. It offers different types of cleaners, powder dish soap, laundry detergent tablets, dishwasher tablets, and foaming hand soap.
All of them are formulated without water, so each product is lighter and smaller, which significantly reduces the environmental impact of shipping!
Blueland only uses ingredients that are on the EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List, and all of them are vegan and cruelty-free. The brand is also Climate-Neutral and B Corp certified, and all its products and packaging received the Cradle To Cradle certification.
5. Dropps
Categories: Laundry Detergents, Fabric Softeners, Dishwasher Detergents, Dish Sprays, Air & Fabric Fresheners, Hand Soaps, Cleaning Tools
Dropps is one of the best zero-waste cleaning brands you can find! It has everything you may need, from different laundry detergents to dish sprays to all kinds of cleaning tools. Its detergents are encased in a water-soluble pod that dissolves upon contact with water.
Their ultra-concentrated formulas are completely free of harmful ingredients and are formulated with plant and mineral-based ingredients. Dropps discloses all its ingredients, so you know exactly what you are buying!
The brand even sells all-natural cellulose sponges, Swedish dishcloths made from FSC-certified cellulose and repurposed cotton, wool dryer balls, and different kitchen brushes made of bamboo, sisal, and coconut fibers.
6. Plastno
Categories: Trash Bags, Multi Cleaners, Sponges
If we already say no to plastic straws and cups, why not trash bags, too? Plastno makes it simple to ‘just say no’ with super strong, fully biodegradable garbage bags for our home. Put simply, their compostable trash bags are made from plant-based materials that break down naturally in weeks. The best part is they’re just as tough as regular old trash bags, just without the plastic.
Plastno has recently launched a refillable multi surface cleaner & plastic-free sponges, too!
7. Tru Earth
Categories: Laundry Detergents, Fabric Softeners, Dishwasher Detergent Tablets, Multi-Surface Cleaners, Toilet Bowl Cleaners, Cleaning Tools
Tru Earth is an eco-friendly laundry detergent brand selling ultra-concentrated laundry detergent sheets. These are free of parabens, phosphates, added dyes, bleach, and other toxic chemicals. You can choose between different scents, and it even has laundry sheets specially formulated for baby clothes! The strips are biodegradable and dissolve quickly in both cold and hot water.
Tru Earth also offers dishwasher detergent tablets, toilet bowl cleaners, multi-surface cleaners, as well as compostable sponges and dishcloths. The formulas are 100% vegan and cruelty-free, and you can find a list of all the ingredients used on the company’s website. The strips are shipped in a recyclable cardboard sleeve, and so far, Tru Earth has donated over 21 million laundry strips to food banks and people in need!
8. Grove Collaborative
Categories: Dish Soaps, Multi-Purpose Cleaners, Toilet Cleaners, Hand Soaps, Laundry Detergents, Floor Cleaners, Bathroom Cleaners, Stain Remover Sprays, Cleaning Tools
Grove Collaborative has a huge selection of non-toxic household products, including approximately 300 cleaning products and tools from various sustainable brands. All the products are ethically produced, cruelty-free, and healthy to use!
The company makes sure to only sell products made with plant-based formulas. They only contain essential oils and other botanical-based ingredients, all of which are disclosed on the website.
From floor cleaners to dish soaps, you can find everything you may need for a sparkling clean home. Grove Collaborative even has eco-friendly toilet brushes, sponges, dishcloths, as well as trash bags made from 100% recycled plastic.
9. Zero Waste Store
Categories: Dishwashing Soaps, Laundry Products, Cleaning Sprays and Powders, Hand Soaps, Stone Cleaners, Cleaning Tools
Zero Waste Store is a one-stop shop for every zero-waste swap you may need! It carries many sustainable brands, including some selling all-natural cleaning products. You can choose between many laundry products including laundry detergent sheets, liquid laundry soap or detergent, laundry paste, and stain remover sticks.
The company also sells many cleaning sprays and powders, hand soaps, and dishwashing liquid and solid soaps. It even has a granite disinfectant and many cleaning tools, such as brushes, sponges, Swedish dishcloths, scourers made from coconut waste, and washable mop covers. Zero Waste Store is a member of 1% For The Planet, and it ships everything in plastic-free packaging. It also regularly supports and makes donations to wildlife and conservation groups.
10. Full Circle Home
Categories: Cleaning Tools & Accessories
Among all the cleaning brands on this list, this one has the largest and most complete selection of cleaning tools and accessories!
You get to choose from many products made of bamboo and recycled plastic, including dusters and mops with a washable head, dustpans and brushes, brooms, and even a pivoting squeegee.
Full Circle Home also sells absorbent cleaning cloths made from bamboo or post-production recycled fibers, dish brushes, compostable trash bags, sponges and scrubbers made from recycled plastic or coconut husks, a recycled pan scraper, and latex cleaning gloves.
For every ounce of plastic the brand uses, it collects the same amount from waterways and recycles it in partnership with Plastic Bank.
