9 eco-friendly household cleaning products that really work: a personal testimonial

San Francisco Greener Living Examiner
Elizabeth Quinn
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

As an environmentalist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, I am sometimes at odds with myself when it comes to cleaning products. But after a weekend spent doing chores around the house, I can attest without reservation to the efficacy of the following products. I unequivocally swear by all of them. My husband also endorses all of the products (i.e., he has never complained about their outcomes). And this means a lot coming from him, as he does not countenance dirt in the least bit. So here are my recommendations for products that will make you, members of your household, and other inhabitants of the environment all smile and breathe a little easier:

In the Laundry Room:

Nellie’s Laundry Soda: I have been using this product for more than a year and I recommend it unconditionally.

I would suggest ordering the 120-load size because it will last you longer and it comes in an eco-friendly cardboard canister (as opposed the plastic pouches of the smaller size). They say one small scoop cleans an entire load, and they mean it! In this case, less is definitely more.

Dryer Balls (multiple manufacturers): Get rid of the chemicals altogether by using dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They work great. Just make sure you remove them at the end of the drying cycle so that you are not surprised later by a dryer ball up your sleeve. They also come in a PVC-free version. (I have not used the PVC-free version myself, so I cannot personally attest to their performance, but I’m sure they work great.)

Oxo Brite: Use in place of bleach to whiten and brighten clothes. One or two scoops is all it takes. The key benefit: it’s chlorine-free! (Our fish don’t need to have their water chlorinated like a suburban swimming pool.)

Ecover Delicate Wash: Use this in place of Woolite for delicates, hand-wash items, and baby clothes. There’s no discernable difference in performance. Ecover’s stain stick also works very well.

In the Kitchen:

We are lucky in the Bay Area because we have hard water, which means we can use phosphate-free dishwashing products without problem. (When released into waterways, phosphates create algae blooms that deoxygenate the water, essentially suffocating its fish and other inhabitants.) But this will soon be a moot point because phosphates are steadily being legislated out of dishwashing liquid altogether.

Until these laws take effect, help the Earth by using the following products.

Ecover Dishwashing Liquid: Works great; it performs exactly the same as its conventional counterpart, except that you feel less-guilty when you are washing dishes.

Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Powder: I switched to this product after trying that of another eco-friendly company. The competitor product sometimes left a residue on the dishes, but the Ecover brand works like a charm.

In the Bathroom:

Dr. Bronner’s Classic Liquid Soap (use as the base for hand soap in your bathroom and/or kitchen). Not only is this eco-friendly and effective, but it’s also incredibly economical. Buy a large bottle, pour a small amount into your liquid soap dispenser, and add water. Because it is so concentrated, it practically lasts forever. Saves plastic, too, because you aren’t buying multiple bottles.

Ecover Limescale Remover: This product wins the miracle-worker prize. I used it last night to tackle a tub floor that had turned an unattractive shade of gray despite regular maintenance cleanings. Highly skeptical that anything would work on the stubborn stains, I spritzed the limescale remover a few times and let it sit for a few hours. Imagine my surprise when I came back and found a perfectly pristine tub in the places where the spray had landed! Elated, I covered the entire tub and cleaned it to perfection after letting it sit for a few hours. I know it wasn’t technically a miracle, but it was close enough in my book.

What about brands, you may ask? I like to consider myself brand-agnostic, and I acknowledge that there are many other eco-friendly household lines than are mentioned here. I suggest you just experiment with various products until you find what works for you.

Now let’s talk about price. Some of the above products are marginally more expensive than their mainstream counterparts, but remember that the retail price point only accounts for one-third of the triple bottom line. Most of these companies are fair-trade certified, meaning they offer living wages and good benefits for their workers. Also, several of the products—notably Nellie’s Laundry Soda, Dr. Bronner’s Classic Liquid Soap, and the dryer balls are, in fact, cheaper, because they are concentrated or require a smaller amount to work.

So that’s my roundup of eco-champ household products. I personally swear by the above affirmations, so feel free to comment if you disagree. And just to prove that I don’t green-light every eco-friendly product (regardless of its efficacy), I will state here that I have yet to find a suitable eco-friendly drain cleaner. I’ve tried three different products, and none, unfortunately, work as well as conventional products. I guess this is the white whale of eco-friendly household cleaners. Don’t give up, guys! I know you can find a Drano alternative!