10 Safe & Natural Cleaning Products for Your Home and Family
Safely clean your home with our top recommended natural cleaning products!
Your home should be a safe place. 🏡
Enjoy a safer clean home with these highly-rated natural cleaning products or DIY alternatives! Plus, we shared EWG ratings so you can buy with confidence! 🤩
But first, let’s understand what the EWG is: 💚
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is an American environmental organization specializing in research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability.
When you see the EWG VERIFIED™ mark on a product, you will know that the product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health. Learn more here.
Here are the best natural cleaning products you should swap to in your home:
1. Swap Windex for Aunt Fannie’s Natural Glass Cleaner.
Best natural glass cleaner.
- Popular Brand: Windex Glass Cleaner – EWG rating: D
- Clean Brand: Aunt Fannie’s Glass and Window Vinegar Wash – EWG rating: A
Most conventional glass cleaners are made with solvents like toxic alcohols (typically poisonous), ammonia (a respiratory irritant), or glycol ethers (which can cause systemic organ damage). Yikes!
Aunt Fannie’s vinegar and plant-based glass cleaner are awarded the highest health & safety rating for cleaning products by the Environmental Working Group. Note some reviewers mention experiencing streaking so to avoid this make sure to clean with a microfiber towel when cleaning.
DIY Recipe for Natural Glass Cleaner – Fill a spray bottle with water + 1/4 cup white vinegar (OR 1 TB lemon juice) and wipe clean with a microfiber towel.
2. Ditch Lysol for a much safer bottle of ECOS Toilet Bowl Cleaner.
Best natural toilet bowl cleaner.
- Popular Brand: Lysol Power Toilet Bowl Cleaner – EWG rating: F
- Clean Brand: ECOS Toilet Bowl Cleaner – EWG rating: A
Conventional toilet bowl cleaners contain synthetic dyes, chlorine bleach, petroleum-derived ingredients, ammonia, and tons of other harmful substances, like Triclosan. 😧
Before flushing, stock up on our much more eco-friendly cleaning product by ECOS and it will keep your toilet smelling fresher than ever. This plant-powered formula uses cedar oil and citric acid to lift tough stains when cleaning and it’s biodegradable, greywater-safe, and septic-safe.
DIY Recipe for Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner – Mix 1 cup of Borax and 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar or lemon juice into the toilet bowl. Let sit for a few hours, then scrub with a toilet brush and flush.
3. Swap your bottle of Dawn for Attitude Dish Soap.
Best natural dish soap.
- Popular Brand: Dawn Platinum Dish Soap – EWG rating: D
- Clean Brand: Attitude Dish Detergent – EWG rating: A
Many conventional dish soap brands like Dawn or Palmolive contain cancer-causing chemicals like formaldehyde, sulphuric acid, fragrances, among many other harmful substances.
Instead, make the switch to an all-around safer cleaning product by Attitude. It’s Climate Pledge Friendly, hypoallergenic, and is created from plant and mineral-based ingredients that won’t have you sacrificing on effectiveness.
DIY Recipe: Dish Soap – Add 1/4 cup grated Castile soap with 1 1/4 cups boiling water and stir until dissolved. Then add 1 TB washing soda and stir. Add 1/4 cup Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile liquid soap and stir. Let mixture cool, then add essential oils (optional).
4. Cascade shouldn’t be the #1 Dishwasher detergent, instead, switch to Dropps Dishwasher Detergent Pods.
Best natural dishwasher detergent.
- Popular Brand: Cascade Dishwasher Detergent – EWG rating: F
- Clean Brand: Dropps Dishwasher Pods – EWG rating: A
Although Cascade may be the #1 recommended dishwasher brand in North America, it’s actually extremely toxic for your health and the environment. Whether you’re using gel or their pods, their EWG ratings are at an all-time low.
You’ll love switching to Dropps which are eco-friendly pods made without any harsh chemicals. They are naturally free of added dyes and colors, phthalate-free, phosphate-free, and animal-cruelty-free.
Even better, they’re made with compostable containers to avoid single-use plastic and 100% carbon-neutral shipping. Plus, you can score these natural dishwasher pods for FREE (just pay shipping)!
DIY Recipe for Natural Dishwasher Detergent – Mix 1 cup washing soda with 1 cup baking soda, 3 packages of unsweetened lemonade drink mix, 1 cup kosher salt, and 1 cup water. Mix and spoon it into ice cube trays. Let dry. Add one cube per load.
5. Skip the Comet and switch to Bon Ami Cleaning Powder.
Best natural powder cleanser.
- Popular Brand: Comet – EWG rating: F
- Clean Brand: Bon Ami Powder Cleanser – EWG rating: A
Conventional brands like Comet or Ajax emit harmful chemicals, including many linked to cancer, asthma, and reproductive disorders.
Not only does Bon Ami cost pretty much the same, but it’s also a completely family and pet-safe cleaner since they only use natural ingredients. It’s also hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and contains no chlorine, perfume, or dye so you’ll battle all the grime off your tubs, pans, and sinks with peace of mind.
DIY Recipe for Natural Powder Cleanser – Baking soda scours away most grime on tubs, showers, toilets, and countertops.
6. Stop using Clorox wipes and switch to Dapple All-Purpose Wipes, an award-winning natural cleaning product.
Best all-purpose cleaning wipes.
- Popular Brand: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes – EWG rating: D
- Clean Brand: Dapple All-Purpose Wipes – EWG rating: A
The only perk to using Clorox wipes is they can actually kill COVID, otherwise, you’re in an uphill battle on every other harmful chemical they’re made up with which rates anywhere from a D to an F on EWG.
Avoid wipes with synthetic fragrances, ammonium chlorides, ammonia, and other unnatural ingredients and instead switch to the award-winning Dapple wipes! They’re pediatrician and dermatologist tested and boast a Purity Award – the top award for purity from the Clean Label Project.
DIY Recipe for Natural All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes – Cut a roll of eco-friendly paper towels in half and place them in an old coffee can. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, and 1 tsp dish soap over towels in the can.
7. Ditch Pine-Sol for Attitude, a multi-surface spray cleaner that’s also EWG verified.
Best multi-surface cleaner.
- Popular Brand: Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner – EWG rating: F
- Clean Brand: Attitude Multi-Surface Spray Cleaner – EWG rating: A & EWG Verified
Pine-Sol isn’t so fresh after all. 😒 In fact, this iconic lemon-scented cleaner is filled with tons of harmful chemicals, including many linked to cancer, asthma, and reproductive disorders.
Attitude does it again because their multi-surface cleaner is ECOLOGO Certified meaning it’s sustainable and biodegradable! While you can scoop up unscented sprays, they even have a citrus scent in case you miss that classic lemony scent. 😉 Don’t fret over the scent either because all are hypoallergenic and if that’s not impressive enough, it’s EWG verified which is the highest rating a cleaner can get.
DIY Recipe for Natural Multi-Purpose Spray – Mix 2 cups water with 1 tsp of Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile liquid soap, 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol, and a few drops of Tea Tree Oil.
8. Toss Pledge for a bottle of Cleaning Studio Wood + Stone Natural Cleaner.
Best natural wood furniture cleaner.
- Popular Brand: Pledge Furniture Spray – EWG rating: D
- Clean Brand: Cleaning Studio Wood + Stone Natural Cleaner – EWG rating: A
Pledge may have once been a household staple, but it actually contains numerous harmful chemicals that raise high concerns. Developmental, endocrine, and reproductive effects, plus, cancer, and damage to DNA…just to name a few. 😳
Our recommended natural cleaning product is 100% natural and is PH neutral making it a top choice for professional cleaners. Even better it’s versatile and can be used safely on any stone surface in addition to your wood floors and furniture. 🙌🏻
Read through hundreds of 5-star reviews on their Etsy shop!
DIY Recipe for Natural Wood Cleaner – Mix 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil. You can also add in your favorite essential oils, too!
9. Soft Scrub can’t even touch the fresh lemon scent of ECOS Cream Cleanser.
Best cream cleanser.
- Popular Brand: Soft Scrub Bath & Kitchen Cleanser – EWG rating: C
- Clean Brand: ECOS Cream Cleaner – EWG rating: A
While Soft Scrub has recently made some improvements and went from a D to a C rating overall, it’s still made up of many ingredients that rate a D. Even worse, the toxic ingredients are linked to causing cancer and can affect the respiratory system, general systemic/organs, nervous system, your skin, and can cause developmental problems…just to name a few.
Thankfully, ECOS also makes a 100% sustainable, plant-based natural cleaning product that couldn’t be safer for your home! It efficiently removes dirt, grease, mildew, soap scum, and even smells like lemon too.
DIY Recipe for Natural Cream Cleanser – Mix 3/4 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 TB salt, 3 TB dishwashing liquid, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional).
10. Stop buying Bona and mop your way to a shiny floor with Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner.
Best hardwood floor cleaner.
- Popular Brand: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner – EWG rating: F
- Clean Brand: Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner Concentrate – EWG rating: A
We’re kicking Bona to the curb too after learning it contains seriously harmful chemicals which can cause cancer, have negative developmental/endocrine/reproductive effects, damage to DNA, negative respiratory effects, general systemic/organ effects, skin irritation/allergies/damage, and damage to the vision, which is only just the beginning.
Fortunately, Aunt Fannie’s makes an all-natural floor cleaner concentrate giving you peace of mind for your kids, pets, and the occasional 5-second roll. 😉 It can be used on solid, engineered, bamboo, manufactured, and laminated floors so feel free to go to town on the whole house.
DIY Recipe for Natural Hardwood Floor Cleaner – Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with 1 TB Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile liquid soap, 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, and 2 cups warm water, OR simply steam your floors with a mop with water and essential oils.
*Don’t use castile soap on waxed wood floors as it will break down the wax.
WARNING: AVOID these toxic ingredients:
- Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs)
- Ammonia
- Antibacterials & Disinfectants
- Butyl Cellosolve (also known as butyl glycol, ethylene glycol, monobutyl)
- Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite)
- Glycol Ethers (ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, EGBE, or 2-Butoxyethanol)
- Monoethanolamine (MEA) Diethanolamine (DEA) & triethanolamine (TEA)
- Petroleum Solvents
- Phenols
- Phosphates
- Phthalates (Fragrances)
- Triclosan
- And products with labels containing the words: “hazardous”, “corrosive”, “warning”, “danger”, “irritant”, or “inflammable”.
Environmental Working Group’s investigation of more than 2,000 cleaning supplies on the American market has found that many contain substances like the ones above which are linked to serious health problems.
Want to see where other natural cleaning products rank and how safe/unsafe other popular brands are? 🍃 Be sure to check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website for all the details.
These reusable household swaps are safer and can save you thousands.
Thank you for this list!
You’re so welcome, Kellie! 🤗
EWG is great – we use their sunscreen recommendations. We have replaced many of our cleaning products with a solution of alcohol, vinegar and water. We mix 1/3 of each and put it spray bottles. For wipes. we buy the Costco baby wipes and pour a cup of the alcohol and vinegar solution, 1/2 and 1/2 (you don’t need the water) through the wipes and store in a container. If you don’t like the vinegar smell you can put a drop or two of any essential oil like lavender or wintergreen. We saved so much money and never had to worry when all the products were out of stock at the beginning of the pandemic.
These recommendations are great, but EWG is just ONE place you should look. Companies can pay to have better scores, so it’s not the only place you should look for ratings. A better and complete option is to look up ingredients!
Can you elaborate on how companies can “buy” better ratings? From my knowledge, EWG assigns ratings based on the ingredients in the product? If The ingredients are known to cause health issues than the product receives a bad grade,but if the ingredients have no known health issues then it receives a very good score. This feels like a very objective and non-biased approach to rating items
Ewg is a great place to start, however money talks. Always read the labels. Research the ingredients. Avoid “fragrance” in all things. Over all we need to be more conscious of what ingredients are in all products.
I love that you included some DIY option! I plan to try some of them since some of the natural cleaners can be expensive/hard to find.
You’re so very welcome! Enjoy!
How do these products perform though?
I tried the Dropps dishwasher pods through I deal I found on here. I will never buy the commercial ones again! I used to get gross buildup in the bottom of my dishwasher using the brand name pods at the store. These get my dishes clean and I no longer get the gunk in the bottom of my dishwasher. I do tend to wait until they have a deal and restock as they are a little pricy but otherwise I have nothing but good things to say about them.
Hey Tina!
All of the listed products have been vetted as highly rated products in addition to the great EWG ratings so any of them will be a great option. I personally use many of them and second Jaime’s comment that I’ll never use commercial dishwashing pods again after having used Dropps. Please let me know if you have any other questions and I’m happy to help.