Are Natural Cleaning Products Effective?

By Marilee Nelson |

Are Natural Cleaning Products Effective?

Natural cleaning products are becoming more popular than ever, and this is an incredible trend to witness!

However, many people hesitate to make the switch because they fear natural cleaning products will not work as well as conventional brands.

As busy moms of multiple little ones juggling home and work, we get it! After all, cleaning is a lot of work, and no one wants to waste time and money on products that aren’t effective or long-lasting.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about natural cleaning products including what constitutes a “natural” product vs. a greenwashed product, how to choose an effective product based on two factors: ingredients and purpose, the health and environmental benefits of using natural cleaning products, myths and facts, and lots more.

What Are Natural Cleaning Products?

Believe it or not, there is no law or set of standards regulating the term “natural cleaning product”. 

This lack of regulation, along with lax ingredient labeling laws, has made the “green cleaning industry” a confusing mixture of pseudo-natural products and truly natural products, making it difficult (though not impossible) to discern what you’re getting.

Some progress has been made, such as the EPA’s “Safer Choice” and “Design for the Environment (DfE)” labels, which only apply to products that meet their guidelines for safety, eco-friendliness, and effectiveness. 

Their standards have some limitations, in our opinion, and there are some ingredients they approve that we would not consider “safe,” but it’s a start.

Independent agencies also offer certifications, such as Made Safe® Certified and EWG-Verified by the Environmental Working Group, which we wholeheartedly endorse.

So, let’s apply some common sense to the definition of “natural” cleaning products.

Truly natural cleaning products are free from harmful synthetic chemicals and contain ingredients from nature, such as vinegar, naturally derived and/or refined surfactants, plant surfactants, baking soda, soap nuts, castile and natural soaps, essential oils, flower extracts, and lemon juice.

So, if something is natural does that mean it’s always safe? Not necessarily.

Let’s look at fragrance for example.

Some brands tout a blend of “natural fragrances” and “essential oils”. Sounds reasonable, right? 

However, there are two potential problems:

#1: Due to lax labeling laws surrounding fragrance ingredients, “natural fragrances” aren’t necessarily better than their synthetic cousins and can still be highly refined allergens with questionable ingredients (which you’ll never know about because they do not have to be listed on labels).

#2: People with chronic illness and those who are healing should avoid fragranced products, even those with essential oils. Many natural cleaning products contain essential oils. Cleaning products that contain terpene-containing essential oils should especially be avoided. If there is ozone in the air, they react and form formaldehyde, ultra fine particulates, peroxides, and hydroxy radicals.  

It has also been found that essential oils processed with solvents contain toxic VOCs and oils processed through plastic tubing during manufacture are contaminated with plasticizers. Pregnant women, babies, asthmatic, and people with chronic diseases may also react poorly to some essential oils. Oils that have been found to have harmful effects should be avoided.

We do not wish to bash or put down companies that are trying to make a difference by using essential oils in their cleaning products. After all, essential oils can be highly effective natural disinfectants and degreasers and have loads of health benefits.

However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t share their potential downsides in mass-produced cleaning products.

If you like using essential oils in your DIY cleaners, we recommend using the highest quality organic/wildcrafted steam-distilled oils you can find, storing them in glass bottles and being aware of ozone alerts or any ozone issues in the home.

Vinegar is another example.

As healthy home experts, we LOVE using vinegar as a natural sanitizer, degreaser, and all-purpose cleaning ingredient and have written about it extensively.

However, vinegar contains acetic acid which is a lung irritant when sprayed. If you don’t have a lung condition, use good ventilation when cleaning, and are a healthy adult this is a non-issue.

For those with lung or respiratory issues, babies, and small children this may cause a problem.

Vinegar also creates a toxic gas when combined with another natural ingredient, hydrogen peroxide! 

This is why we always recommend using them separately and storing them in separate bottles for natural disinfecting.

Does this mean vinegar is unsafe?

No. As long as you take the proper precautions, it’s an absolutely wonderful natural cleaning product.

The point is, just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s entirely safe. And just because a natural ingredient is refined or processed, doesn’t make it unsafe either.

A perfect example of this is alkyl glucoside surfactants, like Coco Glucoside and Decyl Glucoside used in Branch Basics.

These come from coconuts and/or organic non-GMO corn and undergo a refinement process to create a naturally derived synthetic surfactant.

But wait, isn’t synthetic bad? It depends on the ingredient—where it’s from and how it’s made.

In this case, the term “synthetic” does not indicate a petroleum-based and/or highly processed product. Rather, it relates to the number of steps taken to process the natural source—coconut or non-GMO corn—to create the surfactant. 

This is the same as saying all processed foods are bad when, in fact, it depends on the food and how it is processed. Grain or nuts ground into flour, for example, versus MSG. Both are processed foods but very different in their origins and safety profile.

Ultimately, the best way to choose the safest and most effective natural products is to become educated on ingredients and red flags to watch out for on labels (“warning,” “hazardous,” “harmful if swallowed,” etc.) and use vetting tools like EWG Skin Deep and Think Dirty app.

Related read: What Does Eco-Friendly Mean?

Effectiveness of Natural Cleaning Products

So, what makes a natural cleaning product effective?

This depends on two factors:

1: The ingredients 

2: Its intended purpose, such as cleaning surfaces, doing laundry, disinfecting, cleaning glass, etc.

Let’s start by looking at some common effective natural cleaning ingredients and their purposes:

  • Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate): Excellent deodorizer, scouring agent, bleach alternative, water softener, grout cleaner, produce cleaner, fabric softener, and degreaser.
  • Vodka: Odorless deodorizer, degreaser, disinfectant, stain remover (due to its solvent properties, and mirror/glass cleaner. Vinegar: Wonderful all-purpose cleaner, descaling agent, fabric softener, degreaser, mirror and glass cleaner, and stain remover. Vinegar can also kill some types of germs including Salmonella, E.Coli, and Listeria, making it an excellent cleaning ally in the kitchen.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide: A safe and environmentally-friendly disinfectant, mirror cleaner, surface cleaner, bleach alternative, mold and mildew remover, grout cleaner, and stain remover.
  • Rubbing alcohol/Isopropyl alcohol: Many people like using rubbing alcohol as a more natural disinfectant and for cleaning mirrors and surfaces. We prefer using 3% hydrogen peroxide as it is less toxic if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the skin and generally safer to use around children or pets.
  • Lemon juice: An excellent surface cleaner, degreaser, bleach alternative, all-purpose cleaner, fabric softener, grout cleaner, and stain remover.
  • Salt: Plain old table salt is an excellent stain remover and natural scouring agent.
  • Castile Soap: This natural soap and surfactant is excellent for removing germs and giving a sudsy consistency to various DIY cleaning, personal care, and laundry products.
  • Natural surfactants: These unrefined surfactants, such as soap nuts, soapwort, quillaja, shikakai powder, soapberry, and yucca contain natural saponins which create foam and help bind to dirt and grime. You won’t typically find these in premade natural cleaners because of their unpredictable foaming properties and tendency to degrade. However, they can be wonderful in DIY natural cleaning or personal care products or as an alternative to laundry detergent (soap nuts).
  • Naturally-derived synthetic surfactants: As discussed previously, we only recommend Coco Glucoside, Laurel Glucoside, and Decyl Glucoside from non-GMO sources due to their incredibly gentle and non-irritating nature, sustainable sourcing, biodegradability, safety profile, and EWG-Verified and Made Safe Certifications. 
  • Enzymes: Natural enzymes can be very effective and safe (rated B+ by EWG) when used in dish detergents, laundry soaps, and stain removers for breaking down specific types of stains such as: 
  • Protease for protein-based stains (blood, urine, grass, food, feces, vomit, etc.)
    • Pectinases and Mannanases for hard-to-remove stains such as prepared foods (salad dressing, ketchup, ice creams), body lotions, fruits, and dairy products.
    • Lipases for breaking down fats and oils.
  • Sodium percarbonate: This natural mineral is an incredible bleach alternative, scouring agent, stain remover, laundry booster, grout cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and safe disinfectant when used with hot water. It’s also one of two mineral-based ingredients in Branch Basics Oxygen Boost and Dishwasher Tablets. 
  • Sodium Citrate: This mineral salt of citric acid is rated a “1” by the Environmental Working Group and is allowed in Made Safe Certified products. It breaks up grease, dirt, and grime, and acts as a water softener, pH regulator, descaler, and laundry sequestrant (improves the function of laundry soap by reducing ion levels in water), dissolves grease and stuck-on food on dishes, and is a safe natural preservative.
  • Sodium Phytate: A sodium salt of phytic acid sourced from plants, such as grains and seeds and rated “1” on EWG’s Skin Deep, it is used as a chelating agent, preservative enhancer, stabilizer, and antioxidant in Branch Basics Concentrate as well as various cosmetics, food products, and other cleaning and laundry products. It is also permitted for use in Made Safe Certified products.

Just like with synthetic chemical-based cleaners, a natural cleaning product should be used for its intended purpose.

For example, vinegar will not deodorize like baking soda, nor will castile soap disinfect or kill mold like peroxide. 

Fortunately, with what you’ve just learned from this list, you have all the information you need to choose the right cleaning products and ingredients for the right job.

There are also nuances when it comes to using these ingredients on various building materials, such as hardwood flooring (sealed vs. unsealed), upholstery, fabric, and different types of stone. 

So always check with the manufacturer’s recommendations before using a natural cleaner for the first time. 

We have loads of helpful information on this topic throughout our blog. Just search “floors” for example, for helpful advice on the best natural cleaners for floors. 

For Branch Basics-specific information, see our User Guide.

This is why an all-in-one natural cleaning product like Branch Basics Concentrate can be such a life- and time-saver! 

We designed our signature Concentrate to replace every single cleaner and laundry product in your home. Just add the recommended amount of water to a spray bottle to create custom dilutions of All-Purpose, Bathroom, Streak-Free, Laundry, and Foaming Wash.

You can also create custom dilutions for flooring and other materials.

Learn more about how Branch Basics is simplifying natural cleaning in: Is Branch Basics Worth It?

Benefits of Using Natural Cleaning Products

As you’re probably aware, natural cleaning products have numerous benefits for your health, home, and the environment.

Environmental Benefits

Synthetic chemicals used in cleaning products, such as bleach, ammonia, synthetic surfactants, forever chemicals, petroleum products, phosphates, glycol esters, phthalates, and various preservatives, have created an environmental nightmare.

Not only does their procurement (mining petroleum, for example) and production create various environmental hazards, but their use in homes and businesses is a leading contributor to the death and destruction of aquatic life, air pollution, poisoning of wildlife, and various other environmental woes.

What’s worse, is our country (The United States of America) allows many ingredients in cleaning and personal care products that are outlawed or highly restricted in other countries.

This is a huge topic we’ve covered in other articles (formaldehyde, phosphates, phthalates, PFASs, bleach, various synthetic surfactants, ammonia, optical brighteners, for example), but suffice it to say, one of the best things you can do for the environment is to stop washing synthetic chemical cleaning and laundry ingredients down your drains and swap them for the less toxic and natural ingredients listed above.

Health Benefits 

What harms our environment also harms us, so it should come as no surprise that many ingredients used in synthetic chemical cleaners are known or suspected health hazards.

Some of the worst offenders are:

Exposure to varying concentrations of these ingredients has been linked to alarming ill health effects such as reproductive toxicity, headaches, sick-building syndrome, asthma, developmental harms, infertility, cancer, hormone/endocrine disruption, microbiome disruption, impaired immunity, poisoning, respiratory damage, severe skin burns, severe eye damage, suffocation, wheezing, organ damage, kidney failure, and even death.

Click the links above for information and studies specific to each ingredient.

This is not an extensive list of all the cleaning ingredients that can cause health problems.

We encourage you to research specific ingredients and/or vet products using the tools listed above before bringing them into your home.

Related read: The Most Toxic Cleaning Products To Avoid & Safe Swaps

Home Benefits

One of the biggest home benefits of using natural and human-safe cleaning products is the dramatic improvement in indoor air quality.

Most people don’t realize that even sealed products leach toxic chemicals into the air (think about the last time you walked down the laundry or cleaning aisle at the store!) creating a low-grade toxic soup.

By swapping these products with more natural and safe products, you’ll give your home, lungs, liver, etc. an immediate detox and boost various aspects of well-being.

In addition, natural cleaning products typically pose fewer risks to infants, children, and pets, which means greater peace of mind and less to worry about!

Common Myths About Natural Cleaning Products

We’ve covered a lot in this article, so let’s lighten it up by busting some common myths about natural cleaning products.

Myth #1: They’re more expensive.

Fact: Often they’re cheaper because you use less and you aren’t paying for expensive advertising. 

Although it’s true that some natural cleaning products come at a premium, most of them are the same price point, or cheaper, than their chemical competitors.

Ultimately it comes down to value. With Branch Basics, for example, 1 bottle of Concentrate at $55 (or $75 for a complete Premium Starter Kit with refillable bottles and Oxygen Boost) gives you enough cleaner to make:

  • 3 bottles of All-Purpose at $3.09 each
  • 3 bottles of Bathroom at $6.18 each
  • 3 bottles of Streak-Free at $0.49 each (for real!)
  • 64 Loads of Laundry at $0.26 per load
  • 3 bottles of Foaming Wash at $3.09 each

That’s a whole lot of natural cleaning products for the cost of one Concentrate!

DIY options are also a great way to save money using inexpensive ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, castile soap, and lemon juice.

Myth #2: Natural cleaning products don’t work as well.

Fact: As we’ve covered in this article, they often work as well or better than their synthetic cousins, provided you choose the right cleaner and formula for the job!

Myth #3: Natural cleaning products don’t disinfect well enough.

Fact: Not all natural cleaners are sanitizers or disinfectants, including Branch Basics! These products are  made with i surfactants, designed to remove germs rather than kill them. This is generally preferable in everyday cleaning, as disinfecting always leaves behind a few germs that then become resistant to sanitizers and disinfectants over time.

Studies have shown low-tox disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, and citric acid can be just as effective as more toxic disinfectants like bleach or Quats.

Start a Human-Safe Home With Branch Basics

For too long people have sat on the fence afraid (and too confused!) to make the switch from conventional to more natural and safe cleaners.

We hope this article has clarified the issue and empowered you with the knowledge and tools you need to finally toss the toxins, reclaim your health, and create a healthier home.

As previously mentioned, one of the easiest ways to do this is with Branch Basics’ all-in-one human-safe and environmentally-safe cleaning line.

Click here to explore our Starter Kits (available in refillable plastic or glass).

We also offer: 

Curious about what’s in our products? See: Is Branch Basics Safe? Your Questions Answered.
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Marilee Nelson

Marilee Nelson

Marilee Nelson is an Environmental Toxins expert who has spent nearly 30 years advocating for the chemically-sensitive and chronically-ill. She is a Board Certified Nutritionist, Certified Bau-Biologist and Bau-Biology Inspector and specializes in Food As Medicine. She has helped thousands of families and individuals identify, heal and recover from toxic exposures and is on a mission to revolutionize the way American families view their health.

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