Best eco cleaning products for your kitchen 2023

Best eco cleaning products at a glance

Best eco cleaning products 2023

Neat anti-bac multi surface cleaner

Best plastic-free option

Pros:

Aluminium bottle
Pleasant aroma
Easy refills

Cons:

Initial purchase is expensive

Size: 500ml
RRP: Starter pack including aluminium spray bottle is £7. Refills: £2.50 each.

Star rating: 5/5

Admittedly, the spray trigger is plastic, but the body of the bottle is a sturdy, built-to-last aluminium and the refills come in tiny glass bottles, meaning this cleaner is the best option if you’re looking to go as plastic-free as possible.

The liquid refills dissolve immediately into cold water, no mess or fuss. The matte white bottle looks good in the kitchen and has a removable silicone base to keep it from slipping around.

Neat is a B Corp and the product is made with biodegradable and plant derived ingredients. The mango and fig fragrance has a very pleasant, fresh, fruity aroma that’s not at all chemically and it was one of our favourite fragrances. As a cleaner it tackles all surfaces, leaving them clean and shiny. Whether grease, mud or daily grime, we were impressed with the cleaning power of Neat. And it’s an added bonus that it can eliminate 99.9% of bacteria.

The initial £7 cost for the bottle and first refill is a bit steep, especially in comparison with other brands, but after that, the refills are competitively priced. Plus, they’re easy to buy online without being locked into a subscription. And the small bottles allow you to stay stocked up without an overflowing cleaning cupboard.

Available from: Neat (first purchase £7 then £2.50 for subsequent refills)

Method anti-bac all purpose cleaner

Best for everyday use

Pros:

Larger bottle size
Efficient cleaner
Can be used on a variety of surfaces

Cons:

Size: 828ml

RRP: £4

Star rating: 4.5/5

Method products are widely available and the daily all purpose cleaner comes in a larger bottle size than most kitchen cleaners, which means it works out as a reasonably priced option. It’s a non-toxic plant-based cleaner that’s leaping bunny approved, plus Method is a B Corp, which indicates the company’s continued commitment to people and planet.

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Cleaning is effortless with this kitchen spray, it leaves glossy cabinets virtually smear free and likewise, removes grease from windows without leaving any residues or smears. It has no problem with mud, thick cooker grease or other daily kitchen spills. According to Method, it can be used on worktops, tile, stone, wood, and glass so it’s a good all-rounder for any kitchen. The clementine fragrance is slightly more synthetic than some others, but we still found it to be pleasant.

Overall, this is a simple eco swap you could pick up in any supermarket and really not notice a difference in ease of use or results. But, the downside is that while the bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic, you can’t buy a refill or concentrate to top it back up when it’s gone, making it a single-use option, so it doesn’t tick every eco box.

Available from Method (£3.20) , Waitrose (£4), Ethical superstore (£4.35), Robert Dyas (£5.24)

Bio D all purpose sanitiser spray

Best for sanitising without a strong fragrance

Pros:

Gentle odour
Kills bacteria

Cons:

Refill option is single-use plastic bottle

Size: 500ml
RRP: £3.22 (refill £2.27)

Star rating: 4/5

Sanitising sprays are a must if anyone in your household is vulnerable to illness. This one has 100% naturally derived ingredients and neutralises 99.9% of harmful bacteria including coronavirus. Bio D is a B Corp and the product is Leaping Bunny approved, pet friendly and suitable for septic tanks.

The bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic, you can buy a refill, but it’s a bit of stretch as it’s essentially the same bottle minus the trigger spray. That said, it’s better than nothing, it allows the trigger to be reused, plus saves money, too.

The trigger can be set to a light mist or a more concentrated spray, though the opaque bottle means it’s tricky to see how much is left. The fragrance is very light, it’s barely detectable which will please those sensitive to strong aromas.

It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t purely a sanitiser to kill germs, it’s a great cleaner that works just as hard as all the others on this list. It leaves shiny surfaces and even windows looked clean after wiping away greasy fingerprints, though they did need a buff to bring out the shine. It also worked well on a mucky hob and cooker hood, removing all the built-up grime.

Available at Ethical Superstore (£2.44), Oxfam Shop (£2.39)

Ecover Multi-Action surface cleaner

Best general cleaner for shiny surfaces

Pros:

Widely available
Various refill options available
Refills are good value for money

Cons:

Size: 500ml
RRP: £3.15/ concentrated refill for three bottles: £5

Star rating: 4.5/5

Ecover is one of the best known and trusted eco cleaning brands around, and this plant-based, palm oil-free multi-action cleaner is Leaping Bunny approved – which means you can trust that it’s cruelty free. What’s more, it’s produced in Ecover’s zero-waste factory using plant-based and biodegradable ingredients.

The bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic and when it’s empty there’s a concentrated refill available to purchase. The refill does come in a small plastic bottle, but it contains enough concentrate to refill three bottles, so vastly reduces the amount of plastic and is much more cost-effective. Plus, in an effort to further reduce single-use plastic, Ecover refill stations are available in shops nationwide, but you’ll need to check online if there’s one near you.

The aroma is somewhat chemically and overpowers the citrussy lemongrass and orange scent that’s promised on the label. But with that being said, this was the best at leaving glossy kitchen cabinets smear free.

It can remove grease from cooker hoods and will also remove fingerprints from glass, leaving a streak-free shine. It’s a great all-rounder but particularly useful to have around if you have a lot of shiny or reflective surfaces to keep clean and smear-free. It’s a versatile multi-surface cleaner that’s not limited to use in the kitchen.

Available from: Ecover (£3.15), Dunelm (£2.50),

Ecozone kitchen cleaner

Best for degreasing

Pros:

Pleasant orange aroma
Anti-bacterial formulation

Cons:

Size: 500ml
RRP: £3.60

Star rating: 4/5

Leaping Bunny-approved, PETA-approved, and vegan, this degreasing spray also kills 99.9% of bacteria. It might be made with plant-based and biodegradable ingredients, but this kitchen cleaner is tough enough to remove greasy residues from all around the kitchen while simultaneously eliminating bacteria.

The bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic but you can’t buy a refill or concentrate to top it back up when it’s gone. It’s a single-use plastic bottle, which is one of the biggest downsides of this product and does somewhat reduce its eco credentials. And while the brand does say on its website that it’s working to eliminate single-use plastics, there are very few refill options available at present.

The citrussy orange aroma is strong, but pleasant and not synthetic or overpowering. It aced through all of our cleaning tests, from removing fingerprints on windows to greasy smears on worktops and hobs. But we noticed watermarks on some glossy surfaces if not polished to a shine during cleaning. Having said that, it’s a powerful cleaner, so much so that we think you’ll forget it’s an eco-option.

Available from: Ecozone (£3.60), Ethical Superstore (£3.60)

Smol multi-purpose spray

Best value for money subscription

Pros:

Compact refill tablets
Easy subscription option
Low cost

Cons:

Size: 500ml bottle
RRP: £2 initial payment for bottle and tablet trial pack, then £6 for six tablets (subscription model)

Star rating: 4/5

Smol is vegan and Leaping Bunny-approved, so it’s cruelty free. The reusable spray bottle is plastic but it’s made from 100% recycled plastic. And with just the brand name debossed on the bottle, it has a minimal design that looks nice on the worktop. The bottle includes an orange silicone band to indicate that this is the multi-purpose spray, and it’s nicely positioned near the top to help with grip.

The small concentrated refill tablets come in plastic-free, compostable packaging. The tablet takes several minutes to dissolve, but this mess-free refill is easy to use and the tiny tablets take up very little storage space, so it allows you to keep a fully stocked cleaning cupboard without the clutter.

The nozzle can be set to either mist the product or shoot it in a more direct spray. The aroma is distinctly reminiscent of laundry detergent, plus it lingers, which some people will like and others will not.

We preferred other brands for cleaning windows and shiny surfaces, as Smol left visible watermarks. But it’s powerful enough to remove grease and grime including tougher muck on cooker hoods and hobs. We think it’s best when spritzed on surfaces for an everyday clean. Plus, the refills offer the best value for money we’ve seen. And because it’s multi-purpose, it’s not limited to use in the kitchen.

Available from: Smol (£2 initial payment for bottle and tablet trial pack, then £6 for six tablets (subscription model)

Splosh

Best flexible subscription with choice of scents

Pros:

Very sturdy bottle
Refill pouches can be returned for recycling
Fragrance-free option available

Cons:

Refills are not plastic free
One scent contains a potentially harmful chemical

Size: 500ml
RRP: £2.95 initial cost, then £5.25 for a four bottle refill pouch

Star rating: 4/5

Splosh is an online eco cleaning company that allows you to order products as needed or, set up a flexible subscription to suit your needs. Refills come in pouches that contain enough concentrate to refill the bottle four times, offering great value for money. Then, pouches can be returned to the company for reuse or recycling.

There are two different fragrances to choose from, clementine and lemon or pomegranate and melon as well as a third, fragrance-free option. We tried the pomegranate and melon version, though sadly we couldn’t detect either scent and found it to have more of a generic chemical cleaning product aroma.

Splosh says the formulation is all-natural, vegan, cruelty-free and septic tank-safe. However, we were surprised to see that the pomegranate and melon scent contains butylphenyl methylpropional, which has recently been banned in the EU after it was found to have a possible link to infertility.

The results in our cleaning tests were top notch, it can degrease as well as remove grime and muck, effortlessly. What’s more, it left surfaces smear and streak free. So while it is a very effective cleaner, we’d advise against choosing the pomegranate and melon scent.

Available from: Splosh (£2.95) then (£5.25 for 2L refill pouch. £4.72 with subscription)

Why use eco-friendly cleaning products?

The first reason to switch to eco cleaning products is to reduce the volume of potentially harmful chemicals in your home. While all common cleaning chemicals have been approved for use in our homes, some are still potentially quite toxic, both to humans, animals, and the environment.

For an even better impact on the planet, most eco cleaning products are at the very least packaged in recycled materials. The best ones offer concentrated refill products for a much lower waste approach, and with the need for us all to reduce our reliance on single-use plastics, this is a more sustainable option that’s easy to adopt.

Which certifications to look out for when choosing eco-friendly cleaning products

There are numerous certifications that you might come across on cleaning products, but these are the ones we think are worth seeking out:

Leaping Bunny
This internationally recognised symbol is your guarantee that no new animal tests were used in the development of the product.

B Corp
To achieve B Corp certification, a company has to commit to, and prove that it is working to positively impact its workers, community, customers and the planet. These businesses work hard to meet very high standards in social and environmental performance.

Vegan
Some cleaning products contain substances derived from animals. If that is something you want to avoid, you can look out for the Vegan Society logo.

How we tested eco cleaning products

Firstly, if the product consisted of a concentrate that had to be mixed with water, we assessed how easy and mess-free this process was. Then we looked at the packaging, claims and ingredients. To assess the cleaning performance, we tried each of the cleaners on a number of surfaces. These included cleaning grease from a cooker hood, washing glossy kitchen cabinets and mucky hobs. But we also tried wiping away dried mud from floor tiles and greasy fingerprints from windows. During use we took note of the aroma as well as any issues with the trigger spray.

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