Home

More In Home

How to Find Your First Apartment in 10 Steps

What Should Your Annual Energy Costs Be?

An Expert Shares His Top Design Secrets for Decorating Your Home

How to Build the Perfect Work Wardrobe

Why You and Your Partner Need to Have the Money Talk Now

Latest On LearnVest

How to Budget Without Regular Paychecks

6 Money Leaks That Are Draining Your Finances

Why You Shouldn't Withdraw Early From an IRA or 401(k)

When It's Time to Call It ... Quits

Renters Are Running Out of Room

The Best Green Cleaning Products For Your Buck

Alden Wicker
Alden Wicker
Posted on Mar 30, 2011

Your mom had a floor so clean you could eat off of it.

At least, you thought you could.

More and more people are concerned about the host of toxic chemicals in cleaning products, which are bad for both the environment and our health. The same ingredients that provide that “clean” (read: chemical) smell can be carcinogenic, corrosive, and cause asthma. So, we try to buy “green” cleaners whenever we can, but labels like “phosphate free,” “no-bleach,” and “bio-degradable,” complicate our basic question: What’s the safest and eco-friendliest choice for our money?

To settle the question once and for all, we looked up the health and environmental impact ratings for popular green products, peered at their ingredients, scoured review boards to judge their efficacy, and — for those of you who are put off by strong scents — even gave them a whiff.

Check out our findings below; we’ve marked one product in each category that we think is has the best bang for the buck.

BrandPriceGreen Rating (out of 10)*ScentEffectiveness (out of 5)*
Dishwashing Soap
Trader Joe’s$.12/oz4.9Mild1
Ecover$.15/oz4Mild5
Seventh Generation$.15/oz8.25Mild5
Method$.17/oz7.5Mild3
CVS Earth Essentials$.19/ozDoesn’t disclose all ingredients.Mild3
Green Works$.30/oz8.7Mild5
Mrs. Myers$.31/oz4.9Very Strong5
All-Purpose Cleaner
CVS Earth Essentials $.04/oz7**Strong5
Trader Joe’s$.09/oz4.9Strong5
Ecover$.15/oz3Mild5
Seventh Generation$.15/oz8.3Mild5
Method$.17/oz7Strong5
Mrs. Myers$.31/oz6.9Very Strong5
Green Works$.40/oz8.7Strong5
Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Ecover$.15/oz5**Very Strong5
Seventh Generation $.15/oz9.3Mild5
Method$.17/oz7.5Moderate5
Mrs. Myers$.31/oz4.9Very Strong4
Green Works$.40/oz8.7Mild5
Laundry Detergent
Ecover$.15/load4Mild5
Seventh Generation$.15/load6.3None3
Method $.17/load7.5Mild4
Mrs. Myers$.31/load4.9Mild4
Green Works$.40/load8.7Moderate5

*We determined a green rating by averaging the health and environment ratings from Good Guide. Effectiveness was judged by looking up aggregate ratings and reading reviews on retailer sites and blogs.

 

**In the absence of a Good Guide rating, we researched the toxicity of individual ingredients.

What's New

  • Capenguin

    I will be looking into buying all of these, but my concern with the laundry detergent is skin sensitivity? It is not just the scent. Where does that come into play?

  • Anonymous

    Another, even cheaper and definitely green alternative: vinegar, baking soda & lemon. You can clean almost anything with these three ingredients. Google it!

  • Leah

    For everything but dishes & laundry, I use baking soda and/or vinegar, depending on the surface. They can’t be beat for simplicity, effectiveness, safety, and cost. (A splash of essential oil is nice too!)

  • Norwex Cleaning Girl

    Thank You!! I am so glad that articles like this are becoming more common. It’s so very important that we start taking a look @ what is under our kitchen sink as so much of it is toxic and actually all together not necessary. I am however disappointed that microfiber & products like Norwex that allow you to clean and disinfect using ONLY WATER are not mentioned. These save time, money and the environment! Learn more at http://www.CarriesNorwex.com you will be happy that you took the time to check it out.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/pub/heather-miletic/5/6b/46a Heather

    This may just be me, but seventh generation cleaning products have such a strong odor that I can’t stand. I just stopped spending money on a brand that made my house smell.

    • Kellyn Westra

      Me too! Bathroom cleaner made me sick. I had to ventilate it the whole day and I didn’t want my baby to be in the bathroom!

  • nostinky

    I had the same problem with the smell of seventh generation. It smelled caustic, which is not something you want visitors to smell let alone yourself smelling it. I worry about how agressive it is when it smells so strongly.

  • Heidi

    I cannot believe that you did not even mention Shaklee’s cleaners. They have had environmentally and “humanly” safe cleaning products since 1960! They were green long before it was cool, and long before these other companies decided to jump on the band wagon.

  • esimo

    Did you do any testing for bathtub regular and grout cleaning? This is my biggest problem that involves tons of scrubbing. Thanks for the article.

    • Lschaffer2887

      Method’s Le Scrub works wonders! A little squirt goes a long way in sinks and tubs!

    • Lschaffer2887

      Method’s Le Scrub works wonders! A little squirt goes a long way in sinks and tubs!

  • esimo

    Did you do any testing for bathtub regular and grout cleaning? This is my biggest problem that involves tons of scrubbing. Thanks for the article.

  • esimo

    Did you do any testing for bathtub regular and grout cleaning? This is my biggest problem that involves tons of scrubbing. Thanks for the article.

  • http://neatfreakwannabe.blogspot.com Jenna

    For anyone who is a Consumer Reports subscriber, they rate cleaning products of all kinds and include green products in those ratings. Although they don’t seem to rate the “greenness” or scent of products, they do rate a wide variety of product types, including shower cleaners (@esimo), carpet stain removers, and fabric softeners.

  • Mvs027

    I would love to have a printable version of this chart without having to print the whole web page.

  • Aliceshea7735

    Shaklee Products have been Green since 1956. I believe they would win in every category!

  • Aliceshea7735

    Shaklee Products have been Green since 1956. I believe they would win in every category!

  • Aliceshea7735

    Shaklee Products have been Green since 1956. I believe they would win in every category!

  • Goldylox78

    seventh generation dishwasher gel does not work very well.

  • Linda Minney

    I agree with Aliceshea. I first used Shaklee Basic H in 1985 and it is even better now. It cleans better than anything else I’ve used AND it is concentrated. By adding the water yourself in reusable spray bottles you keep HUNDREDS of plastic containers out of the recycling or waste stream.

  • Linda Minney

    I agree with Aliceshea. I first used Shaklee Basic H in 1985 and it is even better now. It cleans better than anything else I’ve used AND it is concentrated. By adding the water yourself in reusable spray bottles you keep HUNDREDS of plastic containers out of the recycling or waste stream.

  • Linda Minney

    I agree with Aliceshea. I first used Shaklee Basic H in 1985 and it is even better now. It cleans better than anything else I’ve used AND it is concentrated. By adding the water yourself in reusable spray bottles you keep HUNDREDS of plastic containers out of the recycling or waste stream.

  • Suzzaroo

    I can’t believe you rate Green Works so highly, or that they are even on your list. I was told by the installers of our new bathtub that we should never use Green Works because it is very strong and the bathroom cleaner is corrosive to the fixtures. Their toilet bowl cleaner even takes the color away off the packaging if you let it drip. We were told it is not very “green” as they claim. Dr. Bronner’s Magic soap and vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda are what I use. They also make Sal Suds as a cleaning product but I prefer not to have the scent.

  • Suzzaroo

    I can’t believe you rate Green Works so highly, or that they are even on your list. I was told by the installers of our new bathtub that we should never use Green Works because it is very strong and the bathroom cleaner is corrosive to the fixtures. Their toilet bowl cleaner even takes the color away off the packaging if you let it drip. We were told it is not very “green” as they claim. Dr. Bronner’s Magic soap and vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda are what I use. They also make Sal Suds as a cleaning product but I prefer not to have the scent.

  • Suzzaroo

    I can’t believe you rate Green Works so highly, or that they are even on your list. I was told by the installers of our new bathtub that we should never use Green Works because it is very strong and the bathroom cleaner is corrosive to the fixtures. Their toilet bowl cleaner even takes the color away off the packaging if you let it drip. We were told it is not very “green” as they claim. Dr. Bronner’s Magic soap and vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda are what I use. They also make Sal Suds as a cleaning product but I prefer not to have the scent.

  • Suzzaroo

    I can’t believe you rate Green Works so highly, or that they are even on your list. I was told by the installers of our new bathtub that we should never use Green Works because it is very strong and the bathroom cleaner is corrosive to the fixtures. Their toilet bowl cleaner even takes the color away off the packaging if you let it drip. We were told it is not very “green” as they claim. Dr. Bronner’s Magic soap and vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda are what I use. They also make Sal Suds as a cleaning product but I prefer not to have the scent.

  • Suzzaroo

    I can’t believe you rate Green Works so highly, or that they are even on your list. I was told by the installers of our new bathtub that we should never use Green Works because it is very strong and the bathroom cleaner is corrosive to the fixtures. Their toilet bowl cleaner even takes the color away off the packaging if you let it drip. We were told it is not very “green” as they claim. Dr. Bronner’s Magic soap and vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda are what I use. They also make Sal Suds as a cleaning product but I prefer not to have the scent.

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • Misstonya1982

    What suprises me the most about this list is that Genesis 950 is not on it. It is by far the most effective cleaner I have ever used and it is considered green in the sense it has low VOCs. How did it not even get onto the list?

  • http://www.capricorntoday.com Courtney

    I love Green Works.  I don’t know how “green” it actually is. (I will trust whatever research you have done, I have done NONE! lol) 

    The all purpose cleaner is my favorite and I prefer the smell over Mrs. Myers; I love the “clean” smell.