10 must-have reusable, eco-friendly cleaning products for your home

Few things beat the feeling of a clean home. But for us, the feeling is made sweeter knowing that we are able to get our home clean using eco-friendly cleaning products. From kitchen to bathroom to laundry room, having a clean home doesn’t have to mean contributing to a dirtier planet.

Most of us choose our products based on convenience. And while these conveniences allow cleaning to make a smaller dent in our day, they make a big dent in the trash problem on our planet. Thankfully, while we’ve been focusing on all the things in our lives that a little more time allow for, many companies have been focusing on making sustainable products that allow for convenience with less waste. We rounded up some of our favorite reusable, eco-friendly cleaning products no green home should be without.

Eco-friendly cleaning products – Reusable paper towels

Paper towels are a major waste generator. We get it: When you need to clean something up or dry something off, it’s easy to grab a sheet off the roll, do the job and toss the towel in the trash. But you can maintain the convenience and cut down on the waste by switching to a reusable product. We like Marley’s Monsters Unpaper Towels or the If You Care reusable paper towel roll.  Both fit on most standard paper towel holders, can be used multiple times and are easy to wash and re-roll.

Eco-friendly cleaning products – Washable sponges

Disposable sponges wear out quickly. Plus, they’re hot beds for bacteria. So switching to a washable option is cleaner in more ways than one. For simple washing, a Swedish Dish Cloth is a great option. It is washable, reusable and bacteria-resistant. For scrubbing dishes, opt for something stronger like Marley’s Monster’s Washable Sponge, which will give you all the power of a disposable sponge without the waste.

Eco-friendly cleaning products – Washable mop pads

If you use a wet mop like a Swiffer, try out a product like these Turbo washable pads that are Swiffer-compatible and eliminate the waste of pre-moistened pads. If you prefer a traditional mop-and-bucket system, look for a mop that is plastic-free and has a washable head like this traditional mop, and opt for a metal bucket in place of plastic.

Microfiber cloths

Multi-use microfiber cloths can replace plastic dusters with disposable heads as well as toxic cleaners and paper towels. They are washable, reusable and easy to find. A good place to start is with this E-Cloth all-purpose set. It provides a cloth for every job from dusting to cleaning glass, and it eliminates the need for toxic cleaners because the cloths can be used with just water.

Bamboo

Most cleaning brushes come with plastic handles. If you are already using these, the most sustainable option is continuing to use them and keeping them out of the landfill. But if you are in the market to but new brushes, consider bamboo. It’s eco-friendly and can replace your toilet brush, pot scrubber, broom and dustpan, among other things. Companies like Caboo also make it easy to upgrade your paper products.

Laundry detergent strips and tablets

Switching to reusable items will lead to a bit more laundry in your home, but there are eco-friendly options for the laundry room as well. You can replace liquid detergent in plastic bottles with laundry strips, such as the ones from Well Earth Goods, or tablets such as the ones from Blueland. Another way to be more sustainable in the laundry room is by using dryer balls in place of your fabric softener. Dryer balls go in the dryer with your laundry, bouncing between the layers of fabric working to keep laundry soft, reduce drying time and cutting down on static. We like the wool dryer balls by Ecoigy and Dragonfly Dryer Balls‘ vegan option.

Compostable trash bags

Switching to sustainable cleaning alternatives will cut down on the amount of waste you make, but it won’t eliminate it altogether. You can however, make even your trash greener by saying goodbye to plastic trash bags. Opt instead for compostable liners like the ones available from Net Zero Co. or Earth Hero.

Sustainable subscription services

Making the shift to sustainable cleaning products can feel daunting, but you can take some of the guess work and leg work out if it by using a subscription service such as the ones Blueland, The Grove Collaborative and Clean Cult offer, to name a few. Your first order includes all the bottles and cleaners you need to get started. Your subscription allows you to receive monthly cleaner refills or choose to order them only when you need them. They ship in eco-friendly packaging and use only recyclable, sustainable materials.