Looking for a natural way to clean your home? We review 3 cleaning kit options made with all-natural ingredients so you can breathe easier.
Have you ever been mid-scrub, suddenly hit by a headache brought on by the noxious smell of chemicals? Do you cringe at the thought of those harsh cleansers seeping into your skin and the environment? Have you ever thought to yourself, "There's got to be a better way?"
What if we told you, "There is!"?
Most everyday cleaning products contain a cocktail of chemicals that pose risks to your health and the environment. However, cleaning your home doesn't have to be a 'hold-your-breath' event and doesn't have to come at the expense of your health or the planet's.
There are so many great 100% natural cleaning options out there that can transform your whole cleaning routine. They are effective, made from 100% natural, non-toxic ingredients, and they’ll leave your home smelling heavenly. There’s really no reason why you shouldn’t switch to a healthier, fresher, totally green way to clean your home.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please read the full disclosure here.
Switching to an all-natural cleaning kit marries practicality with eco-consciousness. Here are some of the reasons we love using a fully assembled, all-natural cleaning kit in our homes.
Convenient: The biggest advantage of natural cleaning kits is their convenience. They come as a complete package with everything you need to clean your home from top to bottom. There is no need to hunt for different products to use in different areas of your home – all the products you need to clean your entire home from top to bottom are in one neat package.
Effective: Don't underestimate the power of nature! These cleaning kits pack a punch when it comes to getting rid of dirt, grime, and bacteria. They can tackle anything from a dirty kitchen counter to a grimy bathroom, leaving your home spotless and fresh.
Better For Our Health: Since natural cleaning products use gentle, non-toxic, safe ingredients, we can feel good knowing we are avoiding the harsh chemicals found in traditional cleaning products that can harm our health. We don't have to worry about breathing in toxic fumes, any allergy triggers, asthma inducers, or endocrine disrupters.
Eco-friendly: By using an all-natural cleaning kit, you're contributing to a healthier planet. You don't have to worry about these products going down the drain and contaminating our waterways since they are free from harmful chemicals that damage our ecosystems. Additionally, many brands prioritize sustainable packaging, reducing waste.
Cost-Effective: Believe it or not, going natural can also save you money. Some conventional cleaning products require constant replenishment, but natural ones tend to last longer because you only need a small amount to do the job, and you can purchase eco-friendly refills instead of buying an entirely new product every time you run out.
Wonderful Natural Scents: One of the most delightful benefits of an all-natural cleaning kit is its fantastic natural fragrances. Traditional cleaners often have a strong, artificial smell that can be overwhelming and linger for days. On the other hand, natural cleaning products are typically scented with essential oils, filling your home with soothing, uplifting, and refreshing scents like lemon, peppermint, and lavender.
Aesthetic Appeal: Cleaning your home is probably not at the top of your list of fun things to do. But when you get to use beautifully designed products that smell delicious, cleaning becomes a lot less of a chore and a lot more enjoyable. The cleaning kits we included on this list are not only effective but look beautiful and leave your home smelling like a fresh summer garden.
So let’s get to it. These three non-toxic cleaning kit options will leave your home cleaner, your air fresher, and you feeling better!
Are Non-Toxic Cleaners Better?
As people seek ways to reduce their carbon footprint and protect their health, natural cleaning has emerged as a rising trend. But what's fueling this movement towards more eco-friendly cleaning solutions? And why should you care?
For many, the shift to using natural cleaning products is driven by a heightened awareness of the impact of our everyday choices on our long-term health. Have you ever paused for a moment to think about what's actually in the cleaning products you use?
For years we have experienced frequent headaches. We struggled to figure out the cause, often chalking it up to the weather or dehydration, until we realized they often occurred after cleaning the house. This led us to investigate our cleaning products, and we were shocked by two things, 1) how difficult it was to actually find the ingredients that our cleaning products were made of and 2) the astounding number of chemicals in all of our cleaning products and their detrimental effects on human health.
After finding out what was actually in our cleaning products and the potential health consequences, there was no question we had to switch up what we were using immediately. But we didn't know where to start. The idea of walking away from products we had relied on to keep our homes safe and clean for years seemed overwhelming. But after months of research, we wanted to share what we learned.
When It Comes To Cleaning Products, Does Stronger Equal Better?
Subject to years of corporate marketing campaigns, we were under the impression that products made from natural ingredients were somehow less effective and left us vulnerable to disease-carrying bacteria and viruses. But as we dug deeper, we came to find that most of the natural cleaning products out there are just as effective at keeping our homes clean and don't put us at risk for developing cancer, neurological disorders, or hormonal imbalances.
When it comes to traditional cleaning products, there's a common belief that the stronger the product, the cleaner the home. However, this misconception can lead to unintended consequences for our health and our homes.
The potent synthetic chemicals found in most household cleaning products are designed to eradicate any trace of dirt, bacteria, and grime. They're like the Hulk of cleaners - powerful but not exactly subtle. However, while these products can indeed provide a visually clean surface, they often leave behind a residue of harsh chemicals. This residue can linger on surfaces, infiltrate our air, and gradually make its way into our bodies through inhalation or skin contact.
Moreover, these cleaners' 'scorched earth' approach is problematic. Our homes are ecosystems full of both 'good' and 'bad' bacteria. Overly powerful cleaners can disrupt this delicate balance, wiping out microbes that benefit our immune systems and the harmful ones. This disruption can also make our living spaces more susceptible to harmful bacteria, creating a counterproductive cycle of over-cleaning and bacterial regrowth.
Our Favorite Cleaning Kit Options To Naturally Clean Your Home
The Rebel Green Complete Homecare Set is a selection of plant-based, eco-friendly cleaning products carefully curated for everyday home use. Their eco-conscious formulas are made with effectiveness in mind, aiming to transform your cleaning routine to be healthier and more enjoyable.
We were initially drawn to Rebel Green being a woman-owned business and their commitment to creating effective cleaning products with only organic, natural ingredients.
What's In The Box?
The set contains Lavender Grapefruit Laundry Detergent (64 oz), Fruit and Veggie Wash (17 oz), Pink Lilac Dish Soap (16 oz), Peppermint Lemon All-Purpose Spray Cleaner (16 oz), and a bonus hand care package that includes Lavender Grapefruit Hand Soap, Hand Sanitizer, and an organic cotton face mask.
All products are certified organic and feature plant-based formulas that are free from synthetic fragrances, harmful chemicals, and dyes. All of their products have their own unique, beautiful scents derived from only natural sources.
Performance and Effectiveness
We were ready to get cleaning as soon as we received the kit- no mixing or assembly was required. All products performed exceedingly well, especially the Peppermint Lemon All-Purpose spray, which we used all over the house on countertops, banisters, and bathroom fixtures. The dish soap was also a standout, as many all-natural dish soaps don't normally lather well, but the Pink Lilac Dish soap provided great suds and rinsed off cleanly without residue. The product scents really made this kit stand out in our minds. Each of the product's unique scents smelled fresh, not synthetic or soapy, and transformed our mundane tasks into enjoyable experiences with no headaches!
As much as we loved this kit, we did find a few minor drawbacks. The all-purpose cleaner left streaks on our glass surfaces, but that's to be expected with the essential oils in the formulation. We found the good old vinegar was a more effective way to keep the mirrors streak free. And while the laundry detergent left our clothes smelling fresh, we needed to pre-treat clothes with tough stains to get them thoroughly clean. This may not be of concern for some, but all of the products come in plastic packaging, although it is made from recyclable plastic. If reducing plastic in your household waste is a major concern for you, we recommend either the LUUM All Purpose Cleaning Starter Kit or Branch Basics Glass Cleaning Essentials Kit since both come with refillable glass bottles.
Price and Value for Money
The Rebel Green Complete Homecare Set starts at $50, which comes down to about $10 for each full-size product. All of the products are very concentrated, and a little goes a long way.
Final Verdict
We give the Rebel Green Complete Homecare Set to green thumbs up. It delivers on its promise of offering effective, sustainable cleaning products. Despite a couple of minor drawbacks, its focus on natural ingredients, eco-friendly practices, and delightful fragrances make it an excellent choice for anyone looking for healthier ways to clean their home.
If you're on the lookout for a cleaning set that marries cleaning power with eco-friendly ingredients, the Rebel Green Complete Homecare Gift Set might be what your household needs.
Final Rating and Recommendation: 8/10. All of the products exceeded our expectations. The formulas were super concentrated and tackled the toughest messes, including soap scum and mildewing grout. However, the products are only available in plastic packaging.
The Branch Basics Cleaning Essentials Kit offers a minimalist yet effective approach to home cleaning that's appealing to those wanting to minimize their cleaning supplies without compromising cleanliness. Despite our initial skepticism about cleaning our entire home with one product and a slightly steep price point, we quickly grew fond of Branch Basics concentrate, which ended up being incredibly versatile and effective, to our surprise.
What's In The Box?
This kit comes complete with a 33.8 fl oz Concentrate, a 2 lb bag of Oxygen Boost, and five reusable glass bottles for the Bathroom Cleaner, Streak-Free Cleaner, All-Purpose Cleaner, Foaming Wash, and Laundry Detergent.
The concentrate, which is used to create all of the cleaning formulations, is made of a blend of coconut oil, baking soda, and grapefruit seed extract.
Performance and Effectiveness
Using Branch Basics products is a cinch. Each glass bottle has markings to guide you in creating different cleaning solutions, ensuring the right concentration every time.
From handling greasy pots and pans to wiping glass surfaces nearly streak-free, using a single product throughout the house worked better than expected. However, we found the concentrate didn't work well as a laundry detergent and left our clothes smelling funky as they came out of the wash cycle.
We were especially excited to purchase this kit to cut down on our plastic use. The glass spray bottles were sturdy and held up well to being dragged around the house, and they can be used as long we can manage not to break them. And while reusing the glass spray bottles will certainly cut down on our plastic purchases, the concentrate and oxygen boost still come in plastic packaging. Branch Basics might use a more sustainable packaging option like aluminum in our perfect world.
Price and Value for Money
The Premium Glass Essentials Set starts at $125, with the smaller Glass Essentials Kit starting at $95. While this might seem like a lot of money upfront, with average use, you could likely clean your whole house with the original kit plus a second purchase of the refill concentrate for an entire year, which would leave your cleaning expenses at around $16 per month – a reasonable cost for safe, effective cleaning
Final Verdict
One of the biggest draws is the versatility of this kit, effectively reducing the need for multiple cleaning products. Its natural ingredients are safe for both your home and the environment. Though the concentrate falls short as a laundry detergent, this minor hiccup doesn't overshadow the benefits of this kit.
The kit is ideal for those seeking to minimize the number of cleaning products in their home. However, if laundry performance is crucial or if minimizing plastic usage is your top priority, this kit might only partially meet your expectations.
Final Rating and Recommendation: 9/10 Despite initial apprehensions, the Branch Basics Cleaning Essentials Kit became a welcome addition to our cleaning routine. Its effectiveness, combined with its focus on simplicity and eco-friendliness, earned a high rating for us.
The LUUM All Purpose Cleaning Starter Kit is a newer all-natural cleaning kit on the market. This product is the best option for those seeking a balance of safety, effectiveness, and cost. If you are particularly sensitive to scents, this option is perfect for you, as you can opt out of using the essential oil blend that comes in the kit for a completely scentless cleaning option.
When we received our kit, we found ourselves captivated by the sleek design of the bottle and the enticing fragrance of the essential oil blend. However, we were unsure about the cleaning power and the fact that it only came with a single cleaning product. Surprisingly, the Everything Spray became a daily essential in our kitchen, easily handling any quick messes. The tablets were straightforward to use, and assembling the cleaning formula was a breeze.
What's In The Box?
Each starter kit contains 1 Refillable glass spray bottle, 4 'For Everything' concentrated cleaning tablets - each makes 15oz of multi-surface cleaner, and 1 Bottle of LUUM No.01 Citrus Blend essential oil.
Performance and Effectiveness
The simple yet powerful heart of the LUUM Starter Kit lies in its concentrated cleaning tablets. The tablets are made of familiar household ingredients baking soda, washing soda, citric acid, salt, sugar, vinegar, and a surfactant derived from coconuts. No harsh chemicals, dyes, or artificial fragrances. This results in a cleaning solution that's non-toxic, gentle on the skin, and safe for your family, pets, and the environment. Despite their unassuming appearance, these tablets unleash a potent cleaning solution capable of managing many household tasks when mixed with water.
Price and Value for Money
The All Purpose Cleaning Starter Kit is available for $44. We found the kit was well worth the investment since you receive 4 tablets that makeup to 60oz of cleaning solution. You can get a 10-pack of tablet refills for $20; essential oil blends are available for $18.
Final Verdict
The LUUM Cleaning Starter Kit offers an ideal mix of simplicity and safety. LUUM truly shines for those prioritizing a simple, sustainable, refillable cleaning solution. Plus, for those who equate a clean home with a pleasant scent, the ability to create unique, non-toxic fragrances using their essential oil blends
Final Rating and Recommendation: 8/10 Even though the LUUM starter kit is not really a kit but a single product, it's a product that you will be reaching for again and again for those small, daily clean-ups in any room of the house. We loved the citrusy essential oil blend so much that we found ourselves giving each room a little extra spritz to take in the scent. We also appreciated that the refill tablets were small and minimally packaged and didn't require purchasing liquid refills.
Are Natural Cleaning Products Better For The Environment?
Cleaning chemicals have a profound impact on our environment and not a good one. Picture this: each time you wash away the suds from your dishes or scrub your bathroom, tiny traces of these chemicals disappear down the drain. The issue is they don't truly disappear. These substances, laden with harmful ingredients, eventually enter our water systems, contaminating our rivers, lakes, and even oceans.
Over time, this accumulated pollution can harm aquatic life and disturb delicate ecological balances. Just as we can't see the wind but see its effect on the swaying trees, these chemicals, although invisible, can produce devastating effects on marine life. It's a ripple effect impacting everything from the smallest microorganisms to the largest whales.We also need to consider how these cleaning chemicals affect indoor air quality. The pungent smell that lingers after you clean your kitchen or bathroom is a cocktail of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being released into your home's air. Breathing in these VOCs can lead to a variety of health problems.
Does this mean you should stop cleaning your house to save the planet and protect your health? Natural cleaning products offer a double advantage: they're kind to our environment and kind to us. They biodegrade quickly, minimizing environmental impact. You won't have to worry about harming marine life when you rinse them down the drain. And, as for our indoor air quality, these natural alternatives don't emit harmful VOCs, meaning you can breathe easy knowing you're not polluting your home's air.
What Chemicals Should I Avoid When Cleaning My Home?
Let's pull back the curtain on some of the hidden 'villains' lurking in our conventional cleaning products. We've been led to believe these products are our allies in the fight against dirt and germs. However, these harmful ingredients are impacting our health. So, before you grab that brightly colored bottle promising a squeaky-clean home, let's dive into some of these concerning ingredients and their potential effects on our health.
1. Phthalates: Often hiding in your cleaning products under the label 'fragrance', phthalates are known endocrine disruptors. That means they can interfere with your body's hormonal system, leading to a host of potential health problems. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to reproductive issues, asthma, and even some forms of cancer. You can find phthalates in air fresheners, laundry detergents, fabric softeners, all-purpose cleaners and dish soaps.
2. Perchloroethylene: Commonly found in spot removers and carpet cleaners, Perc is a neurotoxin. Exposure to high levels of Perc can lead to dizziness, loss of coordination, and other neurological effects. The Environmental Protection Agency has also classified Perc as a 'possible to probable' human carcinogen. Look out for Perc in carpet spot removers, carpet and upholstery cleaners, and metal degreasers.
3. Triclosan: This is an antimicrobial agent often found in antibacterial soaps and detergents. Triclosan is another endocrine disruptor, and it's particularly harmful to aquatic life when it's washed down the drain. Moreover, the overuse of triclosan can contribute to antibiotic resistance, a significant public health concern. Triclosan is often found in hand soaps, hand sanitizers, and toothpastes.
4. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: These are used as disinfectants in many household cleaners. They're also known to be respiratory irritants and can cause skin rashes. Like triclosan, quats can promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Watch out for quaternary ammonium compounds in products like disnfectant wipes, fabric softeners, kitchen and bathroom cleaners.
5. 2-Butoxyethanol: Found in many window, kitchen, and multipurpose cleaners, 2-Butoxyethanol is a powerful solvent that can cause sore throats, lung irritation, and even liver and kidney damage with long-term exposure. Many glass cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, and laundry stain removers contain 2-Butoxyethanol.
How Does The Body Absorb Harmful Chemicals In Cleaning Products?
Inhalation: Breathing in airborne particles is a common way for chemicals to enter your body. Many cleaning products, especially sprays, can be inhaled directly during use. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found a strong association between the use of spray cleaning products and asthma.
Skin Absorption: Our skin can absorb some of the chemicals we come into contact with. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health demonstrated that the skin absorbed an average of 64% of total contaminant dosage. This means that cleaning without protective gloves, for instance, can lead to chemical absorption.
Ingestion: While it's less common, accidental ingestion can happen, especially with children. A report in the Journal of Pediatrics found that cleaning products were responsible for nearly half of the toxic exposures in children under six.
What Are The Health Impacts of Synthetic Cleaning Ingredients?
Respiratory Issues: A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found a correlation between the use of cleaning products and the development of asthma. The researchers found that women, especially those working as cleaners, had more accelerated lung function decline than those not regularly exposed to cleaning products.
Skin Irritation and Dermatitis: A review in the journal Contact Dermatitis found that exposure to cleaning products is a common cause of occupational contact dermatitis, a type of skin inflammation caused by contact with certain substances. Cleaning products often contain harsh chemicals that can strip oils from the skin, leading to dryness, irritation, and in some cases, severe skin reactions.
Endocrine Disruption: Phthalates and Triclosan, found in many cleaning products, are known endocrine disruptors, which means they can interfere with your body's hormonal system.
Neurological Impact: According to a study published in NeuroToxicology, long-term exposure to solvents like 2-Butoxyethanol can have neurotoxic effects, potentially leading to cognitive and motor function deficits.
Cancer: Some ingredients in cleaning products, like formaldehyde and perchloroethylene, are classified as possible human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Long-term exposure to these chemicals could increase cancer risk, though more research is needed.
These studies highlight why it's essential to consider the ingredients in your cleaning products and opt for safer, more natural options whenever possible.
This post was all about cleaning kit options.
When it comes to maintaining a clean home, isn't it time we redefine what 'clean' truly means?
Keeping a clean and healthy home doesn't have to come at the expense of our well-being or the environment. Traditional cleaning products, while effective, contain an array of harmful chemicals that pose risks to our health and have detrimental effects on our ecosystems.
Switching to an all-natural cleaning kit provides us with a healthier, eco-friendly, and equally effective alternative. We tried, tested, and loved these three cleaning kits:
- Rebel Green Complete Homecare Set
- Branch Basics Glass Cleaning Essentials Kit
- LUUM All Purpose Cleaning Starter Kit
By opting to use better products in our homes, we contribute to a healthier environment, lessen our exposure to harmful chemicals, and promote a healthier environment in our homes. Let's remember that a clean home isn't just about spotless surfaces but also about safeguarding our health and that of our planet.
If you've found value in this review of these all-natural cleaning kits or have insights to share, please leave a comment!
Like this post? Share on Pinterest!
Leave a Reply