April 5, 2018
Healthy Home Swaps : Cleaning Concentrates
Have you grabbed my new book, Clean Mama’s Guide to a Healthy Home ? I am so excited to share it with you. Through the book I guide you through my findings about what is in our homes and our daily-use products. If you’ve followed along on Clean Mama you know that I am all about natural products that are truly safe for your family.
Along the way I have recommended products that I believed to be 100% safe that actually weren’t. I corrected those inconsistencies and started making my own DIY cleaners as a result. You can see my DIY cleaning recipes here on the blog. I wrote a whole book on DIY cleaners back in 2014 here and a book on my cleaning routine complete with simple and safe DIY recipes – Simply Clean, 2017. I’m really excited to share some Healthy Home Swaps with you. This is a series intended to test out known safe products and simply share my findings and opinions with you, hopefully making a swap a little bit easier. I’ll continue to test out products with the hope that you’ll consider swapping out your everyday product for a safe alternative.
First up? Cleaning concentrates. Some day I’d love to have my own cleaning concentrate in Clean Mama Home but for now I’ll tell you what I like about these concentrates and you can choose one that works for you if you’re so inclined. (You can purchase the spray bottle, the spray label, and the bar mop towel in Clean Mama Home if you’re interested!)
What is a cleaning concentrate and who is a cleaning concentrate for? A cleaning concentrate’s purpose ranges from company to company but the main goal is that the concentrate can be mixed up with water or used in a variety of different concentrations (hence the name concentrate) to clean just about everything in your home. Looking to simplify your household products? A cleaning concentrate might be just what you need. Like to mix up DIY recipes and would rather not switch everything to a cleaning concentrate? I’d recommend the EO All-Purpose Soap or the Sal Suds – they’re less expensive and can replace some cleaners and save you some cash.
Why should you worry about what is in your cleaning products? There is little to no regulation on ingredients and what is considered safe so you need to do your research and decide what you are okay with. I’ll be sharing information with you in little doses here and there as I always have been but I hope you understand that you should be concerned. If you’ve been using a cleaning concentrate, I encourage you to check it out and see if it’s safe to continue using. What cleaning concentrates are not good for you? On the EWG (Environmental Working Group) site there are hundreds listed in the C-F range but a few common ones that you might be using are Pine-Sol, Simple Green, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. These range from C-F – I aim for A’s when I recommend products. If you can’t find your product, you can always type in ingredients and see what they’re rated too.
Here are a couple differences I noticed in my testing and use in my home
All of these can be used as a laundry soap and dishwasher detergent with the exception of the Thieves concentrate. As far as scent, they are all naturally scented with essential oils, not fragrances – stay away from fragrance, with the exception of Branch Basics which is unscented.
EO All Purpose Soap
Very light citrus scent, most economical, can be used as hand and dish soap as well as dishwasher and laundry detergent. Scented with essential oils. This is my favorite scent in the concentrates.
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner
Rated an A on EWG.org – pine scent, works great on hardwood floors, can be used pre-treat laundry and as a laundry soap. According to the label: 1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon of water for general house cleaning and 1-2 teaspoons per load of laundry. I use a drop or two in a spray bottle for general cleaning.
Thieves
Made by Young Living, this cleaning concentrate uses essential oils to clean and ward off germs. A spice-y citrus scent is prevalent. Care needs to be taken when used around small children – if you choose this option make sure you follow the dilution from YL. Works well for most surfaces but not as a laundry detergent or dish soap (you can purchase those separately).
Branch Basics
Branch Basics is a great company that is on the forefront of natural living. This product is a reformulation as they found their original product’s ingredients weren’t what they thought they were. This concentrate is unscented but I can detect a very, very slight soapy scent. You can purchase spray bottles and foaming soap pumps to make your own DIY kit at home.
Please note that none of these companies know that I am talking about their products, this is just me testing out products for efficacy and most importantly safety and passing that information on to you. I have added referral links when they are available (my policy is here.)
Here’s how they come out on price – regardless of the cost, generally an all-purpose concentrate will always be less expensive and less wasteful than purchasing bottles and bottles of cleaners. Pricing per use depends on how you mix it up and use it.
EO All Purpose Soap $10.99 / 32 oz ($.34/oz)
Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner $24.95 / 32 oz ($.78/oz)
Thieves /$29.97 / 14.4 oz ($2.08/oz)
Branch Basics $49 / 32 oz ($1.53/oz)
Do you use a cleaning concentrate? Have you tried any of these cleaning concentrates? What are your thoughts?
Maryse Jospitre Says
I’ve also used Mrs. Meyers concentrate. What are your thoughts on that brand?
b r Says
Post authorI no longer use any Mrs. Meyer’s products because of safety concerns – sorry!
SB Says
Safety concerns? Curious as to what safety concerns there would be.
b r Says
Post authorThe main one for me is the use of Fragrance – this can be any number of harmful ingredients – they aren’t fully disclosing what’s in the products. Some products also contain Methylisothiazolinone and Polysorbate-20 among others.
Andrea Says
They don’t do so well on EWGs evaluations
Jessica Says
I love soap/cleaner concentrates! Healthy fornyour home and environment as the require much less packaging. My favorite so far is Poofy Organics! I found this company through another blog and was very impressed! They have an All Purpose Soap concentrate in several scents and an AP Cleaner that works magic on my stainless steel and stove top! I love this post! Thank you!
Erica B. Says
I have tried Poofy Organics makeup and love it. I’ll have to check out their cleaning products!
Kristin Creaney Says
I have been using Melaleuca products for 10 years and love them. Have you tried them? What are your thoughts?
b r Says
Post authorUnfortunately Melaleuca is rated an F – I don’t recommend their products 🙁
https://www.ewg.org/guides/search?utf8=✓&q=melaleuca&x=0&y=0&page=1&per_page=15#.WsZuW7aZNbU
Adrianne Says
Do you have any experience with Citra Solv?
b r Says
Post authorI haven’t used Citra Solv myself – sorry!
Kathy Says
This is really informative, thank you!! I have been using method products, thinking they were safe and most are rated C/D’s. I will definitely be looking to switch (although now I need to find a new dish/hand soap option! Haha)
b r Says
Post authorIt’s so disheartening to find products that you buy thinking they’re natural and they aren’t 🙁 Hand soap is a tough one but some of these can be used on hands/dishes. I’ve been using Everyone Soap 🙂
Kathy Says
It really is disheartening but I’m thankful for finding your blog and learning how to research products to educate myself. I’m going to look into Everyone Soap! Thank you for the recommendation.
Liz B Says
Do you mind sharing what you use these concentrates to clean? Are you doing kitchens, bathrooms, floors, glass? Are they safe for natural stone? I love the idea of reducing my cleaning products!
b r Says
Post authorI still prefer to mix up counter cleaners but I use them for floor washing and as a general cleaner. They all can be used as an all-purpose, anywhere cleaner.
Erin Says
What are your thoughts on Basic H by Shaklee? I use the Basic H2(superscript) and says it is safe for home and environment. It doesn’t say if it can be used as laundry detergent or dishwasher detergent, which is my disappointment with it.
b r Says
Post authorI used to use it years ago but no longer recommend it because they don’t disclose ingredients which leads me to believe that there is something not-so-good in them. Basic H is definitely not a safe product but it’s a germicide. Basic H2 is safer.
Tammy Says
Basic G is their germacide. Basic H is their original concentrete (the cleaner is blue in color and only offered in big buckets) Basic H2 is the concentrate offered in smaller sized bottles, is clear in color and is more concentrated than the original Basic H.
b r Says
Post authorYes, Basic G is the germicide – my bad/typo 🙂
Dawn Scheurich Says
I use Thieves and love it!! I have also recently been introduced and started using Norwex cloths and I am still in the learning process, but I am really impressed with the cleaning abIlity of them with only using water. Their antibacterial quality is amazing! You might want to check them out…
Thanks for all your tips and commitment to safety! I really enjoy your blog!!
b r Says
Post authorI prefer my microfiber 🙂
https://clean-mama-home.myshopify.com/collections/cleaning-cloths
LV Says
How do you wash your microfiber cloths? I just bought some of yours 😀
b r Says
Post authorYay! Here’s how:
https://www.cleanmama.net/2017/07/clean-microfiber-cleaning-cloths.html
Jane Says
Have you considered the plastic discharge associated with microfibre at all? https://bit.ly/2tJEXt4
b r Says
Post authorAbsolutely! This is referring to plastics in so many textiles – my main concern is plastics is in clothing and bedding.
Diana Says
I searched Simple Truth at the site you listed and it came up 0 results. It’s a fairly new line.
How do you find listings for new lines?
Tracy Says
Do you think branch basics is worth the money if you use it just for cleaning products?
b r Says
Post authorHi Tracy! Do you mean not for laundry or the dishwasher? I do – it’ll last you a long time!
Edna Says
I have some Dr.Bronner castile soap on order. Have you used that before? If so what do you think of it? There is a cheat sheet on their web site that tells a lot about the amounts and uses.It can be used on the body and for household cleaning.
b r Says
Post authorI love castile soap and use it ALL the time – here’s a whole post all about how I use it:
https://www.cleanmama.net/2017/04/how-to-use-castile-soap.html
Meghan Says
EWG lists all the Dr. Bronner castile soaps except the Citrus. Do you know if that would be considered an A or B?
b r Says
Post authorI would assume that the citrus is an “A” because the B rating is due to the essential oils used and citrus tends to be on the A range 🙂
Laura Says
I use theives (had two bottles gifted to me) While I do like it and use it regularly I don’t know that I’ll purchase it. Unfortunately, all YL things are outrageously priced! (I do use their oils) The scent of it is a tad overwhelming to me. Especially if used to clean multiple surfaces in one room. I LOVE sal suds for my hardwood floors. It doesn’t leave a sticky residue.
Amy Says
Do you prefer the Young Living Thieves cleaner over the Doterra Onguard cleaning concentrate? I’ve been contemplating which one to try.
b r Says
Post authorHi Amy! The doTERRA specifically says not to use on granite and marble which makes it less of an all-purpose for me. I prefer the YL scent because it has a little citrus so it’s not so heavy on the thieves essential oil.
Iris Says
Oh! Where does it say not to use on granite? I haven’t been – I use your DIY granite cleaner – but glad to know I shouldn’t.
b r Says
Post authorI think it’s on the site and on the bottle.
Sharon Says
I love the Branch Basics concentrate! And really appreciate the integrity of the people behind it-hope everyone will take a few moments & search them out!!!
b r Says
Post authorThey are a great company!
Teresa Says
Does “all purpose cleaner” translate to disinfectant? Thanks.
b r Says
Post authorNo it doesn’t but any cleaner will remove germs…
H A Says
I love this post! It’s amazing to see a blogger who has actually tried the products and isn’t promoting one cleaner over another. It is extremely disappointing to me to get drawn into a blog article only to find the article iss actually a sales pitch. You did not dissapoint. Thank you for an unbiased article about “healthy” cleaning products!
b r Says
Post authorThank you – that was my goal 🙂
Laura Says
Thanks! This was very helpful. I was wondering what the difference is between cleaning concentrates and castille soap. Are they basically the same? I use castille soap right now, but wondering if I should switch to a concentrate.
b r Says
Post authorCastile isn’t going to be quite as strong and won’t work as a window/mirror cleaner but it can be used to clean most things!
Suzanne Says
Would you recommend EO All-Purpose or Branch Basics, if I was only going to get one? (I have wood floors and counters, if that makes a difference.)
Thank you!
b r Says
Post authorThe EO – I like the subtle citrus scent.
Becky Chamberlain Says
Just ordered the Branch Basics and LOVE it! I have such strong sensitivities to cleaners and this is the first one that doesn’t irritate my throat after I spray. Thank you for the recommendation!
hazel Says
I cleaned the bottom of a frying pan with your oven clean recipe from your book. The result was astounding. I switched from perfumed products because they made me sneeze and irritated my skin plus I have two small grandkids (and one of them licks the floor :o). I love the drawings in your book – would love to see more. I’m also enjoying the first(?) book – Simply Clean and am delighted with the results so far. Thank you.
b r Says
Post authorYay! Thank you for sharing that Hazel 🙂
Suzanne Says
Would you recommend the EO All Purpose or Branch Basics, if I can only get one, for a home with wood floors and butcher block counters? Thank you!
b r Says
Post authorI’d probably go with the EO – I like the subtle citrus scent 🙂
Amanda B. Says
I don’t believe EO makes the all purpose soap anymore…cannot find it on their site or Amazon 😭😭
b r Says
Post authorNoooo! I reached out to them, hopefully they’re just sold out 🙁