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Written by Grove Collaborative

Green cleaning at home.

Last Updated: March 19, 2021

Make green cleaning a breeze with our tips for choosing natural cleaning products for every area of the house. Plus, we’ll go over the benefits of green cleaning over conventional products.

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Can you get your house clean if you go green? Absolutely! With green cleaning supplies, you may actually be able to keep things cleaner, and you'll also be able to protect both your health and the health of the planet.



What makes a cleaning product green?

Green cleaning supplies have ingredients that do not harm the environment. They're defined more by the things they don't have, like bleach and ammonia, than any specific ingredient they actually contain. Some products are greener than others.


  • Sanitizers like citric acid, peroxide, and lactic acid help make green products effective without adding toxins that can harm users and groundwater.
  • A manufacturer's packaging choices, operations, and eco-friendly charity contributions can make them greener.
  • The less waste a product creates, the greener it is. This is why a lot of environmentalist groups suggest zero-waste products. Reusable storage containers, like glass bottles, make green cleaning supplies even more eco-friendly.

What is the purpose and importance of green cleaning?

  • Going green helps consumers develop habits that are better for the environment. A lot of washing liquids and scrubs contain high concentrations of chemicals that are harmful to plants, animals, and microorganisms. That means they can hurt a lot more than bacteria on the kitchen counter. The green movement also targets unsustainable manufacturing processes and the heavy reliance on plastics in this industry.
  • Going green helps ensure that there is safe water to drink for future generations.
  • The green movement targets both consumers and manufacturers, putting pressure on companies to create more sustainable goods.
  • Consumers have the opportunity to see how their shopping and scrubbing habits can change the world, starting with their own homes.

Benefits of green cleaning

Keeping a home clean without toxic chemicals benefits everyone. There's mounting evidence that keeping a home tidy with regular cleaning supplies has adverse health effects on children, pets, and even adults in addition to the world outside. Greener cleaning supplies can make your home safer for everyone.


  • Many people with allergies have fewer symptoms without the chemicals from cleaners in their air. Going green can help them breathe easier, literally.
  • Pet owners have less to worry about with green cleaners. Many are designed specifically for safe use around animals.
  • Green cleaning supplies are less toxic if accidentally swallowed by small children. Kids are also less likely to develop childhood asthma if they aren't exposed to cleaning sprays as infants.
  • Lots of eco-friendly soaps and solutions smell fantastic, while others can be customized with your own essential oils. As an added bonus, some essential oils that smell great to humans smell terrible to things like spiders and insects.

Other ways to go green: recycling

By this point, everyone knows that recycling is a smart, practical way to help the planet. It gives trash new life, boosts the economy, and helps reduce landfill waste. Recycling still isn't as common as you may think, though, and there are lots of opportunities to establish new recycling programs and habits in homes, schools, and businesses.


More green resources

Looking for more home advice, cleaning how-tos, and sustainable swaps you can make at home? Grove has you covered with our buying and cleaning guides. And let us know how if you have any cleaning questions (or share your own tips using #grovehome) by following Grove Collaborative on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

If you're ready to make the transition to natural cleaning products, shop Grove Collaborative's cleaning essentials for the cleaning tools to tackle the job.

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