Green clean like a cheap, lazy bo$$

Or if you can’t stand the news, rage clean with ketchup, peanut butter & go bonkers for free conkers (detergent) & more

Updated February 19, 2025

Keep reading for:

1. Reusable sponges and mop heads.
2. A dish that won’t make soap bars soupy. Studies show people didn’t get bacterial infections or viral Ebola from sharing soap bars.
3. Readymade cleaners and easiest recipes that don’t have these toxic chemicals:

• Ammonia can cause respiratory disease, liver and kidney toxicity, reproductive harm and central nervous disorders.
• Chlorine bleach can trigger asthma, can damage skin and eyes.
• “Quats” (alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, known as quaternary ammonium disinfectants), can cause asthma.
• 2-butoxyethanol is linked to liver and kidney toxicity, blood disorders, and infertility.
• Monoethanolamine can trigger asthma and can cause tissue damage and shortness of breath
• Anything that says antibacterial or antimicrobial usually has triclosan, which is no better than soap and water. It creates cancer-causing chloroform when mixed with chlorine in tap water.
• Fragrance: See how any fragrance (even essential oils) can cause health problems in one out of every three people, and how to avoid ones that sound non-toxic. Also, essential oils use hundreds of pounds of plants are used to make one tiny bottle. And most essential oils are extremely flammable. So their bottles cannot be recycled unless you wash them. “Fragrance-free” is different than “unscented.”

Also, products below don’t have palm oil, animal ingredients and testing, plastic, and aren’t from Amazon.

Safety first!

When cleaning, always be safe:

1. Wear gloves like If You Care’s fair trade, reusable 100% natural rubber latex gloves. They’re made with FSC certified latex. When they break, they claim you can compost them by cutting them into pieces.
2. Ventilate by opening doors and windows.

Reusable supplies

Sponges & scrubs (dishwasher-safe)

• Silicone sponge. I usually avoid silicone because it has chemical additives derived from fossil fuels. And a study found potentially cancer-causing siloxanes leaching from silicone bakeware. But I don’t plan to eat off this sponge or put it in landfill. I get my sponge without packaging at Rainbow Grocery.
• Metal chainmail scrubber. I’m not sure if they’re packaged plastic-free at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Australia’s Biome sells them packaged plastic-free.

Counter & mop wipes

I avoid microfiber cloths. It’s unclear exactly how toxic microfibers get in drinking water. The average person eats at least 50,000 pieces of toxic plastic a year, which weighs as much as a credit card a week. Some pieces are small enough to penetrate human tissues, where they could trigger immune reactions. If you use microfibers, consider at least washing them in a GuppyFriend bag that catches some polluting microfibers before they end up in drinking water. To clean microfiber cloths and prevent them from wearing out too soon:

• Wash microfibers separately from other fabrics to avoid clogging the cloth with lint and decreasing effectiveness.
• Use mild detergents with no bleach, fabric softener, caustics or harsh cleaners.
• Wash between 130 and 140 degrees Farenheit.
• Air dry or use low-temperature in the dryer.

A greener alternative is rags. You can also use RolyPolyCrafts’ organic fleece cloths. They’re big enough for Swiffer mops, and for wiping counters.

When I asked, they said they could make them with organic:

• Fabric that’s gray, other dark colors, or unbleached fabric.
• Thread upon request.

They pick up fabric without packaging from a local warehouse. The cotton is organically grown in Texas and North Carolina and made into fabric in NC. And they get thread shipped plastic-free!

If you have used, “unusable” cloths, ship them for free to NY to be reused as building insulation.

Soap dish that won’t make soap soupy

I spent hours finding a non-ugly soap dish that would actually keep soap dry. Brooklyn Natural Made told me their handmade reclaimed wood soap dish has water-resistant tung oil and ships plastic-free. Use code DISHBLOG for 15% off. As with any soap dish, switch them every three weeks to let them dry.

Why I’m making almost all my cleaners

It’s the only way to avoid palm oil.

Main ingredients

You can get all these ingredients plastic-free in your reused containers from Rainbow Grocery Co-op’s bulk bins, your local grocer, or online sellers below:

1. Baking soda: scours, cleans and deodorizes.
2. Citric acid. If you need to get it online, try Lhasa Karnak. All their products are tested pesticide-free and can be shipped in plastic-free containers (just ask!). But not all are certified organic, fair trade or cruelty-free. Save shipping and refill your container at their stores in Berkeley, CA.
3. Salt
4. Washing soda (sodium bicarbonate).
5. White vinegar: A study found that vinegar reduced numbers of certain bacteria by 90% (including ones that cause food poisoning) and some viruses by 95%. If you have asthma, avoid spraying undiluted vinegar. If you’re feeling fancy, you can use Spectrum Organics.

Hydrogen peroxide (3% solution): disinfectant and whitener. (Peroxide is less-toxic than bleach). FillGood was the only shop I found that sells hydrogen peroxide in glass.

I couldn’t find plastic-free liquid soap or essential oils. If you find any, please tell me.

• For liquid soap without fragrances or antibacterials, I just rub a wet sponge on a soap bar.
• For fragrance, which aren’t necessary in cleaners, you can use Kokokahn’s essential oils. They were the only one I found that met all my requirements and were Leaping Bunny certified. Save shipping and visit their store in North Port, FL.

Readymade cleaners & easiest recipes

Most recipes below are from EWG (Sophie Uliano and Sara Snow) and San Francisco Department of the Environment.

Air fresheners

• Ventilate. Duh!
• Sprinkle baking soda in bottom of waste bins, etc.
• Put a box of baking soda in refrigerators.
• If you really need fragrance, try these easy, unusual tips.

Adhesive, grease & paint remover

• Just add peanut butter!

All-purpose cleaner for countertops, floors, appliances, etc.

Family Handy Man’s recipe:

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar
• 20–30 drops of essential oils (optional)

Carpet cleaners

• Grease spills: Blot fresh spills with cornstarch. Pour onto spills and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.
• Liquid stains: Blot don’t rub. In a spray bottle, mix a cup of vinegar, 2 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt. Spray. Allow carpet to dry. Vacuum. (Recipe by Katie Vance of DIY Natural).
• Odor: Let baking soda sit on carpet. Then vacuum.

Dish/hand soap

Hand washing dishes doesn’t clean germs as well and costs $431 more in energy and water than using an Energy Star dishwasher. But you might need to clean some dishes by hand. I’m using Etee’s dish soap bar. It’s made of certified organic ingredients that aren’t as drying as other brands. They’re not certified fair trade though.

Dishwashing metal by hand

• Brass & copper tarnish remover: Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.
• Cast iron: Scrub with salt. Rinse and wipe dry.
• Copper cleaner/polish: Sprinkle the cut side of a lemon half with the salt and then rub.
• Stainless steel: Wipe with vinegar. Wipe dry to prevent a film from forming. Never soak unless you want pitted surfaces.

Dishwasher detergent

See my 2021 Sierra article for where to buy readymade powder (which is greener than liquid) in refilled containers.

Recipe from Little House in the Suburbs:

1. 1 cup washing soda
2. 1/4 cup citric acid

Disinfectant

To make coronaviruses inactive, see SF Approved. Outside of a healthcare facility, a disinfectant is only necessary to clean bodily fluids or heavily used things like doorknobs. The only way for it to kill germs is if you:

1. Wipe the dirty area with an all purpose cleaner.
2. Then let the disinfectant dwell on the surface for the number of minutes listed on the bottle.

Drain cleaner

If your drain is clogged with hair, use a snake drain wand. If it’s another kind of clog:

1. Pour 1/4 cup baking soda into drain.
2. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar.
3. After 15 minutes, pour 2 quarts boiling water down drain.

Glass cleaner

Wiping glass with newspaper and plain water alone works wonders.

Laundry detergents

See where to buy readymade powder (which is greener than liquid) in refilled containers.

Global demand for soap nuts makes them too expensive for locals in India. So locals use polluting chemical detergents. There’s hope! See iNaturalist’s map where you can find or list where conkers (horse chestnuts/buckeye) grow. They’re widely planted in North America and are native to Asia and southeastern Europe. If you find them, use Shia Su’s recipe for fresh horse chestnuts and give them to me! I learned the fun and easiest hack is run them over with your car instead of trying tochop them.

Here’s what California buckeye looks like:

Here’s what other horse chestnuts might look like:

Pods appear in summer and then can stay on trees for months.

In San Francisco, get a free red horse chestnut street tree from Friends of the Urban Forest.

Or buy Lhasa Karnak’s dried certified organic, horse chestnuts. Su says to put:

1. 2 ounces of chopped, dried chestnuts in a cloth bag or pantyhose.
2. The bag with your laundry in your machine.

If you live in an area with hard water, add a splash of white vinegar. If you have a really dirty load, use more chestnuts or baking soda.

If you have money to blow on laundry powder (which is greener compared to liquid detergent because it weighs less), the cheapest one I found was Booda Organics’ laundry powder. It’s probably at your local store. All their products are fair trade, vegan, palm oil-free, and fragrance-free. But not all are plastic-free.

To whiten clothes, try baking soda.

Leather cleaner

Mix ½ cup olive oil and 1/4 cup vinegar. Rub gently with a soft cloth.

Metal cleaners

Stainless steel polish: Buff with a cloth dampened with club soda, then wipe dry with another clean cloth.

Metal polish

For clean, dry brass, copper or silver tarnish, smear coconut oil on it. Buff with a clean cloth.

Mildew & lime scale remover

Limescale is a white, chalky, and hard substance usually found on and around water spots such as toilet bowls, sinks, taps, bathroom tiles, and in appliances like washing machines and kettles.

• Spray equal parts vinegar and water (once a week), to avoid mildew.
• Shower head: Soak in a bowl of equal parts vinegar and water for 2 hours. If lime scale is bad, repeat.

Oven cleaner

Create a fresh paste of 3 tablespoons baking soda, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon water. Then let it sit for up to eight hours in the oven. Scrape and wipe clean.

Rust removers

Try lemon with vinegar (80% and 20%) or other homemade ones.

Stain removers

• Blood stain remover: Slowly add 2 ounces of salt to a cup of boiling water. Let cool. Only apply cold mixture to stain. Stain should lift in an hour. That recipe is from Green Living Made Easy.
• Coffee and tea: Dab with vinegar. Wipewith sponge. To clean a kettle or coffee maker, add 2 cups water and 1/4 cup vinegar; bring to a boil.
• Wine and ink: Blot with cloth, and then mix a teaspoon of dish soap with a cup of hydrogen peroxide.

Tub & tile cleaners

Either:

• Dilute 2–3 tablespoon of liquid soap in water and scrub.
• Mix ½ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide, and a teaspoon of dish soap. Apply to grout and wait a few minutes before scrubbing and rinsing. (Recipe from Country Living).

Toilet bowl cleaner

1. For the seat and rim, I spray all-purpose cleaner and wipe with paper wrap I saved from my plastic-free toilet tissue. I repeat with hydrogen peroxide disinfectant (3% solution). Then I compost the dirty papers.
2. Pour 1/4 cup baking soda into a bowl and sprinkle with vinegar. Let sit for 1/2 hour, then brush.

Toilet wand “brush” that’s more sanitary than what you’re used to

Watch this video on why you don’t have to clean your toilet brush with toxic chemicals if you get a FlushBrush.

Wood furniture polish

• Wipe some olive oil on unfinished wood.
• Here’s how to protect outdoor sealed wood furniture.

Want other cleaners? Try 6 steps in this order

See if the product is:

1. Fair Trade Certified or Fair for Life certified.

2. Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certified

Maybe someday you can just click this search I made and see products that are “fair trade, organic, zero waste, vegan, with no palm oil.” For now, the only way to know if cleaners are Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certified is to check their website. I found a company claiming they were certified. But they weren’t. Also, unlike products with the PETA logo or un-certified “cruelty free” or “vegan” claims, Leaping Bunny requires companies to agree to independent audits that can verify claims.

Some companies don’t want to pay to put the Leaping Bunny logo on their product. So see the Leaping Bunny website or app. They aren’t all vegan. So…

3. Vegan

Type the product name into Vegan Product Guide.

Or support businesses with the Vegan Society logo because they don’t use animal products.

4. Less-toxic

See if a cleaner or ingredient gets an “A” in EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning. I didn’t see readymade cleaners that met my 9 criteria though.

Did you know cleaner, dish soap, and detergent manufacturers must list certain toxic ingredients and fragrance allergens on the product and its website if it was sold in California starting January 1, 2021? No? Some manufacturers don’t seem to know either. Manufacturers must also list on their website: the purpose of each ingredient (solvent, fragrance, etc.), ingredients in descending order of predominance by weight in the product and their chemical abstract service (CAS) numbers, and a link to each product’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The label on the product must also list the manufacturer’s toll-free telephone number and website.

If you find a cleaner that doesn’t comply, nudge manufacturers! There’s an app for that! You can also paste customized emails created by that app into a good old fashioned review on Yelp and Google Maps so the public to join you in greening a business.

5. Palm oil free

See if it’s certified by the Orangutan Alliance and International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark and Certification Programme (POFCAP), or researched by Products Without Palm Oil. Or see if a product has any of the 1,000 names compiled by Orangutan Foundation International Australia and International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark and Certification Programme.

6. From small, local co-ops or stores that refill cleaners or truly green online sellers

They’re real. But if you can’t shop there, avoid “green” online sellers selling single-use, plastic-free packaging but with plastic shipping. I always ask sellers:

1. After I finish using your product, can I mail its container to you to refill?

2. Can you use only packaging that meets all these criteria?

• Reused (even ugly!) envelope, box or bag?
• Plastic-free?
• No compostable plastic because putting compostables in the landfill creates toxic methane, which contributes to climate change.
• Paper tape? It’s hard to recycle envelopes and boxes with plastic tape.
• No packing slip, unnecessary bags, string, stickers, cards, catalogs, packing peanuts or pouches, boxes, tissue, etc.?

If not, might you create a checkbox at checkout so customers like me can choose to get orders that way?

If you need new packaging, I found:

• 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and paper packaging and tape by EcoEnclose.
• Ice packs (stainless steel) by Onyx. Perhaps customers can pay for it and/or mail them back to you?

3. Can you sell at my local co-op or grocer called ____ so our community can reduce shipping packaging?

4. Do you ask or require your suppliers to ship to you package-free and/or with criteria below?

Here’s how not to panic if you accidentally receive plastic or styrofoam peanuts.

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