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We’re washing hands and surfaces and pretty much everything more than we used to, so it’s important that we use an eco friendly soap for whatever it is we’re cleaning. This post is about environmentally friendly soap options for every room of your house.
My husband recently told me about his favorite all-time bathroom cleaner, a formula from Clorox that was made with Teflon. He said that dirt didn’t stick to the surfaces, and a cleaning lasted two weeks even with three or four male college kids using the bathroom.
But YIKES. That product was harmful for our health and for the environment. Thankfully, Clorox doesn’t sell it anymore because I know my husband would want to use it. (He’s still not completely on board with greener options, but I’m working on him.)
Luckily, there are eco-friendly soap options available for cleaning everything from your body to your dishes to your bathtub. And as people become more conscious consumers and demand safer products, the marketplace will grow with more choices.
But what does eco-friendly even mean?
The definition of eco-friendly, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “not harmful to the environment.” That sounds simple enough, except there’s no consistent agreement on what’s considered harmful.
Because the term eco-friendly isn’t regulated and it has a broad definition, brands can mislead consumers with deceptive environmental claims. This is referred to as greenwashing.
In fact, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s environmental experts prefer to use the term “sustainable” instead of eco-friendly because every product that’s produced has some sort of negative impact on the environment.
To me, eco-friendly means that something has as little negative impact on the environment as possible.
RELATED: What Does Non Toxic Really Mean? (And Other Terms Explained)
What To Look For in Eco-Friendly Products
I admit that I’m still working on creating a more zero waste lifestyle, but I get better with each purchase I make. And I have to balance plastic-free with product effectiveness and ingredient safety. Of course I want minimal, plastic-free packaging, but first and foremost, the product has to work and it has to be non toxic.
First, I look for soap with ingredients that are safe for both me and the environment. Soap gets washed down the drain, which means it’s heading into oceans, rivers, and lakes, and impacting the environment and wildlife.
Second, I try to purchase products with minimal plastic and packaging. It’s even better if the packaging is made with recycled materials, and that it can be recycled when we finish it.
Third, we use cleaning concentrates that we dilute with water in reusable containers. This reduces packaging waste since we aren’t purchasing individual containers each time.
Finally, we only buy what we need and we use all of what we buy. You know those extreme coupon shows where people have a gajillion tubes of toothpaste in their basement that they’ll never be able to use up? Don’t be that person.
Eco Friendly Soap for the Bathroom
Zero Waste Bar Soap (Body and Face)
Little Seed Farm Bar Soap
I love Little Seed Farm’s soaps! My favorite is the Matcha and Argan Bar, and I use it interchangeably on my face and body. I buy my husband the Bourbon Bar, but he’s not super picky and will use whatever’s in the shower (even if it’s lavender). The ingredients are high quality, safe, and gentle for my kids, too!
In addition, sustainability is at the core of Little Seed Farm’s business, from their 100-percent solar-powered farm to their humanely-managed, grass-fed goat herd to their compostable peanuts.
(Don’t forget your eco friendly soap dish so your soap lasts longer.)
Eco Friendly Body Wash
Plaine Products Refillable Body Wash
Plaine Products’s unique refillable system allows you to return your empty bottles (with free shipping!) to be cleaned, sterilized, and reused. In addition, their shipping boxes are made with a mix of 95% post-consumer waste and 5% post-industrial waste.
Plaine Products’s formulas are vegan, cruelty-free, biodegradable, and color safe, and are made without sulfates, silicones, parabens, palm oil, and GMOs.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Eco Friendly Soap for Shaving
Badger Shave Soap
Badger Shave Soap is packaged in 100% plastic free, recyclable cardboard. Shipping materials are made from recycled content and are recyclable.
The shave soap is 100 percent natural and made with certified organic ingredients. Badger recommends using their Pre-Shave Oil and a quality shave brush for best results. You can also use regular bar soaps and body washes if they work for your skin.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Sustainable Shampoo and Conditioner
Plaine Products Refillable Shampoo and Conditioner
Plaine Products’s unique refillable system allows you to return your empty bottles (with free shipping!) to be cleaned, sterilized, and reused. In addition, their shipping boxes are made with a mix of 95% post-consumer waste and 5% post-industrial waste.
Plaine Products’s formulas are vegan, cruelty-free, biodegradable, and color safe, and are made without sulfates, silicones, parabens, palm oil, and GMOs.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Plastic Free Shampoo Bar
Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company
While I’ve never used a shampoo bar, Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve Company is the one I’ll try if I ever work up the courage. The organic shampoo bars are vegan, cruelty-free, non-GMO, biodegradable, Rainforest Alliance Certified, and made in the USA. The shampoo bars are packaged in recyclable cardboard boxes made from recycled paper.
Eco Friendly Hand Soap
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar Soap (bar)
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar Soap is made with certified fair trade ingredients and organic U.S.-grown hemp oil for a soft, smooth lather that won’t dry your skin. Biodegradable in a 100% post-consumer recycled wrapper. The wrapper is 100% biodegradable and 100% post-consumer recycled.
You can buy Dr. Bronner’s bar soap on Amazon, but you’ll also find it in a lot of stores like Target and Sprouts.
(Don’t forget your eco friendly soap dish so your soap lasts longer.)
Plaine Products Hand Wash (liquid)
Plaine Products’s unique refillable system allows you to return your empty bottles (with free shipping!) to be cleaned, sterilized, and reused. In addition, their shipping boxes are made with a mix of 95% post-consumer waste and 5% post-industrial waste.
Plaine Products’s formulas are vegan, cruelty-free, biodegradable, and color safe, and are made without sulfates, silicones, parabens, palm oil, and GMOs.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Branch Basics Concentrate (foaming)
Mixing a non toxic soap concentrate with water to make a foaming hand wash helps keep single-use plastic bottles out of landfills. The Branch Basics concentrate is made with non toxic, plant-based ingredients. It’s fragrance-free, biodegradable, non-GMO, and not tested on animals.
Yes, the concentrate comes in a plastic bottle; however it still greatly reduces the amount of plastic since you’re not purchasing individual hand soap containers.
Save $10 off your first Branch Basics order when you purchase through this link.
Eco Friendly Soap for the Kitchen
A few months ago, I purchased non toxic dishwasher tablets that I’d seen recommended by several bloggers. They came in a cardboard box (yay!), but each tablet was individually wrapped in plastic (boo!). That’s not eco friendly soap!
NOTE: The effectiveness of dish soap, whether it’s for hand washing or in your dishwasher, depends a lot on the type of water you have. What works well in one person’s home may not work well for you.
Eco Friendly Dish Soap
Meliora Plastic-Free Dish Soap for Hand Washing
Meliora’s dish puck is 100 percent plastic free! It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, dye-free, preservative-free, palm-oil free, and synthetic fragrance-free. It’s MADE SAFE Certified and 1 percent of every sale goes toward environmental causes.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Eco Friendly Dishwasher Soap
MamaSuds Automatic Dishwasher Powder
MamaSuds Automatic Dishwasher Powder is safe, non toxic, eco-friendly, and 100% biodegradable. It’s free of SLS, dyes, and synthetic ingredients.
NOTE: MamaSuds recommends purchasing a sample to make sure it works with your water.
Eco Friendly Soap for the Laundry Room
NOTE: The effectiveness of laundry detergent depends a lot on the type of water you have. What works well in one person’s home may not work well for you.
Non Toxic Laundry Detergent
Branch Basics Concentrate + Oxygen Booster (liquid + powder)
Mixing a non toxic soap concentrate with water to make a laundry detergent helps keep single-use plastic bottles out of landfills. The Branch Basics concentrate is made with non toxic, plant-based ingredients. It’s fragrance-free, biodegradable, non-GMO, and not tested on animals.
Yes, the concentrate comes in a plastic bottle; however it still greatly reduces the amount of plastic since you’re not purchasing individual laundry detergent containers.
Save $10 off your first Branch Basics order when you purchase through this link.
Meliora Laundry Powder (powder)
I’m not really sure if I should call this a soap because it’s a powder, but I’m including it on the list anyway because it’s a great eco-friendly laundry option!
Meliora’s laundry canisters are made from cardboard and steel, and the refill bags are recyclable or compostable. Even the scoop is metal! The laundry powders are free of synthetic fragrances, dyes, preservatives, and brighteners.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Meliora Laundry Stain Removal Soap Stick
The Meliora Laundry Stain Removal Soap Stick (geesh, that’s a mouthful) is 100 percent plastic free. It’s also cruelty-free, dye-free, preservative-free, palm-oil free, and fragrance-free.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Eco-Friendly Soap for Cleaning Every Room
Branch Basics Concentrate + Oxygen Booster
Yes, this one soap can clean every room in your house! Use different dilutions for tackling different jobs, including your bathroom, wood floors, counters and appliances, and windows and mirrors. Check out the Branch Basics User Guide for more uses and detailed instructions.
The Branch Basics concentrate is made with non toxic, plant-based ingredients. It’s fragrance-free, biodegradable, non-GMO, and not tested on animals.
Yes, this non toxic soap concentrate comes in a plastic bottle; however it still greatly reduces the amount of plastic since you’re not purchasing individual cleaning containers. Branch Basics has modern glass bottles with fill lines available for purchase.
Save $10 off your first Branch Basics order when you purchase through this link.
Meliora All-Purpose Home Cleaner
The Meliora All-Purpose Home Cleaner uses a refillable glass bottle with dissolvable cleaning tablets. Every refill tablet eliminates the need for one more single-use plastic bottle. This cleaner is vegan, cruelty-free, dye-free, preservative-free, palm-oil free, and synthetic fragrance-free. It’s MADE SAFE Certified and 1 percent of every sale goes toward environmental causes.
Save 10% on your first purchase at Earth Hero with the code KAREN10.
Force of Nature Multi-Purpose Cleaner
The Force of Nature Multi-Purpose Cleaner replaces kitchen, bath, and glass cleaners, as well as deodorizers, sanitizers, and disinfectants. It kills 99.9% of germs and is on the EPA’s List N, the disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19.
Force of Nature uses electricity to change the chemical composition of salt, water, and vinegar into electrolyzed water, which is a safe and non toxic cleaner that’s as effective as bleach. Starter kits come with the electrolyzer appliance, power cord, 12 oz. reusable spray bottle, and activator capsules.
The shipping packaging and capsules are recyclable, and using the refillable bottle and capsules reduces single-use plastic.
Final Thoughts on Eco Friendly Soap
These are some great eco friendly soap options for all your cleaning needs.
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This post is about eco friendly soap options for every room of your house.
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