Choosing Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products That Actually Work

"Eco-friendly" on a label is a marketing claim, not a guarantee. We've tested hundreds of products over the last decade and learned the hard way that some plant-based detergents perform brilliantly on a kitchen splashback and absolutely nothing on a soap-scummed shower glass. Here's how we sort them.

What to look for on the label

• Surfactant base. Look for "alkyl polyglucoside" or "decyl glucoside" — both plant-derived and effective. Skip products that hide behind "natural surfactants" without naming them.
• Independent certifications. EU Ecolabel and Singapore's Green Label are the two we trust most. Industry-funded badges mean little.
• Concentrate vs ready-to-use. Concentrates win on packaging waste and price-per-litre. We dilute fresh on the morning of the visit.
• Fragrance disclosure. If the bottle says "fragrance" without naming the oil, treat it as a question mark for sensitive households.

What we actually use

Our default kit for residential visits:

• A plant-based all-purpose concentrate diluted 1:50 for kitchen and living surfaces.
• A citric acid descaler (powder) made up fresh on the day for bathroom limescale and kitchen taps.
• Sodium percarbonate (powder) for soft-surface oxygen bleaching on white textiles and grout brightening.
• Hypochlorous acid for kid-safe sanitising on door handles, toys and high-touch surfaces.
• Microfibre that's washed at 60°C — the cloth does most of the work, the chemistry just helps.

Where eco-graded falls short

Two scenarios where we still reach for a stronger agent — with permission:

• Heavy mould in bathroom silicone. Plant-based agents don't penetrate cured mould well. We use a controlled hypochlorite gel, well-ventilated, only when it's the right call.
• Set grease in commercial kitchens. Restaurant exhaust hoods need degreasers that an eco label can't deliver. We bring the right chemistry for the job and flag it before the visit.

Things to skip

• Lemon-juice "DIY" hacks on natural stone — the acidity etches marble and travertine.
• Vinegar on grout lines — discolours over time and weakens the bond.
• Baking soda on lacquered wood — it's mildly abrasive and dulls the finish.

The greenest product is the one that gets the job done in one pass. Two re-cleans of a "natural" spray uses more water, more cloth and more energy than one pass of a properly chosen detergent.

If you'd like us to run an eco-only programme for your home — happy to. Just say so in your brief and we'll spec the kit accordingly.