10 Best Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products UK 2023 | Method, Ecover and More

If you want to disinfect or remove bacteria from a surface other than the floor, a spray is your best option. The nozzle can spray enough to cover a large surface area and distribute an even amount without using too much product – anything that lasts longer per bottle will have less of an environmental impact. 

This also means less waste overall and better value for money for you, plus they're also gentler on the skin as you won't have as much contact with the contents. 

In addition to surfaces, you can also use a spray for things like the toilet, the shower, and the sink which can be an easy way of getting the disinfectant in areas you may not want to touch. Sprays can additionally help to dissolve limescale without having to get your hands dirty.

Bottles of liquid cleaner offer a level of precision that you simply cannot achieve with a spray. You can swirl the bottle around the toilet bowl to ensure that it reaches every corner to get the grime and bacteria out. After that, you can get to work and start scrubbing. 

Floor cleaners are another great example of a bottled liquid cleaner. Instead of applying the product straight to the surface, you can pour a few caps full into a bucket of water and use a low concentration. This is one of the most eco-friendly methods of cleaning as you can make the formula last for a very long time if you use it wisely. 

However, if the formula cannot be diluted you may find yourself getting through it quickly and therefore needing to replace your bottle more regularly, which isn't ideal when you're trying to cut down on plastic or shop more sustainably. Buying a larger container or refillable option is a good way around this. 

A thick, creamy cleaning paste is exactly what you need to remove stains from tiles, carpets, sofas, leather chairs, and almost anything else you can think of. Using a compound of activated cleaning ingredients, a scrub can get right to the gritty part and push any grime to the surface. 

Getting a scrub is a complete upgrade on your usual way of cleaning, just because they are so handy for so many different tasks. They're also super affordable and highly concentrated, making them kinder to the environment. A good paste can last you for months, so it's a great staple item to keep in the cupboards. 

A multi-purpose cleaner can tackle almost anything, from floors to windows, kitchen countertops to coffee tables. The ingredients are fairly generic and carry an equal balance of disinfectants and antibacterial additions in order to be effective for such a wide range of different areas. 

For general housekeeping, we recommend buying an eco-friendly multipurpose cleaner as it saves money and uses very little plastic.

The downside is that it's often risky to use a multipurpose cleaner on surfaces like wood, as it could be too abrasive and therefore strip it of its dye. Check out the furniture in your home to see if a multipurpose cleaner would be a viable option for you. 

If you have a lot of wooden furniture in your home, it might be worth looking at an eco-friendly wood cleaner to make sure you don't damage anything. Similarly, you should stock up on any other products that serve a certain purpose or suit a certain material, just to make sure you're prepared for anything. 

For example, a multi-purpose spray can't be used to clean the floors of the whole house – it would use far too much product – so you need to use a concentrated floor cleaner that can sustainably provide for many rooms at once. 

In the kitchen, you can use a multi-purpose cleaner for regular worktops, but to clean steel hobs and ovens you could benefit from a specialist degreaser to remove any tough stains without damaging the material. 

For rooms like the bathroom or the kitchen, there are a few handy products that you might like to stock up on. For example, toilet and bathroom cleaners are potent products that target germs and stubborn grime which often linger in a bathroom, even after antibacterial treatment. 

In addition, limescale products can be used in both kitchens and bathrooms to break down buildup that gets stuck on tap heads, showerheads, and anywhere that's exposed to running water on a daily basis. This is especially true if you live somewhere with hard water, like London. 

Floor cleaners can be used just about anywhere, all you need is a mop and a bucket. However, make sure that the product isn't too abrasive for your type of floor. People with marble or stone floors need to be especially careful when shopping for cleaning products.

Plant-based products use natural ingredients that aren't chemically constructed and are therefore more friendly to both the user and the planet. Looking for formulas using nature's finest is an easy way to ensure your cleaner is more eco-friendly, especially as it will eventually end up in the sea.  

Sustainably- and ethically-sourced natural products are even better, as you can be sure that minimal waste was involved in the process and that your product doesn't contradict the rights of any animal or person. 

There are also certifications you can check for which demonstrate that the brand you're giving your money to operate using sustainable production processes. 

Firstly, the factories and facilities can prove their efforts to be more green – Method's HQ, for example, is certified by the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as it has been built with recycled materials and composts and recycles all of its waste. 

Buying from Certified B Corporations, or 'B Corps' means that the company works with the wellbeing of their staff, suppliers, customers, community, and the environment in mind so not only are you shopping eco-friendly, you're also shopping kindly. All of these benefits might help you to discover a truly eco product that you believe in.