“Eco” on a cleaning-products label is mostly marketing. Some “eco” products are excellent. Some are mediocre at three times the price of a supermarket bottle. After two years of testing across 380+ homes, here are the five we trust — and three popular ones we don’t.
The five we use
1. Bicarbonate of soda
Cheap, plant-derived, multi-purpose. Mild abrasive for sinks, hobs, bath enamel. Mix with vinegar to descale taps.
2. Distilled white vinegar
The other half of the descaling toolkit. 1:1 with water for glass and chrome. Pure for stubborn limescale (30-minute soak, scrub, rinse).
3. Bio-D washing-up liquid
The most reliable plant-based dish soap we’ve tested. Cuts grease as effectively as Fairy. No fragrance, no dye, no SLS.
4. Method all-purpose
For general surfaces where we need something more than vinegar. Pleasant smell, good wipe-down, doesn’t streak on stainless steel.
5. Ecover bathroom cleaner
For routine bathroom passes. Not powerful enough for hardcore limescale but excellent for weekly maintenance.
The three we don’t
We won’t name brands publicly to avoid legal nonsense, but the pattern: “eco” floor cleaners that leave a sticky residue, “eco” oven cleaners that need full PPE because they’re still caustic, and any product whose first listed ingredient is “fragrance” — that’s almost always synthetic perfume regardless of what the front of the bottle says.