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As someone who’s been on a journey to make more eco-friendly choices in my everyday life, one area I’ve recently turned to is non-toxic floor cleaners. After doing some research about the ingredients in my conventional cleaning supplies, I quickly realized that the products I was using to clean my floors were filled with chemicals I didn’t trust.
As a result, I switched to non-toxic floor cleaners that rely on safe, natural ingredients to make my floors sparkling clean. I also learned some DIY floor cleaner recipes along the way that offer great results while saving you a trip to the store.
Read on for a closer look at the best non-toxic and DIY floor cleaning options, along with some tips on which harmful chemicals to avoid and the safer ingredients to look for instead.
Why Non-Toxic Floor Cleaners Matter
Conventional floor cleaners often contain a medley of chemicals that can be harmful to your health and the planet. Some of these chemicals include:
- Phthalates: These are often used to add fragrance to cleaners, but they’re also known endocrine disruptors that can even cause respiratory issues in sensitive individuals.
- Triclosan: Commonly found in antibacterial floor cleaners, triclosan is used in some cleaning products to kill bacteria. However, it can disrupt hormones and contribute to antibiotic resistance. It’s also toxic to algae in our rivers and streams.
- Ammonia: Although it’s very effective at cutting through grease and grime, ammonia can actually irritate your eyes, skin, and lungs.
- Chlorine: Found in bleach-based cleaners, chlorine can release toxic fumes and even react with other chemicals to form super harmful byproducts.
What to Look for In Non-Toxic Floor Cleaners
To make a cleaner and greener choice, look for floor cleaners that contain natural and non-toxic ingredients. It’s better to use products that contain plant-based surfactants, like coconut or corn-derived cleaning agents that destroy germs and remove dirt without the harmful side effects of stronger chemicals like those listed above.
More natural floor cleaners will use essential oils (like lavender, tea tree, and lemon) instead of artificial fragrances made from unhealthy phthalates. It’s also important to choose floor cleaners that break down more quickly and harmlessly in the environment, rather than polluting our waterways and ground soil.
Look for cleaning products that clearly list their ingredients, as well as ones that specify that they’re “phthalate-free,” so you know exactly what you’re bringing into your home.
7 Best Non-Toxic Floor Cleaners
In my journey to find the best non-toxic floor cleaner, I’ve discovered some fantastic brands that prioritize both safety and sustainability. Here are my favorites, made with plant-based ingredients and yummy scents that leave my home clean without harming the planet or posing a danger to my family’s health.
1. Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner
Aunt Fannie’s is about as non-toxic as it gets when it comes to floor cleaners. It uses a base of distilled white vinegar for its natural cleaning power, combined with a sugar surfactant, lavender, rosemary, and cedar oil, for a fresh smelling and effective concentrate that makes your floors shine. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) gives Aunt Fannie’s a grade of A for containing healthy ingredients with low toxicity, so you can trust that it’s safe for your home and family.
You can get Aunt Fannie’s in a variety of scents, so you have choices for what you want your shiny clean floors to smell like! Aunt Fannie’s also makes one of my favorite non-toxic all-purpose cleaning sprays.
Ingredients: Distilled White Vinegar, Sugar Surfactant (Caprylyl/Myristyl Glucoside), Triethyl Citrate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus (Eucalyptus) Oil, Juniperus Mexicana (Cedar) Oil, Lavandula Hybrida (Lavandin) Oil
2. Branch Basics
I use Branch Basics as a surface cleaner on the daily in my kitchen, for windows and mirrors, as well as for everyday bathroom cleaning. Alhough the concentrate is almost shockingly expensive at $55 a bottle ($50 if you subscribe and save), it lasts for a really long time.
Having done the math, I’m pretty confident that in the end it costs less than buying separate bottles for all your different cleaning needs. One bottle of concentrate makes 12 bottles of cleaning solution for a variety of purposes, plus 64 loads of laundry.
Plus, you’re reusing the cleaning bottles, so you’re not throwing out nearly as many plastic containers as you would if you were buying separate cleaning products. You can even use their Concentrate as laundry detergent!
The Concentrate works well to clean urethane, acrylic, polyurethane and UV cured synthetic floor finishes. Check out Branch Basics’ specific instructions for different floor types on their website before use.
They do warn that natural oil finishes may come off with their formula (this is an issue with any cleaner, so make sure to check with the floor manufacturer’s recommended cleaner if you have a natural oil finish on your floors).
3. Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap
I love Dr. Bronner’s (although I avoid the peppermint scent for use in the shower, as it’s a bit of an intense essential oil for my skin). It’s made with organic oils and fair trade ingredients, so you can feel good about the purchase supporting ethical working conditions and fair prices. Plus, it uses organic ingredients for 90% of its contents.
Dr. Bronner’s soap is fully biodegradable and won’t threaten the environment. It has no synthetic preservatives, foaming agents, or thickeners to worry about. It’s also very concentrated, so you can and should dilute it for use with laundry, floor cleaning, hand-washing your dishes, cleaning surfaces like kitchen countertops, and washing your dog.
Dr. Bronner’s also notably uses 100% recycled content for its plastic bottles to help eliminate waste. I highly recommend “the Doctor,” as I call it in my house, as a great non-toxic floor cleaner, and everything-else cleaner as well!
Ingredients: Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide , Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Natural Almond Fragrance, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
4. AspenClean Floor Cleaner
This unscented cleaner is verified by the EWG as another low-toxicity, ecologically-safe floor cleaner. It effectively eliminates dirt, grease, and scuff marks from various floor surfaces in an environmentally friendly way due to its non-toxic and plant-derived ingredients.
This floor cleaner works well for many different floor types, including hardwood, laminate, stone, and ceramic. Please note, however, that it’s not suitable for unfinished, unsealed, or waxed wood.
Ingredients: Water, Coco Glucoside (sustainable Coconut, Palm, Palm Kernel Oil derived), Alcohol (Corn derived), Decyl Glucoside (sustainable Coconut, Palm Kernel Oil derived), Propanediol (Corn derived), Lactic Acid, Populus Tremuloides (Aspen) Bark Extract, Citric Acid.
5. Blueland Surface Cleaner
Before I started using Branch Basic’s concentrate, I tried out Blueland’s multi-purpose cleaner, which is created by adding their water soluble tabs to water in their spray bottles. I was happy with how it cleaned my countertops without streaks, and I especially appreciated the reduction in plastic waste. The tabs come in recyclable paper packages, and you only need one bottle to use the cleaner once you’ve mixed it.
Each tab makes a full bottle of multi-surface cleaner, which can be used on floors as well as other surfaces such as stovetops, counters, and sealed stone. Blueland’s eco-friendly cleaner is made without the yucky stuff, including parabens, phosphates, ammonia, VOCs, chlorine bleach, and phthalates, making it safe for kids and pets who both (let’s face it) sometimes eat things right off the floor.
Ingredients: Citric Acid, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Monosodium Citrate, Hydrated Dextrates, Fragrance, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitan Caprylate, Yellow Colorant
6. Koala Eco Natural Floor Cleaner
Koala Eco is another great brand that makes plant-based, non-toxic floor cleaners. Theirs is a mandarin- and peppermint-scented blend that’s both biodegradable and eco-friendly. It cuts through grime effectively without harsh chemicals and is safe for use on any surface, including your wood floors.
I swear that, for a few minutes, I feel like I’m in Australia when I’m using this floor cleaner!
Ingredients: Aqua (purified water), alkylpolyglucosides (biodegradable natural surfactant blend), mentha piperita (peppermint essential oil), citrus reticulata (mandarin essential oil), ethylhexylglycerin (from coconut oil), 1,3 propanediol (sugar-derived).
7. Pure Haven Surface Cleaner
Another option for non-toxic surface and floor cleaners comes from the company Pure Haven. This cleaner is safe for use on wood, including hardwood floors, as well as on granite, tile, porcelain, painted surfaces and laminate.
It’s made from a mixture of plant-derived ingredients like radish root, key lime oil, and lemongrass, and it smells as yummy as it sounds. Just don’t pour it over your salad! It’s best as a floor cleaner, which it does extremely well.
Ingredients: water, coco-glucoside, glycerin (vegetable, non-gmo), alcohol (organic cane), leuconostoc/radish root ferment filtrate, citrus aurantifolia (organic key lime) oil, cymbopogon flexuosus (organic lemongrass) leaf oil, melaleuca alternifolia (organic tea tree) leaf oil, citric acid
Another Option: DIY Non-Toxic Floor Cleaner
Sometimes, I like to take matters into my own hands and make my DIY floor cleaner. I had to do this for a while when I had a Swiffer-style wet mop that I had to make floor cleaner refills for in a specific refillable bottle (the name brand ones didn’t fit). Here’s a simple recipe I’ve come to rely on:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 gallon of warm water
- 15 drops of your favorite essential oil (I personally love lemon, but I know some people dig lavender for its calming scent)
How to Make Your Own Floor Cleaner Instructions:
- Mix the white vinegar and warm water in a large bucket.
- Add your chosen essential oil to the mixture.
- Dip your mop or cloth into the solution and wring it out well. You don’t want to oversaturate your floors if they’re made of wood, or it can become damaged.
- Mop your floors as usual, ensuring you cover all areas without leaving excessive moisture behind.
- Allow your floors to air dry. You’ll be left with a streak-free shine and the satisfaction of knowing your home is toxin-free.
I used this vinegar-based non-toxic floor cleaner for years to great results. It works well to get grime off my wood and tile floors and leaves them clean and shiny.
Switch to Non-Toxic Floor Cleaners for a Safer Home
Making the switch to non-toxic floor cleaners not only benefits your own health, but it also supports our planet to use cleaners that don’t harm ecosystems and their wildlife. Whether you choose a trusted eco-friendly brand or opt for a DIY solution like I do, you can enjoy clean, safe floors while reducing your environmental impact.
For another easy non-toxic switch, use one of these yummy natural hand soaps next time you wash your hands.
