If you're trying to reduce your environmental impact, you're probably considering alternative options to traditional products – including cleaning products.
In the past, cleaning greener usually meant concocting DIY homemade recipes or buying expensive 'eco' products that just didn't do the job as well as ones based on harsh chemicals.
Plenty of eco cleaning products performed well, and even outperformed some traditional cleaning products.
But if you're looking to overhaul your cleaning regime, we have some great news for you.
In our most recent bathroom cleaners test, not only did we find plenty of eco cleaning products that performed well, but they even outperformed some traditional cleaning products.
Unfortunately, there were also some that weren't up to the job, so there are some products we suggest you avoid, no matter how good they are for the planet.
We'll show you which products will give you a clean bathroom – as well as a clean conscience – and which are best left on the shelf.
On this page:
- What is an eco-friendly product?
- What's a Shop Ethical rating?
- The top performing eco-friendly bathroom cleaners
- The eco-friendly bathroom cleaners to avoid
- Homemade cleaning alternatives
- How we test eco-friendly cleaning products
What is an eco-friendly product?
There aren't many rules around 'eco' labelling. Unlike free-range and organic labels which require certification, terms like "natural", "green" and "no nasty chemicals" aren't regulated.
The ACCC is cracking down on greenwashing, but there are still plenty of products out there spruiking vague, generalised claims that are difficult to prove or disprove.
In the past, cleaning greener usually meant concocting DIY homemade recipes.
So as consumers all we have to go on is what the packaging tells us – and manufacturers don't have to list the ingredients of their cleaning products, so you could be in the dark about what's actually in the bottle and how it's made.
Here are some things you can check for to make sure you're buying a product that actually does have less of an impact on the planet.
- Try to buy products packaged in recycled plastic – and even better yet, buy concentrates and refills as they create less plastic waste.
- Look for biodegradable cleaning products: these break down readily and don't hang around in our waterways as long as some surfactants, and don't degrade into harmful chemicals.
- Avoid those products that list chlorine or ammonia as active ingredients, and detergents containing phosphates.
- Look for products made from plant-based ingredients and those that have specific ingredient information listed on the pack so you know exactly what you're buying.
"While you should take eco claims with a grain of salt, there are also other things to consider," says CHOICE cleaning expert Rebecca Ciaramidaro.
"Where is it made? What is the environmental impact in terms of shipping and transportation? Is the product locally made? Is the packaging made from recyclable materials? Are the ingredients non-toxic and biodegradable?
"All these aspects combined make a product 'eco' friendly."
While you should take eco claims with a grain of salt, there are also other things to consider
Rebecca Ciaramidaro, CHOICE cleaning expert
It's not just what's inside the bottle that matters: even products with more eco-friendly ingredients will still have an environmental impact from packaging, production and transport.
A company's Shop Ethical rating is one way to help you make a more sustainable and ethical choice.
Shop Ethical ratings apply to the company, not the product itself.
What's a Shop Ethical rating?
Some of our reviews include something called a Shop Ethical rating. Here's what that means.
The top performing eco-friendly bathroom cleaners
Our recent testing really shows how far eco cleaning products have come.
Of the six bathroom cleaners that topped our test, four of them have eco claims.
Of the six bathroom cleaners that topped our test, four of them have eco claims
"These results are really eye-opening – for some eco products to perform so strongly and even outperform chemical-based cleaning products shows how much these products have improved," says Rebecca.
"Many people are sceptical of eco products, seeing them as expensive and ineffective, but our test results show that this is no longer the case for all enviro-friendly cleaning products."
With a Shop Ethical rating of A, Ecostore's bathroom cleaner concentrate was one of the top products in our test.
Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 90% (Recommended)
- Cost per 100mL: $1.10
- Shop Ethical rating: A
Aldi Green Action Plant Based Formula Bath & Shower Cleaner
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
- Cost per 100mL: $0.50
- Shop Ethical rating: C
Earth Choice Antibacterial Bath & Shower Cleaner
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
- Cost per 100mL: $0.69
- Shop Ethical rating: B
Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner*
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
- Cost per 100mL: $1.20
- Shop Ethical rating: A
*Note: This is the pre-made version of the ecostore concentrate product above
Simply Clean Simply No Mould
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 86% (Recommended)
- Cost per 100mL: $2.00
- Shop Ethical rating: NA
The eco-friendly bathroom cleaners to avoid
They may have good environmental credentials, but these products will only leave you with a clean conscience, not a clean bathroom.
These products will only leave you with a clean conscience, not a clean bathroom
Among the bottom performers are several cleaning tablet products – soluble cleaning products in tablet, powder or pod form that you dissolve in water to create a cleaning spray.
They're many times smaller than pre-made spray bottles, so they don't have as big a carbon footprint in terms of packaging and transport.
While they're a great idea, unfortunately they didn't perform well in our testing. Here's what you need to know about cleaning tablets.
Here are the sprays and dissolvable products that are best left off your shopping list:
Scoring just 40%, Re.stor Concentrated Cleaning Tablets were the worst performing eco bathroom cleaner we tested.
Re.stor Concentrated Cleaning Tablets Bathroom (tablets)
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 40%
- Price per 100mL*: $0.70
Bosisto's Bathroom & Shower Cleaner (spray)
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 54%
- Price per 100mL: $1.10
Saba Organic Bathroom Cleaner (spray)
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 55%
- Price per 100mL: $1.19
Cleanery Bathroom Antibacterial Cleaner (powder)
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 55%
- Price per 100mL*: $0.72
Resolv Bathroom Cleaner (pod)
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 57%
- Price per 100mL*: $0.53
*When diluted to manufacturer's instructions
Homemade cleaning products can be a cheap, eco-friendly option but may not be suitable for every cleaning challenge.
Homemade cleaning alternatives
If you're looking to make more sustainable choices when it comes to what you're cleaning your home with, you can make up your own cleaning products with minimal fuss by using some simple ingredients.
There are many home recipes you can find that use ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), white vinegar, pure soap, borax or lemon juice.
These are often the greenest options – not to mention the cheapest. But you may need something more to cut through (say) soap scum in the bathroom, which is where a store-bought cleaning product is a good option.
How we test eco-friendly cleaning products
We test eco cleaners exactly the same way we test other bathroom cleaners. We use tiles coated with soap scum (sourced from the Centre for Test Materials), spray them with the bathroom cleaner and let it sit for as long as the instructions recommend.
Then we use a mechanical scrubbing apparatus to scrub the tile for exactly 10 cycles. After that we use a fancy tool called a spectrophotometer to measure how much soap has been removed.
We give each bathroom cleaner a CHOICE Expert Rating based on how much soap it removes, so you can be sure that highly-rated products will do a great job on your bathroom.
We're on your side
In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.
And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
