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Best eco-friendly cleaning products that could save you time and money

Eco friendly cleaning products can work just as well as those with lots of chemicals (posed by model, Getty Images)
Eco cleaning products can work just as well as those with lots of chemicals. (Getty Images)

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Chemicals and pollutants have become such key elements in many cleaning products that it can feel like an expensive gamble to swap to more natural, environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Will the eco product clean as well? Will you have to use more elbow grease to get the desired result? And will you end up spending a small fortune trying to find a product that works?

Well, according to customer reviews, some eco-friendly cleaning products clean just as well, if not better, than their chemical-filled counterparts. What's more, switching could save you money in the long term, as products designed with sustainability in mind tend to last longer. All the products below can save you either time or money - and in many cases, both.

Best eco-friendly cleaning products

Ecoegg Fresh Linen, 70 Washes | £8 at Amazon

Ecoegg (Amazon)
Ecoegg (Amazon)

This environmentally friendly alternative laundry detergent is a great and easy eco cleaning switch. The Ecoegg is filled with two types of cleaning pellets which, when placed inside your washing machine, produce a foam that cleans dirt and grime off fabric without fading colours.

The chemical-free pellets do no harm to the environment and have not been tested on animals. They are suitable for both delicate fabrics and sensitive skin. The pellets will last for 70 washes, which works out at just 10p per wash, and refilll packs that last up to 50 washes are available for £6.

They are lightly fragranced with natural essential oils to soften your clothes, so there’s no need to spend extra money on fabric softener.

Bio-Mex Multi Surface Cleaner 300g | £13.99 at Lakeland

Bio-Mex Multi Surface Cleaner (Lakeland)
Bio-Mex Multi Surface Cleaner (Lakeland)

Why spend money on multiple cleaning products, when one pot of this organic cleaner, made from natural biodegradable ingredients, will clean everything from kitchen worktops and bathroom surfaces to hobs, pans, tiles, glass, lacquered wood and even gold and silver jewellery?

A secret of the hotel trade for years, just dampen the sponge, wipe it across the Bio-Mex ‘stone’, squeeze to produce a foam and get to work cleaning away grease, limescale and grime, to leave surfaces gleaming all around your home.

According to Lakeland, customers have also used it to clean: "the greasy film on the top of kitchen cupboards, cat footprints off windowsills, grubby trainers – even the whole outside of a caravan." Bio-Mex is much more concentrated than many other cleaning solutions, so one tub will last a long time, as one happy shopper noted in the reviews: "A little goes a long way, so [it is] economical in terms of money, as well as time."

Ecover Washing Up Liquid | £1.25 at Amazon

Ecover Washing Up Liquid (Amazon)
Ecover Washing Up Liquid (Amazon)

If you’re looking for a simple eco switch, switch your usual washing up liquid for Ecover, which cleans your dishes through the power of plant-based ingredients.

Plus, a little goes a long way so you’ll find one squeeze is enough for a sink full of dishes - you’ll be surprised how long the bottle lasts.

Method Anti-Bac All Purpose Cleaner Wild Rhubarb, 828ml | £2.50 at Amazon

Method Anti-Bac All Purpose Cleaner Wild Rhubarb (Method/Amazon)
Method Anti-Bac All Purpose Cleaner Wild Rhubarb (Method/Amazon)

OK, so the initial purchase of this anti-bac spray cleaner isn't going to save you any money, but once you've finished your first bottle you can top up with a 2L refill for £6. Plus, this is an all-purpose product so you won't need to stock up on lots of different sprays to use on different surfaces, reducing your spend and the number of plastic bottles in your recycling.

Made with a naturally derived lactic acid formula that kills 99.9% of bacteria and smells like wild rhubarb, not chemicals, this spray has more than 13k reviews rating it on average 4.8 out of 5 stars. The product is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly and comes in a bottle made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic.

Mabu Biodegradable Cleaning Multi Cloths - Pack of 3 | £6.99 at Lakeland

Mabu Biodegradable Cleaning Multi Cloths  (Mabu/Lakeland)
Mabu Biodegradable Cleaning Multi Cloths (Mabu/Lakeland)

These may look like ordinary dishcloths but they are in fact made from 100% biodegradable wood fibre, which is naturally bacteria-resistant.

Colour coded (so you won't get confused about which you've used for the dishes and which for the counters), these cloths remain fresher than ordinary dishcloths thanks to the open-weave design of the eight layers, from which dirt, debris and even stains simply rinse away, meaning they'll last you far longer than a standard viscose jay cloth.

Bio D Washing-Up Liquid, 5L | £9.35 at Amazon

Bio D Washing-Up Liquid, (bioD/Amazon)
Bio D Washing-Up Liquid, (bioD/Amazon)

Bulk buying eco friendly washing up liquid will save you money in the long run, as a little of this perfume-free liquid really does go a long way.

Bio D is also a family owned company that produce environmentally responsible, ethically sound, hypoallergenic cleaning products.

Astonish Specialist Clean & Revive Stain Remover - 350g | £2.49 at Robert Dyas

Specialist Clean & Revive Stain Remover (Astonish)
Specialist Clean & Revive Stain Remover (Astonish)

Thinking of replacing your stained cups? Well before you start eyeing up the price of mugs in John Lewis, give your old favourites a clean with a spoonful of this powder.

Pour in hot water and leave to let the foaming action get to work. After a couple of hours the stains will be gone and once rinsed your cup will look good as new. Astonish recently switched up the packaging to make it more eco friendly and the tub is now made using paper from sustainable forestry. Plus, this clever cleaner also works on saucers, teapots, coffee pots, flasks, travel mugs and even wine decanters.

Smol Dishwash Tablets | £2 at Amazon

Smol Dishwash Tablets (Smol/Amazon)
Smol Dishwash Tablets (Smol/Amazon)

Voted the best dishwash tablets by BBC Goodfood, these little pink and white squares are both effective and eco-friendly as they contain lower levels of added chemicals per wash compared to many other tablets brands.

The product has not been tested on animals and the plastic-free packaging is recyclable and made from sustainable materials. These tablets are all-in-one so you'll no longer have to buy additional rinse aid or dishwasher salt to maintain your machine.

Uraqt Microfiber Mop Cloth, 3 Pack Replacement Cleaning Pads | £6.99 at Amazon

Uraqt Microfiber Mop Cloth, (Amazon)
Uraqt Microfiber Mop Cloth, (Amazon)

If your mop uses single-use pads to clean, this one-time purchase will make your cleaning routine instantly less wasteful and save you repeat purchases of the disposable pads.

These reusable mop heads are compatible with spray mops, reveal mops and steam mops. Made from microfibre which helps to kill bacteria on hard surfaces and dries quickly, these pads can be washed and reused hundreds of times.

3 Quickshine Kettle Limescale Descaler Sachets | £4.99 at Lakeland

3 Quickshine Kettle Limescale Descaler Sachets (Lakeland)
3 Quickshine Kettle Limescale Descaler Sachets (Lakeland)

If you live in a hard water area, chances are your kettles don't have a very long lifespan, but these clever sachets can save you the price of a new kettle (without any scrubbing). They contain no hazardous chemicals (in fact, nothing more dangerous than strong lemon juice), but will fizz away inside a boiled kettle of water, breaking down the limescale. They can also be used on shower heads, steam mops, irons and coffee makers.

In a review a shopper says: "This is the best descaler I have used. I live in a high hard water area. My kettle is thoroughly cleaned after using just one sachet and the kettle stays clean for longer."

Method Shower Spray, Ylang Ylang | £2 at John Lewis & Partners

Method Shower Spray, Ylang Ylang (Method)
Method Shower Spray, Ylang Ylang (Method)

No mores scrubbing and buffing to get your shower screen smear-free, all you need is a quick spritz of this to prevent the build up of soap scum, mildew, limescale and water marks.

Made from natural ingredients derived from starch and minerals, meaning it's totally free from toxic chemicals that harm the environment and the bottle is recyclable. This is one of the bestselling natural cleaning products available on John Lewis' website where one happy shopper commented: "A little goes a long way so although there are [similar] cheap products in the supermarket, this lasts ages and really does work."

12 Drain Maintain Enzyme Cleaning Plughole Sticks | £7.99 at Lakeland

12 Drain Maintain Enzyme Cleaning Plughole Sticks (Lakeland)
12 Drain Maintain Enzyme Cleaning Plughole Sticks (Lakeland)

Much cheaper than a plumber's call out charge, drop one of these down your plughole once a month to keep drains clog-free. The bacteria and enzymes in the sticks ‘eat’ their way through grease, fat and food in the kitchen or soapy residue in the bathroom.

One reviewer described them as "magic" adding: "We have two shower trays with very shallow traps. One takes forever to drain, the other frequently smells. I decided to try these rather than chemicals. I can’t believe the difference. No smells and a perfectly draining shower."

Beldray Plus+ Handheld TPR Gel Lint Roller with Squeegee | £7.75 at Amazon

Beldray Plus+ Handheld TPR Gel Lint Roller with Squeegee (Beldray)
Beldray Plus+ Handheld TPR Gel Lint Roller with Squeegee (Beldray)

Pet cats and dogs may bring us lots of joy, but they also bring us large amounts of free flying fur to contend with. If you find yourself getting through countless lint rollers, let us introduce you to this clever gadget that is washable and reusable, preventing waste from single-use sticky paper sheets and ideal for use on clothes, furniture and curtains.