Are Natural Cleaning Sprays Worth Buying? | Gear Heads

We spent weeks cleaning and disinfecting counters, appliances, cabinets, and more. Our mission? Find a natural cleaning spray we could count on.

Hannah’s Picks:

Lisa’s Picks:

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[jeffk]

We have been very pleased with the Grove cleaners. The spray bottles have lasted quite a while with no issues. So nice to avoid plastics and use glass.

[PeasCorps]

Agree that the Method sprays work very nicely—Ive been using the anti bac recently. Grove was fine, too. But for 15-16 years, the product I keep going back to for cleaning almost everything in the house has been Sal Suds by Dr Bronner, diluted in a spray bottle (the ones with the red and white sprayer that looks like a goose head last the longest), or for floors, in a bucket. It’s great for the whole kitchen, on our 80 yr old tub, tiles, wood floors, cabinets, etc.

[VeronicaRonniDorval]

I'd love a breakdown on cost and how much you have to use of the natural cleaner compared to conventional cleaners

[vj]

I’m Method all the way. Hand soap, dish soap, glass cleaner, stone cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, shower cleaner…all Method. For disinfectant, Seventh Generation. I have the aerosol, the traditional spray, and my holy grail: the wipes. I’ve tried dozens of other cleaners over the years, including others more “eco-friendly” but I always come back to Method and Seventh Generation for the wins. Best scents, best performance, no headaches or nausea.

[rachelmiller]

How about DIY all purpose cleaners? Like vinegar+water+a few drops of dish soap?

[TheOtherBill]

My biggest complaint about all cleaners is they seem to now use the cheapest unreliable plastic sprayers that often don't last long enough to even finish out the bottle. A decent plastic (glass breaks too easily, and it's slippery if you're cleaning and have wet hands) spray bottle that will last for years and hundreds of refills only costs a few bucks at your local hardware store. They are also much more comfortable to use. Fill it with whatever you want, label it with a Sharpie.

[alexsomerslahr]

Loved this video. As to your comment that glass is recyclable: I know you’re in MA. In MA glass isn’t recycled- it’s crushed down and used for landfill layering. That’s because of its weight and the fact that that here in MA we have not one company making bottles out of crushed/recycled glass. Super sad. 😢

[ChtStadman]

We use Force of Nature and been happy with it. That said, I have two young kids, so we're essentially always cleaning something. With that as our go to cleaner for just about anything, the 2 week deadline is pretty easy to deal with. I wouldn't say it turns into "water" at 2 weeks. They just can't stand by the efficacy of the disinfectant, so I wouldn't use it to clean up after breaking down a chicken, but it's perfectly fine for cleaning windows, surfaces, etc that don't need to be disinfected. The pods are crazy cheap too. Wish they weren't plastic because it seems like a lot of waste, but as you point out, the alternatives aren't great. The pods are supposed to be recyclable, but it seems like a lot of plastic recycling is completely bs so I'm dubious about that part.

[Nails_By_Kimberlee]

I switched to Mrs Meyers a few years ago for my dish soap, hand soap, and spray cleaner and I'm absolutely addicted. Their hand soap doesn't suck all the moisture out of my hands every time I use it, the dish soap is as good or better than any other big name brand for cutting through grease, and the spray cleaner doesn't leave streaks on my black stove top. And their lemon verbena scent smells clean and fresh without being overpowering. Yes, I'm a huge fan lol

[radiatori]

We started using the Simple Human tablets about six months ago, and we’ve never run into an issue of having to wait to clean. I think that may be because we use their spray bottle, which is fairly small. (It’s also a pretty good spray bottle). In addition to all the eco friendly stuff, it saves us a space under the sink.

[moneyballbingo]

Hannah / Lisa team vids are my favorite.

[bradsweeney]

Would like to have seen a comparison to a dish soap and vinegar mixture.

[martianrobber]

I’m glad ATK is looking at more eco-friendly options. I’ve often cringed at how much plastic wrap and foil is wasted with some of their cooking methods.

[CHamm]

Hi. Love the reviews and wide spread testing of products. Was simply green compared in this testing? Curious to see how it stacks up with all the cleaners tested.

[danaline]

I'm a big Mr. Clean fan. It's versatile, cleans great, makes a large amount of cleaning solution, and smells great.

[vwynnr]

Did you test Branch Basics? Their concentrate works great and depending on the dilution, you make everything from unscented glass cleaner to all purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, laundry detergent and even hand soap. We clean everything with it!

[theoriginalbridgetconnors]

I buy the Grove cleaners as well as their hand soap. Love them both!

[dupre]

I’ve been a huge ATC fan since around 1990. I have remained a fan through all of the staff changes. ❤

[HuffleZPuffle]

This is everything I've been wanting every time I agonize over whether I can switch to a more eco-friendly cleaner (been using Method all-purpose in ATK's recommendation for years). Thanks so much, I know what I'm getting next time we need to restock cleaning supplies!

[trickycoolj]

And yet a lot of natural products (Method included!) still contain Methylisothiazolinone which is highly allergenic and causes allergic eczema/dermatitis. Surface cleaners, laundry detergent, hand soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner... that preservative is in everything that recently went "paraben free" and just put in a horrible allergen instead. I'm allergic to so many products now including the hand soap at my work place!