Do eco cleaning products actually work as well?
Short answer
For everyday cleaning — surfaces, floors, laundry, dishes — plant-based surfactants perform comparably in independent testing, and the gap has closed substantially since 2015. Where conventional products still win is disinfection, heavy grease and hard-water limescale, which need specific active chemistry rather than gentler detergency.
The detail
Match the product to the job. Detergency (lifting dirt) and disinfection (killing microbes) are different functions, and most kitchens need the first far more often than the second. Routine disinfecting of every surface is rarely necessary in a healthy household.
For limescale, citric acid works well and is both cheap and biodegradable. For grease, hot water plus a good surfactant and dwell time beats a stronger chemical used impatiently.
At a glance
- Comparable
- General surface cleaning, floors, laundry, dishwashing.
- Read the label
- For disinfection, look for an approved active and a stated contact time.
- Cheap wins
- Citric acid for scale, bicarb for scouring, both fully biodegradable.