10 natural products for greener spring cleaning

Spring is the perfect season to fling open your windows and deep clean. Unfortunately, many common household cleaners contain harsh chemicals like ammonia, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorine bleach. These products sometimes cause adverse effects like skin and eye irritation and can be harmful to children or pets. If you’re looking for a greener way to clean this spring, try these natural cleaning product alternatives.

Finding a natural all-purpose cleaner that's actually effective can be difficult, but this Humble Suds spray fits the bill. The product contains just five ingredients and comes in three essential oil scents: orange and clove, grapefruit and lemon, and tea tree and lavender. The company also offers eco-friendly refill concentrates to reduce waste.

Nothing feels better than a spotless, de-greased, deodorized kitchen. With Koala Eco's multi-purpose kitchen cleaner, you don't need to use harsh chemicals to get your space sparkling clean. The natural and nontoxic solution is plant-based, biodegradable, and eco-friendly so it's safe for you and the environment. The spray also has a refreshing, non-synthetic lemon myrtle and mandarin scent.

If you’ve ever had to evacuate the room after spraying your shower down with a foaming bathtub cleaner, you know that traditional bathroom cleaners can be especially harsh. Earthy Edith's bathroom cleaner is a gentler natural alternative. This cleaner packs a powerful disinfectant punch with distilled white vinegar and lemon, tea tree, and rosemary essential oils. It also comes in a 3-ounce concentrate so you can refill your bottle to cut down on plastic waste.

While there are more options than ever for non-toxic household cleaners, Bon Ami has been making cleaning products since 1886. Their classic powdered cleanser is free from chlorine, perfumes, or dyes. If you have any particularly grimy areas you need to deep clean, reach for this nonabrasive powder. It's gentle enough that it won't leave scratches, but it can save you some elbow grease while you scour and polish granite, tile, porcelain, copper, brass, stainless steel, and more.

If you have pets or kids you know just how helpful it is to have cleaning wipes on hand. These plastic-free all-purpose wipes from Biom are safe enough to use on surfaces and skin. Whether you need to quickly clean up a spill, wipe your pet's paws, or cleanse your kid's hands, these plant-based wipes are perfect for the job. They also come in a refillable dispenser to reduce single-use plastic waste.

Toilet bowl cleaners tend to contain ingredients like ammonia, triclosan, bleach, synthetic fragrance, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Ecover's toilet cleaner is a plant and mineral-based alternative that's still strong enough to remove limescale, unpleasant odors, and tough stains.

If you have young children who love to crawl around and play on the floor, the last thing you want your carpet cleaner to be is toxic. Biokleen's carpet cleaning concentrate is a powerful but more natural alternative that can eliminate stains in odors in the highest traffic areas of your home.

Polishing your wood furniture can make grimy or dull pieces look as good as new. With this furniture polish from ECOS, you can achieve a deeper clean without harsh chemicals. The spray is free from ammonia, phosphate, chlorine, glycol, enzyme, dye, and petroleum. Instead, the plant-based biodegradable cleaner uses olive oil to give your furniture a glossy shine.

Harsh or scented laundry detergents are a common trigger for rashes and irritation, but Dropps offers a super-sensitive solution for adults and babies with sensitive skin. The unscented laundry pods are made with non-toxic, cruelty-free, and vegan ingredients.

If you’re looking for a natural dish soap that's still powerful enough to cut through grease and grime, try The Earthling Co.'s citrus-scented solid dish soap bar. The long-lasting block comes in plastic-free reusable packaging.

While unique gardens with a variety of plants are great, some can be very dangerous for our canines. To help you create a dog-friendly garden, the American Kennel Club offers the following advice.