7 Canadian Natural Cleaning Products For The Eco-Conscious Home

Looking to clean like a green champ? To help, I’ve rounded up 6 Canadian Natural Cleaning Products For The Eco-Conscious Home.

I have been cleaning my home naturally for 15 years, I honestly can’t remember the last time I bought a conventional cleaning product. My home is clean and smells wonderful, I never have to worry about VOCs and chemicals hanging around in the air. When you first decide to choose eco-cleaning products it can be slightly overwhelming to know which one is the right one for you. I suggest easing into it slowly. As one product runs out replace it with a new more eco-friendly one you want to try.

All of the companies mentioned in this blog are Canadian, eco-friendly, and have great sustainable manufacturing practices. I should mention that these products do come in plastic containers, many of which are either recycled or recyclable. It's not an ideal situation, I recognize that, but we need to remember that not everyone has access to refill and bulk shops, and in many cases, plastic is the only option. I always recommend trying and buying items in bulk when you can. It saves you money, but it also helps to cut back on the volume of waste (plastic) you are bringing into the home.

Why You Need To Consider Natural Cleaning Products?

Cleaning products are big business in Canada, we spend more than $275 million a year on them. Keeping our homes clean is about keeping our homes healthy right? Not the case if you’re buying conventional cleaners that come with a concoction of chemicals. Chemicals that leave VOCs or volatile organic compounds lingering in our homes, that we breathe in and that cause a slew of health issues.

To make matters worse, these chemicals enter our bodies through the skin or when we inhale household dust and even from the chemical residue left on kitchen utensils and when you pour them down the drain they can completely destroy aquatic ecosystems.

Many of the chemicals found in cleaning products are not regulated and typically don't appear on the label either, so it’s impossible to know what’s in many of them, dirty business right?

Natural cleaning companies we 💚

1. Elva's All Naturals

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Every once in a while I fall in love with a new sustainable company and that has certainly been the case with Elva's. I've been using their zero waste dish soap and zero waste laundry detergent for a year now and each time I am so impressed. Let's talk about the 1 Cleaner All In One Cleaner.

The 1 Cleaner is free of toxic chemicals and is the only cleaner that I know of in the world that is pH-balanced and safe for absolutely all wipeable surfaces - from marble to wood, antiques, stainless, and mirrors, oh and its streak-free!

What I love about it is its versatility, it's unique in the market because it eliminates the need for multiple surface cleaners, replaces up to 6 separate products in one bottle (glass), and is available in a refill box as well. You know how much I love products that can tackle more than one job!

How does it clean? Like a CHAMP! I've used it to clean the toilet and tackle dirt on grout too. The 1 Cleaner has a little citrus scent (from the sweet orange) that leaves my home feeling clean and fresh and it's really a superhero when it comes to cleaning a mirror. There are ZERO streaks left and this makes me so happy! Streaks drive me crazy!

Don't take my word for it. The 1 Cleaner has outstanding reviews and I totally get it! It's also septic and grey-waters safe. Vegan and cruelty-free. Contains NO SLS/SLES, sulfates, phthalates, parabens, toluene, ammonia, bleach, triclosan, borax, or artificial fragrance.

Elva's is a small local Canadian business that manufacturers all of its products responsibly and in small batches, this helps them to reduce their waste. They follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and make all of their divine products in Ontario and BC. Their motto is simple: People. Planet. Pure. And add this:

"1 CLEANER was born out of the need for something better - that really works (without streaking). We were armed with the knowledge that too many people we love and care about were spraying toxic chemicals into their homes, without understanding the dire and long-term health consequences of doing so."

2. PURE

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PURE was founded in Quebec in 2009, since then they have been formulating cleaning products that will tackle the dirtiest of jobs from smudges to stains to walls and ceilings. What I love about their products is the versatility, the kitchen, and bathroom cleaner for example can be used anywhere in your home from the bathtub to the BBQ. It's amazing at cutting grease, I was surprised how little I needed to use. It's got a light peppermint scent that leaves my home smelling fresh and clean!

The new Apple Blossom (limited edition) will make your home smell like a million bucks thanks to the light scent of specific essential oils like petitgrain, orange, jasmine petals, clove, and cassie. With just a light squirt onto a cloth, the multisurface cleaner will leave any surface sparkling and clean! It's also free from phthalates, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, or methylene chloride. All their products are vegan and have never ever been tested on animals. And they are safe for pets too! LOVE THAT!

The Dish Soap is the bomb, I love it! My dishes come out clean and clear every time I use them. It's soft on hands too, another bonus!

Another major selling point for me is the fact that all of their products are super high concentrate which means you don't have to use very much, this is going to save you a ton of money and reduce the volume of plastic you are bringing into your home.

PURE is all about ZERO BS when it comes to their ingredients, most cleaning companies will not tell you what's in them, not so with PURE, you can read about all of their ingredients right on the bottle making it easier for you to choose simple, green formulas that work!

I do want to mention that they do use SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) which is one ingredient to avoid in cleaning products, but I spoke to the brand about this and they noted that the SLS comes from coconuts, is free from formaldehyde, 1,4 dioxane and, ethylene oxide. They add that "Our SLS supplier adheres to ISO 9001-2008 and ISO 14001 manufacturing practices and manufactures the product in the United States".

All of their products are septic safe and made without phosphate, chlorine, and toxic acids. The absence of phosphates in their products prevents the proliferation of blue-green algae in lakes and rivers.

If you like the idea of buying in bulk and refilling at home (who doesn't) then make sure to check out their bulk options, they are actually the first cleaning brand to bring bulk options to their customers.

3. Attitude Living

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Attitude, a Montreal-based company,  whose products are developed in their in-house lab where they meet all of Ecologo’s standards is vegan and plant-based.  Their products are tested in an independent lab for the absence of cancer-causing chemicals like 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide. They are also EWG verified. If you are a newbie to green cleaning, these look, feel, and work like more conventional brands and they’re one of the more affordable options on the market.

I’ve been using quite a few products from this range, but really love the All-Purpose Cleaner. This natural cleaning product smells so lovely, it's so fresh. It does a fantastic job of cleaning the bathroom (and bath) as well as the kitchen. A little goes a long way, which I really love as well. I've used it for small cleanups after my pet. You can use it as both a surface cleaner and a spot cleaner. Spray, the area, give it a minute to work and then wipe away with ease.

4. Nature Clean

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Is one of my ALL-TIME favs, one of the best eco-friendly cleaning products, they have been around for a long time and were actually one of the first eco cleaning brands I tried many years ago. All their products are made and packaged in Canada, good for septic tanks, gluten-free, vegan, and biodegradable. I've used all of their products and must say it's hard to pick a favorite.

The dishwasher packs are really good. They are unscented, you won't see any spots on your dishes. I have used these in an overloaded dishwasher and they can hold up. What I really love is there is no film and no funky smell left after the dishes are done. I also love the fact that you can buy them in bulk, 60 pods at a time.

The natural toilet cleaner is a game-changer. It works as well as conventional toilet bowl cleaners but without the heavy, sickening fragrance. It also does not contain that pointless blue dye (which has stained the upper portion of our toilet bowl blue over the years!). Good value for the size of the bottle. I should note that the liquid is clear (no nasty dyes here) so you need to watch how much you are pouring into the bowl. It's made without hydrochloric acid so it’s non-toxic and non-corrosive. They use Thyme Oil and Australian Tea Tree Oil to add natural antiseptic and disinfectant properties. It smells great and gets the job done.

5. Bio Vert

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Biovert is a family-owned company based in Laval (Quebec) that has been developing low environmental impact household cleaning products since 1984. This is by far my number 1 choice for dish soap! It suds really well, rinses clean, and cuts through all the grease and muck like a charm. I think I've been using this brand for at least 10 years. It's vegan and biodegradable. A little also goes a long way. It comes in two scents, I love the citrus.  It's EcoLogo certified (EcoLogo is Canada's only recognized environmental standard and certification mark), honestly, you can't go wrong with any of their products. And you can buy it in bulk as well, gotta love that!

6. AspenClean

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Is one of the best organic cleaning products I have used. I simply cannot live without their SuperScrub Powder, it's a mild scouring powder for all challenges in your home, I use it to get rid of soap scum in sinks, showers, and bathtubs, and for burnt-in pots and pans, in my toilet bowls, on my stovetops and in the oven. It is scented with organic tea tree and lavender essential oils, which further enhance its cleaning powers. It's safe for all materials and surfaces.

Simply sprinkle it on a damp cloth and tackle the dirt! Septic tank safe, yep. 100% vegan and animal cruelty-free, rated straight A's by the EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning, 100% Recycled plastic bottles, and is the only EcoCert certified cleaning product in North America.

I also LOVE the glass and window cleaner. I do make my own most of the time. But have used and loved this one. It is subtly scented with organic lime essential oil, which not only smells wonderful and fresh but also helps to leave all your glass surfaces streak-free. This works really well on my stove. It cleans quickly and leaves glass shiny, without any residue.

AspenClean has just launched an entire line of plastic-free options for those looking for zero waste cleaning products.

7. Nellies

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Adore this natural cleaning company so much! I've been using their laundry products forever! The wool dryer balls are THE BEST. I'll be writing more on laundry in the coming weeks. If you are looking for a really good floor cleaner, this is my top pick. The floor cleaner doesn’t leave a residue and it doesn’t have an overpowering scent. I dilute it 1:1 with water (not necessarily required) but it still cleans well and my floors SHINE like never before. This is another amazing Canadian natural cleaning company that you can count on.

These are some of my top picks for the non-toxic cleaning of my home. It's important to understand why switching to natural cleaners is better for you, your home, and the planet, sometimes reading a label on a cleaning product can be a challenge, in some cases, there is no label and in others, the ingredients listed are so confusing.

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How to spot toxic ingredients in your cleaning products?

Silica powder — Found in abrasive cleaning powders. A known carcinogen that is harmful when inhaled.

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate — Found in toilet bowl cleaners, deodorizers, surface cleaners, and disinfectants. High doses can cause kidney issues, very toxic to aquatic life.

Sodium hydroxide (also known as lye and caustic soda) — Found in oven cleaners, bathroom cleaners, disinfectants, drain openers, and toilet bowl cleaners. Highly corrosive; can burn the eyes, skin, and lungs and is a respiratory irritant.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium Laureth sulfate (SLES) — Found in dish soap, liquid laundry detergents, cleaning towelettes, and toilet bowl cleaners (as well as sudsy cosmetics). Traces of 1-4 dioxin have been found, a possible human carcinogen.

Triclosan — Found in dish soaps and disinfectants, as well as a wide range of other household products. Look for it listed as an "active ingredient" in antibacterial products. Endocrine disrupts and hormone mimickers. Also, affects water life and ecosystems.

Trisodium nitrilotriacetate — Found in bathroom cleaners and possibly some laundry detergents (more common in industrial formulations). Possible human carcinogen and linked to metals found in fish and other wildlife.

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