Health
Making the Right Choice with Child-Safe Cleaning Products
Keep your kids safe and your home sparkling. Here’s what you need to know about chemical cleaning products in your home, what to avoid, and how to choose kid-friendly products.
It’s simple: we want to keep our families safe and our homes lovely. Traditional store-bought cleaning products can contain dangerous chemicals and substances that can irritate skin, respiratory systems, and allergies and contribute to indoor air pollution.
What to avoid when looking for safe cleaners
The basics of what to avoid when looking for child-safe cleaning products. You can read more in our guide here.
- Bleach
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Phosphates
- Petroleum solvents
- VOCs
- Sodium lauryl sulfate
- Triclosan
- Glycol ethers
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together a comprehensive list of potentially harmful ingredients you can review here. The EWG has also created a guide to decoding cleaning product labels. You can also search EWG.org if you want a health score on an individual product.
Ultimately, you’ll need to always read product labels to ensure cleaners do not contain ingredients with allergens, which can be different for everyone. Even the most natural and gentle cleaners may produce reactions in some people. And if a product contains the words warning, caution, or danger, just stay away.
The best child-safe cleaners
Baking soda
EWG rating: A
Baking soda might as well be miracle dust. Use it as an air freshener, toilet cleaner, grill cleaner, laundry hamper deodorizer, kitchen drain de-clogger, produce cleaner, and hair brush cleaner. You name it, baking soda can pretty much clean it. It’s 100% an household essential for us. We’ve included a few recipes at the end of this list.
Vinegar
EWG rating: A
Like baking soda, white vinegar is pretty much a magic cleaner. It’s food safe and can be used to clean your bathroom, shower doors, clogged shower heads, pewter, brass, copper, dishes, microwaves—the list goes on. See our favorite recipes at the end of this list.
A few thing you shouldn’t clean with vinegar:
Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning Vinegar Wipes
EWG rating: A
Aunt Fannie’s was started by a dad whose son was suffering from life-threatening allergies, eczema, reflux, and more. During his search for cleaning products that wouldn’t harm his son, his line of microbiomic household cleaning products were born. Aunt Fannie’s even offers child-safe pest control products. We’re fans.
Get the good stuff: Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner Vinegar Wash Concentrate
Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner
EWG rating: A
Puracy works with a team of Ph.D chemists to create its plant- and mineral-based products. The team behind Puracy began the company to make safe household products that work. Based in Austin, Texas, Puracy is committed to giving back to its community: the company supports the Austin Children’s Shelter and The Ronald MacDonald House.
Try it out: Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castille Liquid Soap – Baby, Unscented
EWG rating: A
This soap isn’t just for washing a baby! It just happens to be that safe. Use it for pretty much any cleaning task with dilution. It’s scent-free and has plenty of skin-loving oils, so it won’t harm your skin.
Dr. Bronner’s is everybody’s cosmic, peace-loving soap maker. Not only are their products natural, Dr. Bronner’s boasts an extensive roster of eco and social accolades on its CV: It’s a certified B Corp, has a 5 to 1 executive salary cap, and provides free health care for employees and their families. To boot, Dr. Bronner’s has invested more than $2.5 million in fair trade premiums, uses 100% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging—the list keeps going.
For little ones, we love the Pure-Castille Liquid Soap – Baby, Unscented.
FIT Organic Baby Laundry Stain Remover
EWG rating: A
FIT organic products contain no synthetic detergents and no artificial surfactants. Its products are made with minerals and organic, plant-based oils, are USDA-certified organic, are certified vegan, and absolutely cruelty free! There’s a lot to love about this company, and their products smell quite lovely.
Get it: FIT Organic Baby Laundry Stain Remover
Greenshield Organic Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear
EWG rating: A
Greenshield organic are USDA-certified organic and its detergents are fragrance free. Greenshield organic does not test on animals and is Leaping Bunny certified. One of the coolest bonuses of this company is its commitment to sustainability: its bottles are made from sustainable sugarcane. We love it.
Get the good stuff: GreenShield Organic Laundry Detergent, Free & Clear
Make your own
If you’ rather go the DIY route, here are a few recommendations:
- Glass cleaner: equal parts white vinegar and water plus newspaper (see our natural glass cleaner recipe)
- Stainless steel cleaner: white vinegar and olive oil (see our natural stainless steel cleaner recipe)
- All-purpose cleaner: 1/2 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 10 drops lemon oil
- Dish soap: 1/2 cup distilled water, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, lemon essential oil
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