Cleaning Resources – Green Cleaning Products and Supplies
This page contains links and suggestions on where to purchase all the green cleaning products ingredients and tools mentioned in the book Easy Green Cleaning. This page does contain affiliate links (which do not change the price to you) but if a product is purchased through a link that is an affiliate link TheRevolutionBlog.com does earn a small commission. Please know any product that is recommended on this blog is one that has been personally used by Elizabeth Hemmings the author and/or researched if there is a better recommendation. To learn more about affiliate links used in the blog please read the full Affiliate Disclosure. I did try to stick primarily with Amazon links just because it is so easily assailable to everyone but did make additional recommendations as well on certain items.
All ingredients and tools are in the same order they are listed in the book. Just click the photo and it will take you to Amazon where you can check the item out further. Of course you do not need to purchase all these items to green clean. Many you already have and other items you can prioritize for which ones you would like to purchase first.
Green Cleaning Book
Primary Ingredients
Baking Soda
I recommend purchasing baking soda locally in as large of a bag or box as you can find. The one below is a 13.5 lb bag you can usually get it for half the price at your local warehouse store vs purchasing it online.
Castile Soap
I always recommend you purchase unscented castile soap and scent it yourself especially for use in cleaning. Once you get into using it I recommend you purchase it in bulk but you may choose to purchase a smaller bottle to begin with. The castile soap I personally use is this one from Mountain Rose Herbs. The following I found to be the best options on Amazon for purchasing in bulk. Dr. Bronners is the most popular and easy to find brand of castile soap which is why I am recommending it. I do want to make a note however that Dr. Bronners castile soap does contain palm oil but they claim it is sustainably sourced.
Distilled Water
Purchase this item from your local store.
Essential Oils
This is the brand and set I recommend it is certified organic and by Plant Therapy. This set comes with every essential oil mentioned in the book you need except the rosemary (instead it includes eucalyptus) which you will need to purchase separately or purchase spearmint as a replacement for rosemary if you are pregnant or have young children.
Other essential oil brands I recommend are the organic essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs and Aura Cacia.
Young Living and doTERRA are also high quality essential oils.
Hydrogen Peroxide
If you are going to purchase the 3% drug store version of hydrogen peroxide then I recommend just picking it up at your local store. As mentioned in the book, I like to use food grade hydrogen peroxide which can be more expensive to purchase pre-diluted to 3% so I recommend purchasing a 32 oz bottle or two first of 3% to reuse the bottles. The best price I could find for a 32 oz bottle of 3% food grade hydrogen peroxide is through Sunfood. After that, if you are going to use food grade hydrogen peroxide I recommend purchasing a 32 oz bottle of 35% and diluting it yourself to make it for a fraction of the cost of buying it pre-diluted. Please reference book for cautions when working with 35% hydrogen peroxide.
Soap Nuts (Soap Berry_
These are organic and will last you about 120 loads.
Another cost effective, re-usable, and and eco-friendly replacement to regular laundry detergent is using laundry balls like these ones here.
If you still do not feel comfortable using these reusable products to clean your cloths there are many healthier more environmentally friendly highly rated laundry options available. These are just a few.
Vinegar
Distilled White Vinegar is another item you will want to purchase locally in the largest jug you can find.
Vodka/Rubbing Alcohol
Purchase the biggest and cheapest bottle of vodka you can find at your local liquor store. If you do not feel comfortable having vodka in your house, then purchase rubbing alcohol from your local drug or grocery store and use that a replacement.
Bonus Ingredients
Beeswax
Only needed if you are making the candles Beeswax is an item I recommend you purchase from a local beekeeper that does not use chemicals and ethically treats their bee’s. Supporting local beekeepers is a great thing to do to help the honeybee population. If you are not able to find a local beekeeper to purchase beeswax farmers markets can be a great place to find them and ask questions. If you can’t find beeswax locally I recommend you purchase beeswax pastilles from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Coconut Oil and Other Oils like Sweet Almond Oil
These are the brands of coconut and sweet almond oil I recommend and both oils have a lot of uses outside of cleaning. Most people already have olive oil on hand or can be purchased at your local grocery store which is another oil used in the book.
Cornstarch
Only needed in a couple recipes but is something you probably already have on hand or can purchase at your local grocery store. Arrowroot can be a good replacement if you are allergic to corn.
Dried Herbs and Cedar Chips
Besides using your own lemon and orange peels you can also use dried herbs to make your own air fresheners and sachets. My favorite place to purchase dried herbs is Mountain Rose Herbs. Cedar chips or other cedar accessories can be good to purchase if you have a moth problem.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
You do not need to use grapefruit seed extract when making your cleaning supplies but it definitely adds a powerful disinfecting boost to the products you make.
Lemons and Lemon Juice
Pick these up at your local grocery store.
Salt
If you do not already have on hand, pick up at your local grocery store regular cheap table salt is fine for cleaning although I would never recommend consuming it.
Sodium Percarbonate
The main ingredient in all the popular oxygen bleaches without the high price tag. I usually like to purchase a 5 pound bag and it lasts a very long time.
Vegetable Glycerin
Not something you will be using a lot of in natural cleaning alone but it does have a lot of general uses. Side note the glycerin I personally use is this one from Mountain Rose Herbs as it is not made from palm oil. The one below available on Amazon is not derived from palm oil either.
Primary Tools
Broom and Dustpan
I am sure you already own these items or can pick them up easily at your local store.
Dish Brushes
Can be purchased at your local store or online for fun colors and shapes. My dishbrushes last me years and I do prefer the plastic because you can run them through the dishwasher however their are also many eco-friendly options made from bamboo as well
Dryer Balls
I personally prefer wool but plastic ones are available as well.
Flat Head Mop
This flat head mop comes very highly reviewed and recommended. It is a good idea to purchase additional mop pads as well so you are not needing to wash them too often. For a less expensive version, look at your regular store where you normally purchase cleaning supplies and see if they carry flat head mops with re-usable cloths.
Gloves for Cleaning
These reusable gloves are made with natural latex. Gloves are something you can pick up at your local store as well.
Labels or Label Maker
You can choose to go digital or handwritten with some cute chalk board labels.
Microfiber Cloths
I recommend purchasing a large set of these so you don’t have to wash them too often and using a different color for different area’s like kitchen, bath and general dusting. The ones I personally use are the yellow, green, and blue ones but there are options with more colors as well. E-cloths the final picture tend to be all the rage because they claim to kill 99% of germs with just water. I don’t personally use them because they are more expensive and I like to have a lot of microfiber cloths on hand and prefer to use my cloths with my homemade cleaning products vs just using water. Of course clean with the one you feel you would like best.
Microfiber pollution is a problem I mention in the book. It does not come specifically from microfiber cloths but comes from virtually any synthetic material you throw in the wash. To learn more about it visit the cleaning references page and consider purchasing a filter like this washing machine discharge filter or for a less expensive option the Guppy Friend Washing Bag to do your part in not contributing to the problem. If you would like an alternative to microfiber cloths bar towels can also be a great alternative option or just cut up old towels and t-shirts.
Muslin/Mesh Cloth Bags
These are going to be used to keep the soap nuts in when you do laundry and for fragrance sachets. I recommend when using for laundry you use with a brightly colored clip vs. tying the bag shut. For using soap nuts in laundry I personally use the small yellow mesh bag in the final picture vs. a muslin bag and clip but they work the same.
Paper Towels
This will still be a necessary item for a very small number of jobs so you will not need to purchase nearly as many. I recommend purchasing these at your local store and if possible get ones made from recycled material.
Scouring Scrub Cleaning Pads
These can usually be purchased at your local store as well as online. I am no longer recommending the green scouring pads instead I recommend opting for their greener counterparts made from the agave plant. I recommend cutting them into thirds before use to make them last longer. My new favorite find though is the Skoy Scrub reusable scouring pad also pictured bellow. It works like a dream and is top rack dishwasher safe!
Soap Dispensers
I personally recommend glass ones especially if you are going to be using essential oils. The first ones pictured are regular soap dispensers and the 2nd ones are foaming which some people prefer.
Spray Bottles and Misters
As mentioned in the book, glass is recommended any time you are working with essential oils. Otherwise, plastic is fine. Large, 32 oz spray bottles can usually be purchased in the cleaning section of your local store. Sometimes you will just need the spray nozzle and depending on the bottle size you may need to cut it down some.
Toilet Bowl Brush
You probably already have one of these at home. If you are in the market for a new one I recommend one with a design you like and its own container.
Vacuum
The main thing I recommend here is a good one with a HEPA filter. The first one is the one I currently own and really like. The second one is on my wish list as I have heard so many people rave about it and I love the idea of a cord free vacuum. The 3rd one is the cord free version I would pick except it does not have a HEPA filter which is a huge disappointment for me but it does have a much better price point.
Bonus Tools
Candle Making Supplies
Only need these if making the candle recipe.
Charcoal Air Fresheners
These last a long time and can be reactivated by placing them in the sun about once a month for an hour.
Diffusers
Diffusers are great to disperse the scent of your favorite essential oils throughout the air. Glass nebulizing diffusers are my personal favorite but they are a little more expensive. Cool mist diffusers are more popular and there are so many to choose from based on your price point and style preference. You can also make your own essential oil diffusers using reed sticks and a small vase.
Funnel
Can also be easily found at a local store if you don’t already have them on hand. Not necessary but makes pouring liquids into spray bottles a lot easier. I included a stainless steel option as well if you would like to avoid using plastic.
Lens/Screen Microfiber Cloths
These you would want to use specifically for computer screens and other small electronic screens.
Mason Jars and Glass Storage Containers
You may already have several of these around. These items can be great to purchase locally if you can find what your looking for. A thrift store can be a great place to check as well.
Measuring Cup
A glass liquid cup is a great addition for measuring the ingredients if you do not already own one.
Notebook
This is necessary to record any other ideas or recipes you come up with when Green Cleaning. You probably have several of these around already or can easily pick one up the next time you are out. Digital note taking applications like Evernote work great as well.
Pet Hair/Lint Removers
These reusable pet hair mitts work great for removing pet hair from fabric and upholstery and is much less expensive and easier to use then disposable versions.
Protective Eye-wear
A must when working with 35% hydrogen peroxide. Please note the only time you will be working with 35% hydrogen peroxide is when you are diluting it to 3%.
Pumice Stone/Scouring Stick
Scraper
These can easily be picked up at your local hardware store. Can be a great cleaning tool when needing to get rid of residue or soap scum.
Sifter or Strainer
Handy for distributing baking soda evenly over surfaces.
Small Squeegee
Great for cleaning showers and windows. Can easily be picked up at your local store. This one has a suction cup feature which you may find useful.
Steamers
These are a handy but not necessary addition to your green cleaning routine. I personally love my steam mop (shown in the first picture) and use it instead of a flat head mop. I have the large heavy duty steam cleaner shown below which I primarily use to deep clean my bathroom and a stand up fabric/clothes steamer. If I had it to do again I would of purchased the smaller more portable steam cleaner (shown in the second to last picture). I would also purchase a smaller fabric steamer as well for easier storage and use (like the one shown in the last picture).
Toothbrushes
Either reuse an old one (run it through a dishwasher first) or purchase a cheap pack of them with stiffer bristles.
Dishwasher Detergent
This is the only cleaning product I still purchase and as mentioned in the book show you the one I currently use here.
Keeping Your Pets Clean
In one of the sections of the book I mentioned including resources on was keeping your pets clean. Using a grooming tool like the one pictured below helps immensely with keeping pet hair around the house to a minimum. Environmentally friendly practices for dealing with your pet’s bathroom behaviors can be a hard task. I think the best solution is to keep the methods used as biodegradable as possible.
Finding an eco-friendly cat litter can be a challenge. You especially want one that is safe for your cat and always unscented. When searching for an eco-friendly cat litter, Yesterday’s news by Purina seemed to fit the bill for being eco-friendly (made from recycled newspaper), safe (fragrance and dust free,) as well as having good reviews.
The poop bags shown below are made out of cornstarch and are highly rated and certified for biodegradability according to the description. These would be a great option for dog owners but can also be used by cat owners when they scoop cat litter. You could still use with a disposal system like the litter genie by just throwing the sealed bag in and dumping the container at the end of the week instead of using their non biodegradable refills.
Keeping Your Air Clean
Plants
Plants are a great way to keep your air clean. I included a couple links about Air Cleaning Plants on the cleaning references page.
Himalayan Salt Lamps
Himalayan salt lamps are not only beautiful but it is said they clean the air by emitting negative ions which reduces dust, dirt, and allergens. Additional benefit these are said to be mood boosting!
HEPA Air Purifier
This is the one I personally use. I have two one in my living room and one in my bedroom. The filter has a built in charcoal layer which helps to reduce odor as well. I really like this one it is stylish compared to a lot of other filters and very quiet at it’s mid-range setting.
Keeping Your Water Clean
Filter your water to the best of your ability. None of these filters will remove fluoride but they will remove a lot of other unhealthy contaminants like chlorine making your water cleaner and purer. As mentioned in the book it is really hard to remove fluoride without removing all the necessary minerals needed for healthy water as well. To learn more about fluoride in your drinking water and what to do about it visit the cleaning references page.
At the very minimum I recommend you have a filter on your kitchen sink and shower head. If you take a lot of baths consider purchasing a bath tub filter as well. Links for recommended filters below. The Woder under the sink filter will last you about three years and the shower filter will last you approximately one year. PUR water filters only last about three months but the filter system is the easiest to install. Keep all these points in mind when deciding what filter to purchase.
