The 5 Best Eco-Friendly Products that Every Mom Should be Using

Are you looking for a cleaner, safer, healthier version of some of the most used items in your home? These five swaps of eco-friendly products require little effort but yield big rewards. 

Safer, healthier, more natural products are something every parent wants for their child.

BUT...

it can be overwhelming, pricey, and confusing.

Knowing where to start, which products to swap, and which brands truly are all-natural doesn't have to be complicated. As a mama who strives to use the most natural products for her family, I am sharing the best five eco- friendly products for your home.

After learning all about these eco-friendly products, you will be on your way to building a healthier, safer, chemical-free life for yourself and your family. 

This post is all about the best eco-friendly products that every mom needs for a safer and healthier home.

A few notes before we dive in:

• I prefer unscented products, therefore all of the products that I link are the unscented version of the specified product. There is nothing inherently wrong with scents, as long as they are natural (such as 100% pure essential oils). I will clarify this below!
• Natural products can be more pricey, but there are ways to save and fit them into your budget. To me, Amazon is a life-saver, and 99% of the household items I purchase are on their site. I take advantage of their "Subscribe + Save" feature so I receive an additional discount off their marked price.
• Depending on where you live, you may not have access to stores such as Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I am in the same boat, which is why I rely so heavily on Amazon. You may also consider looking into online platforms such as Thrive Market—they offer thousands of natural, organic, non-GMO, eco-friendly products. There is a membership fee to join and there is an order minimum to qualify for free shipping. Coincidentally Thrive is owned by Amazon, so even though I have a Thrive membership, I've found it cheaper and easier to order non-food items directly from Amazon. 

5 game-changing eco-Friendly products

1. Natural, non-toxic laundry detergent

I went down a rabbit hole of trying to find the best non-toxic laundry detergent for my family. We all know babies’ skin is super-sensitive but just how sensitive is it? it turns out a baby’s epidermis (outer layer of skin) is five times thinner than adults, which allows up to 50% of what goes onto the skin to pass into the bloodstream! 

I know. This surprised me too. 

Like most new moms I started using Dreft (I bought a whole case of it from Amazon  and ended up donating most of it) because I couldn’t get past all of the added chemicals.

Here's what I learned from online research: Companies get away with adding (potentially) harmful chemicals to their products  by labeling them as “parfum.” Because scents are proprietary to individual companies, they can add whatever “scents” they want and by law, do not have to state specific ingredients nor disclose them to the consumer. Wait, what?  

“Think Dirty” is a free app that you can download to scan thousands of products from detergents to deodorant to makeup. Dreft laundry detergent scores an 8 out of 10. In other words: dirty. 

This post isn’t a campaign against Dreft. When I used it, it always washed my baby’s clothes well and smelled lovely.  For me, though, health is more important. All this to say, after a lot of research (i.e. blog reading, feedback from other moms, and reading consumer reviews) Molly’s Suds was the winner and I have not been disappointed. In fact, now I use it to wash all of our clothes, not just the babies'.

I love  Molly's Suds. It is a non-toxic, natural laundry detergent and it consistently ranks at the top of all-natural laundry detergents. They offer scented varieties which use natural essential oils.

Their stain remover spray is also great! 

Price tag:  A bag of powder detergent will wash 120 loads. Using the current price (on Amazon) the cost averages 0.19 cents per load. 

2. Wool dryer balls

While we're on the topic of laundry—and let's be honest, as moms we do a lot of laundry—ditch the dryer sheets. It's actually quite fascinating how dryer sheets work—they coat your clothes with a slimy chemical to mimic softness and inhibit static electricity. They do this by using a chemical compound called quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). This compound has been shown to worsen asthma and irritate sensitive skin. In addition, the use of QACS has shown a correlation to long-term health problems like cancer and reproductive issues, although more research is needed. You can read more about how dryer sheets work in this article. 

So what's the alternative? 

Honestly, I do not know why anyone would not want to use wool dryer balls. They are reusable and last forever (up to 1000 loads, but honestly, I've yet to replace mine) and they have been proven the most effective in drying laundry more quickly. Wool dryer balls work by circulating hot air more evenly throughout the dryer and can reduce drying time by up to 25%. They also help reduce static and wrinkles.

Pro tip: Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil(s) to each ball to add a soft scent to your laundry. 

Price tag:  A set of wool dryer balls will last for 1000 loads of laundry. Using the current price (on Amazon) the cost averages 0.014 cents per load.

3. Natural, non-toxic dish soap

When I was pumping and bottle feeding my babies I  used Dapple Baby, Bottle and Dish Soap, and really liked it but, one day, about a month into my journey, I had an a-ha moment: If other, traditional dish soaps are unsafe for baby, what makes them safe for adults?

I searched and searched for the best, natural, non-toxic dish soap to use and I found: Better Life Dish Soap. 

This detergent cuts through grease (really!) and is plant-based. I also love that it contains vitamin E and aloe which nourish hands rather than dry them out. 

Price tag:  One bottle contains 22 fluid ounces. Using the current price (on Amazon) the cost equals 0.43 cents per ounce.

4. Natural, non-toxic dishwasher pods

Seventh Generation Dishwasher Pods are the best natural, eco-friendly pods I've found. They are free of fragrances, dyes, phosphates, and chlorine bleach.  Plus, I like that they are pods—no measuring or scooping required. Simply, toss and go!

Full disclosure: In my honest opinion, dishwasher pods that use chemicals (for example, Cascade) do leave your glasses shinier and sparklier. Read that again: I didn't say cleaner, but rather sparklier.

In the grand scheme of things my family's health is much more important to me than shiny glasses so I'm willing to deal with less sparkle in my stemware! Now my diamonds? That's another story!

Price tag:  There are 73 pods per pack. Using the current price (on Amazon) the cost averages 0.33 cents per pod.

5. Natural, non-toxic all-purpose cleaner

As I watched my ten-month-old scrape food off of my kitchen counter despite my best efforts to keep his food contained on his plate, I soon realized that what I used to clean said counters was super important.

 And why wouldn't it be?

Kitchen counters and tables come in direct contact with our food,  All of the chemicals in most (if not all) commercial cleaners linger on surfaces and can contaminate our food.

I've tried many different natural, eco-friendly all-purpose cleaners. Many natural cleaners use oregano essential oil as a disinfectant. These cleaners work very well but have a strong smell—remember I mentioned that I prefer unscented products  

The best all-around all-purpose cleaner that I have found is Better Life Natural All-Purpose Cleaner. I use this everywhere—on our kitchen table, kitchen counters, and kids' toys. It's free of petroleum solvents, chlorine, and bleach, so when my kids (inevitably) smush their food all over the table, I don't have to worry. 

Price tag:  One bottle contains 32 ounces  Using the current price (on Amazon) the cost equals 0.28 cents per ounce.

Okay, mama, you're now armed with five eco-friendly products to use in your household.

Remember, natural living doesn't have to be all-or-nothing and every change, no matter how small can and does make a difference in the health and well-being of your family! 

This post was all about the essential eco-friendly products that every mom needs for a safer and healthier home.