I Tried Brandless Cleaning Products and Here’s What Happened
Have you ever suspected your non-toxic cleaning products are overpriced? Maybe laundry detergent and multi-surface spray could cost less if they didn’t have expensive advertising and marketing costs. And why do companies ship spray cleaners with water? Wouldn’t it cost less and be better for the earth if you just added your own water to a concentrated cleaning pack?
These are the kinds of questions Brandless asks and answers when they make non-toxic cleaning products. I was definitely intrigued by the Brandless philosophy: “Everything we do has to pass our Just What Matters standards of high quality, better-for-you goodness offered at simple, fair prices. For every product sold at Brandless, you can be sure we’ve scoured the world to research and meet the quality gold standards for that category.”
Since I consider cleaning to be more of a hobby I enjoy rather than a chore to avoid, I was excited to give Brandless cleaning products a try in my home. Here’s what happened. (These are the cleaning products professional housekeepers swear by.)
What Is Brandless?
Brandless is an online marketplace for cleaning supplies, beauty products, kitchen products, health and wellness products and essentials for babies and pets. The name Brandless is a signal to consumers to downplay the importance of brand names. The company focuses on producing toxin-free, sustainable, and organically sourced ingredients for their products at affordable prices.
Many of their products are Green Seal Certified, which means they’re independently proven to meet transparent performance, health and sustainability criteria.
How Did We Test Brandless Cleaning Products?
I immediately liked the Green Seal Certification and prices of Brandless cleaning products. But do they actually work?
To test them, I got my hands on three products and put them to work in my kitchen, bathroom and laundry room over multiple weeks. Here’s how I tested each product, and how they performed in the real world. (These are the top five cleaning products you already have in your pantry.)
Laundry Detergent Packs
I swear by laundry detergent packs. Tossing a packet of pre-measured laundry detergent in my top-loader washer is way faster, easier and cleaner than measuring out liquid laundry detergent (and dealing with the messy cup). So I was excited to try Brandless laundry detergent packs in the lavender scent — my favorite fragrance.
I used the laundry packs multiple times, in separate loads of white bath towels and sheets, dark sweaty exercise clothes and jeans. Every load came out smelling fresh and looking clean.
The towels were fluffy. I could still smell the lavender scent in my leggings when I did Pilates about a week after they were washed. The laundry packs even took out a small tomato sauce stain on a pair of light colored jeans. Win!
Laundry detergent pack pros:
- Each jar comes with 50 laundry detergent packs, so about 34 cents per load. Affordable!
- Detergent packs melt away without leaving plastic or a lump of soap in the laundry drum.
- Non-toxic formula is free of dyes and brighteners.
- Works in cold or hot water cycles.
- Tough on stains and cleans clothes gently.
- Child-resistant jar is composed of a minimum 90 percent post-consumer recycled material.
- Clothes and towels smell like lavender for weeks.
Laundry detergent pack cons:
- The lavender scent is slightly smokier and less floral than I expected.
- The detergent packs tend to cling together in the storage jar and must be carefully separated so they don’t break open.
Maudia, a Brandless web site reviewer, says, “Makes my laundry smell great. Cleans my clothes nicely.”
Refillable Multi-Surface Cleaner
The premise behind the Refillable Multi-Surface Cleaner is genius. You get a reusable plastic bottle with a spray attachment, and a plastic pack filled with concentrated multi-surface cleaner. Simply pop the pack into the bottle, add water, shake it up and wait a few minutes for the cleaner to dilute. Then spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth or rag like you would with any cleaning spray.
I’ve used the cleaner multiple times a day for about two weeks and I’m really happy with the performance. It makes quick work of coffee rings on quartz countertops, toothpaste splatters in the bathroom sink and grease on the glass oven. The scent is really subtle, which is a pro or con depending on how strong you want cleaning products to smell. The scent definitely doesn’t linger in the air after I spritz.
Pro tip: Give the bottle a good shake if it’s been sitting for a day or two.
The plastic bottle for the Brandless Multi-Surface Cleaner arrived slightly battered with a dent in the top. The bottle still works perfectly, but I’ll eventually replace it with a reusable glass or aluminum bottle and just buy the multi-surface refills.
Refillable multi-surface pros:
- Green Seal certified and non-toxic.
- You fill the bottle with your own water, saving on shipping costs and carbon footprint.
- Multi-surface refills save on plastic, shipping and overall cost.
- Works fast to clean grease, grime and stains from kitchen and most bathroom surfaces.
- Light salty cotton scent is pleasant and not overpowering.
Refillable multi-surface cons:
- Plastic bottle doesn’t stand up to too much use or abuse.
- Scent is subtle (which might be a pro for people who don’t like a lot of fragrance.)
Whitney, another Brandless web site reviewer, says, “I’ve tried out various eco-friendly cleaners and have been disappointed with most of them (too sudsy, didn’t actually cut the counter grease around the stove, etc), but this one is exactly what I’d hoped! It leaves my counters and stove spotless, doesn’t lather up all over the counter, and smells lovely. Added to the subscription box for sure!”
Dishwasher Detergent Packs
Dishwasher detergent packs are akin to their laundry detergent pack cousins. Tossing a packet of dishwasher detergent in the detergent tab is way easier than measuring out gel or liquid dishwasher detergent. But dishwasher detergent packs can be pricey.
That’s not the case with Brandless. You get 50 packs for $12, which comes out to 24 cents per pack.
I did not go easy on the dishwasher test. The dishwasher was packed and some of the dishes had been in there for a few days before I ran the normal cycle — I even had my dog’s dish in there. Success! The dishes came out clean, without a funky smell or soapy residue. These are my go-to dishwasher detergent packs. This is how to fix a smelly dishwasher.
Dishwasher detergent pack pros:
- Non-toxic and biodegradable formula.
- Removes residue and grease from dishes.
- Doesn’t leave a soapy film or icky smell.
- Easy to toss into the dishwasher.
- Affordable at 24 cents per pack.
Dishwasher detergent pack cons:
- The detergent packs tend to cling together in the storage bag and must be carefully separated so they don’t break open.
Steve, a Brandless web site reviewer, says, “I tried it for the first time just to try it out. It works as well or better as anything I’ve bought locally, and the price is competitive. The best thing is my dishes were clean without the dishwasher smelling soapy.”
The Final Verdict on Brandless Cleaning Products
Brandless cleaning supplies are a good deal that are better for the earth and perform as well as some of the more expensive brands I usually buy. I also really like the concentrated refill packs — they just make way more financial and eco sense than buying plastic bottles again and again.
I’m definitely getting Brandless in the future and excited to try their glass cleaner and beauty items.
Where to Buy Brandless Cleaning Products
Brandless is available for online ordering at Brandless.com. Prices range between $3 and $17 for cleaning products. Even better, we have a Brandless promo code to save you even more money:
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