6 Best Sustainable Cleaning Products For Eco-Friendly Living That Cut Waste
Our top picks for a clean home and less waste.
Look under the sink in any conventional home, and you’ll find a graveyard of half-empty plastic bottles. In a tiny house, RV, or small apartment, that collection isn’t just clutter; it’s a critical waste of space. Every bulky plastic jug is a space-saving opportunity lost.
Switching to sustainable cleaning products isn’t just an eco-trend; for those of us living small, it’s a strategic move. These products are designed around a core principle we already live by: efficiency. They eliminate water weight, ditch single-use plastic, and compress a year’s worth of cleaning power into a space smaller than a shoebox.
This isn’t about finding the "perfect" green cleaner. It’s about finding the right system that saves you space, reduces your waste, and simplifies your life. The goal is to make your home function better, and these smart solutions are a huge part of that puzzle.
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Cut Your Cleaning Waste with These Smart Swaps
That cabinet full of mismatched spray bottles and giant laundry jugs is a problem we all recognize. It’s bulky, inefficient, and represents a constant stream of plastic waste. In a small home, this inefficiency is magnified, turning precious storage into a landfill of single-use containers.
The solution is a fundamental shift in thinking: stop buying water. Traditional cleaners are mostly water, packaged in plastic, and shipped across the country. By switching to concentrates, tablets, and strips, you get all the cleaning power without the wasteful packaging and transport emissions.
This guide focuses on systems that do more than just clean your counters. They are designed to reclaim your storage space, reduce your environmental footprint, and streamline your resupply process. These are the swaps that make a real, tangible difference in a compact living environment.
Blueland: Refill Your Bottles, Not Your Landfill
Blueland’s entire system is built on a simple, powerful idea: buy the bottle once. You get a set of sturdy, reusable "Forever Bottles" and tiny cleaning tablets. Just fill a bottle with water, drop in a tablet, and you have a full bottle of cleaner.
For small-space living, the genius is in the refills. A year’s supply of cleaning tablets for your bathroom, windows, and all-purpose needs can fit in a small tin that takes up less space than a single can of soup. This completely eliminates the need to store multiple bulky plastic bottles under your sink, freeing up that cabinet for things you actually need.
The initial investment is the set of bottles, but the long-term payoff in saved space and reduced waste is undeniable. It’s a commitment to a system, but one that aligns perfectly with the minimalist, efficient ethos of small living. You’re not just buying a product; you’re adopting a smarter way to manage your supplies.
Dropps Pods: Powerful Cleaning, No Plastic Jugs
Laundry detergent and dishwasher soap are two of the biggest offenders when it comes to bulky plastic packaging. Those massive, heavy jugs are a nightmare to store in a tiny home or RV, and they create an incredible amount of waste. They are, simply put, an inefficient design.
Dropps tackles this problem head-on by delivering powerful, concentrated cleaning pods in a simple, recyclable cardboard box. There is zero plastic packaging. The pods themselves are highly effective, and the subscription model means you get a new box delivered right when you need it, eliminating last-minute trips to the store.
This system is a game-changer for anyone with limited storage or who uses a shared laundry facility. No more lugging a heavy jug down the hall or to the laundromat. The small, lightweight box can be stored on any shelf, making it one of the most space- and weight-conscious cleaning solutions available.
Cleancult: Your Stylish, Sustainable Soap System
Cleancult offers a system for those who prefer liquid soaps but still want to ditch the plastic. They provide beautiful, shatter-resistant glass dispensers for hand soap, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaner. The refills arrive in paper-based milk cartons, which are recyclable and far less bulky than rigid plastic jugs.
Dawn Ultra dish soap cuts through grease, requiring 50% less scrubbing. This versatile formula tackles tough messes in the kitchen and beyond.
In a small home, aesthetics matter because nearly everything is on display. Having a coordinated set of dispensers on your counter can make a space feel more intentional and less cluttered. Cleancult merges this design-forward approach with a practical, waste-reducing refill model.
While the cartons are still a form of single-use packaging, they represent a massive improvement over traditional plastic bottles. They flatten for easy storage before recycling, and the system provides the satisfying feel of liquid soap without the endless cycle of buying and tossing plastic containers. It’s a smart compromise between convenience and sustainability.
Grove Co. Concentrates: Your Tiny Cleaning Power
Refill your Grove Co. spray bottle with this plant-based, grease-cutting concentrate. Made with natural fragrances and without harsh chemicals, each refill helps reduce plastic waste for a cleaner home and planet.
Grove Collaborative has perfected the art of concentration. Their system centers on tiny glass vials filled with potent cleaning concentrates. You simply pour one vial into a reusable glass spray bottle, add water, and you’re ready to clean.
The space-saving implications are huge. A small box containing a handful of these vials replaces an entire arsenal of full-sized cleaning sprays. For anyone trying to maximize every square inch of cabinet space, this is a revolutionary concept. You can store refills for months in a small drawer.
This approach also promotes a multi-use mindset. You can use the same durable spray bottle for different cleaners over time, just by switching out the concentrate. It’s an elegant, minimalist system that delivers powerful cleaning results while drastically reducing both shipping weight and packaging waste.
Lighten Your Load with Tru Earth Laundry Strips
Experience powerful, mess-free laundry with Tru Earth's compact detergent sheets. Each paraben-free strip dissolves completely for a gentle yet effective clean, eliminating bulky plastic jugs and measuring.
For anyone living in an RV, van, or boat, weight and space are everything. Tru Earth laundry strips are the ultimate solution for this challenge. These are not pods or powders; they are small, dehydrated strips of laundry detergent that dissolve completely in the wash.
A year’s supply of Tru Earth strips weighs next to nothing and takes up the same amount of space as a thin book. The packaging is a simple, compostable cardboard sleeve. There is no liquid to spill, no powder to make a mess, and absolutely no plastic.
This is arguably the most efficient laundry solution on the market for mobile or minimalist living. The convenience of simply tossing a pre-measured strip into the wash cannot be overstated, especially when using laundromats. It is the definition of a zero-waste, maximum-efficiency product.
Etee’s Cleaning Pods: Your Plastic-Free Scrub
Etee takes the concentrate concept a step further with its unique cleaning pods. The product is a concentrated cleaning paste encapsulated in a pod made of beeswax and other plant-based materials. You break the pod, squeeze the paste into a spray bottle or jar, add water, and shake to create your cleaner.
This system is for the true zero-waste enthusiast. The pod itself is 100% compostable, meaning there is absolutely nothing to throw away. It’s an ingenious way to deliver a powerful scouring scrub or all-purpose cleaner without a single piece of plastic.
It requires a little more effort than dropping a tablet in water, but the payoff is a completely waste-free system. Etee’s pods prove that you can get powerful, effective cleaners without compromising on your commitment to sustainability. It’s a hands-on solution that connects you directly to the process of reducing your impact.
Your Next Step to a Cleaner, Greener Small Home
The common thread among all these products is a shift away from single-use plastic and water-based formulas. This isn’t just about being "eco-friendly"; it’s about being smart. Concentrates, tablets, and strips are more efficient to store, transport, and use, making them a natural fit for the small-living philosophy.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire cleaning supply overnight. The best approach is to start with your biggest pain point. If your laundry jug is driving you crazy, try the strips. If the clutter of spray bottles is your problem, pick a refillable bottle system.
Ultimately, adopting these solutions is another step toward designing a life of intention. By choosing products that are efficient, compact, and sustainable, you’re not just cleaning your home—you’re reinforcing the very principles that make small-space living so rewarding.
Making the switch to waste-reducing cleaning products is one of the easiest and most impactful changes you can make in a small home. It’s a simple decision that frees up physical space in your cabinets and mental space in your life. You get a cleaner home, a smaller footprint, and a more streamlined, efficient way of living.
