Green cleaning Green cleaning products

Our cleaning habits can have an impact on the environment – whether it's the amount of electricity or water we use, or the cleaning products themselves. There's an array of green products available to buy and we've had a look at the claims on some of them.

Green cleaning products

We gave eight cleaning products with eco messages on them to a panel of experts to find out whether the claims were justified. We also asked the products' manufacturers to supply evidence to back up their green claims. 

Our expert panel, which was made up of two scientists and a green marketing expert, thought that while all the products made some genuine claims, most also made claims that the companies didn’t support with convincing evidence.

You can read more about our investigation in the greenwashing files, where we've pulled together examples of greenwash from cars to energy companies.

We also tested washing alternatives such as soap nuts and wash balls, but we found these didn't work as well at 30°C, as standard detergents.

Ask questions about green credentials

If you want to buy products with eco claims, it's worth asking questions about what those credentials mean. Has it been made in a sustainable way? Will you be able to recycle the packaging easily? 

Sometimes the way you can use a product matters as well as the contents. For instance, you'll save energy if you chose a laundry powder that will work at 30°C. Which? has tested – find out which detergent was the most effective at this lower temperature.

Our experts also warned shoppers to be wary of any green claims that are vague or difficult to understand