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The eco-friendly bathroom cleaners that topped our tests

As a new generation of eco-cleaners hits the market, going green no longer means having to sacrifice cleaning power.

eco spray bottle on leaves teal background
Last updated: 09 August 2022

If you're trying to reduce your environmental impact, you're probably considering alternative options to traditional products – including cleaning products. 

In the past, cleaning greener usually meant concocting DIY homemade recipes or buying expensive 'eco' products that just didn't do the job as well as ones based on harsh chemicals. 

But if you're looking to overhaul your cleaning regime, we have some great news for you: in our most recent bathroom cleaners test, not only did we find plenty of eco cleaning products that performed well, but they even outperformed some traditional cleaning products. 

Unfortunately, there were also some that weren't up to the job, so there are some products we suggest you avoid, no matter how good they are for the planet. 

We'll show you which products will give you a clean bathroom – as well as a clean conscience – and which are best left on the shelf. 

What is an eco-friendly product?

An 'eco-friendly' and sustainable cleaner should be one that's non-toxic, uses natural ingredients and is readily biodegradable so it doesn't have a negative impact on the environment. 

Many traditional cleaners use surfactants that break down slowly, or break down into chemicals that have a negative environmental impact. So if you're looking for an eco product, check that it's biodegradable to AS4315 or an international standard. 

Avoid chlorine or ammonia listed as active ingredients, and detergents containing phosphates. Rather, look for products made from plant-based ingredients and those that have specific ingredient information listed on the pack. 

Even products with more eco-friendly ingredients will still have an environmental impact from packaging, production and transport

"To really know whether something's an 'eco' product, you really need to read the full ingredients list," says CHOICE cleaning expert Ashley Iredale.

"Many eco manufacturers will kindly list these on the packaging, or at least the active ingredients, but if not then you should view claims of eco-friendliness with a dash of incredulity – claims are just claims, and just how eco really is eco?"

Remember, though, that it's not just what's inside the bottle that matters: even products with more eco-friendly ingredients will still have an environmental impact from packaging, production and transport. This is where a company's Shop Ethical! rating can help you make a more sustainable and ethical choice. 

shop ethical ratings

Shop Ethical! rates companies on their environmental and social impact. Choosing a product that's eco-friendly and has a good Shop Ethical! rating can help make a positive difference in the world.

What's a Shop Ethical! rating?

You may have noticed that some of our reviews include something called a Shop Ethical! rating. Here's what that means.

We've partnered with Shop Ethical!, a not-for-profit organisation that helps people make more sustainable purchases. Shop Ethical! rates how different companies perform in terms of environmental, social, animal-welfare and business ethics. (The rating is for the company, not the product itself.)

Shop Ethical! ratings don't affect a product's score, but we include them so that you have as much information as possible about the products you're buying to help you decide which align with your values, and which don't. 

Where relevant, we've included Shop Ethical! ratings for each of the top performing products so you can make a choice about which products tick all the boxes for you. 

How we test eco-friendly cleaning products

We test eco cleaners the exact same way we test other bathroom cleaners. First, we coat a PVC sheet with soft soap scum. Then we spray it with the cleaner and let it soak for as long as the manufacturer recommends. 

We use a mechanical scrubbing apparatus to make sure each product is tested using the same speed, pressure and number of scrubs. Once it's finished scrubbing, we measure how much soap scum has been removed. We use a spectrophotometer to do this because it's much more accurate than the naked eye. 

Homemade cleaning alternatives

If you're looking to make more sustainable choices when it comes to what you're cleaning your home with, you can make up your own cleaning products with minimal fuss by using some simple ingredients. There are many home recipes you can find using ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), white vinegar, pure soap, borax or lemon juice. 

These are often the greenest options – not to mention the cheapest. But you may need something more to cut through (say) soap scum in the bathroom, which is where a store-bought cleaning product is a good option.

The top performing eco-friendly bathroom cleaners

Our recent testing really shows how far eco cleaning products have come. Of the three bathroom cleaners that topped our test, two of them were made from plant-based ingredients. And of the 14 products our experts recommend, six of them have eco credentials. 

These results really are astounding – it's the first time in our testing that we've seen eco products perform so strongly

"These results really are astounding – it's the first time in our testing that we've seen eco products perform so strongly, and outperform chemical-based cleaning products," says Iredale.

"And it's great news for people looking to reduce their environmental impact and minimise the chemicals that they're putting down the drain.

"In the past, I've always been a little sceptical of the eco products – they tended to be as expensive as they were ineffective – so it's good to see them starting to move the needle and outperform the more chemical-based cleaners."

ecostore antibacterial bathroom shower cleaner

With a Shop Ethical! rating of A, ecostore's bathroom cleaner was one of the top three products in our test.

ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 90% (Recommended)
  • Cost per 100mL: $1.20
  • Shop Ethical! rating: A

Rhythm Tile & Grout Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 90% (Recommended)
  • Cost per 100mL: $1.24
  • Shop Ethical! rating: NA

Simple Clean Healthy Clean Bathroom

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
  • Cost per 100mL: $1.76
  • Shop Ethical! rating: NA

Method Anti-Bac Bathroom Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 88% (Recommended)
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.82
  • Shop Ethical! rating: C
rhythm tile grout cleaner

Rhythm Tile & Grout Cleaner tied for first place.

Earth Choice Bath & Shower Rapid Clean

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 86% (Recommended)
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.47
  • Shop Ethical! rating: B

Method Foaming Tub & Tile Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 85% (Recommended)
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.97
  • Shop Ethical! rating: C

Aldi Green Action Bath & Shower Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 80%
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.17
  • Shop Ethical! rating: C
orange power shower bath tile cleaner

Scoring just 44%, Orange Power Shower, Bath & Tile Cleaner was the worst performing eco bathroom cleaner we tested.

The eco-friendly bathroom cleaners to avoid

They may have good environmental credentials, but these products will only leave you with a clean conscience, not a clean bathroom. 

Orange Power Shower, Bath & Tile Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 44%
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.71
  • Shop Ethical! rating: NA

Method Shower

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 46%
  • Cost per 100mL: $1.02
  • Shop Ethical! rating: C

Organic Choice Shower, Bath & Tile

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 47%
  • Cost per 100mL: $1.10
  • Shop Ethical! rating: NA

Cove Bathroom

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 47%
  • Cost per 100mL: $2.11
  • Shop Ethical! rating: B

Coles Green Choice Bathroom Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 52%
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.90
  • Shop Ethical! rating: F

Ajax Eco Bathroom Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 57%
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.56
  • Shop Ethical! rating: C

Bosisto's Bathroom & Shower

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
  • Cost per 100mL: $1.00
  • Shop Ethical! rating: B

Macro Bath & Shower Cleaner

  • CHOICE Expert Rating: 67%
  • Cost per 100mL: $0.82
  • Shop Ethical! rating: F
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.