5 Honestly Free & Clear Cleaning Products

Recently, I realized that not all of the "free & clear" or "all-natural" or "uncomplicated" cleaners were really free & clear of the harsh sulfates that irritate my skin. I was using one of these cleaners when I was having a typical reaction - skin rash, itchy, sneezy, yuck-foo reaction! I looked on the back of the all purpose cleaner to see that it included some of the harsh sulfates that my body just won't tolerate. I've known for a long time to look out for these in my shampoos & body washes. But household cleaners? It didn't occur to me to look at the ingredients, and most of them don't even list the ingredients! So I did a little digging online and found ingredients for a lot of the "all-natural" free of SLS and other bad ingredients. It seems that a lot of them still contain similar ingredients to SLS, or actually contain SLS (sodium Laurel or Laureth Sulphate or Sulfate). I believe they are offering a better alternative than the harsh cleaners. But I could only find a few actual product lines that were across the board, completely free of that wretched sulfate that I seem to have an allergic reaction to.

Here are the 5 cleaning lines that I feel safe to purchase without having to read the labels, right now at least, because we all know things change.

Citrus Magic by Beaumont products - Each "brand" has only a few products, but this company seems to offer several different brands such as TreWax & Natural Veggie Wash as well as some body products that all have really clean & simple ingredients on their labels.

Bon Ami - This cleanser impressed me the most. They've been around for 125 years and still only contain 5 simple ingredients in their powder cleanser. They claim "When chemicals changed cleaning, people found us. We've kept it clean for over 125 years!" Seriously, thank you guys!!! This is an inexpensive product that really does the job. If I am looking for a cleaner and see this on the shelf, I will pick it up hands down!

What-EVER Cleaner by Better Life - These guys have offered a sense of humor with their clean packaging. And it was one of the products I picked up in Whole Foods and thought it would surely contain some harsh ingredients. Nope, these guys are clean across the board. Good for you guys! Thanks for creating a new line of products that might just catch on with some generation.

Nellie's All-Natural - This is a package that I was curious about. It looks like a DIY product that just happened to start selling and developed an audience. I'm not sure where you can buy it in the stores, but it's available on their website & other online retailers. If you want to make your own laundry detergent, but just don't have the time, buy this. This is a simple product, with ingredients you can understand with a lighthearted whimsical package. I wanna get my hands on this stuff. She's doing a great thing!

ECOS Earth Friendly Products - You'll find these guys in a lot of the big box stores like Costco - ECOS detergent and don't hesitate when you see it, just pick it up! This is one mass packaged good that is making it big and staying true to their roots. This family owned and operated company has a whole line of cleaners. They even claim to run the manufacturing of the products themselves. You won't find them everywhere, but seek them out. It's another great economical choice and will let you feel good about what you're doing for the environment. I sure hope they don't get bought out by one of the big guys!

If I hadn't developed this sensitivity to sulfates, I never would have looked into this stuff. Sure there are some other "green" products out there that are probably safe for the environment... but they just don't seem to have my skin in mind when they were picking out the ingredients. So for now, I'm trying to stay true to my own roots and working on my own homemade cleaners. I haven't perfected them yet... but when I do, I'll make sure to spread the word!