Lowest-Rated household cleaner, buy green household cleaner, buy safe household cleaner

Lowest-Rated Household Cleaner | Reviews and Ingredients

Filter this list to see only products that are:
This page includes products for which GoodGuide has health, environmental, and social data. You can also view all household cleaner, including those with limited data.
Loading Details

Worst Household Cleaner

In 2001, a medical student at the University of Connecticut published a study of indoor air quality that reported that the chemical ingredients found inside most homes would qualify them as Superfund chemical waste sites. Chances are the area under your sink is contributing mightily to that chemical load. Household cleaners, from window sprays to drain clog removers, contain a variety of possible carcinogens, skin or respiratory irritants, allergens, and hormone disruptors. (more)

Loading Results

Worst Household Cleaner

The Works Flip Top Rust Lime & Calcium Remover
The Works Flip Top Rust Lime & Calcium Remover
2.6
Greased Lightning & Degreaser Super Strength Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Greased Lightning & Degreaser Super Strength Multi-P...
2.6
Kleen Guard Furniture Polish, Fresh Lemon Formula
Kleen Guard Furniture Polish, Fresh Lemon Formula
2.7
Liquid-Plumr Build-Up Remover, Professional Strength
Liquid-Plumr Build-Up Remover, Professional Strength
2.8
Pine Sol
Pine Sol
  • $2.99
2.8
Clorox Bathroom Cleaner With Teflon Surface Protector, Bleach Free
Clorox Bathroom Cleaner With Teflon Surface Protecto...
2.8
Formula 409 Glass & Surface Cleaner, Streak-Free Clean, Citrus Scent
Formula 409 Glass & Surface Cleaner, Streak-Free Cle...
  • $3.33
  • User Rating:
    Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small Star_full_small
2.8
S.O.S Institutional Steel Wool Soap Pads, Extra Thick, Heavy Duty
S.O.S Institutional Steel Wool Soap Pads, Extra Thic...
  • $33.27
2.8
Prestone With Odor Neutralizer Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
Prestone With Odor Neutralizer Carpet & Upholstery C...
3.0
Arm & Hammer Snap Top Tropical Breeze Carpet & Room Deodorizer
Arm & Hammer Snap Top Tropical Breeze Carpet & Room ...
3.0
Sno Bol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Sno Bol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
  • $47.99
3.0
Scrub Free Fresh Scent Mildew Stain Remover
Scrub Free Fresh Scent Mildew Stain Remover
3.0
  • Send to a Friend
  • Print This List

Pine, lemon, or orange-scented cleaners or fresheners contain terpenes, which react with ozone in the air to form the skin and lung irritant and carcinogen formaldehyde. Drain cleaners, among the strongest and most toxic of all products, often contain corrosive chlorine bleach (often listed as sodium hypochlorite on ingredient labels), which causes respiratory irritation and can damage skin and eyes. Oven cleaners and toilet bowl cleaners, also among the strongest products, can contain corrosive potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. Anti-bacterial cleaners may contain Triclosan, which is a hormone-disrupting environmental toxin.

Chemical fragrances found in many cleaners can conceal the presence of phthalates, which are linked to endocrine and reproductive system disruption. Fragrance isn’t just an ingredient in strongly scented household cleaners—the chemicals in many cleaners are so potent that fragrance is often necessary to mask their smell. The solvents in standard cleaning products generally are from a class of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which can cause respiratory, eye, and skin irritation as well as nausea and dizziness. The cleaning ingredients (called surfactants) that have replaced soap in most cleaners come from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. Dyes and brighteners often contain benzene, a toxic irritant (found also in gasoline and cigarettes) that, in cases of long-term exposure, can cause leukemia.

All of this is just the stuff that’s known to be in cleaners; some are also contaminated with neurotoxins and possible carcinogens such as 1,4-dioxane. Although companies aren't required to list the ingredients in their cleaners, some do, and you can look through GoodGuide ratings for household cleaners to find companies with good records for disclosure.