Branch Basics Review
❌Approved or not Approved?
❌Not recommended brand:
Branch Basics The Concentrate, I don’t recommend this because it has controversial ingredients!
You can find my favorite replacement below.
INGREDIENTS: Purified Water, Decyl Glucoside, Chamomile Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Phytate.
Sodium Phytate in-household cleaners according to EWG.org Phosphates in detergent cause lake pollution and eutrophication.
I have been investigating this brand for a long time!
This is what I did regarding SODIUM PHYTATE
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1. I asked the brand Branch Basics directly about this issue see below.
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2. I asked a direct competitor what they know about the ingredients.
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3. I reached the MADE SAFE (they never replied)
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4. EWG.org see the chat below.
CONCLUSION: I don’t recommend this brand since they chose to serve as a toxic ingredient,
Why do we need to pay $50 for a cheap detergent made with sodium phytate responsible for polluting our lakes??!
There are many other safer brands for much less, and no lake pollution.
You can find better household cleaners including dishwashing, and laundry detergents.
Sure it is better than Clorox, but why spend all that money on something that is just ok and also associated with general ecotoxicity concerns by ewg.org.
I wish bloggers out there would make more responsible recommendations.
❌ GREENWASHING, POLLUTING, GREAT MARKETING
The many influencers recommending this brand are either not knowledgeable enough to recognize the toxic ingredient, lazy or not motivated enough to investigate and to learn about it, or they just prefer to keep their generous commissions over educating their community. I won’t trust them.
As you can notice from the chat they tried to convince me that it was an EWG inconsistancy
by classifying sodium phytate as toxic in the cleaning database and less toxic in the skincare database.
Here is the point!
I went to check directly with ewg. org about that:
From my chat with ewg.org it is clear that it is not ewg constancy issue like Branch Basics wants me to believe, but BB is obviously aware the phytic acid is a hazard to the environment, it is polluting when it is used in larger quantities like in their BB household cleaner concentrate.
So again I don’t recommend BB also for their trying to convince me otherwise.
I admire EWG’s efforts to educate the companies about this matter and they confirm that confirming that it is not a database error or discrepancy.
EWG verified only 2 BB products: they don’t contain phytic acid: dishwasher tablet and the oxygen boost only.
Dishwasher tablets: I don’t recommend it!
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I reviewed it below
Oxygen boost:
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Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate: nothing special since it is common in the majority of Oxygen boosts listed in page
They abuse the EWG verification seal by displaying it with the entire collection. (greenwahing)
To be neutral I went to check an independent database here is what I found:
In conclusion I don’t support this brand.
❌Approved or not Approved?
Not recommended brand: Even though it is a EWG verified product, by checking the ingredients, I noticed that the ingredients list is fully reported on the ewg database.
FULL INGREDIENT LIST:
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Citric Acid, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Chloride, Methylglycinediacetic Acid Trisodium Salt, Sodium Silicate, Acrylic Polymer, Sodium Carboxymethyl Inulin, TAED, Protease, Amylase, Decyl Glucoside, Magnesium Stearate
Sodium Silicate: European Union Ecolabel program data shows this substance has moderate acute toxicity to aquatic life. Only in: Household Cleaners
Acrylic Polymer: The European Union Ecolabel program reports this substance is persistent in the environment.
CONCLUSION: I don’t recommend this brand since it has polluting ingredients.
❌ GREENWASHING, POLLUTING, GREAT MARKETING
The many influencers recommending this brand are either not knowledgeable enough to recognize the toxic ingredient, lazy or not motivated enough to investigate and to learn about it, or they just prefer to keep their generous commissions over educating their community. I won’t trust them.
🌿 Here you can find safer and approved alternatives made by transparent and more honest brands. These products are made with certified organic and natural ingredients!
💖 Shop with my links to support my research!
- Organic all-purpose cleaner
- Organic bathroom cleaner
- Organic floor cleaner
- Organic carpet cleaner
- Organic toilet cleaner
- Organic glass cleaner
- Organic bleach alternative
- Organic laundry detergent
- Organic baby laundry detergents
- Organic stain remover
- Organic pet stain remover
- Organic dryer balls
- Organic dish soap
- Organic dishwasher
- Organic household gloves
- Organic cleaning cloths
- Organic mold remover
Happi Earth USDA Certified Organic Household Cleaners
🎉My new cleaning products!!! They are not only organic, they are USDA Certified organic!!👏
Made by Miessence's sister brand Happi laundry products with Certified Organic food-grade ingredients, packed in sustainable packaging. Water-free!
Happi Earth products are super concentrated and they arrive in Pouch and plant-based pump bottles!
✅ Made with the most natural and sustainable soap source: USDA Certified Organic, wild-harvested, fair-trade soapberry!
Used in Ayurveda medicine for treating eczema & psoriasis, soapberry is hypoallergenic and gentle on the skin!
🌿Happi Pouch wash load: The Laundry Liquid Pouch will last 400 wash loads!! That means you won’t need to buy laundry detergent for 1 year and no waste generated by plastic laundry detergent packaging!!
🌿Happi Multipurpose Cleanser: is great and looks and feels so natural with its rich color! I have been using it everywhere and it is the most natural household cleaner I found!
The pump bottle is made from sugarcane, a renewable source that is 100% recyclable. Just 3 pumps per standard wash load (approx 8kg).
✅ USDA Certified Organic
✅ Food Grade
✅ Wild harvested
✅ 400 washes
✅ Sustainable
INGREDIENTS: Certified Organic food-grade Organic soapberry nut super-concentrate, Organic vegan glycerine, Organic Coconut Vinegar, organic orange & eucalyptus essential oils
Truly Free Surface Shield
🌿TrulyFree offers eco-friendly household cleaners and refill solutions to cut plastic and costs!
🍃Surface Shield is a powerful anti-viral shield of natural silver ions that defends against and kills 99.9% of germs, viruses, and mold for an entire 14 days. It physically bonds with germs and viruses, resulting in a “mechanical kill” making this the most non-toxic and safest way to kill germs AND prevent new ones from forming.
For: Doorknobs, kitchen counters, dining room tables, personal devices, steering wheels, toys, litter boxes, food prep areas, desks, and more!
TO SANITIZE: Pre-clean heavily soiled surfaces
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Hold the container 6-8” from the surface, spray until all is wet.
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To sanitize hard, non-porous, non-food contact surfaces: Apply product. Let stand for 10 seconds. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
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To sanitize for 14 days: Apply product. Allow to air dry without wiping. Reapply if the surface is scrubbed.
TO DISINFECT BACTERIA AND VIRUSES: Pre-clean the surface.
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Hold the container 6-8” from the surface, spray until thoroughly wet.
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For bacteria*, let stand for 60 seconds. Wipe with a cloth.
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For bacteria, viruses, and fungi**, let stand for 5 minutes. Wipe with a cloth.
INGREDIENTS: Inert Salts, Silver, Glycerin
Meliora Organic All-Purpose Home Cleaner
🌿Meliora is one my fav plastic-free brands! It was born to give us safe laundry and household cleaning products all rigorously packed in super eco-friendly packaging. What is even more impressive is their effort to offer refills that will meet even more their zero waste mission!
👉Here is their all purpose cleaner with the refill! Just add water, shake it and you are ready to go!
✅ The ingredients are approved as within the cleanest on the market!
👏It is so rewarding to cut unnecessary plastic bottles and the water that is carried all over before reaches you contributing to weight and increase of cost for something you can get directly in your home! 💖I support Meliora for being so responsible and for not offering laundry pods or sheets which contribute to plastic pollution!
🌿This Organic All-Purpose Home Cleaner is for cleaning the hard surfaces in your home. Floors, walls, countertops, even the greasy fingerprint smudges on the fridge.
🌱 Here is their difference:
INGREDIENTS: Vegetable Soap [Potassium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoate, Glycerin, Water, Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
The Wholesome Home Disinfectants
🏆 This is my number one home all-natural organic household cleaning and organic disinfectant product recommendation! 🎉
💖 Featuring here 5 essential cleaning products to clean and disinfect the entire home!
🌿 All-purpose cleaner
🌿 Bathroom disinfectant
🌿 Floor cleaner
🌿 Kitchen surface disinfectant
🌿 Window & glass cleaner
They are also great to make your own organic cleaning wipes and disinfectant wipes.
👉 They are made with botanical ingredients and packed in eco-friendly glass amber bottles, making them my favorite home kit!👏
💖 What is even more amazing is that after you get the full-size bottle you can only get the organic refills! Just add distilled water to the 2oz concentrate will refill the 16oz bottle 2 times!!
- ✅ Eco-friendly
- ✅ Plant-based
- ✅ Hypoallergenic
- ✅ Food safe
- ✅ Bleach-free
- ✅ Chlorine-derived free
- ✅ Plastic-free
- ✅ Made with organic essential oils!
INGREDIENTS: made with organic food-safe organic ingredients
The Wholesome Home All-Purpose
👉Many of you already know that I don’t recommend
❌ Branch Basics: contains sodium phytate, responsible for damaging the aquatic environment!
❌ Force of Nature: contains Hypochlorous Acid HOCl, an acid that forms when chlorine dissolves in water, and Sodium Hydroxide NaOH, aka Caustic soda!!
✅ Here is the approved replacement: a much better, safer, and way more eco-friendly alternative to greenwashing brands!!
🌿The Wholesome Home all-purpose and disinfectant is made with plant-based, responsible ingredients, hypoallergenic, food-safe, and safe for kids and pets!
🌸 Scented with only organic essential oils: organic lemongrass essential oil, organic eucalyptus essential oil, organic lavender essential oil, organic rosemary essential oil, and organic tea tree essential oil! In an eco-friendly glass bottle!
🏆Making this my number one recommended all-purpose cleaner
🎉 So excited to add this new approved brand to my website!
🌿It smells so natural and without all the controversial ingredients of these other greenwashing brands! Finally, an all-purpose cleaner made with organic ingredients I can trust!
- ✅ Organic ingredients
- ✅ Eco-friendly, Plant-based
- ✅ Hypoallergenic, Food-safe
- ✅ Bleach-free, Chlorine-free
- ✅ Plastic-free
INGREDIENTS: potassium oleate, potassium cocoate, glycerin, potassium citrate, citric acid, organic lemongrass essential oil, organic eucalyptus essential oil, organic lavender essential oil, organic rosemary essential oil, organic tea tree essential oil, purified hydrogen oxide.
MamaSuds All-Purpose Cleaner Spray
🌿 MamaSuds has a super short list of ingredients in her organic household cleaners and organic laundry detergents!
This natural all-purpose cleaner is made with Castile Soap, organic aloe vera gel juice, non-GMO verified citric acid, and pure essential oils such as organic cinnamon leaf, lemon, and organic eucalyptus.
👉Plus, all her products are palm oil free! Palm oil is responsible for deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia, orangutan extinction, child labor, and workers' abuse!
🌿MamaSuds All-Purpose Cleaner is tough on the crud but safe enough to wash out a potty mouth.
It works on sinks, counters, doorknobs, stove-tops, garbage lids, and the side of the couch. I also use it to clean my bathroom, shower, and toilet.
- ✅ Natural Ingredients
- ✅ Biodegradable
- ✅ Safe for septic systems
- ✅ HE safe
- ✅ 100% vegan & Not tested on animals
- ✅ Residue-free
- ✅ Free of corn-derived
- ✅ Palm Oil Free
- ✅ Made in the USA
- ✅ BPA-free + recyclable bottle
INGREDIENTS: water, Castile Soap (potassium olivate), aloe vera gel juice with non-GMO citric acid*, pure essential oils of clove bud, organic cinnamon leaf, lemon, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary.
Truly Free Everyday Cleaner
🌿Truly Free offers eco-friendly household cleaners and refill solutions to cut plastic and costs!
🍃Everyday Cleaner 100s of Surfaces clean is engineered using revolutionary plant-powered chemistry. Your everyday Cleaner will tackle the toughest messes on hundreds of surfaces in your home.
Family-safe ingredients ensure that you can get the effortless clean you desire, without any of the harmful toxic chemicals that you & your family are trying to avoid.
🍃How to use: Perfect for: Stainless Steel, Appliances, Toys, Tables, Chairs, Kitchen Countertops, Sinks/Basins, Porcelain, Cabinets, and many other hard surfaces.
- ✅ Plant-powered chemistry that tackles tough messes
- ✅ Safe for surfaces that pets, babies & children play on
- ✅ Sensitive skin safe
- ✅ Countertops, stainless steel, porcelain, cabinets, appliances, hard flooring, toys, door handles, plastic, vinyl, and so much more!
- ✅ Unscented: Free from synthetic fragrance and all harmful toxic chemicals
- ✅ Comes in a refillable bottle, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
INGREDIENTS: Coco-Betaine , Decyl Glucoside , Cocamine Oxide , Sodium Benzoate , Water , Sodium Citrate , Alkyl Polyglucoside
SCD Probiotics All-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate
🍃SCD Probiotics All-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate has a patented technology that harnesses the power of nature to fight grease & grime. Made with a powerful blend of active probiotics + enzymes.
🍃How Probiotics Clean – Probiotics + enzymes are living bio-cleaners that break down dirt, grime, and odor on both hard and porous surfaces, even fabric curtains and rugs. These live micro-agents continue to clean for up to 7 days after application!
These probiotics have been shown to survive on surfaces for up to 7 days. Compared with traditional cleaners. No rinse, gloves are required.
Use on kitchen countertop, bathroom tile, grout, shower, toilet, baby or pet toys, yoga mat, window blinds, or artificial silk flowers.
- Gentle on skin and home
- 16x Concentrated
- organic essential oils: calming lavender or uplifting lemongrass, for a light, nature-infused scent as you clean
- Eco-Friendly & Safe 100% safe for babies, kids, and pets.
INGREDIENTS: Water, 13 Probiotics (Proprietary Cultures Blend), Beneficial Postbiotics from Fermentation Brew, Organic Lemongrass Essential Oil
About the founder
Susanna Cellucci
Susanna Cellucci is the founder of PrettyOrganicGirl and a NASM Certified Nutrition Coach based in Beverly Hills, California. Since 2016 she has researched organic and non-toxic products ingredient by ingredient, and today the site covers more than 6,000 products and 700 organic brands across skincare, makeup, food, clothing, home and baby care. Every page is written by Susanna herself, and the site is 100% ad-free and independent. She holds a Master's in Marketing from the Milan Academy of Luxury, studied business and digital marketing at UCLA, and is Green Business Certified. Global companies including Chanel, Walmart and the Four Seasons have reached out to her about greener practices, and her push for titanium-dioxide-free makeup led several clean beauty brands to reformulate. Originally from Italy, she shares her picks with promo codes so that organic shopping can be for everyone.