About.com Rating

Manufacturer's Site

The Bottom Line

This eco-friendly bathroom cleaner easily helped me power through my cleaning routine and left my bathroom surfaces gleaming. It's definitely a safe and viable alternative to harsh conventional bathroom cleaners. Read on for more details, including how it fares in terms of environmental friendliness and safety.

Pros

• Certifications: Ecover's "Diamond Model" is validated by Vincotte Environment

• Company transparency: All ingredients except the fragrance are listed
• Effectiveness: Cleaned surfaces well without scratching
• Environmental Friendliness: Eco-friendly, biodegradable product and packaging
• Safety: Non-toxic product with plant-based ingredients
• Testing: Not tested on animals

Cons

• Fragrance: Composition not revealed
• MSDS: Not available on company website
• Scents: No other scents available
• Sizes: Only one size available
• Surfaces: Not for use on marble or other natural stones surfaces

Description

• Type: Bathroom Cleaner
• Size: 16 fl. oz. (473 ml.)
• Scent: Not indicated on the label
• Cost: $3.79
• Ingredients: Aqua, Capryl Glucoside, Citric acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Octyl Sulfate, Sorbitan Sesquioctanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Xanthan Gum, Limonene

Company Background

Ecover, one of the world's largest green cleaning companies, has been an eco-pioneer and leader in innovative, earth friendly cleaning products for over 30 years. It has a strong focus on the complete life cycle of a product from ingredient sourcing to packaging to disposal and has worked with universities, other industries, and networks to develop products that are eco-friendly and safe.

In 1993, Ecover was recognized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as part of its Global 500 Roll of Honor list, which awards people, organizations, and businesses who make contributions to the environment. Further information on its sustainability practices, products, and more can be found on the Ecover company website.

Product Effectiveness

This bathroom cleaner can be used on virtually any surface in your bathroom, except for marble or other natural stone surfaces. The manufacturer suggests wiping it away with a dry or damp cloth or sponge. For especially tough jobs, leaving it on for a few minutes is recommended. Then rinse with water.

With a targeted spray head, this cleaner was very easy to control. It did a fantastic job cutting through soap scum, eliminating hard water stains, and cleaning bathroom fixtures. I didn't get a chance to test it on heavy mildew, but it did work well at zapping light mildew in the shower. My bathroom surfaces were left clean and shiny and everything smelled fresh, so I was pleased with the overall results.

Health & Safety

This non-toxic product is free of several harsh ingredients, such as petroleum-derived chemicals, synthetic dyes, bleach, and triclosan. It contains natural ingredients derived from minerals and plants — all of which are fully listed on the label except for the fragrance. So, the lack of full disclosure with regard to the fragrance could be a problem for those particularly sensitive to certain chemicals.

In terms of other ingredients, none really stand out except for limonene, which is an allergen. However, it is the last ingredient listed on the label, so the amount used is probably very small.

The label warns to keep the product out of the reach of children and notes that it is an eye irritant. First-aid measures include flushing the eyes well with water and then seeking medical attention if eye contact occurs. The MSDS is not available on the company website, unfortunately.

Environmental Notes

This product is biodegradable and the packaging is made with Ecover's "PlantPlastic," which is made from sugar cane, so that means crude oil isn't used and thousands of pounds of CO2 are saved. Even the label is eco-friendly! Plus, it's 100% recyclable.

Ecover's "Diamond Model," which regards the product life cycle, is validated by Vincotte Environment to ensure it has minimal environmental impact.

Misc. Notes

This product is suitable for septic tanks.

Final Thoughts

This green product is definitely environmentally friendly and safe. The only problem is that Ecover doesn't reveal what's in its natural fragrance or put the MSDS on the company website, so it didn't quite deserve a full five-star rating. It's a really nice bathroom cleaner, though, so give it a try!

Manufacturer's Site

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.