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I first mentioned Branch Basics to y’all a little over a month ago (in this blog post about stain removers and nontoxic laundry detergent) , but I first heard about it a couple years ago when Lauren Scruggs posted about it. At the time I wasn’t really interested in a new cleaning product, but to be honest I didn’t know better either. Ignorance is not bliss and I’m so glad I know now. If you want something easy to reference, the EWG that I talk about for skincare has a home cleaning section too! Because it is such a great concept and changing your cleaning products is a super easy way to reduce the amount of toxins around you, I thought it would be cool to share more about them and how Nick and I use them.

One of my favorite things about Branch Basics is that they were founded out of need. I’m obviously sad that their family had to go through all that, but their story is so inspiring and can help others. Environmental toxins are things that are somewhat discussed outdoors, but not really discussed indoors. Your home is where you spend the majority of your time (besides work obvi) and we do tons of things to it (like cleaning or candles) that are supposed to be helpful, when in reality they are messing with our bodies! These toxins are endocrine disruptors that can cause something as simple as a headache or as detrimental as the loss of motor skills. I encourage you to read their story on the Branch Basics website, because they put it more eloquently than I can, plus it is super inspiring!

The whole Branch Basics system is based on their concentrate. You can use their concentrate for everything! I purchased their Branch Basics + Oxygen Boost, which includes their concentrate, several bottles that tell you water:concentrate ratio and what to use them for, in addition to their oxygen boost powder. With this set, you get a bottle for bathroom cleaner, all purpose cleaner, streak-free cleaner, hand soap, and laundry detergent! The oxygen boost is really just used for stains and laundry.

My initial reaction was WOW this is so easy. And by the way, it still is my same reaction. It really is so convenient to have all of your liquids from the same concentrate! Overall, I really like the product and I do think it’s worth the money. The only snag I have run into is dog drool.

As you probably know, we have a 10 month old great dane. He drools A LOT and I’m still learning best practices on how to clean it and remove it from clothing. (so if you have any tips holla at me!) I love the laundry detergent but the dog drool doesn’t always come out. Granted, I’m thinking I should treat it when I put it in the dirty clothes vs try and wash it like nothing happened? They actually have oxygen boost which is great for stain removal! I’ve been using Seventh Generation for almost 2 years now in the laundry detergent department and haven’t had any issues…but I also have only had a dog for only a little over 6 months. So who knows. I need to get better about spot treating regardless. Same issue with slobber on counter tops and tables. I can get the drool off, buuut if I don’t do it immediately, it takes some hard scrubbing. If I see it when it occurs, I obviously try to clean it quickly, but I don’t always know where or when he does it. The spray bottles do say to let it sit for a little bit before scrubbing, so I think part of the issue is that I need to be more patient. I’ll work on it, okay? That being said, I’d scrub a little longer and use clean products, than use toxic products!

Another issue I have with it is with dishwashers. I don’t even really want to say “issue”, because in their defense, they don’t advertise to use it for dishwashers. I did find a post that mentioned you could use 1-2 tsp for dishwasher soap, so we tried that. 2tsp was too much for our machine - 1.5 tsp worked the best!…except that it didn’t really clean. The dishes themselves were cleanish, but kind of smudgy/cloudy. If you’d like to use it for cleaning dishes, I’d stick to using the All-Purpose spray and HAND WASH your dishes. That works great!! For dishwashers, we have found that Puracy Dishwasher Detergent Packs works best. I also really like Puracy Dish Soap. Nick prefers a soap over a spray in this department.

We also prefer to use Aunt Fannie’s glass and window cleaner over Branch Basics. For some reason our “streak free” spray leaves things cloudy. Aunt Fannie’s works great! We love their cleaning vinegar too, but not necessarily better than BB all-purpose sprays.

Like I said…overall we love Branch Basics, from their products, to their brand/mission. Their sprays are easy to use and I love how clean they are and that they actually clean! Remember that "clean” truly doesn’t have a smell! Regarding scents though, I am dying to try their winter wellness essential oil! It’s great to smell, diffuse, and even dab onto their wool dryer balls! BRB throwing away every other cleaning product I have ;)

Have you tried Branch Basics? What’s your favorite nontoxic home cleaner?