We Tried It: Cleancult, an Eco-Friendly Household Cleaning Line

The name “Cleancult” is a play on words; it’s a cleaning product brand, yes, but it also implies that the products themselves are “clean”—i.e., made without, nor producing, harmful substances or chemicals. The brand aims to “help more people switch from a bad plastic habit to a cleaner ritual” by encouraging consumers to refill their reusable containers rather than use disposable plastic, and recycle the paper refill containers when they’re empty. It’s worth noting that, despite encouraging consumers to start their “plastic-free initiative” with its products, the brand isn’t plastic-free. Its aluminum containers are recyclable but have non-recyclable plastic dispensers, and its cardboard containers have plastic spouts, though the cardboard containers are still recyclable depending on your local municipality. 

Cleancult further attempts to live up to its goal of “clean” by being “certified plastic neutral” via an organization called rePurpose Global. It doesn’t offer much detail on its website about what “certified plastic neutral” means, beyond that the initiative partners with other organizations that aim to remove as much plastic from the environment as Cleancult uses in its packaging. The World Wildlife Foundation, for its part, has a statement about plastic neutrality, which it says can enable companies to continue unsustainable business practices without making much change in how they run their operations. It notes, however, that it considers plastic offsets acceptable as a supplemental action if a brand engages in other sustainable practices, such as taking “steps to increase the reuse, recycling and composting of their products.” 

Some were just fine, while others were winners.