There is a moment when cleaning stops feeling clean.
It usually happens when you're scrubbing the bathroom with something that makes your eyes water, or when the kitchen floor dries sticky from the "lemon-scented" floor wash, and you realize the smell you've been calling "fresh" is mostly synthetic fragrance covering something else. That's when the question starts to form: what is actually in this?
We made our switch about three years ago. Not because of a health scare, but because we were paying attention and the answers kept being uncomfortable. The cleaning product industry in the United States is still largely self-regulated. Companies aren't required to disclose all ingredients on a label. Fragrance is a legally protected trade secret, which means any number of the 3,500 chemicals used in fragrance formulations can hide behind that single word.
This is not alarmism. It's the regulatory reality, and it's worth knowing.
What We Actually Look For
Before we get to specific products, here's the framework we use.
Full ingredient disclosure. Not a vague ingredient list. Every ingredient, including what's in the "fragrance." Companies that do this well include Branch Basics, Force of Nature, and a handful of others. Companies that don't — even well-known "natural" brands — don't get a spot in our supply closet.
No proprietary fragrance blends. This is the single biggest red flag. If a product uses "fragrance" or "parfum" as an ingredient and doesn't disclose what that means, it's hiding something.
Effective on surfaces that matter. Non-toxic doesn't mean ineffective. Citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and surfactants from plant sources can clean a bathroom. If a product can't remove actual grime, it doesn't belong in a working home.
Certifiable clean. Look for certifications from EWG Verified, EPA Safer Choice, or a genuine third-party audit — not just a brand making its own claims.
Branch Basics: The One-Concentrate Model
Branch Basics is our daily driver. The entire product line is built around one concentrate that dilutes into every cleaning application: all-purpose spray, bathroom cleaner, laundry detergent, dish soap, and a stronger oxygen boost formula.
What makes it work for a sanctuary household:
- The full ingredient list is published and clean — plant-based surfactants, no synthetic fragrance, no dyes
- One concentrate reduces plastic consumption across every cleaning product you buy
- The Starter Kit gives you the spray bottles and a supply of concentrate; you don't buy more plastic every time you reorder
- It's EWG Verified, which requires ingredient disclosure, not just third-party lab testing
The Starter Kit pricing feels steep upfront. But the per-use cost works out below most conventional cleaners, and you're buying less frequently. The Branch Basics Concentrate Starter Kit is the one to start with.
The one thing to calibrate: dilution ratios matter. The all-purpose dilution is genuinely all-purpose for most surfaces. The bathroom formula goes stronger. They publish a dilution guide that's worth reading once — after that, it's muscle memory.
Force of Nature: When You Need Actual Disinfection
Free Guide
Want the full Sanctuary Starter Guide?
12 intentional swaps for a home that serves you — free PDF, plus our 5-part email series.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.
Branch Basics is excellent for daily cleaning. Force of Nature is what we reach for when we need actual disinfecting power — illness in the house, raw meat on the counter, bathroom after sickness.
Force of Nature uses electrolyzed water technology. The appliance converts a salt, water, and vinegar capsule into hypochlorous acid, the same compound your immune system produces to fight pathogens. It's EPA-registered as a disinfectant, which means it's been tested and shown to kill 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and fungi on surfaces.
It's also pH neutral and breaks down into salt water after use. No residue, no fragrance, nothing to linger in the air.
The upfront cost is higher because you're buying the small appliance. The capsule refills are inexpensive. For a household with kids, or anyone managing chronic illness, or anyone who just wants actual disinfection without bleach chemistry — it's worth it.
See our full side-by-side: Branch Basics vs Force of Nature.
What We Phased Out and Why
The products we removed:
- Conventional dish soap (most contain methylisothiazolinone, a known allergen and aquatic toxin)
- Dryer sheets (fragrance load and PFAS risk on certain brands)
- Granite cleaner with "shine enhancers" (silicone and synthetic fragrance residue)
- "Natural" cleaning brands that use proprietary fragrance — you know which ones
We didn't do it all at once. We finished the products we had, replaced them one at a time as we ran out, and prioritized the things we use most (all-purpose spray, laundry) over the things we use rarely (oven cleaner).
A Practical Order of Operations
If you're just starting, here's where we'd focus first:
- All-purpose spray — you use it more than anything else
- Laundry detergent — clothes go directly against skin
- Bathroom cleaner — highest concentration of conventional chemical products
- Dish soap — direct food contact surfaces
- Everything else after
You don't have to be perfect. The goal is reducing your overall load, not achieving chemical zero. Every swap matters.
What This Is Actually About
A sanctuary home isn't just an aesthetic. It's a practice of stewardship. The air in your home, the surfaces your children touch, the products that go into your water supply — these are things we have agency over, in a world where we have surprisingly little agency over most things.
This is how we exercise it. Slowly, practically, without drama.
Start with the Sanctuary Quiz if you're not sure which part of your home to address first. Or go directly to the Health collection in the shop to see everything we recommend.
