A green label, a leaf symbol, the word “natural”, a recycled-plastic bottle or one fashionable ingredient does not tell you everything about a cleaning product.
Any of those things may be a genuine benefit. The useful question is: what exactly does the claim describe, and what does it actually prove?
Cleaning products are no longer sold on performance alone. We also see claims such as “plant based”, “with bicarbonate of soda”, “with probiotics”, “biodegradable”, “water based”, “recycled packaging” and “eco-friendly”.
Some of these claims are useful and well supported. Problems begin when one true detail is presented in a way that makes the whole product appear greener, safer or more effective than the evidence actually shows.
This article is not about declaring vinegar, soda, plant-derived ingredients or probiotic technologies good or bad. It is about understanding what they can realistically do, what they do not prove and what you are actually paying for.
A cleaning product should first do the job it was designed to do. Packaging, ingredient origin and environmental improvements matter, but they do not replace cleaning performance.
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is a broad term for marketing that creates a more environmentally favourable impression than can reasonably be supported by the facts.
It does not always involve an outright false statement. A claim may be technically true and still create the wrong overall impression.
Imagine a cleaning bottle containing 30% recycled plastic. If that figure is accurate, it is useful information about the bottle.
A specific claim
“This bottle contains 30% recycled plastic.”
A much broader claim
“An environmentally friendly cleaner.”
The first statement tells us something specific about packaging. The second may be understood as a claim about the formulation, manufacturing, transport, use, disposal and overall environmental impact of the complete product.
Those are very different claims.
Greenwashing does not have to mean telling a direct lie. It can also mean leaving out important context or using one narrow benefit to create a much broader environmental impression.
Why does one good fact not describe the whole product?
A cleaning product can be looked at from several different angles. None of them should automatically stand in for all the others.
| What are we looking at? | What can it tell us? | What does it not tell us? |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging | Recycled content, material use, refill options and recyclability information. | Whether the formulation works well or how much product is needed per clean. |
| Formulation | Ingredients, concentration, intended function and cleaning performance. | The complete packaging or transport impact. |
| Use | The amount of cleaner, water, energy and effort needed to achieve the result. | The complete manufacturing history of the product. |
| Whole life cycle | A much wider picture covering raw materials, manufacture, distribution, use and end of life. | It cannot be replaced by a vague word such as “eco”. Proper assessment needs real data. |
A better bottle is still worth having. It simply does not make the bottle a certificate for everything else inside it.
What do “green”, “eco” and “environmentally friendly” actually mean?
Without an explanation, not very much.
These expressions are so broad that consumers can reasonably understand them as describing the product as a whole.
More useful claims would say something specific, such as:
- the bottle contains a stated percentage of recycled plastic;
- a particular ingredient has been reduced or removed;
- the product is concentrated and has a stated dose;
- a refill format uses less packaging than the original pack;
- a specific environmental certification has been awarded;
- a particular improvement has been measured using a stated method.
The more specific the claim, the easier it is for a customer to understand what the claimed benefit actually is.
What are the UK rules on green claims?
Businesses in the UK are expected to make environmental claims that are accurate, clear and supported by evidence.
The Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code explains how consumer protection principles apply to environmental claims about products and services.
In practical terms, environmental claims should:
- be truthful and accurate;
- be clear and unambiguous;
- not omit or hide important information;
- make fair and meaningful comparisons;
- consider the relevant life cycle of the product;
- be supported by evidence.
In January 2026, the CMA also published additional guidance explaining responsibility for green claims across the supply chain, including manufacturers, brands and retailers.
UK advertising rules follow a similar principle. CAP guidance requires the basis of environmental claims to be clear, and broad claims need appropriate substantiation.
| Broad claim | More useful claim |
|---|---|
| “Eco packaging” | “This bottle contains 30% recycled plastic.” |
| “Environmentally friendly” | State the specific environmental feature and the evidence supporting it. |
| “Greener” | Explain what it is being compared with and on what basis. |
These rules do not prevent businesses from talking about genuine environmental improvements. They encourage businesses to explain those improvements clearly instead of relying on one vague word.
Is a green leaf the same as certification?
No.
A leaf, tree, globe or green colour can simply be part of the packaging design. On its own, it tells us nothing about who assessed the product or what criteria were used.
A genuine certification scheme should have identifiable criteria, an assessment process and a way to verify that the product is entitled to use the mark.
Certification
There is a defined scheme, stated criteria and a way to check who assessed the product.
Decorative symbol
It may look reassuring, but the graphic alone does not prove independent environmental assessment.
Does “natural” mean better?
Not automatically.
“Natural” tells us something about the origin or presentation of an ingredient. It does not automatically tell us how well it cleans, what concentration is used, how compatible it is with a surface or what the environmental profile of the complete formulation looks like.
The same applies in the opposite direction. “Synthetic” is not automatically a negative description.
Citric acid can be an excellent ingredient in a descaling formulation. A plant-derived surfactant can perform a useful cleaning function. A synthetically manufactured ingredient can also have a perfectly clear and useful role.
A more useful question than “natural or synthetic?” is: “what does this ingredient actually do in the formulation?”
Why is “chemical free” not a useful claim?
Because everything around us is made of chemicals.
Water is a chemical substance. Bicarbonate of soda is a chemical substance. Acetic acid in vinegar is a chemical substance. Citric acid is a chemical substance too.
When a marketer says “chemical free”, they usually mean something much more specific.
For example:
- chlorine-free;
- fragrance-free;
- colourant-free;
- free from a particular solvent;
- free from a specified ingredient group.
If that is what the product offers, it is much more informative simply to say so.
What does “biodegradable” mean?
In simple terms, biodegradation means that microorganisms can break a material down under suitable conditions.
But the word alone leaves several questions unanswered:
- what exactly is biodegradable;
- whether the claim relates to one ingredient or the whole product;
- which test method was used;
- under what conditions degradation occurred;
- how long it took.
Broad biodegradable claims should therefore be supported by suitable evidence and should make clear what part of the product the claim actually refers to.
“Biodegradable” can be useful information, but only when it is clear what the word refers to and what evidence supports it.
What can bicarbonate of soda actually do?
First, it helps to be clear about which “soda” we mean. Several very different chemicals are casually referred to as soda.
| Common name | Chemical | What matters in practice? |
|---|---|---|
| Bicarbonate of soda | Sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃ | Mildly alkaline and can act as a gentle abrasive in some household cleaning jobs. |
| Washing soda | Sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃ | Considerably more alkaline and used for different cleaning applications. |
| Caustic soda | Sodium hydroxide, NaOH | A strong alkali. It is a completely different substance, not simply “strong bicarbonate of soda”. |
Bicarbonate of soda around the home
Bicarbonate of soda can be useful because of its mild alkalinity and because the fine solid particles can provide gentle mechanical action on some resistant surfaces.
That can make it useful for simple household tasks.
It is not, however, a universal cleaner. Heavy limescale, heavily baked-on grease and specialist surfaces may require a completely different type of chemistry.
Bicarbonate of soda is neither a miracle cleaner nor useless. It is simply a chemical with useful properties and clear limitations.
When can vinegar be useful?
Household vinegar is a solution of acetic acid in water. Because it is acidic, it can react with some carbonate mineral deposits.
This means vinegar may help with light limescale on a suitable acid-resistant surface.
That does not make vinegar a universal cleaner.
An acidic product is not necessarily the best choice for greasy contamination, and acid-sensitive mineral surfaces such as marble and limestone can be damaged by acidic cleaning.
Vinegar can be useful for one job and completely wrong for another. The same is true of any cleaning product.
There is no need to turn this into a frightening chemistry lesson. Simply know what the surface is made from before using an acid on it.
What happens when soda and vinegar are mixed?
It certainly looks impressive.
Pour vinegar onto bicarbonate of soda and the mixture starts bubbling rapidly.
Those bubbles are not a measurement of cleaning power. Acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate and produces carbon dioxide, which creates the visible fizz.
During the reaction the acid and alkali partly neutralise one another. The resulting mixture is therefore not automatically a stronger cleaner than either ingredient used appropriately on its own.
The bubbling can provide some mechanical movement, so it would also be too simplistic to say that the mixture “does nothing”.
The important point is simply that fizz is not the same thing as cleaning performance.
Do not mix different commercial cleaning products unless the manufacturer specifically instructs you to do so. See: Safe Use of Cleaning Products .
What is a probiotic cleaner?
Probiotic cleaning systems may use selected microorganisms, spores, enzymes or combinations of these technologies.
The idea is different from the immediate chemical action of a typical acidic descaler or alkaline degreaser.
Depending on the formulation, microbial or enzyme-based systems may be designed to help break down certain organic residues or influence the microbial environment on a surface.
This is a genuine area of research. It is not automatically just marketing.
But the word “probiotic” on its own does not prove that a product:
- removes limescale better;
- dissolves baked-on grease faster;
- works instantly;
- is a disinfectant;
- is environmentally superior overall.
Where can the idea make sense?
Systems intended for organic residues, odour sources or particular long-term surface-care applications.
What does the word not prove?
That the product is automatically the best answer for every type of dirt.
If the problem is heavy limescale on shower glass, I would start with a formulation intended for mineral deposits and compatible with glass.
If the problem is baked-on grease, I would start with a degreasing formulation designed for that job.
Probiotic technology can have its place without needing to pretend that it solves every cleaning problem.
Are concentrates and refills always better?
They can be very sensible solutions.
A concentrate may reduce the amount of water transported with the product. A refill can use less packaging material than repeatedly purchasing a complete rigid bottle.
But the real benefit depends on how the system is actually used.
- Is the concentrate dosed correctly?
- Does the user double the dose “just to be sure”?
- Is the original bottle genuinely reused?
- Will the refill packaging be disposed of appropriately?
- Does the formulation work effectively at the stated dose?
A good environmental idea on paper only delivers its intended benefit if the system also works properly in real life.
Why does cleaning performance matter too?
One very simple part of the environmental discussion is sometimes forgotten.
If the same surface has to be cleaned three times, you may use more than just additional product.
You may also use more water, more energy, more cloths and more of your own time.
Cleaning performance and responsible product use are therefore not opposites.
A formulation designed for a specific job and used at the correct dose can make more sense than repeatedly using an unsuitable product simply because its front label looks gentler or greener.
How to choose a cleaner without being distracted by the marketing
I would start with a few ordinary questions.
-
What do I actually need to remove?
Limescale, grease, everyday dirt, a textile stain or something else? -
What is the surface?
Glass, stone, metal, plastic, textile or a coated surface? -
What exactly is the product promising?
A measurable result or simply a broad reassuring word? -
If it says “eco”, what is that claim about?
The bottle, the formula, one ingredient or an independently assessed property? -
What is the real dose?
Compare the amount needed per use, not only the size or price of the bottle. -
Does the highlighted technology have a clear job?
Soda, probiotics, nanosilver or plant-derived ingredients should have a reason for being in the formulation. -
Does the product actually work?
In the end, the basic job of a cleaner is still to clean.
My rule is simple: first buy the solution to the actual cleaning problem. Then look at how that solution is formulated, packaged and improved.
The NANO GO approach: fewer vague promises, clearer purpose
We do not think vinegar, soda, plant-derived ingredients, probiotics or other popular technologies are automatically good or bad.
What matters is whether their purpose in the actual product is clear.
A NANO GO product should first explain:
- what contamination it is designed to remove;
- which surfaces it is intended for;
- how it should be used;
- what important limitations apply;
- what the highlighted ingredient or technology actually contributes.
The NANO GO principle: fewer vague promises, more explanation of the actual job.
The same principle applies to nanosilver and nano coatings. Technology should be judged by what it contributes to the finished product, not by how futuristic its name sounds.
Read more: Nanosilver in Cleaning Products and Nano Coatings .
Frequently asked questions
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is marketing that creates a stronger impression of environmental benefit than can be supported by clear, relevant evidence.
Does a bottle made with recycled plastic make the whole cleaner eco-friendly?
No. Recycled content can be a useful packaging benefit, but it does not by itself describe the formulation, performance, use or full life cycle of the product.
Is a green leaf on a label an environmental certification?
Not necessarily. It may simply be part of the packaging design. Genuine certification should have identifiable criteria and a way to verify the claim.
Is a natural cleaner always better?
No. The useful questions are what the formulation contains, what the ingredients do, what concentration is used and whether the product is suitable for the task.
Is bicarbonate of soda good for grease?
It may help with light greasy contamination and can provide gentle abrasive action, but it is not a replacement for every purpose-designed degreasing formulation.
Is washing soda the same as bicarbonate of soda?
No. Bicarbonate of soda is sodium bicarbonate, while washing soda is sodium carbonate. They have different properties.
Why do vinegar and bicarbonate of soda fizz?
Acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate and produces carbon dioxide gas. The gas causes the visible bubbling.
Does mixing soda and vinegar always clean better?
No. The acid and alkali partly neutralise each other during the reaction. The mixture may be useful for some simple jobs, but it is not a universal limescale or grease cleaner.
Can vinegar remove limescale?
Acetic acid can react with some carbonate mineral deposits. Vinegar should not be used on acid-sensitive materials such as marble or limestone.
Are probiotic cleaners just marketing?
Not automatically. Probiotic and microbial cleaning systems are genuine areas of research, but the word “probiotic” does not prove that every finished product works better for every cleaning task.
Does “biodegradable” mean I can pour a cleaner anywhere?
No. Biodegradation describes the behaviour of material under particular conditions. Always dispose of product residues according to the label and local requirements.
Is a more expensive eco cleaner automatically better?
No. Compare its purpose, real dose, performance, evidence, packaging and cost per use rather than relying on the words on the front label.
Official and scientific sources
- Competition and Markets Authority – environmental claims and Green Claims Code
- Competition and Markets Authority – making environmental claims on goods and services
- Competition and Markets Authority – making green claims across the supply chain, 2026
- ASA / CAP – general environmental claims
- NIH PubChem – sodium bicarbonate
- NIH PubChem – sodium carbonate
- NIH PubChem – sodium hydroxide
- NIH PubChem – acetic acid
- American Chemical Society – reaction between bicarbonate of soda and vinegar
- Stone et al., 2020 – cleaning products and surface microbiomes
- Neidhöfer et al., 2023 – probiotic bacteria and biofilm control
Choose the product for the result you need
NANO GO products are designed for specific cleaning jobs and surfaces. Start with what needs to be cleaned, what the surface is made from and what result you want to achieve.
Explore NANO GO products