Better Life's Floor Cleaner Packs a Plant-Derived Punch

If we could clean our entire house with the snap of a finger à la Marry Poppins, life would be a dream. Alas, we need cleaning supplies and a little elbow grease to keep our floors free from dirt, grime, paw prints, and whatever else gets tracked in. If you’re a consumer who’s concerned with what chemicals are included in your cleaner, you’ve likely done a little investigating to find a natural alternative that’s free of dyes, sulfates, and petroleum-based ingredients. If you’re still looking for the perfect fit, we’re here to chat about Better Life’s Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner. We tried the product in our home—on laminate, tile, and hardwood floors—so we could tell you all about its cleaning prowess. Read on for our results. 

Cleaning Performance: A little goes a long way

To get a sense of how Better Life’s floor cleaner really worked, we tested it on an array of flooring and messes. We used it by the back door to clean muddy paw prints from hardwood; on bathroom tiles where toothpaste had been flung; and in our hallways which see a lot of foot traffic. Just as we tested a variety of areas and flooring, we also tried out different cleaning accessories, including a damp cloth and a strip mop which offered a little more scrubbing power. 

Better Life comes in a squirt bottle rather than a spray bottle. We prefer spray bottles as you have more control over how much is distributed, but the squirt applicator was able to direct the cleaning agent into narrow, hard-to-reach spaces like under kitchen cabinets. Ultimately, using a waving motion dispersed too much product, so we diluted the formula in our kitchen sink and then poured it into a spray bottle of our own so we wouldn’t waste as much. 

After cleaning the floor with both a solution-soaked mop and cloth, we were happy to find that the product removed dirt and footprints and left a streak-free, residue-free surface. It’s annoying to have to evacuate a room for a considerable amount of time to allow the floor to dry, but that wasn’t the case with Better Life. Within minutes of cleaning one portion of the floor, the surface was dry as we began cleaning another. It left a smooth finish without any tackiness, too, which was a pleasant surprise as many solutions leave the floor slightly sticky after use. 

Formula and Smell: Similar to a day at the spa

Better Life’s formula is blended only with plant-derived cleaning agents like soapbark, lemon, and corn and coconut oil. This means it’s free from harsh chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfates, petroleum solvents, ethers, alcohol, and parabens. 

The cleanser has a gentle and natural smell, so it shouldn’t be too overwhelming for those with sensitive noses. A variety of extracts are used to make the cleaner’s citrus mint scent, including grapefruit, lemon, spearmint, orange, cardamom, peppermint, lime, tangerine, mandarin orange, and bergamot. Less than 0.01% of a synthetic preservative, called methylisothiazolinone, is added to maintain the freshness of the natural elements used.

Citrus naturally contains a solvent that cuts through dirt and grease, hence the reason for the array of tangy botanical extracts used. After we cleaned our home the citrus smell lingered for about an hour, after which it left just a faint hint of freshness. 

Price: Reasonable

Better Life’s Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner sells for $7 for a 32-ounce bottle. Given how far every squirt of this product goes, we’d say that’s a very reasonable price. If you opt for a two-pack of bottles, you can also save a few extra dollars. 

Competition: Few all-natural competitors 

Eco Me Natural Non-Toxic Floor Cleaner: If an all-natural formula is important to you, Eco Me is one of Better Life’s top contenders. There are few plant-based floor cleaners on the market (most are multi-purpose), but this option promises to break down dirt, grease, food, and grime with a natural solution that’s free of sulfates, ammonia, and bleach. Instead, the lemon-scented formula—which is safe for use on stone, tile, hardwood, laminate, and other sealed surfaces—is full of plant-derived cleaning agents and scented with essential botanicals. It is a little more expensive than Better Life at $10 per 32-ounce bottle, but the highly concentrated formula is meant to be diluted. 

Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner: First off, let’s just clarify that Black Diamond isn’t an all-natural cleaner. While it’s advertised as “eco-friendly," it has all of the typical chemicals found in cleaners, including methyl, sodium lauryl sulfate, and benzisothiazolinone. Now, if that doesn’t matter to you, the floor cleaner does do a fantastic job thanks to its inclusion of PS3—AKA a triple-action poly shield that prevents soil from attaching to a surface. The solution sells in easy-to-use 32-ounce spray bottles for roughly $8. 

We purchased the Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner so our expert reviewer could put it to the test at her home.