My Honest Branch Basics Review: What I Love and What I Don’t

Wondering how to use Branch Basics and how well it really works? This post gives a full review! 

A healthy lifestyle has been important to me for well over a decade but even more so since we had kids. Household cleaners and products are some of the worst offenders when it comes to harsh ingredients and toxins. If you are careful about what you put on your body, you should also care about what you’re touching and breathing day to day. That’s where Branch Basics cleaning supplies come in.

While I’m certainly not perfect when it comes to clean living – I don’t buy all organic food, I highlight my hair, and I’m always on the hunt for the BEST mascara (this Tarte mascara holds the #1 place currently) – I do try to make a conscious effort to switch to better products that we use in our daily life. Progress is better than perfection. (And definitely better than not trying at all!)

My Honest Branch Basics Review: What I Love and What I Don’t

Over the past few years, I’ve really focused on improving what we use for our household cleaning supplies. We have used Branch Basics for 5+ years. I like it for some things but not all, so I’m sharing my honest thoughts below.

What is Branch Basics?

Branch Basics is a concentrate and multi-purpose cleaner that is plant and mineral-based. It removes grease, grime, dust, and dirt without the harmful chemicals typical multi-purpose cleaners leave behind. The unique thing about Branch Basics vs. other “clean” cleaners you’ll find is that you only have to buy ONE product. How? You can use their concentrate to create almost any type of cleaner. More details are below on how that works.

How does Branch Basics work?

The Branch Basics concentrate is simply mixed with water. The exact ratio of concentrate to water varies depending on the type of cleanser you’re making, e.g., laundry detergent vs. counter spray vs. hand soap. You can add essential oils for scent or leave it as is. This short user guide is helpful.

What can you use Branch Basics for?

Everything. In short, the concentrate is safe for practically every surface. We’re talking your garage floor, your delicate laundry, sneakers, ovens, driveways, and also even your PETS. I put a star next to the ones I’ve used it for and recommend.

• Shaving
• Produce wash
• Hardwood floors * (I use a TINY amount in my Tineco)
• Bathing your pets
• Cleaning your jewelry
• Washing cloth diapers
• Cleaning your coffee machine
• Body wash * (This is what I use on my toddler!)
• Tubs *
• Sinks *
• Showers * (I use Force of Nature for mold, however)
• Mirrors
• Toilets *
• Floors *
• Cleaning grout
• Dishes
• Countertops *
• Stovetops *
• Oven
• Fridge *
• Stainless steel
• Grills
• Cars
• Outdoor furniture *
• Bikes *
• Toys * (My son loves washing his toys, inside and out, and I appreciate this safer option for him)
• Driveway
• Laundry * (It’s okay but not great – more on that below)

Branch Basics Concentrate Ingredients

• Purified water
• Decyl glucoside
• Organic chamomilla recutita flower extract
• Coco-glucoside
• Sodium citrate
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Sodium phytate

The concentrate is:

• Human safe
• Plant and mineral-based
• Free of harmful preservatives
• Biodegradable
• Not tested on animals
• Non-GMO

Branch Basics mark their bottles with guides so you know how much concentrate + water to use per “product”. So instead of buying a million different products, you only need one bottle of concentrate + water + bottles to hold your mixtures.

You can buy the spray bottles directly from Branch Basics, which are made with measurement lines on them, or use your own bottles and measure the Branch Basics concentrate and water yourself. Branch Basics offers both plastic and glass bottles. And the glass ones are so pretty, you almost want to clean with them. (In fact, I do weirdly love wiping the counters down.)

My Honest Branch Basics Review

Branch Basics Laundry Detergent

You know that concentrate that I just mentioned? You can use it as laundry detergent. I loved it for a few months (especially its simplicity, just adding the correct measurement of water and voilá, detergent), but after a few months, I noticed that my clothes were feeling stiff and hard. I started to hate how our clothes and towels felt, so I switched to Truly Free detergent, which I love. Finding a nontoxic detergent that actually works is a task, but I think I’ve found the best one.

Branch Basics might be an excellent option if you are super sensitive to most detergents. Since the ingredients are so clean and simple, it’s an excellent option to try. If you try Branch Basics concentrate for your laundry, use just 3/4 – 1 capful! And it’s also a small cap!

Branch Basics Oxygen Boost

I don’t love the concentrate as my detergent, however I do love the Oxygen Boost (one of the only other products they sell, other than the concentrate). I add it to the wash whenever I’m washing towels or sheets.

Branch Basics Hand Soap

All you need for this is a foaming hand soap pump and you can add various essential oils to it. Or, you can buy their hand soap pre-made, which is much better, honestly. I don’t love a foaming hand soap and I keep the premade one in my kitchen.

Brand Basics Multi-Purpose Cleaner

I use the multi-purpose cleaner mixture in my kitchen to wipe down counters, remove fingerprints from cabinets, and clean my Peloton and yoga mat. I also keep one in my workout area in the basement.

For cleaning bathrooms and disinfecting the kitchen sink, I prefer Force of Nature cleaner.

Using Essential Oils

While I was initially iffy about Branch Basics, I realized that I liked it a lot more once I started adding essential oils. I am actually really sensitive to scent and hate scented laundry detergent, garbage bags, etc., but I do like the freshness that an essential oil brings to the Branch Basics cleaning products!

Is Branch Basics a Disinfectant?

No. It is not a sanitizer, either. Branch basics works to remove germs from surfaces the way soap and water do from your hands. If you want a disinfectant, definitely go for Force of Nature (full review linked).

Are typical cleaning products actually toxic?

Yes, many are. Many of the products in our homes are harmful for us. In fact, they even contribute to things like respiratory issues, fertility issues, cancers, immune system issues, and more. There are so many chemicals in the products that we use every day, and making the switch to a brand like Branch Basics is such a simple but effective choice for your family’s health.

How to know which cleaning products are toxic

To evaluate what’s under your sink, Branch Basics recommends thinking through these things:

• If there isn’t an ingredient list, toss.
• If the bottle says WARNING, CAUTION, or DANGER, toss.
• If fragrance is listed as an ingredient, toss.
• And if it says UNSCENTED or FREE & CLEAR, without an ingredient list to verify, toss. (“Fragrance” will often show up in these!!)
• If it contains synthetic preservatives, toss. Words to look for: methylisothiazolinone, benzisothiazolinone, phenoxyethanol.
• If it contains ethoxylated ingredients, toss.

Branch Basics Starter Kits

Below are a few options to get your “cleaner” cleaning going.

Premium Starter Kit

This Premium Starter Kit is the option I started with, since I knew I wanted to replace as many cleaners as possible from the get-go. It comes with the 33 oz concentrate, three empty spray bottles, one foaming wash bottle, one laundry bottle, and one Oxygen Boost. This kit costs $75 and you’ll only need to buy more concentrate and Oxygen Boost going forward.

The Premium Starter kit comes with plastic bottles which makes it more affordable, but if you prefer glass (I do!), you can order the Premium Starter Kit in glass for $125.

Cleaning Essentials Kit in Glass

The Cleaning Essentials Kit in Glass includes a 33-oz. concentrate and three empty spray bottles. This kit is $89, but if you prefer plastic bottles, you can order the same Cleaning Essentials Kit in plastic for only $67.

Laundry Kit

The laundry kit comes with a 33 oz. concentrate, one laundry bottle and one Oxygen Boost. You can get this in glass or plastic. Glass is more expensive at $85, plastic is $69.

Trial Kit

If you’re just trying to see if you think you’ll like Branch Basics, start here. This trial set comes with a mini concentrate, which has just enough concentrate to make one full bottle. It’s only $5, and a complete no-brainer.

Other starter sets

If you’re a teacher, you may be interested in the Classroom Essentials Kit and if you REALLY love Branch Basics and want to take it with you while you travel, grab the Travel Kit.

Where to buy Branch Basics

Right now, you can only buy Branch Basics directly from Branch Basics online. You can simply place one-off orders or put your Branch Basics on a subscription and save 10% (this is my preference since I love not having to think about ordering new cleaning supplies).

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