I was delighted when I popped into my local Wilkinson’s store recently and spotted some own label eco-friendly cleaning products at a very low price. Now that I have been using them for a while, I thought it was time to write a review. It seems to can do eco friendly cleaning on a budget. (This isn’t a sponsored post.)
One of my frustrations with trying to live a greener life is that, unless you are happy to make all of your own cleaning items (and who has the time?), they tend to be pretty expensive. Up to now I have used a lot of vinegar and bicarb of soda, occasionally treating myself to the odd bottle of Ecover or a refill in an old bottle when I have managed to find somewhere that offers this an option.
I have made some of my own spray cleaners (such as this lemon cleaning spray) and will continue to do so because they are effective, cheap and easy. However, I haven’t found vinegar alone very effective as a toilet cleaner or fabric softener, so have had to fork out for green versions.
What items are in the range?
Wilko have eight products in their Eco range, all at a very good price, as follows:
Dishwasher tablets, 25 for £3.50
Washing up liquid, 500 ml for £1
Eco kitchen cleaner spray, 500ml for £1
Laundry liquid, 1.5 ml, £3
Fabric conditioner, 1.5, £3
Multi surface cleaning spray, 500 ml for £1
Toilet cleaner, 750 ml for £1
Bathroom spray, 500 ml for £1
They also sell soda crystals at £1.50 a pack, which was what I actually went in there for. My local Coop always used to sell them, but it’s hard to track them down these days.
Why are they eco?
Wilkinson’s says all of the products in the Eco range use plant derived ingredients, are vegan and won’t irritate sensitive skin. They do, however, all come in plastic containers, which aren’t too eco friendly – although they are reusable and recyclable.
Do they work?
So far I have tried the washing up liquid, the dishwasher tablets and the toilet cleaner and I have to say they have all been excellent and very effective.
The dishwasher tablets come in a dissolvable plant based cover, so I was excited to find them. I was irritated by having to use tablets individually wrapped in plastic. Because of this I had previously tried an environmentally friendly powder brand, but it was soooo expensive! These actually work better than the cheap Aldi ones I have been using and I will definitely continue with these.
The washing up liquid also works well. It isn’t as thick as the Ecover one, but so much cheaper I am sure I can live with this. You didn’t need much so it is lasting quite a long time.
The toilet cleaner is brilliant! I stopped shoving bleach down the loo a year ago now and was buying Ecover instead (which is also really good and smells lovely). And do you know – the toilet didn’t turn brown as I was afraid it would! The Wilko loo cleaner works a treat and has a natural and pleasant fragrance. Definitely buying this again as well.
What next?
I won’t bother using any of the cleaning sprays as I am happy with my home made one for now. If you read my review of my Eco Egg laundry egg, you will know that I no longer need to buy laundry liquid. However, I can’t always get a refill of fabric conditioner (and it’s a hideous price) so I will be giving this a go next.
It’s great to see a large company offering eco-friendly products at an affordable price. Well done Wilko for leading the way. Now, how about installing refilling stations into your stores? That really would impress me!
You can see the whole range of Wilko’s Eco cleaning products on their website. Do fancy eco friendly cleaning on a budget?
SB says
Hi Jane, I have just started using the Wilko dishwasher tablets after you mentioned them. Really pleased with them as I, like you, wanted to avoid the plastic wrappers. I had also used some from M&S which don’t have the wrappers but which are more expensive (daughter works there so at least we got her staff discount!) and come in a plastic packet. My husband always used to buy the leading brand at huge expense, which seems pointless in retrospect, especially since there appears to be no difference in the end result. Now he is no longer working and I am off sick and will potentially end up in a different job with half what I earn now, it is a good job that I can get some money saving advice from you! Love the blog and your posts on Instagram. Stephanie x
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Thanks. Good luck with getting better and finding s job
Petra says
Good to know you can get some eco-friendly products in Wilkinson now! I need to remember to check them out next time I pass Wilko. At the moment, some of the cleaning products I use are from Ecover but the brand is not that cheap, right?
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Ecover products are really good but quite pricey I think
Cherryll Allen says
Try Method from amazon they have laundry liquid and fabric conditioner at half price also Tesco do eco range .Have just tried washing up liquid from Wilkos brilliant we have terrible water here Nottingham
Emma says
Soda crystals seem to have become harder to get recently – I noticed that they went out of stock at Wilkos and various supermarkets for a while and when they came back they price had increased quite a lot. If you have a ‘Savers’ near to you, they still sell similarly-sized bags of soda crystals for about 79p, which is the cheapest I’ve seen them for a long time!
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
You’re right. I couldn’t find them for ages and they have gone up!
Julia says
Oh excellent! Thanks for these recommendations! Cost is what has put me off too, so I shall definitely be giving these a go!
joanne says
Great advice will def try the Eco dishwasher tablets as buying Ecover before and very expensive! I mainly use vinegar and bicarb for cleaning cheap and very good! Really happy I found your website !
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Vinegar and bicarbonate here too. I hate too many chemicals in the house
Nicola says
Hello, I have been using Wilko ECO stuff for a while and makes me so happy this plastic free (apart from containers), the products are affordable too. But like you I really want to see refillable stations in the shop. That would really be a step above.
Michael A. Nolan says
Unfortunately, Wilko no longer sell their range of eco-friendly cleaning products. I e-mailed them and they never offered a reason but said they still offered eco-friendly products – ie. Ecover and expensive. Is it anything to do with Brexit? Does anyone know who actually manufactures the products?
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
No idea! I thought I hadn’t seen them recently. What a shame