At the start, around 1980, our founders wanted a name and logo making clear that Ecover products are ecological and based on natural ingredients. The ’80s were characterized by a first green wave. The terms ecology and sustainability were used more frequently. ECO refers to ecology and VER to the French word ‘vert’ which means ‘green’. The blue and green colors were deliberately chosen because they are natural colors. Blue refers to water. Ecover wants to minimise the impact of its products on aquatic life as much as possible. Green refers to nature. In everything we do, we respect the environment. Our name and logo show that Ecover considers the environment as an integral part of the economy.

The simple answer is that our products have an expected shelf life of about 2.5 years. After that, you may begin to see changes in the way they look, smell or work.

That said, an older product may work perfectly fine if it has not been exposed to factors that age products faster, such as light or heat. The best thing to do is give it a try in an inconspicuous area first. If it seems to have lost its cleaning abilities, just empty the bottle and recycle it.

All of our products are biodegradable and friendly for your septic tank.

If you don’t see the septic tank logo on the label of your bottle, it’s because we didn’t have enough space and other icons were more specific to that product. You can be sure that with our products (and a maintenance clear out now and then) you’ll have a happy septic tank which will last for decades and possible a lifetime.

If your system is slightly different to a septic tank or you are unsure, we would advise you to make contact with your system manufacturer to see if our products would be suitable to use.

On our bottles the batch number can be found on the back of the neck, on powders and boxes it is usually stamped on the bottom or on the back near the barcode. It is a printed series of numbers and will look different to the main text of the label. We keep samples of each finished batch for 2 years in our lab, so the batch number allows us to check against this and retrace the steps of each and every ingredient back to its producer.

Here at Ecover, we care about your home & what you clean it with. That’s why our formulas are made using effective plant-based and mineral ingredients which are carefully screened and scrutinised for their impact on your home, your family and our environment including eye irritation, skin irritation, aquatic toxicity and biodegradability. As part of that screening, we work with an independent third party to assess ingredients using the Cradle to Cradle methodology for human health and safety.

We don’t have a vegan certification, but consider ourselves as vegan friendly, since our products contain no animal by-products and are not tested on animals — not on whales, nor on water fleas. We don’t have any plans at the moment to register with The Vegan Society or apply for their Vegan Trademark but we haven’t ruled it out for the future.

All of our cleaners are also approved as cruelty free under the Leaping Bunny program. As part of our qualification, we’re regularly audited to ensure both Ecover and our suppliers comply with the comprehensive criteria of the Standard of Compassion for Animals. You can find us registered here: https://www.leapingbunny.org/guide/brands

No. We do not test ingredients or finished products on animals, nor do we order third parties to conduct animal testing on our behalf.

We remain firmly committed to our founding principles including no animal testing- that’s why all of our cleaners are approved as cruelty-free under the Leaping Bunny program. As part of our qualification, we’re regularly audited to ensure both Ecover and our suppliers comply with the comprehensive criteria of the Humane Cosmetics Standard.

We believe in sharing the mission and aims of Cruelty Free International with as many people as we can and we will continue to reinvest our money back into green science and planet-friendly packaging solutions, and do good for people and the planet in the best way we can.

Plantplastic is the plant-based polyethelene (PE) plastic that we use in our bottles. Our bottles contain a mixture of plantplastic and post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR). By using plantplastic and recycled plastic, we greatly reduce the carbon footprint of our packaging. Using plantplastic also allows us to use a renewable material – sugarcane – instead of petroleum.

Our PlantPlastic bottles are made using sugar cane, and we use it as a plant source for other ingredients. We aim to use plant-based ingredients instead of petroleum wherever possible, and sugar cane is currently the most efficient way to produce ethanol and other feedstocks for these plant based ingredients.

We would never use plastic microbeads in any of our products. Unfortunately because they are so small, no one is able to collect and recycle these microscopic pieces once they enter the waterways. It’s much better to never use them in the first place or use plant-based alternatives like ground apricot seeds or walnut shells.

We aim to source ingredients as locally as possible. By sourcing ingredients local to our factories, we can reduce transportation impacts. Many of our ingredients are sourced within Europe. Some ingredients are not yet available locally – that’s why we continue to pioneer new ingredients and innovations that will allow us to produce ingredients locally.<

We evaluate every ingredient to make sure it works for people and the planet. Every ingredient is assessed on more than a dozen attributes including biodegradability, skin and eye irritation, and aquatic toxicity. Wherever possible, we aim to source plant-based ingredients and readily available minerals instead of petroleum-based ingredients.

Yes, it is plant based – derived from fermented plant sugars.

We do not use any animal or animal by-products in our Ecover range and we do not test on animals. At the end of 2016, we removed Milk Whey from our Chamomile washing-up liquid. We previously included Milk Whey for its skin-mildness properties. We decided to remove Milk Whey as it was no longer needed in the product. We made alterations to the combination of surfactants we used to ensure the product still had skin mildness properties. Our new Camomile and Clementine washing-up liquid has been dermatologically tested as suitable for sensitive skin.

Aquatic toxicity is the study of how human activities affect our water systems – rivers, lakes and oceans.

We measure aquatic toxicity to ensure that our products will not be harmful to aquatic life like algae, fish and other living organisms.

Bio-based means that the ingredients are made using plants. Making ingredients from plants means that they’re renewably sourced instead of using finite ingredients like petroleum. We also use bio-based materials in our packaging with 75% plant plastic from sugarcane.

Ecover uses a holistic approach to ensuring that we make our products with people and the planet in mind.

We have strict standards for our ingredient selection and measure more than a dozen attributes of each ingredient including biodegradability, skin irritation, eye irritation and aquatic toxicity.

Our packaging is made from a unique blend of 75% plant based plastic made from sugarcane and 25% post-consumer recycled plastic. And we make our products under a plant roof in our beautiful and efficient factory in Belgium..

Yes. Ecover is a member of RSPO – the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – and we purchase RSPO certified palm oil and palm kernel oil to account for all palm oil used in our products. RSPO creates global standards for the growing, harvesting and producing palm oil sustainably. By working across the entire supply chain from soil to shelf, RSPO ensures that palm oil production meets strict environmental and social standards.

Yes, Ecover believes that household products should be cruelty-free. We are proud to be approved as cruelty free under the Leaping Bunny program. A global program, Leaping Bunny requires cruelty-free standards over and above the legal requirements. It is the internationally recognised gold standard for cruelty-free products. We adhere to a fixed cut-off date policy and proactively monitor our suppliers to ensure that our products continue to adhere to the Leaping Bunny criteria. Our supplier monitoring system is also independently audited. Our Leaping Bunny certification is dependent on us as a company being able to demonstrate that we meet the strict criteria for manufacturing cruelty free products. Our ownership does not affect our eligibility and we continue to be audited annually. For more information about Cruelty-Free International, Leaping Bunny and Leaping Bunny criteria, please visit https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/

No. We do not use any animal or animal by-products in our Ecover range and we do not test on animals.

Ecover Fabric Softeners feature a palm oil free softening active ingredient, derived from rapeseed oil, which softens and helps care for your clothes. They are available in three clean and gentle fragrances – Apple Blossom & Almond, Gardenia & Vanilla and Rose & Bergamot.

No, Ecover products do not contain any parabens.

Our window & glass cleaner, multi action spray, zero multi action spray, all purpose cleaner and zero all purpose cleaner are all fairly neutral (pH 6.25).

The purpose of both cleaning and laundry products is to remove particular types of stains. The pH of each cleaning or laundry product is related to the type of stains it has been formulated to remove. We recommend getting in touch with us to find out the pH of individual Ecover products.

At Ecover we use renewable, plant based or mineral ingredients instead of petro chemical based ingredients. We make this choice because the extracting and processing of fossil ingredients requires a lot of energy. It also promotes the depletion of finite resources and contributes to global warming by mobilising fossil based CO2. Examples of the type of ingredients we use are: sugar cane in our washing-up liquids, sunflower oil and sustainably sourced palm oil in our laundry liquids, coconut oil in our cream cleanser, rape seed oil in our fabric softeners.

Occasionally we will use synthetic ingredients when we really, really have to – where it’s not appropriate to use plant based materials or they just don’t exist yet.

We always ensure that every ingredient we use is biodegradable – breaking down into the environment safely. And we choose ingredients that have low aquatic toxicity – which means having minimal impact on aquatic life.

No, we do not offer anti-bacterial products.

If you are looking for an anti-bacterial product, our sister company, method'santi-bac range has been proven to kill 99.9% of bacteria and has a naturally-derived lactic acid formula.

SLS and SLES are both surfactants: the active ingredients of cleaning products that allow dirt to be removed more easily. There’s a lot of misinformation out there about SLS/SLES but it’s an ingredient we feel confident using. Here’s why: SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate) are surfactants that have many great properties, both for cleaning and for the environment. First, they’re derived from plant oil, such as coconut oil, which means they meet our objective to use plant-based ingredients. Second, they are quickly biodegradable. And, third, they have excellent performance properties that give you the clean you expect. So in short, SLS and SLES meet our stringent criteria for health, safety and environment.

Polypropylene terephthalate is used to keep dirt solubilised after it has been washed off the textile and to prevent it from re-depositing. The surface active agents in the formula will remove dirt, but once this dirt has been dissolved into the washing water it still comes into contact with the garments and may settle back again once the rinsing cycle begins. The function of this soil release polymer is to make sure dirt stays in the washing water and is removed in the rinsing process.

This particular polymer has a similar structure to the better known variant which is used in packaging, but differs from it by being water soluble. It is petrochemically based, but fully biodegradable. We specifically exclude phthalates from our Ecover formulas. We also choose packaging materials that do not contain phthalates.

There are lots of reasons why we at Ecover want to use plant-based ingredients in all of our products. In fact, there are benefits at every stage of our products’ life cycle.

Let’s start at the beginning: Where do the ingredients come from and how do we get them? Being renewable, they grow back after we’ve used them so we’re not depleting nature’s resources just to make our products. Extracting these ingredients from the environment causes no damage in comparison with the petrochemical industry, and if they need any processing, it uses much less energy.

Secondly, there are also benefits for you using Ecover products in your home. Whether you’re washing your sheets, your floors, your hands or your dishes, our products don’t contain any chemicals that can irritate your skin. And as we can achieve just as powerful results as conventional cleaning products, what excuses are there NOT to use plant-based ingredients?!

Lastly, we pay attention to what happens after you’ve pulled the plug. Back to those plant-based ingredients – they can biodegrade back into nature, quickly and completely.

We use plant-based raw materials either in their original form, or after they have been processed to ensure we get full use of the cleaning power of nature. There are plenty of useful ingredients to be found in nature – from aloe vera, herbs, starches, oils from palm, coconut and rapeseed, to essential oils from orange peel, lavender and even wood fibres. We also use minerals like sand, zeolites and silicates. And there’s no danger of depletion of the world’s resources; We make sure that everything we use is either renewable or found in abundance.

The main difference between bio and non-bio is the presence of enzymes. Put simply, “non-bio” means no biological enzymes are present.

We use natural, readily biodegradable enzymes in our Bio laundry products. Enzymes in washing and cleaning products are able to break down all kinds of difficult to remove stains such as blood, grass, egg, starch, jam, ice cream, pudding and many others, performing well even at low temperatures.

However, our powerful new concentrated non-bio formula features plant-based, biodegradable active ingredients to help your clothes last longer. They fight against tough stains and help prevent whites from greying thanks to a new bio-based polymer called Texcare.

Surfactants are substances that lower the tension of a surface, i.e. between a liquid and a solid element. Surfactants contain both water-loving part and oil-loving part and can mix oily substances in water. They are the workhorses of our cleaning products. In Ecover products you can find 4 different types of surfactants: Non-ionic, anionic, amphoteric & cationic surfactants. The difference between them is a difference in the charge of the water-loving part.

First let’s start by saying what surfactants are. Almost all cleaning products are based on surfactants: the active ingredients that allow dirt to be removed more easily. If we have a look at the production of surfactants worldwide, 50% is produced from petrochemical feedstocks and the other 50% from renewables. By studying nature and after years of groundbreaking research in cooperation with several European universities, we were able to create a new generation of surfactants which are plant-based and produced in a biological fermentation process rather than a (petro)chemical one. We call them “Eco-Surfactants”. How did we achieve this? Like we always do, by looking at nature. Bumblebees to be specific. Turns out bumblebees not only store honey but also a yeast that creates a natural surfactant from a combination of sugar and oil. As we love bumblebees (all animals for that matter) and wouldn’t want to invade their homes, we found a way to grow that yeast in our labs. We cultivate it on a large scale in our low energy bioreactor, making sure the bumblebees’ homes are left at peace and our cleaners contribute to a healthy home for you. Tests have proven our Eco-Surfactants are at least as powerful as petrochemical cleaners (sometimes they even outperform them). On top of that, they are much less toxic and completely biodegradable.

Enzymes have useful properties to help our products work better, for example they break down certain stains from fabrics. Almost all conventional washing powders contain enzymes. It’s hardly possible to achieve a good washing result without them. There’s a two-fold benefit to using them: you get a cleaner wash and they have a lower burden on the environment, because you only need to use a tiny amount and they reduce the need for surfactants. If 1% to 2% of the product is made up of enzymes, you can reduce the amount of surfactants required by 10 times! We typically use naturally occurring enzymes like protease and amylase that work on both protein and starch stains. In recent years, some suppliers have modified their production processes. Today, the enzymes we buy are created through a micro-organism that has undergone modification solely to increase its enzyme producing capacity. There is no modification of the enzymes produced and the micro-organism is not modified to do what it’s not designed for. Nothing is modified in any way that would not occur naturally!

Yes, we use sustainable sourced Palm Oil. We are a member of RSPO – the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – and we purchase RSPO certified palm oil and palm kernel oil to account for all palm oil used in our products. RSPO creates global standards for the growing, harvesting and producing palm oil sustainably. By working across the entire supply chain from soil to shelf, RSPO ensures that palm oil production meets strict environmental and social standards.

We recognise that the irresponsible sourcing of palm oil has been proven to have very negative effects through deforestation with the implied biodiversity losses, erosion, and loss of traditional existences. So we are on a mission to reduce our use of palm oil, given the serious challenge of deforestation caused by palm oil production. For example, our new Ecover Laundry Fabric Softener uses sustainable French-grown rapeseed oil instead. This reduces our palm oil use by roughly 200 tons per year. Not to mention all the transport miles saved. It’s been a major leap in our journey to replace significant amounts of palm oil, but we know there’s still much more to do.

Dishwasher tablets don’t react well to the moisture in the air. In fact, it causes them to crumble. We want you to open your box to find tablets, not powder, so we wrap each tablet. The packages of our dishwasher tablets are made of polypropylene and each pack weighs only 0.3 grams.

We have not found a dissolvable film that meets our standards for biodegradability. We are actively investigating an alternative to this type of packaging – we’re looking at plant based options that meet our standards. We’re not there yet but when we find an alternative we will switch.

All of our bottles aren’t just recyclable, they’re also made out of post-consumer recycled plastic. Where possible, we want to use what’s already out there, rather than creating more.

Washing-up bottles

We have upgraded our new bottle so it is now made from 100% post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and because it’s completely transparent, it can be easily recycled back into clear PET bottles. This PET material typically comes from post-consumer drinks bottles such as soft drinks or water bottles, sourced within Europe. The plastic used in the new recycled bottle has a 70% lower carbon footprint compared to our supplier’s virgin, non-recycled plastic.

Laundry bottles

With our new bottles, we have maximised our use of recycled plastic by introducing 100% PCR PET into our bottles (which previously had 75% HPDE virgin and 25% PCR plastic). We have also introduced 50% PCR PP into our cap (which previously had 100% virgin PP). We’ve simplified the design to eliminate any unnecessary material – reducing plastic by 64% in the closure of our 1.5L bottles by removing the spout and changing the cap; making an average plastic saving of 8.7% across all our laundry bottles. The vast majority of our other bottles are made from a combination of post-consumer recycled plastic and 75% green PE (plantplastic®) derived from sugarcane ethanol instead of crude oil.

All our bottles and packaging is recyclable, this is very important to us as we’re not fans of landfill.

This is quite normal and occurs when the product is exposed to cold temperatures. This should return clear when placed at normal room temperature. Rest assured that it has no impact on the performance of the product and is not harmful so you can continue to use this.

We would recommend putting all our detergents in the drawer.

You can use our Non-bio, Bio and Universal detergents as a stain remover directly on clothes, however, make sure that you immediately put your clothes into the wash and don’t let the product dry into your clothes.

Yes. Ecover Delicate Laundry Liquid is Woolmark approved. Ecover fabric conditioner can also be used on wool and silk. However, we’d recommend using a smaller amount than usual on your wool to help prevent pilling. Wool is already soft and therefore doesn’t need as much product.

We advise to use the Ecover All Purpose Cleaner, diluted in a little water. Specific user guides can be found online in the product section of our website.

If you feel uncertain about the material it is best to first try the product on an inconspicuous spot. The All Purpose Cleaner should always be diluted in water for surface cleaning.

Since it is the business philosophy of Ecover to avoid unnecessary additives (including plant-based), none of our products contain dyes. All coloring comes from the composition of the ingredients and not from additional coloring ingredients. In the case of our toilet cleaners, it comes from linseed oil.

You can use the Ecover All Purpose Cleaner for sealed or tiled floors, kitchen tops, or any other sealed surface in your home. You can even clean out your fridge with it!

The Ecover Toilet Cleaner is formulated to be used on a daily basis. It will remove limescale, but is not designed to be used on anything else but your toilet. For best results use Ecover Limescale Remover.

Ecover Floor Soap should be used to clean untreated floors such as tiles, marble, slate, concrete and linoleum. In contrast, our All Purpose Cleaner should be used for treated natural stone such as crystallized, polished or waxed surfaces and ceramic tiles. All Purpose Cleaner is not just restricted to floors and can be used on most surfaces such as tiles, painted wood, etc..

This is quite normal and occurs when the product is exposed to cold temperatures. This should return clear when placed at normal room temperature. Rest assured that it has no impact on the performance of the product and is not harmful so you can continue to use this.

No. We do not and have never used phosphates or phosphonates in any our products. This is actually where it all started for Ecover, back in 1980 when we launched the first-ever phosphate free washing powder.

To help remove white residue from your dishes, we recommend a good rinse with vinegar. Just add a full glass of vinegar to the dishwasher around 30 minutes into the full cycle (dishwashers do a pre-rinse so adding the vinegar in the beginning will not have good results). Be careful when you open the dishwasher mid-cycle. The dishwasher will stop but it takes some time before the spray arms stop spinning.

We recommend the eco-program (45-55°C) to use our All In One Dishwasher Tablets.

White residue usually occurs in dishwashers due to a calcium deposit. To reduce that, we advise you to check the settings of your machine. The water hardness should be set correctly in order for the built-in water softener to work correctly and your salt compartment needs to be filled. You can also increase the amount of rinse aid to get better results. If your glasses show traces of calcium, a good wash with vinegar often helps. See if this works and if you’ are still having difficulties after that, speak to your manufacturer.

Most everyday dishware is dishwasher-safe. Fine bone china usually has decoration under the glaze and should also be safe in your dishwasher. If you are in any doubt, please check if the item is labelled “dishwasher-safe” or check with the manufacturer. Antique or hand-painted china should be washed by hand with Ecover Washing-Up Liquid.

We do not recommend putting your silverware into the dishwasher. Unless stated otherwise by the manufacturer, silver and silverplate is not dishwasher-safe. Instead, you can wash it by hand with our Ecover Washing-Up Liquid.

Our new 3 in 1 action dishwashing tablets are powerful cleaners that include, salt action and rinse aid to produce sparkling clean results.

Our Ecover Zero range has been specially formulated to be suitable for sensitive skin. It has 0% added fragrance and 0% colourants which are the added ingredients commonly found in mainstream cleaning brands that are most likely to cause allergic reactions. The range has been independently tested as appropriate for adults and children with sensitive skin.

Yes. Ecover is suitable even for sensitive baby skin, in fact many of our fans first discover Ecover when they have a little one. It’s also a perfect partner for pre-washing new clothes. If your baby’s skin is sensitive to fragrance, try the Ecover ZERO range which is fragrance free.

We do not recommend washing your fruit and vegetables with any washing-up liquid at all. As fruits and vegetables have porous cells, they will absorb some of the washing-up liquid solution; Even in-depth rinsing cannot remove all traces. Even though our products are plant-based, they are not meant for oral consumption so this should be avoided. There’s no problem with your dishes as they have non-porous surfaces which can easily be rinsed.

Our products are thoughtfully formulated for use around the whole family, including our furry family members. They are ok to use on surfaces which most household pets, like cats + dogs may come in contact.

If you have exotic animals, or if your pet has specific health needs, we recommend contacting your veterinarian for any special considerations when cleaning around your pet.

We would always advise following any cautions on pack and use the usual precautions for Ecover products as with any household products. Should excess amounts of our product come into contact with your pet’s skin or fur, wipe this off with water. If ingested, call your vet immediately.

Yes. We asked for a team of independent dermatologists to carry out a clinical test on our products to double check we walk the talk when we say this is suitable for sensitive skin.

Please note that although the tests proved our products are suitable for sensitive skin, it is not possible for any manufacturer to guarantee against the risk of all allergic reactions caused by sensitivity to one or more of the ingredients. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, try the Ecover ZERO range which is fragrance free.

We know everyone is different, but we know that often it’s fragrance that can be the main trigger for many of us. If you have specific allergies or skin sensitivity our special range of fragrance free products, approved by Allergy UK could be the answer. We call it Ecover ZERO. Always consult a doctor to make sure that our products are suitable for you.

Please note that although the tests proved our products are suitable for sensitive skin, it is not possible for any manufacturer to guarantee against the risk of all allergic reactions caused by sensitivity to one or more of the ingredients. If you’re sensitive to fragrance, try the Ecover ZERO range which is fragrance free.

Allergy UK is the UK’s leading national charity providing support, advice and information for those living with allergic disease. Through its trading body, Allergy Research Limited, it awards Allergy UK’s Seal of Approval. Established in 1995, Allergy UK’s Seal of Approval™ is a globally recognised product endorsement. It is currently used in 135 countries across the world by over 100 companies on a wide variety of products. The Seal of Approval is an endorsement of products which have been independently scientifically tested and proven to reduce or remove allergens from the indoor environment. It is also an endorsement for products which do not contain allergens likely to cause a reaction and have been independently clinically tested and assessed as more suitable for people affected by allergy.