There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: Blueland's Clean Up Kit
Tester: Melanie Yates, home editor interested in going all-in on greener cleaners
The Brief: I like to kick off my weekends with a nice, clean apartment. That means you can usually catch me on Saturday mornings pouring diluted vinegar into various spray bottles for spritzing on nonporous surfaces around the home. I get that “wake up and smell the vinegar” isn’t everyone’s (or anyone's?) ideal way of starting the day, but according to the EPA, indoor air tends to be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, and I really don't want to create even more of a potential health hazard by using potent cleaning products that contain harmful VOCs.
This may not be the most pleasant or efficient method, but it's cheap and nontoxic, and it's been fine in getting the job done ... that is, until Blueland came along.
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In case you haven't seen Blueland's chic imagery all over your Instagram feed, the company launched in April 2019 with the mission to get consumers to stop buying cleaning products that come in single-use plastic containers — these containers contribute to a growing crisis of millions of tons of plastic waste being landfilled each year. The brand has also since joined the ranks of Shark Tank success stories, snapping up a $270,000 deal on the premiere episode of Season 11 to further expand their retail presence.
Blueland's flagship product, The Clean Up Kit, is an intuitive, all-in-one set for spiffing up almost every area of the home. The $29 kit comes with three 20-ounce “Forever Bottles,” along with three light-as-air, water-soluble cleaning tablets. Each tablet contains a blend of naturally derived and synthetic ingredients that is certified safe by environmental agency Cradle to Cradle and was tested by the agency's third-party assessors.
While many great natural cleaners on the market right now are powered by a liquid or powder concentrate, Blueland uses color-coded tablets that correspond to each area of the house that they're best suited to clean:
- The blue tablet is for cleaning glass and mirrors.
- The pink tablet is for the tub and tiles in the bathroom.
- The yellow tablet is a multi-surface cleaner for countertops, stone, and wood.
All you have to do is drop one tablet into its matching spray bottle full of water. The website advises that consumers use warm water to expedite the dissolving. I did this and it took roughly 40 minutes for the tablet to completely dissolve, so mix it up sooner rather than later — not right when you're in the mood to clean.
Though I’m used to having to apply a little elbow grease to my cleaning routine, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t the case with all of Blueland’s solutions. Their window cleaner buffed out fingerprints and toothpaste residue on my medicine cabinet mirror without creating streaks in the process, and their surface cleaner made my laminate-wood kitchen table shine, pre- and post-dinner.
While the bathroom cleaner spiffed up my sink and shower tiles with no problem, and that eucalyptus-mint scent is undeniably lovely, I found that I had to let the spray sit a little longer on the gunk in the corners of my acrylic tub before scrubbing it away cleanly. (Our editor Brandon Carte also found this to be the case when he tried out the product for our bathtub cleaners test.) After a few spray-and-wipes, the area was looking squeaky clean once again.
As far as cost per use, Blueland's kit is surprisingly reasonable — the entire starter kit is $29, and the tablet refills start at $6 each. Best of all, nothing in this kit should end up in a landfill. The shatterproof acrylic spray bottles are BPA-free and are the perfect size (with a clear measurement line) for endless reusing. All of the packaging is recyclable or compostable, and the product is also vegan and Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free.
Closing Argument: Blueland’s commitment to waste-free products from day one isn’t simply a marketing move — it’s a stance on protecting the environment that many other brands have been slow to adopt. For those who want to stop the cycle of single-use plastic consumption in their clean routines, Blueland's Clean Up Kit can help you live a little greener.
Melanie Yates is the senior service editor of Best Products, where she writes and reports pieces pertaining to the etiquette, dilemmas, and how-tos of gift-giving for different occasions. Previously, she was the site's senior home editor, covering all things decor- and bedding-related since 2015. Her digital byline can also be found on Bustle, House Beautiful, and Elle Decor. A longtime classical-music enthusiast, Melanie spends her off-hours enjoying performances big and small across New York City.
