Our Final Verdict
We give Truly Free cleaning products an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Variety: 5/5
Efficacy: 4.5/5
Ingredients: 5/5
Packaging: 4.5/5
Value: 5/5
Our pets often make messes which require more than water to clean. But most cleaning products contain chemicals that leave harmful toxins around our households. Humans and animals alike can experience acute reactions to these toxins, but more serious health issues can arise with long-term exposure. Babies and household pets often prove much less resilient to toxin exposure, and as their trusted caregivers, it is our responsibility to provide them with the cleanest, safest environment possible. This is exactly the reason Truly Free was created.
Truly Free CEO Stephen Ezell was horrified when his 3-week-old newborn developed a horrendous skin rash. After consulting with the pediatrician and being offered only powerful medications to combat the symptoms, Ezell began to consider that it might be a reaction to something in his baby’s environment. He started to look at the chemicals being used in his household, namely their laundry detergent. His family experimented by making their own laundry soap, and miraculously, the rash vanished. This experience opened Ezell’s eyes to the invisible toxins in our homes, and ultimately led him to develop a line of non-toxic cleaning products that are safer for us, our pets, and the environment.
At a Glance: What We Received
About Truly Free
Who Makes Truly Free and Where is it Produced?
The origins of this Michigan-based company can be traced back to 1982 when laundromat employee Ruth Smith began making her own hypoallergenic laundry wash to protect her family’s skin. After 25 years of using it in her own home, Smith decided to market her product to the public under the name Selestial Soap. When Truly Free CEO Stephen Ezell discovered her booth in 2008 at a farmer’s market, the meeting would influence a whole new direction for Smith’s company.
Ezell had previously experienced the benefits of using homemade laundry wash after his newborn developed a skin rash from harsh store-bought detergent. When he learned about Smith’s product, he realized there was a greater need for safer household cleaning supplies in America, and he and Smith would ultimately collaborate to develop Truly Free’s predecessor, My Green Fills. This online-only subscription-based company supplied a single reusable jug to customers, followed by regular concentrate refills of Smith’s non-toxic laundry soap shipped directly to their homes. The product line expanded over time and was rebranded as Truly Free to better represent their mission to “FREE over 10,000,000 homes from harmful toxic chemicals and excess plastic waste.”
Which Types of Pet Owners is Truly Free Best Suited For?
All pet owners with indoor animal companions are wise to consider non-toxic cleaning supplies for their homes. Some animals, like birds, are especially prone to ill effects, including death, from airborne chemicals released by deodorizing room sprays. Dogs will readily lick up toxic residue left by mop water, especially if they’re licking up some tasty crumbs they dropped. And cats will happily lap up pooled water from a freshly bleached tub or sink, then go lounge in a sunny spot to continue ingesting trace amounts of these harsh chemicals while casually grooming their paws. With the three root causes of cancer in our furry family members being genetics, age, and environment, why wouldn’t you want to make healthy changes in the only area you have control over? By using products around our pets that are free of toxins, we improve their environment and thereby their lives, helping them to feel better and hopefully live longer.
Key Features
Truly Free’s line of household cleaning products was developed to be safe for every living being in your home, including adults, children, infants, and pets. But this company has made it their mission to use their platform to do as much good as possible. While this starts with your family, it has grown to envelop the health of our oceans, empowerment of women, creation of new ministries, and so much more. Truly Free is a brand that is truly servicing humanity across the globe, so know that when you spend your dollars with Truly Free, you’re supporting a better world for everyone.
Ingredients
The ingredients used in Truly Free products are what sets them apart from other cleaning supplies on the market. By choosing effective ingredients with high safety ratings from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Washington, DC, this brand has consistently put out a product line that tackles the worst messes without compromising the user’s health. Truly Free avoids synthetic chemicals and instead focuses on sustainable plant-based ingredients that are eco-friendly and non-toxic to humans and animals alike. The brand also offers full transparency by maintaining a complete and detailed list of product ingredients on their website that explains what each ingredient does, tells what product it’s in, and includes its EWG rating.
How to Order
Although one-time purchases are available through Truly Clean’s website, the most cost-effective way to order products is to build your subscribe-and-save box, which gets you free shipping, up to 40%-off product discounts, and can earn you free items. You choose what products you want and how often you need them delivered. You also have the option every cycle to modify your product selection and shipping frequency. You can cancel anytime. Truly Free also has their own Amazon store, which has a subscribe-and-save option, and offers free shipping on orders over $35.
What to Expect
Upon receiving your very first order from Truly Free, you will receive some empty reusable bottles and your chosen selection of liquid concentrate refill packets. Your products will be packaged snugly in an appropriately sized cardboard box. When you get your products, just follow the instructions to combine each concentrate with water, give the bottle a shake, and you’re ready to start cleaning! If you have any questions about a product, each item has an informative video on Truly Free’s website regarding usage. When your next order arrives, you will only receive the refill packets, so make sure to keep those bottles and keep plastic waste out of our landfills and oceans!
Efficacy
Despite the absence of harsh synthetic chemicals in Truly Free’s line of cleaning products, these products WORK. Every product undergoes rigorous evaluation and reevaluation by the brand’s chemists and formulators to ensure these products are not only safe but effective. If a safer alternative for any ingredient is determined, this brand is happy to update the formula to make sure Truly Free continues to live up to not only their own mission, but also the expectations of their customers.
Quantity Discounts
Not only does Truly Free offer free shipping, but they also offer quantity discounts. The biggest bang for your buck is building a box with five or more products to be auto-shipped in whatever time interval you choose. The discount breakdown is as follows:
- Subscribe to 1-2 items and get 10% off, plus free shipping
- Subscribe to 3-4 items and not only get 20% off and free shipping, but also one FREE item
- Subscribe to 5 or more items, get a whopping 40% off, free shipping, and TWO FREE items!
Auto-ship subscriptions can be modified or canceled at any time, so there’s no risk, and all reward!
Reviews of the Truly Free Cleaning Products We Received
Before I break down each product that I tested, here are key features you’ll find throughout Truly Free’s line of formulated cleaning products:
- Made in the USA
- Eco-friendly
- Dye-free
- Fragrance-free
- Cruelty-free
1. Space Freshener
This delightful room spray uses three kinds of citrus oils with rose bouquet essential oil to bring freshness to any room of the house. No harsh chemicals to inhale and no toxic residues left on surfaces. It has a variety of uses and is great to have on hand anywhere unpleasant odors may arise. This product can be used safely in place of deodorizing wall plugs, scented wax burners and candles, and harsh air freshening sprays that contain chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and nervous system damage. This spray is absolutely essential to anyone with stinky pet beds in their home, as a trip through the wash doesn’t always eliminate odors on these items. And for expensive cat trees that can’t be laundered, Truly Free Space Freshener tackles that dingy fabric covering without introducing harmful toxins to your cat’s favorite napping spot.
Pros
- Essential oils instead of synthetic fragrances
- Pleasant but gentle scent
- Inhibits bacterial and fungal growth
- Can be used on fabrics or room air
- Can be sprayed directly in kitchen garbage cans
- Great for freshening car interiors
- Effective with only 1-2 spritzes
Cons
- Initial scent is short-lived
- Only comes with one refill pack (other products come with two)
2. Aloe Hand Soap
Packed with all-natural aloe vera, this gentle, foaming hand cleanser is not only great for everyday use, but also ideal for frequent hand washers. Suitable to use in bathrooms, kitchens, or anywhere you have a sink, the non-drying formula softens hands with each use, and is even safe for baby fingers and toes. No more red, raw, flaky skin – just smooth, moisturized hands. And no need to worry about what chemicals you’re washing down the drain either – this hand soap is completely eco-friendly.
Pros
- Free of harsh chemicals
- Softens hands
- Non-drying
- Gentle on sensitive skin
- Safe for frequent handwashing
- One pump is all you need
3. Everyday Cleaner
This clear liquid spray is tough on grimy messes, yet gentle on our skin, eyes, and airways. Other brands’ cleaning sprays contain harsh chemicals which can release fumes that irritate eyes, noses, and throats, and are also harmful to skin. With Truly Free’s Everyday Cleaner, there are no harmful solvents, fragrances, or dyes added, and no need to gear-up with protective equipment just to wipe down a countertop. This product is safe, and suitable for a variety of surfaces including counters, appliances, stainless steel, sinks and tubs, door handles, kids’ toys, pet bowls, and litter boxes, just to name a few.
Pros
- Suitable for a variety of hard surfaces
- Works on tough messes
- Safe to use on baby and kid items
- Dog and cat safe
- No harsh fumes or residues
- Non-irritating for sensitive skin
- No lingering odors
- Non-bleaching
Cons
- Not suitable to use on unsealed wood
- Not recommended for glass
4. Floor Cleaner
Typical big-brand floor cleaners tend to be some of the most toxic cleaning products on the market, because floors tend to be some of the dirtiest surfaces in our homes. Most of these solutions are formulated with sulfates, chlorine, and ammonia, which are harsh on skin, eyes, and lungs. But the floor that every member of our household walks on needs to be safe. To put it simply, we can’t avoid touching the floor, so this is one area of the home that we must apply only non-toxic products to.
That’s where Truly Free’s Floor Cleaner saves the day. Engineered with ZERO toxic chemicals, this product’s plant-powered formula is tough on dirt and grime and leaves behind only a pleasant citrus scent delivered by way of an all-natural citrus extract. No need to worry about walking barefoot on your laminate flooring. No need to rush your crawling baby to safety when you spot them on your freshly mopped marble. And no need to cringe when you see your cat or dog licking up some kitchen crumbs from the linoleum. It’s also helpful that it can be applied in three ways – spray directly on flooring, squirt onto a mop head, or pour the solution into a steam mop reservoir.
Pros
- Suitable for a variety of hard flooring
- Multiple applications
- Clean citrus scent
- No harsh chemicals
- No harmful fumes
- No toxic residue
- Non-bleaching
- Streak-free shine
Cons
- Not suitable for unsealed wood or stone
5. Odor & Stain Eliminator
This non-toxic spray uses beneficial bacteria to break down organic stains, removing the unsightly mess but also neutralizing any odors that may have come along with it. It works great on pet stains and is safe to use on carpet or furniture, but can also be used to clean trash cans, deodorize gym bags, pre-treat laundry stains, and even clean car upholstery. There are no harsh chemicals in this spray and no overpowering synthetic fragrances. Because it works so well, there’s no need to scrub the stain after spraying. And since this product is safe to use around kids and pets, there’s no need to rinse either – just spray and let air dry.
Pros
- Powerful stain remover
- Eliminates odors at the source
- Works on pet stains
- Suitable for fabrics and hard surfaces
- Safe on carpet
- Non-bleaching
- Can be used as a laundry pre-treat
- No need to scrub
- Pet and baby safe
Cons
- Not designed for use on inorganic stains
6. Enzyme Stain Remover
This packet of water-activated enzymatic powder is tiny but mighty! To spot-treat stains on clothing, bed sheets, or pet beds, it only takes one impossibly small scoop mixed with a small amount of water (it’s so safe, you can mix it with your fingers) to apply to organic stains like blood, vomit, feces, etc. And when you have dogs and cats, you are going to encounter these types of stains, whether you like it or not. Just apply the slightly drippy paste to the stain, rub the treated portion of the fabric together to activate and soak the material, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If the item you’re cleaning is small enough to throw in the wash, just add the pre-treated blanket, pet bed, or clothing to the machine and run it through a normal cycle with the rest of your laundry. When it comes out, it will look good as new. For items too big to launder, you can use a damp cloth to wipe away the excess paste, but the stain should already be gone.
Pros
- Water-activated enzymes
- Minimal ingredients
- Works on tough organic stains
- Non-bleaching
- 1 tiny scoop treats up to 45 loads of laundry
- Can make a paste for direct application
- Fabric safe
- Skin safe
- No unpleasant odors
Cons
- May require rubbing to fully remove stain
- Direct application is messy
7. Cleaning Cloths
Although one of Truly Free’s missions is to reduce plastic waste, they didn’t forget about paper. According to the EPA, paper makes up the largest portion of waste coming out of people’s homes. Of course, paper is normally biodegradable, but that doesn’t make it eco-friendly. In addition to the millions of trees cut down annually for single-use products like paper towels, there can also be toxins in paper towels. In fact, most paper towels on the market contain both chlorine and formaldehyde, which can transfer to our skin and household surfaces with use, and have harmful, sometimes devastating effects on human health with prolonged exposure.
As part of Truly Free’s line of non-toxic, eco-friendly cleaning products, they have included reusable cleaning cloths made of sustainable viscose, a fabric blend of rayon and wood pulp. These cloths are a nice size for cleaning purposes, and washable so they can be used again and again, rather than discarded after one use. Each absorbent cloth can be used alongside any of Truly Free’s spray cleaners, on the end of a dust mop, or as a hand duster.
Pros
- Multi-purpose
- Plastic-free
- Durable
- Washable
- Sustainable
- Holds up to 15x its weight in liquid
- One cloth replaces up to 1200 sheets of paper towels
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Truly Free cleaning products effective?
Yes! These products are just as effective as any of their competitors, without the added harsh chemicals.
Are Truly Free cleaning products safe?
Yes! Truly Free’s guiding principle is “safe without sacrifice”, and to live up to this notion, they have avoided harsh chemicals in their product formulations, using instead eco-friendly, plant-powered technology that is safe for humans and pets alike.
How affordable are these products?
Truly Free has taken a two-tier approach to keeping their products affordable. On one hand, they have kept their shipping costs at a minimum by selling only product concentrates, thereby eliminating heavy water weight that would increase shipping charges. And because the refill packets are so compact, they’ve also been able to offer incredible quantity discounts to customers. The more products in that shipping box, the greater the savings passed on to you!
Can I get free shipping?
Yes! Subscription members always get free shipping from the Truly Free website. The brand also has a store on Amazon, which offers free shipping on orders over $35.
What charities does Truly Free work with?
Truly Free has assisted a variety of important causes around the world, including the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf in Jamaica, the Texas-based Cleaning For a Reason which provides cleaning products to people with cancer, and they have worked to free and empower women in sex slavery in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. To learn more about the groups that Truly Free has helped, visit the About page on their website.
Our Experience With Truly Free Cleaning Products
I recently ordered a group of products from Truly Free to test out in our guest bathroom, which we refer to as “the cat’s bathroom” because it houses Luna’s food, water, and litter boxes. it tends to need frequent cleaning, but I worry about her walking through cleaning residue and licking it off her feet. That’s why I decided to give Truly Free a try. The products I chose from Truly Free were the Everyday Cleaner, Floor Cleaner, Odor & Stain Eliminator, Space Freshener, and Aloe Hand Soap. Since I ordered 5 products, I qualified for 2 extra products free, so I also got Cleaning Cloths and the Enzyme Stain Remover. I was pleasantly surprised by the results from all these products!
- Everyday Cleaner: was used on her water bowl, the bathtub where her water bowl sits, the door handles, light switches, and the painted baseboards.
- Floor Cleaner: was used to spot-clean around her litter box and food bowl.
- Odor & Stain Eliminator: flawlessly dissolved some unknown stains from the cloth shower curtain. I will also be using it to thoroughly clean her litter pan when I do a full litter change.
- Space Freshener: was used in the bathroom, on my pet beds, Luna’s cat tree, and my couch. I also sprayed it on my car’s backseat upholstery where the dogs ride. I wish the scent lasted longer.
- Aloe Hand Soap: was placed by the bathroom sink, and I love how non-drying it is! I am hyper-aware of germ transfer, so whenever I am cleaning areas like the bathroom, I am constantly washing my hands. Some soaps dry out your skin with frequent washing, but not this one!
- Cleaning Cloths: were used to wipe the areas I sprayed with my products, and what most impressed me was their absorbability. I hate when cloths or paper towels leave liquid behind or become so wet that they drip. These cloths just keep on absorbing – no smears or drippage!
- Enzyme Stain Remover: worked like magic on one of my dog’s mats where a torn toenail had left a small bloodstain. The bed had been washed and dried several times already, and I did not have much hope that this product would be effective on the stain, but how wrong I was!
I am officially a fan of these products! Not only do they work, but I can rest easy knowing I’m not spreading toxic chemicals all over by using them. There are just two areas that I feel could use improvement. One is that the Space Freshener, while initially providing a pleasant scent, is not long-lasting. Within a few hours, the scent is gone. However, there is an ingredient in it that inhibits bacterial and fungal growth, so I like that it’s invisibly working to keep my home cleaner. The other is the refill packets – since you have to cut the top of the packet, the product occasionally drizzles in an unintended direction when filling your bottle. A built-in pour spout would improve this.
Conclusion
Truly Free has gone above and beyond to not only create safe and effective cleaning supplies for every type of home, but they also created an ingenious business model that keeps these products affordable while minimizing harm to the environment. The fact that they work closely with multiple charitable organizations is icing on the cake, and just one more reason to spend your money with Truly Free. There’s a saying that you can create the world you want to live in by voting with your dollar, and by purchasing your cleaning supplies from Truly Free, you are creating a safer, cleaner world that supports a healthy planet, healthy people, and healthy pets. That’s a world I want to live in – how about you?