Are you looking for eco and effective ways to clean your home? Wondering if the Miniml cleaning products fit the bill?
I’ve been using Miniml’s refillable cleaning products over the last few weeks. Without giving the game away, I’ve been impressed with the standard of their eco friendly cleaning items.
This Miniml review will give you my honest opinion on how I’ve found the products. Plus I’ll dig into some of the reasons why they are a more sustainable choice for your home.
Disclaimer: I received a gifted box of Miniml cleaning products. This post does contain affiliate links should we wish to purchase from Miniml. This review is both honest and genuine.
Who are Miniml Refills?
Miniml Refills are a UK company founded in 2020 by Emma and Scott. Their goal is to revolutionise the way people use cleaning products.
To bring more sustainable cleaning products to our homes, Miniml have a two pronged approach. Firstly, they only choose ingredients that have a lesser impact on the environment. This includes creating vegan friendly, UK made, plant-based formulas. Secondly, they are passionate about refilling!
There are a number of ways you can do this. You can refill your existing cleaning bottles at one of their refill partner shops or buy a refillable container to use over and over again.
It’s all about reducing waste and helping to create a cleaner, greener world. You can’t argue with that can you? You can learn a little more from their about us page.
Miniml refill products
Since their launch in 2020, Miniml have grown into a number of product ranges. Their refillable products now cover all areas of household cleaning, as well as eco friendly personal care items. They’ve recently ventured into the eco dog product sector too!
So, what refillable cleaning products did I receive?
The Miniml refill cleaning products I’ve tried
I got a delivery of some of Miniml’s refillable household cleaning products. Perfect to help be run a more sustainable kitchen. This included their eco and ethical versions of:
- Anti-bac surface cleaner
- Washing up liquid
- Hand soap
- Toilet cleaner
- Laundry liquid
- Fabric conditioner
Other products in the Miniml refill range
From their website and in stockists around the UK, Miniml refills also sell other eco friendly products including:
- Body wash
- Shampoo
- Hair conditioner
- Bubble bath
- Floor cleaner
- Dishwasher rinse aid
- Washing powder
- Eco dog shampoo
Miniml also stock white vinegar which is a very versatile ingredient. Interestingly, Miniml stock a naturally scented sorrento lemon white vinegar. I haven’t seen this before but it’s a great idea to get rid of that harsh smell you get with traditional white vinegar. You can take a read here on why white vinegar is a great eco cleaner.
Are the Miniml cleaning products any good?
What’s been my experience of the Miniml cleaning products so far?
On the whole, my experience of Miniml has been excellent. I really like the refillable and recyclable glass bottles that most of the products come in. You can read in more detail here why glass is sustainable.
Some of the products, such as the eco toilet cleaner, are packaged in a refillable plastic bottle. This is so you can squeeze the readily biodegradable cleaner into the bowl. Others such as the hand wash and washing up liquid are sealed with a plastic hand pump to get the product out.
I’ve also been very impressed with the eco friendly cleaning ingredients themselves. All of them smell terrific. Just as importantly, they work really well in cleaning your kitchen, bathroom and home in general.
It’s not just me though. On Trustpilot they have a rating of (at the time of writing) 4.5/5 from 500 reviews with 79% of those being 5 star! Pretty good.
My favourite products so far
I’ve been using the Miniml cleaning products for a good few weeks now. So, which ones have been my favourite so far?
To be quite honest, I could say all of them but that would be a cop-out.
I don’t tend to get involved too much with the clothes washing department (I always seem to get it wrong apparently), so I’ve been focussing on the other Miniml products. They’ve genuinely all been really good, but here are my favourites.
Miniml washing up liquid
Miniml’s eco washing up liquid is a brilliant product. It’s UK made and been created to a non-toxic and biodegradable formula. You won’t find any parabens, bleaches or sulphates here.
I’ve been using the wild rhubarb and lemon washing up liquid. I’ve been delighted with the result. It smells good, cleans my dishes effectively and has a minimal impact on the environment. What more do you want?
If you’re interested in this area, you can read a little more on the best eco friendly washing up liquids.
Anti-bac surface cleaner
This powerful anti-bac surface cleaner is fantastic. Firstly, the French lavender smells really good. It’s a multi-purpose surface cleaner too, so I’ve been using it in the kitchen, bathroom and other hard surfaces.
It’s made using natural ingredients, which you might think are not as effective. Let me tell you that they are! The Miniml anti-bac surface cleaner has been tested and meets the European Standards for Bactericidal, Virucidal, Yeasticidal, and Fungicidal activity, including BS EN 1276, BS EN 1650, and BS EN 14476. The job’s a good one with this!
The image above shows the eco anti-bac cleaner which I decanted into my reusable aluminium bottle from Spruce, who are another sustainable cleaning brand. You can read my Spruce cleaning review here.
Eco toilet cleaner
Miniml have used the latest green chemistry intel to create a natural toilet cleaner made from citric acid. This natural and biodegradable toilet cleaner gets rid of germs without any of the toxic chemicals and is free from VOCs.
I’ve been using the spearmint and peppermint toilet cleaner which smells delightful. None of that nasty chemical smell here! The squeezy bottle is easy to use and is refillable too.
If you want to learn more here, take a look at the best eco toilet cleaners you can buy.
Eco hand soap
This eco hand soap really does smell sublime. I know I’ve said that about the others, but it’s true! The scent of cucumber and aloe vera is a great partnership.
Like the other products, this hand soap is readily biodegradable, is powerful on dirt and will leave your hands feeling nice and soft!
Why are Miniml a better choice for the environment?
Miniml have created their business with the environment in mind. There’s no doubt about this.
Firstly, all of their products are made in Yorkshire at the Friendly Chemical Co manufacturing centre. Opting for locally made items is one of the best ways to be sustainable.
Secondly, the Miniml cleaning products are made from plant-based formulas. There are no synthetic fragrances or dyes used. Everything is naturally scented, palm oil free and vegan friendly.
You then have the clever closed loop supply chain system which aims to eliminate waste altogether. The bottles are designed to be continuously refilled from pouches or containers that are also refillable when sent back to Miniml.
Features that make Miniml a sustainable cleaning brand
- UK made products
- Vegan friendly
- Plant based formulas
- Palm oil free
- Natural fragrance
- No artificial dyes
- Recyclable bottles
- Refillable bottles
- Zero waste
- Closed loop supply chain
What’s the closed loop system exactly?
Once you’ve bought the glass bottles, the idea is to keep these to refill as and when is needed.
You can refill the bottles in two ways:
- Order a refill packet from the Miniml website
- Go to a physical Miniml refill station
If you’re ordering a refill pouch online, you can make use of their closed loop system. The pouches are made with a type of multi-layer plastic (PET and PP), but they are both refillable and reusable by Miniml.
Once you’ve used the pouch to refill your glass bottle, you can send the empty pouch back in the post via the postage envelope they provide. This will then make its way to Miniml HQ to be cleaned and reused again. The pouches are cleaned with a type of UVC light rather than a heated sanitation process.
A pretty good system if you ask me. It’s particularly useful for busy, full time workers and possible parents who don’t necessarily have the time to make it to a refill shop.
If you order a bigger 5L container, you can even return this in the post.
Ingredients that Miniml avoid in their products
From the outset of Miniml’s journey, they’ve examined the contents of their products to make sure their impact on the environment is reduced as best as they can.
With this in mind, they avoid certain ingredients that are often found in conventional household items and personal care products. On Miniml’s avoided ingredient list are:
- Chlorine bleaches
- Formaldehyde
- GMOs/SMOs
- Lanolin
- Microplastics
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- SLE
- Synthetic dyes
- Synthetic perfumes
- Triclosan
- Urea
You can see the full list of ingredients they avoid here.
Instead of the chemical-heavy ingredients, Miniml opt for greener chemistry within their cleaning products. All ingredients are vegan friendly and plant-based where possible.
You can have a read on some of the ingredients Miniml use here.
What packaging do Miniml products come in?
Keeping in line with the minimal way of working, the Miniml cleaning products come packaged in simple cardboard boxes. These are infilled with paper to keep those glass bottles safe and free from clattering around during transport.
No plastic in site which is brilliant.
How much do Miniml products cost?
In my view, the Miniml cleaning products are very cost effective for what you get.
Considering these products are UK made with the environment fully in mind, Miniml offer a good, competitive price.
For example, 1L of eco toilet cleaner is £3.99. The rest of the 500ml glass bottle products, such as the anti bac and laundry liquid are priced at £3.95.
Is this more expensive than your chemical-heavy, environmentally harmful supermarket equivalents? Yes it is, but you have to consider the quality of the product and the eco friendly way in which it’s manufactured.
Wrap up on my Miniml cleaning review
All in all, my Miniml cleaning review is a very positive one. Their products are high quality and work just as well as the traditional options but without having as big an environmental impact.
You can bulk buy the Miniml products to last you for months and months. Equally you can go for smaller quantities that are still zero waste. Head over to the Miniml website here.
Before you go, check out these cleaning blog posts:
- Spruce Cleaning Review (2023 Updated): How Good Are These Refillable Products?
- Guide To White Vinegar Spray For Cleaning
- Guide To Best Eco Friendly Sponge Options For Washing Up
- What Is Borax Substitute & Is It A Good Eco Cleaning Alternative?
If you liked that, you might like to read these blogs too…
I’m the Creator and Editor of Tiny Eco Home Life. I write and publish information about more sustainable, environmentally friendly living in and around the home. Alongside this website, I love spending time in the natural world, living a simple life and spending time with my young family (Murphy the dog!) I round up my thoughts and recent blogs on the Eco Life Newsletter.
