This non-toxic Australian household cleaning brand is making products that improve your wellbeing

Cleaning as an act of self-care.

To be honest, cleaning is one of my least favourite aspects of ‘adulting’. I would prefer to analyse a household budget than pick up a scrubbing brush and make the bathroom sparkle. But what if it could be good? When is the act of cleaning more than just a bit of elbow grease and persistence?

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Koala Eco is the Australian made and owned offering that believes a cleaning spray is so much more than simply its ability to wipe the grit away. As co-founder Jessica Bragdon tells me, the brand has evolved from purely being a retail brand “into a company that’s actively exploring ways of helping people to bring more nature into their lives, every day”. 

First up, why should we use natural cleaning products?

Koala Eco sets out to improve people’s lives from many angles: clean house, clean ingredients list, clean mind. In light of COVID and a stricter adherence to hygiene regimes, Jessica says that we’ve realised good hygiene is “so much more than cleanliness”. 

“When we clean and care for our homes with products made totally from natural ingredients, it’s a form of self-care that impacts not only on physical but also mental health,” she explains. Similar to the push to eat healthier, we’re becoming increasingly aware of the ingredients on cleaning labels too. 

Natural, non-toxic products are “safe, effective and totally eco-friendly,” states Jessica. “They won’t harm you, your family, your pets or the environment.” She points out that most common cleaning products are rife with capitalised labels of WARNING – they’re hazardous if we inhale or consume them and are irritants on the skin. “That’s because these ingredients are either poisonous or, at the very least, harmful,” she adds. 

 

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Koala Eco products are also biodegradable, non-toxic, vegan and grey-water safe. The cleaning properties arise from plant-based ingredients and 100 per cent pure essential oils derived from native botanicals. “These are some of nature’s most effective antiseptics, and they smell absolutely amazing too.” 

Take the Natural Dish Soap with lemon myrtle and mandarin, for example. “Mixed with a bucket of warm water, this is a great cleaner for just about anything, and not just the dishes. Best of all, the essential oils from lemon myrtle and mandarin are what we call the ‘happy oils’ – they are naturally uplifting.”

It’s a far cry from the pungent, heady fumes of ammonia and sodium hypochlorite that our nannas used. You could literally smell the toxicity but now we no longer have to hold our breath and hope for the best. 

The connection between nature, well-being and cleaning

Having specialised in natural cleaning solutions since 2017, Koala Eco is changing the landscape and pushing boundaries. Cleaning becomes an almost aspirational (yet affordable) task and takes on a new purpose. Instead of wiping surfaces simply to de-germ, it becomes an act of self-care, if you will.

“Our mission has become much broader than making safe, powerful, plant-based products for a clean home, body and mind,” says Jessica. “We’re becoming more of a lifestyle brand, encouraging and advocating a much closer connection to nature.”

As Jessica acknowledges, “Humanity’s connection to nature is one of the most precious things we have, and we need to nurture that connection for our own physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. This is something that First Nations Peoples all over the world have always understood, and shared through their stories and cultures.” 

The desire is for Koala Eco to naturally bridge the divide in most of our daily lives. For many of us, everyday life is spent within buildings, navigating modes of transport and hardly touching a single blade of grass. Not only is adding a natural touch a healthier way of living, but it also makes us feel better.

‘How can a cleaning product – of all things – transform my day?’ I hear you ask. Well, it smells great, does the hard work of disinfecting and cleaning, and has the ability to enhance mood and wellbeing because of the specifically crafted ingredients list. 

 

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“Aromas from essential oils are proven to have a positive effect on mood and physical wellbeing,” says Jessica. Each ingredient is sourced for antibacterial and antiseptic properties but also therapeutic abilities. Scent holds the key to transforming the mood, awakening our senses, energising our souls and stimulating productivity.

The essential oils used by Koala Eco boast myriad health and therapeutic benefits: Australian bush lavender, rosalina (Jessica’s favourite) is the sensual mix of lavender and lemon, relieving stress, energising and refreshing; mandarin is the perfect pick-me-up, and peppermint is crisp and fresh.

The body care range prominently features rosalina as a self-care booster, and keep an eye out for more lifestyle-centric products in the future. As Jessica tells me, they are “products that support the creation of a restful environment, in places like the bedroom.” (Like the new Pillow and Linen Spray).

Koala Eco is beyond excited to showcase at the upcoming Reed Gift Fairs, from April 9 to 12 at the ICC in Sydney. “It will enable us to connect with other retail and lifestyle brands, meet some of our customers, talk to new ones, and learn from all the other cutting-edge brands that will be there too.”

The world needs more of this good stuff. So, pick up your mood-defying cleaning products and get to work. Is cleaning a chore when it’s also an act of self-care?

To discover more about Reed Gift Fairs, a premium trade event for retailers, designers and stylists, head here.