Branch Basics Vs Molly’s Suds Dish Soap & All Purpose Cleaner

I tested out both Branch Basics Concentrate and Molly’s Suds Dish Soap plus Molly’s Suds All-Purpose Cleaner.

Branch Basics Concentrate can be used as a dish soap, all-purpose cleaner, and even as a laundry soap.

I will compare them on their ingredients, uses, effectiveness, cost, eco-friendly specs, and more.

This article contains affiliate links, upon purchase I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Overview:

• All-purpose price: Molly’s All-Purpose formula is more concentrated and you need about 30% less to do the same job as Branch Basics. If you deduct 30% from the Molly’s Suds All-Purpose price you get about 37 cents per ounce which is still more than the 24 cents per ounce of Branch Basics. Branch Basics is therefore a better deal for all-purpose cleaning and maybe as a dish soap too. Molly’s Suds was the least effective dish soap out of the ones I tested.
• Bio-Based: Branch Basics is 100% bio-based while it’s not clear what percent Molly’s is, and it’s biodegradable, which Molly’s doesn’t seem to be based on what I can find.
• Clean ingredients: Branch Basics also has a “cleaner” ingredient list based on the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
• Laundry Price: On the other hand, Molly’s Suds Laundry Soap is a much better price for laundry than Branch Basics.
• Fragrance: Molly’s has a scent-free dish soap but no scent-free all-purpose cleaner (their fragrances are all-natural), Branch Basics has no added scent.

Comparison table:

	Branch Basics Concentrate	Molly’s Suds
Cost	Cleaning: $4.89 for 33 ounces of All Purpose dilution (which includes dishes) (Based on prices from Green Design Center) $11.41 for 35 ounces of Bathroom dilution Averages out to: $16.30 for 68 ounces, 24 cents per ounce (Based on prices from Green Design Center) Laundry: 86 cents per load. (Based on prices from Green design Center)	Cleaning: Dish Soap is around $8.99 for 16 fl oz All-Purpose Cleaner is $8.99 for 16 fl oz (Prices based on their website at the time of writing) Averages out to 56 cents per ounce but seemed more concentrated to me. (Based on prices from their website) Laundry: Laundry Soap is $35.99 per 100 fl ounce (200 loads) which is 36 cents per ounce and 18 cents a load. (Based on Prices from the company website)
Shipping	Free shipping from GDC and Amazon (Prime).	$7.95 shipping from their website. Free shipping with Amazon Prime. Dish Soap comes in pack of two. Laundry Soap and All-Purpose Cleaner are also available on Amazon.
Bio-Based	100% bio-based	Dish Soap says it’s made with “earth- and plant-derived” ingredients. All-Purpose does claim to be “bio-based” but it does not say what percent is bio-based.
Biodegradable	Yes	Dish Soap is not listed as biodegradable and sodium hydroxide is not biodegradable. All-Purpose cleaner has Isopropylidene Glycerol which is not readily biodegradable.
EWG Ratings	One ingredient with a B rating and one with a D rating.	The Dish Soap has a B, a C, and an F ingredient (also fragrance ingredients are not listed and tend to have poor ratings on EWG). All-Purpose has four C ingredients and one B. Plus the fragrance ingredients which usually comes with a C rating.
Scent	Soapy, no fragrance	Dish Soap comes in unscented and scented options. All-Purpose only comes in scented versions. The scents are all natural.
Uses	To clean grime, dirt, and oils on all surfaces of the home from floors to dishes to laundry.	Dish Soap for dishes, All-Purpose for almost all surfaces in the home except quartz. Laundry liquid or powder for laundry.
Packaging	One box was the packaging and shipping box in one. The bottle of Concentrate is plastic. They sell either glass or plastic cleaning bottles.	The box usage was minimal. The bottles are not concentrates and they come in plastic bottles.
Certifications	Certified Made Safe EWG-Verified Cruelty-Free Verified Independently tested as a non-skin or eye irritant	Cruelty-Free Verified

Branch Basics

Ingredients:

Branch Basics Concentrate is their all-purpose cleaner and it is made from:

• Purified Water
• Decyl Glucoside – a surfactant naturally derived from coconut and/or corn, free of impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. B rating on EWG for cleaning products.
• Organic Chamomile Flower Extract – organic flower extract with Allergen (IFRA) Certifications, which certifies it is nonallergenic and is not a fragrance. C rating on EWG.
• Coco-Glucoside – a surfactant naturally derived from coconut, free of impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. No rating on EWG.
• Sodium Citrate – a plant-derived, biodegradable sodium salt that acts as a water softener. A rating on EWG.
• Sodium Bicarbonate – baking soda. A rating on EWG.
• Sodium Phytate – a natural chelator used as a preservative. D rating on EWG cleaning products, as it can cause algae blooms. But in this low of a concentration it is not likely to be a concern and after going through a municipal sewage system it will be essentially removed there.

It’s 100% bio-based and biodegradable.

Sniff test:

Branch Basics Concentrate has a soapy smell, it reminds me of most natural brands of laundry soap. It does not have a fragrance component but it is not odorless.

Where you can use it:

Branch Basics Concentrate is an all-purpose cleaner which can be used in different concentrations on surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom, to wash dishes, to wash clothes, to clean carpeting, wash most types of floors, wash hands (and even as a body wash), to clean stainless steel, to clean glass and mirrors, and more.

This cleans everything in the house where you need a surfactant (and if you like you can add their Oxygen Boost to laundry).

Cost:

33.8 fl oz of the concentrate is $55. $1.63 per ounce of concentrate. (Based on prices from Green Design Center and other websites).

It’s $4.89 for 33 ounces of All-Purpose Cleaner (not including buying the spray bottle). (Based on prices from Green Design Center and other websites).

It’s $11.41 for 35 ounces of Bathroom Cleaner (not including buying the spray bottle). (Based on prices from Green Design Center and other websites).

They say the bottle which costs $55 cleans 64 loads of laundry, that is 86 cents per load. (Based on prices from Green Design Center and other websites).

• All-Purpose Bottle (1 part concentrate: 11 parts water) – Everyday cleaning including countertops, dishes, and stains.
• Bathroom Bottle (1 part concentrate: 5 parts water) – Tackles tiles, toilets, grout, sinks, and showers.
• Streak-Free Bottle (1 drop concentrate: 24 oz distilled water) – For mirrors, windows, and glass.
• Foaming Wash Bottle (1 part concentrate: 4 parts water) – For handwashing, dishes, pets, and bubble bath.
• Laundry Bottle (1 part concentrate: 2 parts water – use one tablespoon per load) – Works for standard and HE washing machines.

You can buy their plastic or glass bottles.

Effectiveness:

The all-purpose dilution is fairly light, it took a few passes to clean up sticky food residue but it’s overall a very good multi-purpose cleaner.

One large drop of coconut oil, plus one large drop of castor oil, plus one capsule of vitamin E cleaned up easily with 3 sprays and just a few passes.

The Molly’s Suds All-Purpose cleaned the same mess in two sprays.

Minimal effect on sticker residue. Cleaned up dried toothpaste scum easily.

The bathroom solution has substantially more cleaning power.

I liked it a lot as a laundry soap, it worked better than the previous products I had tried.

Molly’s Suds

Ingredients in Molly’s Suds Dish Soap:

• Deionized Water
• Potassium Cocoate – all-natural surfactant made from coconuts – A rating on EWG.
• Decyl Glucoside – a surfactant naturally derived from coconut and/or corn, free of impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. B rating on EWG for cleaning products.
• Sodium Bicarbonate – aluminum-free baking soda. A rating on EWG.
• Sodium Chloride – table salt. A rating on EWG.
• Citric Acid – an acid that is naturally derived from citrus fruit in this case. A rating on EWG.
• Sclerotium Gum – a polysaccharide gum produced by the bacterium Sclerotium rolfsii. No rating on EWG.
• *only in the fragranced varieties Natural Fragrance (only in Lavender, Lemon Burst & Peppermint) Derived from natural plant essences and oils. Safer Choice and ISO-16128 compliant. Free of petrochemicals, solvents, dyes, and pesticides. They don’t list out the exact chemicals used here but even natural fragrances tend to have a C rating on EWG.
• Sodium Hydroxide – also known as caustic soda or lye, has an F rating on EWG but that is mostly when used in oven cleaners.
• Sorbitan Oleate DecylGlucoside Crosspolymer (only in Lavender, Lemon Burst, & Peppermint) – biobased nonionic fragrance solubilizer – not listed on EWG.
• Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate – a plant-based chelating agent. C rating on EWG.

Ingredients in Molly’s Suds All-Purpose Cleaner:

• Deionized Water
• Coco Glucoside – a surfactant naturally derived from coconut, free of impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. No rating on EWG.
• Alcohol (denatured) – A rating on EWG.
• Isopropylidene Glycerol – a stability and cleaning agent that is in this case food grade, phthalate-free, and does not contain any nanoparticles, soy, wheat, sulfates, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, or corn. C rating on EWG.
• Sodium Citrate – a plant-derived, biodegradable sodium salt that acts as a water softener. A rating on EWG.
• Gluconolactone – prevents oxidation, a naturally occurring lactone. C rating on EWG.
• Potassium Sorbate – a naturally occurring antimicrobial compound frequently used as a preservative. C rating on EWG.
• Sodium Benzoate – sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, it is a preservative. B rating on EWG.
• Citric Acid – an acid that is naturally derived from citrus fruit in this case. A rating on EWG.
• Polysorbate 20 – helps fragrance blend in, they say their polysorbate 20 is free of nitrosamine and 1,4 dioxane. C rating on EWG.
• Natural Fragrance – Derived from natural plant essences and oils. Safer Choice and ISO-16128 compliant. Free of petrochemicals, solvents, dyes, and pesticides. There is no unscented all-purpose cleaner. They don’t list out the exact chemicals used here but even natural fragrances tend to have a C rating on EWG.

Sniff test:

I have the Lavender Dish Soap and Lavender All-Purpose Cleaner. They both have a fairly subtle lavender scent that smells natural to me.

Where you can use it:

The Dish Soap can be used in dishes, countertops, cabinets, and I also use it to wash my hands.

The All Purpose Cleaner is for kitchens – dirty oven doors, microwaves, refrigerators, countertops, tiles, tables, bathrooms (everything but a toilet bowl scrubber), floors, patios, and other outdoor surfaces.

They say not to use on quartz counters as it can leave streaking.

Cost:

Cleaning:

Dish Soap is $8.99 for 16 fl oz
All-Purpose Cleaner is $8.99 for 16 fl oz
Averages out to 56 cents per ounce.

Laundry:
Laundry Soap is $35.99 per 100 fl ounce (200 loads) which is 36 cents per ounce and 18 cents a load.

This is a much better price for laundry than Branch Basics but Branch Basics is significantly less expensive for everyday cleaning. However, Molly’s All-Purpose formula is more concentrated and you need about 30% less to do the same job. If you deduct 30% from the Molly’s Suds All-Purpose price you get 37 cents per ounce which is still more than the 24 cents per ounce of Branch Basics.

Effectiveness:

Dish Soaps:

Side by side I tested Molly’s Suds, ECOS, Seventh Generation, and Mrs. Myers dish soaps.

I use a pea-sized amount on a sponge and cleaner flour equally dirty glasses with almond oil and another oil in them.

Molly’s Suds Dish Soap had the weakest cleaning power of the four dish soaps in my subjective experience, it did not suds up very much and I just was able to clean one glass with this pea-sized amount of dish soap.

It was not particularly runny but it does seem less concentrated than the others.

I do see why people in the reviews say it leaves a residue because you don’t get that squeaky feeling.

Mrs. Myers Dish Soap did foam up a lot and this pea-sized amount was plenty to clean this one dirty glass. It also left the glass squeaky clean.

ECOS Dish Soap was somewhere in the middle. I would say it cleaned up almost as well as Mrs. Myers so I was happy about that but it did not suds up quite as much and it didn’t leave the glass squeaky sounding.

Seventh Generation, has the most cleaning power in one drop in my experiment, it suds up a tonne and there was lots of soap to go around, way too much for one cup. (It seemed, in this sense, to be the most concentrated of the four).

I didn’t have Branch Basics at the same time.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Molly’s Suds All-Purpose only took two sprays instead of three of Branch Basics to clean up the board with three oil drops.