Branch Basics vs Force of Nature (Firsthand Comparison)

I tested out both Branch Basics Concentrate and Force of Nature (I used a knockoff brand, but I will compare the specs of the real Force of Nature).

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.

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

Summary:

• Both of these products are the best of the best in terms of non-toxic healthy cleaning products.
• Branch Basics is a good surfactant that has the cleanest ingredient list of all cleaners I have reviewed, and no fragrance.
• It can be used for all cleaning needs in the home, it’s a true all-purpose cleaner since its range includes all areas of the house, even dishes (and it even works as a body soap).
• Force of Nature is a great natural, affordable HOCL-based disinfectant that is safe for all surfaces in the home.
• The EPA recommends cleaning with a surfactant-based cleaner first, and then disinfecting the surface with HOCL (one after the other, not mixing them).

	Branch Basics Concentrate	Force of Nature
Cost	$4.89 for 33 ounces of All Purpose dilution (based on prices from Green Design Center and other retailers) $11.41 for 35 ounces of Bathroom dilution (Same concentrate) (based on prices from Green Design Center and other retailers) Averages out to: $16.30 for 68 ounces (24 cents per ounce) (based on prices from Green Design Center and other retailers)	Starter kit is $70-$80 which makes an unlimited number of bottles of HOCL until it breaks. If you use their activator vials it’s also $1 per 12 once bottle.
Shipping	Free shipping from GDC and Amazon	Free shipping from their website or Amazon Prime.
Bio-Based	100% bio-based	100% bio-based
Biodegradable	Yes	Yes
EWG Ratings	All ingredients 1 or 2 on EWG, one ingredient with a B rating and one with a D rating.	EWG 1-3 based on if you inhale it or not, D rating for cleaning products
Scent	Soapy, no fragrance	Slight chlorine scent
Uses	To clean grime, dirt, and oils.	To disinfect (not clean).
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 starter kit has a plastic spray bottle, and plastic HOCl generator. And you have to keep buying the little plastic vials of the activator which seems like a waste instead of just using salt and vinegar from home.
Certifications	Certified Made Safe EWG-Verified Cruelty-Free Verified Independently tested as a non-skin or eye irritant	EPA-registered sanitizer & medical-grade disinfectant Carbon Neutral Certified Green Seal Certified Leaping Bunny Certified Clean Label Award Recognized by the National Psoriasis Foundation

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 non-allergenic and is not a fragrance.
• Coco-Glucoside – a surfactant naturally derived from coconut, free of impurities like ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane.
• Sodium Citrate – a plant-derived, biodegradable sodium salt that acts as a water softener.
• Sodium Bicarbonate – baking soda.
• 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 retailers).

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

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

• 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 vitamin E cleaned up easily with 3 sprays and just a few passes.

Minimal effect on sticker residue.

Cleaned up dried toothpaste scum easily.

The bathroom solution has more cleaning power.

Force of Nature

Ingredients:

Hypochlorous Acid – EWG rating of 1-3 depending on if you inhale it.

The EWG gives it a D rating on cleaning products due to evidence of acute aquatic toxicity; skin irritation/allergies/damage; damage to vision. However, Dr. Mudgal and I find this rating not to be related to proper use.

While EWG says “Skin damage and damage to vision“, however, skin damage and eye damage occur at higher concentrations than cleaning products. In fact, HOCl is used in wound care and in eye care products, so it’s all about the concentration.

While EWG says “Possible allergen or asthmatic“, and a higher rating on the EWG cosmetic scale if you inhale it. However, HOCl is nebulized if it’s not in very high concentrations. 300 ppm was used safely in this one study, and there are other studies on this.

Irritation or allergic reactions were only observed in individuals with chlorine allergies, says toxicologist Hansprabha Mudgal.

EWG says “Very toxic to aquatic life“, however when you use HOCl on a surface in the home the HOCl dissipates and breaks down rather quickly.

There is nothing that reaches aquatic life unless you dump it straight out into nature (source).

It degrades back into salt and water (source) and this is noticeable if you leave your bottle of HOCl out for too long, it loses the Cl ions and chlorine smell.

As for the EPA and FDA, both regulatory authorities have come to the conclusion that HOCl has no safety concern for its intended use after robust research and findings says toxicologist Dr. Hansprabha Mudgal.

Sniff test:

Slight chlorine smell.

My biggest complaint about the knockoff HOCl generator that I bought is that sometimes it didn’t create a very strong formula and sometimes it smelled very strong.

Where you can use it:

Force of Nature is a disinfectant safe for all surfaces, but it does not contain a surfactant so it’s not a cleaner, only a disinfectant.

It is safe on stone countertops, wooden and plastic cutting boards, all kitchen surfaces, to disinfect sponges, all bathroom surfaces (like spraying around the toilet), door knobs, toys, and just about everywhere else in the home that you would want to disinfect.

The EPA says Force of Nature can be used to disinfect:

• Daycares, Pre-Schools, Schools, universities, and other campus facilities’ routine daily cleaning and disinfecting of hard non-porous surfaces.
• Commercial buildings’ routine cleaning and disinfecting of hard nonporous surfaces and floors.
• Hotel, motel, casino, and other hospitality housekeeping, venues.
• Cleaning high-touch areas and surfaces including but not limited to door handles, door knobs, tabletops, countertops, television, television remotes, video game controllers, chairs, headboards,
  sinks, faucets, etc.
• Cleaning and disinfecting homes, hospitals, dentist offices, assisted living facilities, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, medical clinics, military facilities, medical offices, veterinary facilities, animal research facilities, cruise ships, farms, laboratories classrooms, food processing facilities, restaurants, hotels, motels, etc.
• Restaurants non-porous non-food contact surfaces, food contact surfaces with potable water rinse.
• Cleaning and disinfecting areas with a two-step process in restrooms, toilets areas, sinks and sink areas, counters, exterior surfaces of urinals, floors, mirrors, and other areas.
• Cleaning and disinfecting Animal Premises. Remove all animals and feed from area before disinfecting. Remove and clean all litter and droppings from hard non-porous surfaces before disinfecting: Animal grooming Facilities, Animal Housing Facilities, Animal Life Science Laboratories, and Kennels.

Cost:

The initial $70-80 for the starter kit which includes a spray bottle and HOCl generator will last for a while but I don’t know exactly how long it will last so I can’t calculate the total cost per bottle over the lifetime.

My knockoff version did not last that long. Force of Nature might last longer.

With Force of Nature, they also want you to buy the little vials of vinegar and salt which come to $1 per 12 ounce bottle.

You could conceivably use your own white vinegar and normal salt but we don’t know the exact measurement needed. It’s likely similar to what was used in the knockoff version but that came with its own measuring spoon for salt and dropper for vinegar.

Effectiveness:

Force of Nature generates HOCl in a 220 ppm concentration.

It needs a 10-minute contact time with most pathogens (the full list of pathogens it works on is here).

The EPA says Force of Nature is a disinfectant for hard, non-porous surfaces, environmental and noncritical care equipment surfaces, that is, kills bacteria, cleans, and deodorizes. (Source)

Not effective as a cleaning product as it contains no surfactants.

EPA recommends you pre-clean surface before applying the solution. Rinse is needed only off of food contact surfaces. (Source)

Using Branch Basics and Force of NaturE Together

These two products go well together, Branch Basics is a good surfactant that has a clean ingredient list and no fragrance.

It can be used for all cleaning needs in the home, it’s a true all-purpose cleaner since its range includes items like dishes and even works as a body soap.

Force of Nature is a great disinfectant that is safe for all surfaces in the home.

The EPA recommends cleaning with a surfactant-based cleaner first, and then disinfecting the surface (one after the other, not mixing them).