Complete Guide to Using Branch Basics Cleaning Products

Have you been researching Branch Basics and trying to decide it’s worth the money? Do you just wish someone would lay out the whole system in one place without all the marketing fluff? Well, that’s what this is.

Branch Basics is basically one concentrated cleaning formula that you dilute different ways to replace almost every cleaner in your house. The concentrate comes in a bottle, you mix it with water at specific ratios, and you end up with all-purpose spray, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, laundry detergent, hand soap, and a few other things.

They also have a bleach-type powder called Oxygen Boost that you use for tougher stains and grout and stuff like that.

The whole pitch is that it’s made from seven plant and mineral ingredients, it’s fragrance-free, and you’re not buying a million plastic bottles anymore. For people who have allergies or sensitivities to chemicals, or if you just want fewer harsh ingredients around kids and pets, it makes a lot of sense on paper.

But does it actually clean well enough to replace everything? And is the cost worth it when you can grab a bottle of conventional cleaner at Target for three bucks?

That’s what we wanted to figure out, so we dug into how the system actually works in real life, what the dilution ratios are, where it falls short, and what tricks make it work better.

What You’re Actually Buying

Branch Basics keeps things pretty simple compared to most cleaning brands. There’s really only a few products to understand.

The Concentrate is the main thing. It’s a thick liquid that you never use straight. You always dilute it with water depending on what you’re cleaning.

One bottle is supposed to make three bottles each of all-purpose, bathroom, glass, and foaming wash, plus one big bottle of laundry detergent that covers around 64 loads. (That’s the claim, anyway.)

The ingredients list is short: purified water, decyl glucoside, chamomile flower extract, coco-glucoside, sodium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium phytate. All plant and mineral based, no sulfates or parabens or phthalates or fragrance.

It’s got that MADE SAFE certification too, which is a third-party thing that checks ingredient safety.

Oxygen Boost is the powder. You use it as a laundry booster, for soaking pans, scrubbing grout, and basically any time the regular spray isn’t cutting it. It’s like the backup weapon when you hit a stubborn stain or burnt-on food.

Starter Kits are how most people start because you get the concentrate, the Oxygen Boost, and a bunch of pre-labeled bottles with fill lines already marked. The Premium Starter Kit has bottles for all-purpose, bathroom, streak-free glass cleaner, laundry, and foaming wash. It costs more upfront than buying a bunch of random cleaners at the store, but the concentrate lasts a while so the cost spreads out over months.

You can also just buy the concentrate by itself and use your own bottles if you want to save money or you already have spray bottles sitting around. They publish the dilution ratios online so you can measure it yourself.

Who This Actually Makes Sense For

Branch Basics isn’t for everyone. If you just want to spray something and have it blast through grease in two seconds with zero effort, this probably isn’t your vibe. It’s gentler than heavy-duty conventional chemical-based cleaners, so you have to give it time to work and sometimes scrub a bit more.

But if you’re trying to reduce chemicals in your house because you’ve got young kids crawling around or pets licking everything, or you have asthma or skin sensitivities, or you’re just tired of buying 12 different bottles that all smell like fake lemon and come in single-use plastic, then yeah, this system makes a lot of sense.

We think it works best for people who are okay with a little extra process. Like, you spray the counter and let it sit for 30 seconds instead of wiping immediately.

Or you soak a pan overnight with Oxygen Boost instead of using some crazy caustic oven cleaner.

It’s not hard, it just asks you to slow down a tiny bit.

The other big thing is cost. The upfront price feels high when you’re used to spending $3 on a bottle of Windex. But when you break it down per use and factor in that you’re replacing like six products, it evens out.

Still, if money is tight and you need to stretch every dollar, the initial investment can be a barrier.

And everything is online only, which bugs some people. You can’t just run to the grocery store and grab a bottle. You have to plan ahead and order before you run out.

Setting Up Your Bottles (The Actual Ratios)

This is the part that can be confusing at first because there’s a lot of “just dilute it” advice floating around without specific numbers. So here are the actual ratios from Branch Basics:

All-Purpose Cleaner is 1 part concentrate to 11 parts water. For a 24 oz bottle, that’s about 2 oz of concentrate, then fill the rest with water.

You’ll use this on counters, appliances, light switches, baseboards, toys, most surfaces.

Bathroom Cleaner is stronger at 1 part concentrate to 5 parts water. For a 24 oz bottle, this involves 4 oz of concentrate.

This is what you use on tubs, showers, toilets, tile, grout, soap scum.

Streak-Free Cleaner for glass is barely anything. Literally 1 drop of concentrate per 24 oz of distilled water.

If you add more you’ll get streaks.

Use this on windows, mirrors, screens, and you can try it on stainless steel too.

Foaming Wash is 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water in a foaming pump bottle. People use this as hand soap, body wash, for washing makeup brushes, and cleaning delicate stuff.

Laundry solution is 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water in whatever bottle you’re using. Then you use about 1 tablespoon of that diluted solution per regular load of laundry (in HE washers). For bigger loads, conventional machines, or really dirty stuff, you use more.

Getting these ratios right matters. Too much concentrate and you get residue or streaks.

Too little and it feels weak and doesn’t clean well.

The starter kit bottles have fill lines marked so you don’t have to measure, which is honestly the easiest way to do it. But if you’re using your own bottles, just measure carefully the first time and mark the bottle with a sharpie!

What Actually Works Well

Once you get used to the system, there’s a bunch of stuff that Branch Basics handles really well.

Everyday kitchen cleaning is solid. Counters, cabinet fronts, the outside of appliances, cutting boards, high chairs, all that daily stuff cleans up fine with the all-purpose spray. You just spray it, wait a few seconds, wipe it down. It doesn’t leave a strong smell or residue.

Glass and mirrors look good with the streak-free formula as long as you actually use just one drop. We messed this up the first time testing it, and added way too much concentrate and everything looked hazy. Once we followed the ratio correctly and used a clean microfiber cloth, it worked fine.

Laundry is probably the biggest switch for most people. The laundry solution is really gentle and fragrance-free, which is great if you have sensitive skin or you’re just done with clothes that smell like flowery chemicals for three weeks.

For normal laundry it cleans fine. For workout clothes or towels or anything that gets funky, you add Oxygen Boost to the wash and it handles the smell and stains better.

The foaming wash is nice for hand soap, especially if you or your kids have reactions to regular soap. It’s super mild and rinses clean.

Toys and kid stuff clean up easily. You can spray toys with all-purpose or soak them in water with a few squirts of foaming wash, rinse, and let them dry. Same with highchair trays and play mats and all that.

Where It Struggles (And How to Work Around It)

Branch Basics isn’t magic. There’s definitely situations where it feels weak compared to conventional cleaners, and you have to adjust your approach.

Heavy grease and baked-on food don’t come off instantly. If you spray your stovetop and wipe right away, you’ll probably still see grease.

You have to spray it, let it sit for a few minutes so the cleaner can break down the oil, then wipe.

For really stubborn stuff like burnt pans or oven messes, you need to soak it with all-purpose spray and Oxygen Boost. Spray the pan, sprinkle Oxygen Boost on the bottom, cover it with warm water, and let it sit for 15 minutes or overnight. Then scrub and rinse.

That combo works, but it takes time.

Soap scum and shower mildew need layering. Just spraying bathroom cleaner once usually isn’t enough if you have buildup.

The method that works is to spray bathroom cleaner on the area, sprinkle Oxygen Boost over it, spray again to wet the powder, let it sit for a few minutes, scrub with a brush, then rinse.

For mold on hard surfaces, you finish with a light spray of 3% hydrogen peroxide and let it dry. It’s more steps than spraying Scrubbing Bubbles and rinsing, but it gets the job done without the harsh chemical smell.

Tough laundry stains need pre-treatment. You can’t just toss a stained shirt in the wash with laundry solution and expect it to come out perfect.

For stains, you spray the spot with all-purpose, rub the fabric together with your fingers, then wash.

For set-in stains, soak overnight in warm water with half a scoop of Oxygen Boost and a teaspoon of concentrate, then wash. It works but again, more process.

Grout cleaning takes elbow grease. Make a paste of Oxygen Boost and bathroom spray, spread it on the grout, let it sit, scrub it in with a brush, then rinse. Your grout will look better but you’re going to be scrubbing.

The pattern here is that Branch Basics works really well when you give it time and combine the concentrate with Oxygen Boost for tougher jobs. If you want instant results with zero effort, you’ll be frustrated.

Use Tips That Actually Help

After reading through a bunch of user feedback and the Branch Basics blog, here are some useful tricks that make the system work better.

For burnt pots and pans, fill them with water, add a few tablespoons of all-purpose solution and half a scoop of Oxygen Boost, and let it sit overnight. In the morning the burnt stuff usually scrapes off way easier.

For removing old fragrance smells from thrift store clothes or hand-me-downs, air them outside in the sun for a day or two, then soak in water with Oxygen Boost and a bit of concentrate, then wash with laundry solution and Oxygen Boost and add an extra rinse cycle. Repeat if the smell is still there. It’s a whole process but it actually pulls out lingering fragrance.

You can clean coffee makers by running a brew cycle with water and some all-purpose solution mixed in, then running a couple plain water cycles after.

For jewelry, soak it in water with a few squirts of foaming wash for a few minutes or overnight, brush gently if needed, and rinse. It works pretty well for rings and chains.

People use all-purpose spray on patio furniture and grills too. For grills, spray the grates, let it sit for 5 to 30 minutes so the cleaner breaks down the grease and burnt-on stuff, scrub with a stiff brush, and rinse.

You can use foaming wash or a tiny bit of all-purpose on your hands as soap when you’re traveling or in a public bathroom that has sketchy soap. Just pump or spray it on your hands and rinse or wipe off.

If you have a bunch of makeup brushes, lather them with foaming wash, rinse, and repeat until the water runs clear. Way cheaper than fancy brush cleaner!

Cost Breakdown (Is It Actually Worth It)

The Premium Starter Kit usually runs somewhere around $75 to $90 depending on sales (prices change so check current pricing). That feels like a lot when you’re standing there about to click buy.

But here’s what you’re getting: one bottle of concentrate, one container of Oxygen Boost, and five reusable bottles. The concentrate makes enough diluted cleaner to fill those five bottles three times over, plus 64 loads of laundry.

When you break that down, you’re looking at something like:

• 15 bottles of cleaner total (three refills each for five bottles)
• 64 loads of laundry detergent
• A container of Oxygen Boost that lasts a few months depending on how much you use it

If you were buying conventional cleaners, you’d probably spend $3 to $5 per bottle, so 15 bottles is $45 to $75 right there. Laundry detergent for 64 loads is another $10 to $20.

So you’re kind of in the same ballpark cost-wise, maybe a bit more expensive, but not wildly more.

The real savings come when you refill. After the starter kit, you just buy concentrate refills for around $55 and Oxygen Boost refills for around $20 to $30. One concentrate refill gives you another round of everything.

The math works better the longer you stick with it. If you bail after one bottle it probably feels expensive.

If you use it for a year or two and just keep refilling, it evens out or even saves money compared to constantly buying new bottles of cleaner.

Also factor in that you’re buying way less plastic and not storing 15 different bottles under your sink. That’s worth something if you care about waste and clutter!

Common Problems and Fixes

Streaky glass usually means you added too much concentrate to your streak-free bottle. Double check you only used one drop per 24 oz. Also make sure your microfiber cloth is clean and hasn’t been washed with fabric softener, because that leaves residue that smears.

Residue or film on surfaces means the solution is too strong. Measure the concentrate carefully instead of just pouring it in.

Or it means you didn’t wipe enough. After cleaning smooth or glossy surfaces, buff them with a dry cloth to get rid of any leftover film.

Laundry not getting clean usually means you need more solution or Oxygen Boost. Increase the amount of laundry solution for heavily soiled loads.

Use Oxygen Boost regularly for whites, towels, and anything that gets sweaty or stinky.

Cleaner feels weak on grease means you’re not giving it enough dwell time. Spray and let it sit for at least 30 seconds, ideally a few minutes, before wiping.

Or switch to the bathroom formula on greasy areas because it’s more concentrated. Or use Oxygen Boost as a paste on the grease and let that sit before scrubbing.

If you’re sensitive or have reactions, patch test everything on fabrics and surfaces before going all in. Even though Branch Basics is gentle and fragrance-free, everyone reacts to ingredients differently. Introduce products one at a time so if something bothers you, you know which one it is.

The Verdict (And Whether You Should Try It)

Branch Basics works well as an everyday cleaning system if you’re willing to adjust how you clean. It’s gentler than conventional cleaners, so you let it sit longer, you scrub a bit more, and you’ll need to combine it with Oxygen Boost for tougher jobs.

That’s the trade-off for simpler ingredients and less plastic waste.

For families with young kids, people with allergies or asthma, and anyone trying to reduce chemicals at home, it makes a lot of sense. The fragrance-free formula and short ingredient list are real benefits, and the refill system genuinely cuts down on plastic bottles.

The cost is higher upfront but spreads out over time, especially once you’re just buying refills. If you’re on a super tight budget, starting with just the concentrate and using your own bottles can lower the initial cost.

Or you can keep using conventional cleaners for the really tough jobs and use Branch Basics for everything else.

The online-only thing can be annoying, since you have to plan ahead and reorder before you run out. But once you get in a rhythm it’s not a big deal.

If you want to check it out for yourself, we’d recommend starting with either the concentrate by itself or the starter kit depending on your budget. Use it for a few weeks on normal cleaning before deciding whether it works for you.

Give the system time to make sense instead of judging it after one use.

To try Branch Basics and see if it fits your house, you can grab the starter kit or just the concentrate through these links (and it helps support this site when you do).

For people who are serious about cutting chemicals and plastic but still need stuff to actually get clean, this system is a pretty solid option. Just go in knowing it’s a gentler approach and you’ll need to adjust your cleaning habits a bit.

Once you figure out the dilution ratios and learn to let it sit on tough messes, it works well for most everyday cleaning.

And honestly, having just one bottle of concentrate instead of a dozen different products cluttering up the cabinet is kind of nice. The whole Branch Basics guide boils down to that: simpler ingredients, fewer bottles, good enough cleaning for most situations if you give it a chance!