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Does less chemicals mean less clean?

21 Apr 2026

Less chemicals in cleaning cheat sheet:

More chemicals does not automatically mean better cleaning
What matters is using the right ingredients in the right amount
Many cleaning products are heavily diluted with water
Some ingredients are just there for things like bubbles, texture or scent
smol products use less chemical dry matter than many big brands
Independent testing shows smol still performs as well as, or better than, the big brands

There’s a stubborn myth floating around about cleaning.

It says that if a product uses less chemicals, it must work less well.

But when it comes to cleaning, more doesn’t always mean better. Sometimes it just means more water, fillers, foam, fragrance… and more stuff to rinse down the plug hole.

The “more is more” myth.

If there’s lots of foam does that mean a product is working harder?

If the dose is enormous does that mean you get a much deeper clean?

If it smells really perfumed does that mean it’s actually removing bad smells?

Brilliant deep-down cleaning doesn’t come from making the most bubbles or using the strongest perfumes. It comes from the ingredients and the formulation.

What really makes a cleaning product work?

Behind every good cleaning product are ingredients with specific jobs:

1. Surfactants.

Surfactants are cleaning workhorses. They help water grab onto dirt and lift it away so it can be rinsed off. We use them in a few products like our Laundry Capsules and Multi Purpose Spray.

2. Enzymes.

Enzymes are very useful in laundry; breaking down stains like sweat and grease, even at lower temperatures. We use them in our bio Capsules and Laundry Liquid and also in our Stain Gel.

3. Water softeners.

Water softeners help detergents work properly, especially in hard water areas. We use them in our award-winning all-in-one Dishwasher Tablets.

Extras that don’t earn their keep.

Not every ingredient used by big brands is there to improve cleaning. Some are there to create more bubbles, or to alter the look of a product. Some are there just to smell nice.

That’s why we talk about chemical dry matter. Chemical dry matter testing strips out the water and fragrance in a product and looks at how much actual cleaning matter is left in a dose.

Compare products this way, and the “more chemicals = more cleaning” myth starts falling apart.

Less chemicals, same clean.

Testing across the smol range shows that our products match or outperform the big brands, all while using less chemical matter.¹

smol vs the big brands.

smol product	Less chemicals than big brands	Performs as well as big brands
Bio Capsules	38% less per wash	✅
Non-Bio Capsules	35% less per wash	✅
Fragrance-Free Capsules	35% less per wash	✅
Bio Laundry Liquid	5.5% less per wash	✅
Non-Bio Laundry Liquid	4.6% less per wash	✅
Fabric Conditioner	66% less per wash	✅
Washing Up Liquid	42% less per wash	✅
Dishwasher Tablets	15% less per wash	✅
Multi Purpose Spray	50% less per 500ml bottle	✅
Floor Cleaner	45% less per 500ml bottle	✅

What this proves.

You do NOT need the most chemicals for a great clean. You just need an efficient formula. Here at smol, we aim to make formulas that are:

Concentrated
Super effective at cleaning
Lower in chemical load
Lighter to transport
Less wasteful

So let’s bust the myth once and for all.

Less chemicals does NOT mean weaker cleaning or having to compromise. smol proves that every day.

FAQs: the ‘less chemicals, less clean’ myth

Does using less chemicals make a cleaning product weaker?

No. Not if the product is formulated properly. Performance depends on using the right ingredients in the right dose, not simply using more chemical matter overall.

Why do some products use more chemicals than others?

Some products are more diluted, use larger recommended doses, or include extra ingredients for things like fragrance, bubbles or texture. That does not always improve cleaning performance.

What is chemical dry matter?

Chemical dry matter is what’s left once water and fragrance are removed from a product. It helps show how much actual chemical matter you’re using per dose.

Do bubbles mean a product is cleaning better?

No. Foam can make a product look like it’s busy cleaning, but more bubbles do not automatically mean better cleaning. In fact they mostly just get in the way.

Can concentrated products clean as well as big brands?

Yes. smol’s own testing and performance claims show that concentrated formulas can perform as well as, or better than, big brands while using less chemical matter.

¹ see our claims at smol.com/our-claims

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