Is bench spray safe to use around babies, kids and pets?

If you've got a baby on your hip or a dog underfoot while you clean, wanting to know exactly what you're spraying is completely reasonable. The short version: this bench spray is made from five simple, listed ingredients with no fumes and nothing left on the surface once it's wiped — which is precisely why families with little ones reach for it.

What's in it, in plain terms

The whole formula is castile soap (made from olive and coconut oil), 100% pure Australian eucalyptus oil, water, and a real essential-oil scent. There's no SLS, no synthetic fragrance, no synthetic dye and no harsh solvent. That short list is the point: Australian cleaning brands aren't legally required to tell you what's in the bottle, and many don't. We've listed every ingredient on every label since 1895 — five generations before any law asked us to — so a parent can read the whole thing in a few seconds rather than decoding a paragraph of chemical names. When you're cleaning the surfaces a toddler will press their hands (and face) against, being able to see exactly what's there is worth more than any 'gentle' claim on the front of a label.

Are there fumes to worry about?

No harsh chemical fumes — and that's a real difference in a small kitchen. The sharp catch-in-your-throat feeling from bleach or ammonia sprays comes from volatile synthetic chemicals; this spray doesn't contain them. The scent you notice is real essential oil, and it fades as the eucalyptus oil evaporates rather than hanging in the air the way synthetic fragrance is designed to. Parents of newborns often tell us this was the deciding factor: they could wipe down the change table or the highchair without clearing the room first or worrying about what their baby was breathing. It's rated 4.97 out of 5 across 185 reviews, and 'no fumes' is one of the most repeated phrases in them.

How to use it sensibly around little ones

Spray onto the surface, wipe with a damp cloth, and let it dry — that's the routine. Because the eucalyptus oil evaporates and a wipe removes the lifted grease and soap, there's no film left on the bench, the highchair tray or the toy shelf. A few sensible habits still apply, as they would with any cleaner: don't spray it directly at a child or into eyes, give a food surface a final wipe with a clean damp cloth, and store the bottle out of little hands' reach. None of that is because the ingredients are alarming — it's just good practice with any spray in the house. Here's more on why it leaves nothing behind on food-prep surfaces.

What about pets?

Used as directed, it's a sensible choice for pet households: no fumes drifting around at nose height, and nothing left on the floor or bench once it's wiped and dry. The honest caution worth stating is about essential oils in concentrate — pure essential oils shouldn't be ingested by pets, and some animals (cats especially) are more sensitive than others. In this product the oils are diluted and evaporate off the surface, so ordinary wiped-and-dried use isn't the concern; the sensible rules are simply not to let a pet lick a freshly sprayed wet surface, and to keep the bottle stored away. This is general guidance, not veterinary advice — if you have a particular worry about your animal, your vet is the right person to ask. And if you're weighing it against 'antibacterial' sprays, here's the clean-versus-disinfect picture.

Why 'fewer ingredients' is the safety story

A lot of cleaning-product safety comes down to a simple idea: the less that's in the bottle, and the less that's left on the surface, the fewer things there are to react to. This spray is built around that. It cleans by physically lifting grease and grime away, then evaporates and wipes off, so a sensitive household isn't living with a residue of synthetic fragrance or detergent on every surface. That's also why it's gentle enough for the surfaces a child touches most, yet still cuts kitchen grease — it's a different mechanism, not a watered-down one. If you're wondering whether gentle means weak, we tested the grease question here. You can see the All Natural Bench Spray, and its five real essential-oil scents, here.

Frequently asked questions

Is natural bench spray safe to use around babies and kids?

It's made from five simple, listed ingredients — castile soap, pure eucalyptus oil, water and a real essential oil scent — with no SLS, synthetic fragrance, dyes or fumes. Used as directed (spray, wipe, let the surface dry), it's designed for homes with young children.

Is it safe around pets?

Used as directed it's a sensible choice for pet households — there are no fumes and nothing is left on the surface once it's wiped and dry. As with any cleaner or essential-oil product, don't let pets lick a freshly sprayed wet surface, and store the bottle out of reach. This isn't veterinary advice; check with your vet about your specific animal.

Are there fumes or a strong chemical smell?

No harsh chemical fumes. The scent comes from real essential oil and fades as the eucalyptus oil evaporates, rather than a synthetic fragrance that lingers.

Do I need gloves or ventilation?

For normal use you don't need gloves or to open windows the way you might with bleach or ammonia sprays. It's still a cleaning product, so avoid spraying it in eyes and keep it stored away from children.