Better Ingredients, Thoughtfully Chosen: The Pure Sweep Formulation Philosophy
Updated: Oct 12
Pure Sweep did not begin as a product company.
It began inside real homes.
Before there was a storefront, shelves of amber bottles, or a growing home care collection, there were families trusting us with the spaces where they actually live.
The kitchen counters where breakfast is made. The bathroom where little ones take baths. The floors where babies crawl and pets spend most of their day.
Working inside those homes changed the way we thought about cleaning products.
We wanted products that performed beautifully, but we also wanted to understand what we were bringing into someone's home. We wanted formulas our professional team could use every day without the harsh experience we had come to associate with conventional cleaning.
That thinking eventually became Moonflower.
Moonflower is our non toxic all purpose cleaner, handcrafted in Athens for thoughtful everyday home care. It was created to balance ingredient standards, surface care, fragrance, and the everyday cleaning performance our professional team needs.
We designed this non toxic all purpose cleaner to lift fingerprints, grease, food residue, soap splatter, and everyday buildup while remaining gentle enough for regular use throughout the home.
And very soon, Moonflower and the rest of the Pure Sweep collection will have a permanent home of their own at our new store at 675 Pulaski Street, Suite 900 in Athens, Georgia.
Formulated With Intention
Safety is our first standard.
Before an ingredient is considered for its scent, appearance, or cleaning ability, we consider whether it is appropriate for its intended use inside the home.
If it does not meet our safety standards, it does not move forward. No amount of performance, fragrance, or marketing appeal can make up for that.
Every ingredient in a Pure Sweep formula must answer four questions:
Does it meet our safety standards for its intended use?
Does it perform effectively within the complete formula?
Is it appropriate for the surfaces it will touch?
Is it supported by quality sourcing and clear documentation?
We do not choose ingredients simply because they sound natural on a label. We look at their safety profile, concentration, purpose, and how they interact with the rest of the formula.
Context matters. Concentration matters. The finished formula matters.
Nothing is selected because it is the cheapest option available. We do not formulate to the lowest possible cost. We choose ingredients that allow us to create products we feel confident using in our professional work and bringing into the homes entrusted to us.
Why We Use Plant-Derived Glucosides
Every effective surface cleaner needs surfactants. These are the ingredients that help water loosen and lift grease, fingerprints, food residue, and everyday buildup.
Many conventional formulas rely on inexpensive, high-foaming surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, commonly known as SLS. SLS is effective and economical, but it is also a strong anionic surfactant that can feel drying or stripping with repeated exposure.
SLS is not automatically unsafe. It simply does not offer the gentler cleansing experience we want from a Pure Sweep product.
Instead, our surface-cleaning formulas use a considered combination of plant-derived glucosides, including decyl glucoside, coco glucoside, and caprylyl/capryl glucoside.
Glucosides are nonionic surfactants made from glucose and plant-derived fatty alcohols. They are known for their effective cleansing ability and gentler skin profile compared with many conventional high-foaming surfactants.
Each glucoside serves a different purpose within the formula. Together, they help lift oils and residue, support even application, and bring water, fragrance, and oil-based materials into balance.
Using several complementary glucosides is a more costly and complex approach than relying heavily on one inexpensive surfactant. We choose that complexity because it helps us create products that clean effectively without making unnecessary harshness part of the experience.
A cleaner should not need to leave hands feeling stripped or fill a room with fumes to prove that it works.
Clean Fragrance Is Held to the Same Safety Standard
Scent never outranks safety.
Some Pure Sweep fragrances are created entirely from plant-derived aromatic materials. Others combine botanical ingredients with carefully selected, high-quality fragrance oils.
We work with suppliers who provide safety testing and documentation. We select fragrance options formulated without phthalates or parabens and review the available supplier information before a fragrance becomes part of our collection.
We consider more than how a scent smells. We look at its intended use, concentration, available safety documentation, performance within the formula, and how it will be experienced throughout a home.
Why We Do Not Believe 100% Natural Is Always Safer
Natural does not automatically mean safe, just as synthetic does not automatically mean harmful.
Essential oils can be beautiful and valuable materials. They are also highly concentrated compounds. Depending on the specific oil, concentration, and level of exposure, some may irritate the skin, become harmful if swallowed, or be inappropriate around certain pets.
Their environmental impact can also be more complicated than the word “natural” suggests.
Producing essential oils can require a significant amount of plant material, land, water, harvesting, processing, and human labor. Rose oil requires an immense number of blossoms. Sandalwood is produced from slow-growing trees whose wild populations have faced pressure from overharvesting and illegal trade.
Responsible formulation means considering the complete story of an ingredient.
We look at where it comes from, how it is produced, how much is required, how it will be used, and what role it serves in the finished formula.
We use botanical materials when they are the thoughtful choice. We use carefully selected synthetic aroma materials when they offer safety, consistency, stability, or sourcing advantages. In some formulas, the most responsible choice is a considered combination of both.
Our decisions are not guided by fear or by the marketing value of the word “natural.” They are guided by safety, evidence, quality, and purpose.
Designed for Real Homes and Real Surfaces
Safety also means respecting the materials that make up your home.
Pure Sweep surface cleaners are pH balanced and formulated with common household finishes in mind, including sealed stone, granite, quartz, cabinetry, tile, and other finished surfaces.
We consider cleaning ability, residue, repeated use, and surface compatibility together. A product should not only remove what you can see. It should also respect what remains beneath it.
The Pure Sweep Standard
For us, a cleaning product should do more than smell beautiful or look good on a shelf.
It should begin with safety. It should perform without relying on unnecessary harshness. It should respect the hands using it, the surfaces it touches, and the home it becomes part of.
Safety comes first. Performance must follow. Beauty belongs only when both are present.
Come See What We’ve Been Building
Pure Sweep is entering a new chapter.
You can find us every Saturday at the Athens Farmers Market from 8 AM to 12 PM, where you can shop Moonflower and the rest of the Pure Sweep collection in person.
Our new Athens store at 675 Pulaski Street, Suite 900 is opening in October 2026.
Follow us on Instagram for the official grand opening announcement, opening date, and first look inside the space.
We are so excited to finally welcome you in.
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