All-purpose cleaners are the genius multipurpose products you should be reaching for to clean up small messes that happen over the course of a day. Great for wiping down your kitchen table, floors, appliances, and even painted walls, all-purpose cleaners typically have gentle formulas that keep surfaces grease- and grime-free all over the home.
All-purpose cleaners are best used to wipe down nonporous surfaces, including treated wood, glass, stainless steel, and porcelain. Many of these types of cleaners have plant-based ingredients or nontoxic formulas that smell great and are ideal for quick cleanups.
But while gentle all-purpose cleaners may remove grime, germs, and dust on the surface level, they may not necessarily kill bacteria. In the event that something at home gets soiled or you're looking for a deeper clean for an area like the bathroom, you'll want something a little stronger.
Some all-purpose cleaners are also disinfectants, which means that they can kill bacteria and viruses. You must use these products as directed in order to reap their full benefits, which usually involves spraying and waiting for the formula to sit on the surface for a minute or two.
How We Tested
I've tested out all eight products in this guide in my own home for several weeks each, and have evaluated their cleaning efficacy, scent potency, and general ease and enjoyment of use.
Learn more about these all-purpose cleaners, and see which one is best aligned with your household's needs.
If a nice scent is incentive enough to reach for an all-purpose cleaner more often, opt for this one. Method's All-Purpose Surface Cleaner comes in a colorful variety of bright, nose-pleasing scents, but the French Lavender one really helps your space smell squeaky-clean.
It's a nontoxic, cruelty-free product that has recycled plastic in its packaging, and I like that it's affordable and readily available both online and in stores.
The smell is gentle and fades almost instantly, and there's never a film or streak left behind, even when wiping down mirrored stainless steel. If I were to start from square one with restocking my cleaning arsenal, this is the all-purpose cleaner I'd reach for.
If you want to start an LTR with an all-purpose cleaner, there's no better choice than this editor-favorite pick from Blueland. You'll get the brand's 24-ounce Forever Bottle and three cleaning tablets to get you started. All you have to do is drop in one tablet and fill the bottle with water — once it's dissolved, you're ready to clean!
Even if you spritz this all-purpose cleaner on a daily basis, it'll last a surprisingly long time. The Fresh Lemon scent is bright and adds a nice perfume to the air. There's no streakiness left behind, and your surface is ready to use right after it's been cleaned.
Although it may seem a little pricey with its upfront cost, this all-purpose cleaning kit will save you money (and lots of plastic waste) in the long run, since each refill tablet runs you just $2 each!
This ethyl alcohol-based all-purpose cleaner from Purell is one of the very few on the market that disinfects and sanitizes, while still being safe to use directly on food-prep areas (including on cutting boards), as well as on kids’ and pets’ toys. It kills some of the most harmful bacteria and germs like e.coli, salmonella, and norovirus in just 30 seconds, giving you total peace of mind when deep-cleaning every room in the house.
This product has even earned the Design for the Environment certification from the EPA for its low impact on the environment. While it's not recommended for use on wood or unsealed granite surfaces, it sanitizes virtually any other hard or soft surface in the home.
The formula itself is nonirritating and wipes away clean — however, note that the citrus scent is strong and unpleasant. It's a bit of an unfortunate tradeoff for an otherwise excellent product.
Mrs. Meyer’s all-purpose cleaners are well-known amongst aromatherapy fanatics for being one of the best-smelling cleaning products on the market. This particular pick has a springy rose scent that smells as if it could double as an air freshener. It’s only available on a seasonal basis, though, so pick it up while you can!
The all-purpose cleaning formula itself is very gentle and cruelty-free. And while it really isn't the best for scrubbing caked-on gunk, it handles spills and spot-cleaning with total ease.
Not everyone is a fan of scent. If even the most pleasant cleaning fragrance can trigger a headache or sneeze attack, consider this free-and-clear pick from Seventh Generation: It leaves out the dyes and scents, but keeps its thorough cleaning power. The bottle itself is also made of 100% post-consumer plastic, making it a slightly eco-friendlier choice.
I love using this all-purpose cleaner because it really wipes clean without a trace — and sometimes, that's just what you want if you're spritzing down your area between meal prep and dinner time.
Caldrea's all-purpose cleaner may be a little splurge-y, but it's a total joy to use. This cleaner has one of the strongest — but most pleasant — scents, making a small daily chore feel like a pick-me-up (if you like fragrance, that is!)
While it's not great at tackling older stains or stubborn grime, it degreases and picks up fresh messes without a struggle. It leaves behind no streakiness in its path.
7
Best No-Nonsense Cleaner
The Pink Stuff Miracle Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray
By this point, The Pink Stuff needs no introduction: This all-purpose cleaner is somehow both gentle and incredibly effective. And unlike the famous Pink Stuff Paste, this spray is nonabrasive and way less messy to use.
I use this product more in my bathroom than in my kitchen because its sweet scent has a chemical-cleaner quality that doesn't pair well with food. However, when the deep-clean day comes, this all-purpose cleaner completely degunks wherever it's sprayed. It works best when I let it sit on the surface for a bit before wiping or scrubbing away.
Includes 16-ounce spray bottle and two concentrate refills
This all-purpose cleaning concentrate from Grove Co. is not only an unbelievable value, but a 92% plant-based formula that packs a little bit more of a cleaning punch than simply mixing up your own DIY solution. We also like that the little concentrate bottles are made of glass, which you can then reuse or recycle after you're done with them.
Just add one full bottle of the concentrate to the included 16-ounce glass spray bottle, and fill up the rest with water. The Orange & Rosemary scent smells amazing without being overpowering, and the spray bottle itself is very pretty and free of overt, noisy branding.
Melanie YatesSenior Home Decor EditorMelanie is the senior home decor editor of Best Products, where she's been researching and testing out home and bedding products since 2015 — her work can also be found on House Beautiful and Women's Health.
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