The Best All-Purpose Cleaners Tested by Our Experts

• Spray Bottles: Spray bottle cleaners like this Carfidant Ultimate Car Interior Cleaner are popular for a good reason. They’re easy to use–just spray and wipe! They’re perfect for spot cleaning or other light cleaning jobs.
• Squirt Bottles: This type of cleaner is great for tackling stubborn grease. You can apply the product directly onto a sponge and clean away. This Soft Scrub Total All-Purpose is perfect for surfaces like stoves and countertops.
• Refill Containers: These are great to top up your spray bottles or to put into the fluid cartridge of your spray mop. You can often find concentrated cleaners sold as refill containers. They’re often used in industrial, medical or commercial spaces, like this Lucasol One Step Hospital Grade Disinfectante.
• “Ready-to-Use” Wipes: These are single-use wipes that can clean hard surfaces in the car, traveling, or around the house. They work best for quick, small jobs, and can remove grease and grime without the need for a sponge.

The best multi-purpose cleaner for you will always depend on the tools you have, and the size of space you’re cleaning.

Having one cleaner do everything is easier and faster for you, and more budget-friendly. Multi-purpose cleaners are designed to be versatile, so they should be safe on most surfaces too.

But of course, there are some surfaces in your home that require special care. Surfaces like hardwood floors, glass and upholstery aren’t always the best fit for a multi-use cleaner.

For example, toilet bowls need toilet bowl cleaners. So you should buy a targeted product formulated for such surfaces, to clean them safely and effectively.

You’ll find some all-purpose cleaners are both cleaners and disinfectants – just like this All-Purpose VIREX Disinfectant Cleaner.

This means while they clean they will also kill household bacteria. Some common household bacteria include: salmonella, e. coli and listeria.

Since some of this bacteria comes from uncooked or unwashed food, these anti-bacterial cleaners are perfect to use in the kitchen. Areas like faucets, kitchen and bathroom counters, and any other place where bacteria may live, can all benefit from a disinfecting cleaner.

If you’re using a cleaner in your home, it’s important to know what those cleaners are made of. The ingredients can make a difference if you have allergies, sensitivities or want to avoid certain products.

Chemicals

Chemical cleaners are useful for big cleaning jobs, or if you need sanitizing and cleaning at the same time. Keep in mind that chemical cleaners contain harsh ingredients, which can affect your health.

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), some cleaning chemicals can lead to birth defects, asthma and be carcinogenic. ⁽¹⁾

Chemical product manufacturers are not required to list ingredients on their products. This can be a problem if you have sensitivities, or are worried about ingesting chemicals.

This is certainly a concern for houses with children or pets – who like to put things into their mouths.

Despite these risks, chemical cleaners are very effective. If you need the heavy duty cleaning power without the worry, look for “Safer Choice” on the product label.

Natural

On the other end of the spectrum are cleaners that are labeled “natural”. These are cleaners that are designed to be less harmful to your health, and the environment.

“Natural” cleaners use chemicals made from corn or other similar products, rather than petroleum ⁽²⁾. Some may also contain natural ingredients such as plan extracts or essential oils.

Though these cleaners are made from renewable resources, these “natural” ingredients actually are very similar chemically to petroleum derived ingredients.

It’s possible that their health and environmental impacts are actually not that different.

Although they are marketed as the “safer” choice, it’s impossible to rule out any health effects. Different ingredients can interact with each other and cause a variety of different health effects.

One thing you should be careful of when it comes to natural cleaners is their effect on surfaces. Especially when it comes to “homemade” natural solutions.

For example, baking soda is a common natural solution, but it is actually very corrosive on carpet.

• Concentrated Cleaners: These cleaners are concentrated and meant to be mixed with water before using. They usually come in bulk size containers and are cheaper than ready-to-use products. This Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner comes in a large pour bottle — perfect to add to a mop bucket.
• Complete Cleaners: These are ready-to-use cleaners that do not need to be mixed with water. These cleaners get used up faster than concentrated cleaners, so you’ll pay more money in the long term.

Some cleaning products or situations require multiple applications, so keep this in mind when you’re deciding on the concentration.

That means it has to be strong enough to tackle dirt, but gentle enough not to cause any damage.

However, there are no standard ingredients for a multi-surface cleaner. And they are generally categorized as either disinfectants, degreasers or gentle multi-use cleaners.

Also, different brands work better on certain surfaces, which is why a “best of” list can help narrow down your options.

So to know if a cleaner disinfects, check if it includes words like “disinfecting” on the label.

But keep in mind that a multi-surface cleaner’s main job is to clean dirt – not necessarily kill germs. On the other hand, a disinfecting solution’s main job is to kill germs and bacteria.

Because of this, they will have different ingredients than a multi-purpose cleaner. And a disinfectant generally will not clean dirt and grease effectively like a multi-surface cleaner would.

So they will usually include ingredients that are safe for a variety of hard surfaces floors, like wood, marble and stainless steel.

But always read the label of your cleaner, even if it seems safe. Most manufacturers will include a list of surfaces that are not compatible with their product.

And keep in mind that some multi-surface cleaners will still have harsh chemicals that can’t be used in areas like a kitchen.

To be 100% sure, most manufacturers include a phone number on their labels. So don’t hesitate to contact them with any questions.

Household surfaces that shouldn’t be cleaned with vinegar include:

• Tiles
• Grout
• Concrete
• Hardwood
• Linoleum
• Stone floors (slate, granite, bluestone, brownstone, sandstone, quartzite)

On the other hand, vinegar is excellent at cleaning glass without leaving streaks. It also works on rust stains in sinks and can help polish brass and copper.