To help you choose the best all purpose cleaner for your home, car, or office, we have tried dozens of top products, testing them for their cleaning ability, with special consideration paid to products with superior bacteria and germ elimination capabilities. We also liked natural products that are free from harsh chemicals and other potentially dangerous ingredients, and those that left a pleasant scent after cleaning. Find more recommended kitchen products with our in-depth guides on Gadget Review.
The best product we tried was easily Lysol Clean and Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner, which is certified to kill 99.9% of all germs and bacteria typically found on home surface areas, including e. coli, listeria and salmonella, among others. It’s available in a large multipack, totaling 120 ounces of cleaning product, and leaves a fresh lemon scent after cleaning. Keep reading to learn more about Lysol Clean and Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner and the other products on this list. Buff up your bar with some of the best wine bar accessories.
Top 6 Best All Purpose Cleaner Compared
#1 Lysol Clean and Fresh Multi-Surface Cleanerr – Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: Certified to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including heavy hitters like e.coli and salmonella.
Read Full Review: Lysol Multi Surface Cleaner Sunflower 3X40oz
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- Kills 99.9% of viruses & bacteria
- Large Multipack
- Pleasant lemon scent
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- Not organic or particularly eco-friendly
- Is not as effective after being diluted
- No other scents available
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This Lysol Clean and Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner is a high quality cleaning agent that is certified to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on contact. This includes dangerous varieties, such as e,coli, listeria and salmonella, among others. It leaves a pleasant lemon scent and it arrives in a large multipack, totaling 120 ounces of cleaning agent spread across three bottles. We also found that it did a good job cutting through grease and grime and worked perfectly in kitchens and bathrooms, among other locations. When it comes to cleaning, cleaning supplies are necessary bathroom essentials.
Though the cleaning agent is particularly effective, it’s worth noting that it’s not an organic product.
If you’re looking for the best all-purpose spray cleaners, check out our Best Disinfectant Spray review with the top 7 picks including Lysol, CleanSmart, and Seventh Generation. Keep your hands washed and cleaned with our best antibacterial spray.
#2 Soft Scrub All Purpose Surface Cleanser – Honorable Mention
WHY WE LIKE IT: Excels at the elimination of tough grease stains in kitchens, bathrooms and other locations throughout the home.
Read Full Review: Soft Scrub Oxi Cleanser
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- Great for stains
- Arrives in multipack
- Kosher
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- Not eco-friendly
- Not as good as eliminating bacteria as top pick
- Lemon scent can be intense
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This Soft Scrub All Purpose Surface Cleanser is absolutely stellar at removing tough stains, including soap scum and calcified deposits surrounding faucets, and is safe to use on just about any surface found in a typical home. It’s also certified to be Kosher, which is nice, and arrives in a relatively large multipack, totaling 108 ounces of cleaning agent spread across three bottles, which is nearly as much as what is found with our top pick.
Though this product excels at eliminating tough stains, it doesn’t do quite as good of a job at killing potentially harmful bacteria, falling shorter than our top pick on that front. Also, the lemon scent is fairly intense and may be too much for some users, but we found that it faded in several minutes. The smell should leave just as quickly as if you mopped with the best mop.
#3 Method All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes – Best for Cars
WHY WE LIKE IT: Completely compostable and recyclable design, arriving in a large multipack that contains 180 cleaning wipes that do a great job at eliminating grease and grime, and features a pleasant scent.
Read Full Review: Method All Purpose Cleaner
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- Pets & infants
- Large multipack
- Variety of pleasant scents
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- Wipes may not be for everyone
- Not antibacterial
- Not a disinfectant
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These Method All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes are incredibly eco-friendly, thanks to featuring a fully compostable, recyclable and biodegradable design. These wipes come in a large multipack containing 180 units spread across six containers and are available in a trio of pleasant scents, lavender, lime and grapefruit. Thanks to being free of harsh chemicals, this product is also safe for use around pets and infants.
Though they do a great job at eliminating grease and grime, these wipes are not particularly large, so they may not be suitable for long-lasting jobs in enormous rooms. Additionally, these are not designed to kill bacteria and viruses. For toilet cleaning, it is best to use the best toilet bowl cleaner.
#4 Mr. Clean Multi-Surface Cleaner – Best Quality
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
WHY WE LIKE IT: Perfect for the value-conscious consumer, thanks to arriving in a large multipack totaling 80 ounces of a cleaning product that smells great and excels with stains, grease and grime.
Read Full Review: Mr Clean Antibacterial
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- Great scent
- Arrives in multipack
- Does great with stains and grease
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- Not eco-friendly
- Ingredients are not fully disclosed
- Not a great antibacterial product
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This Mr. Clean Multi-Surface Cleaner does a fantastic job at eliminating grease, grime and stains, in line with our number two pick, and boasts a fantastic scent that is reminiscent of a fresh meadow. It also comes in a fairly large multipack totaling 80 ounces of cleaning product spread across two bottles, while costing less than some of our top picks. We also liked that it is safe to use on finished wood, among other household surfaces.
Though this does a fantastic job at cleaning, the company is a bit vague as to what ingredients are included in the package, even on the label itself. Additionally, this is not intended to be an antibacterial agent, which is something our top pick excels with. It works better than just the best cleaning cloths by itself.
#5 Zep All-Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser – Best Budget
WHY WE LIKE IT: Incredible value, thanks to arriving in a large multipack of concentrated formula totaling 4 gallons of product, which after diluting with water could last you months or years.
Read Full Review: Zep All-Purpose Cleaner
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- Fantastic with household stains
- Concentrated formula
- Large multipack
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- Cannot be used on stone and several other surfaces
- Not to be used as disinfectant
- Does not come with child-proof lid like other products on the market
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This Zep All-Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser is an extremely concentrated formula which excels at eliminating household grease in addition to functioning nicely as an industrial-grade product. It comes in an incredibly large multipack, four gallons of concentrated product spread across four bottles, making it fantastic for the budget-conscious consumer. If you’re using this cleaner to prepare for your next party, take a look at the best oyster knife too, to make your party perfect.
Though this concentrated formula can pretty much clean anything it comes into contact with, it is not for use with stone, carpet, or in cars. Also, it is not a disinfectant nor is it an antibacterial solution, and is to be used as a cleaning agent only. Use it with the best shop cloth.
#6 Organic Orange TKO Super Concentrated All Purpose Cleaner – Best Natural
We’re sorry, this product is temporarily out of stock
WHY WE LIKE IT: The most concentrated formula on this list, taking only two ounces of product to make a full gallon of cleaning agent, with an organic formulation that excels with eliminating foul odors, in addition to grease and grime.
Read Full Review: Orange Concentrated Degreaser Deodorizer
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- Excels with fighting odors
- Organic
- Non-toxic formulation
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- Not a disinfectant
- Not to be used as antibacterial agent
- Can irritate eyes
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This Organic Orange TKO Super Concentrated All Purpose Cleaner is the most concentrated formula on this list, needing only two ounces of product to produce a full gallon of cleaning agent. It excels with the elimination of grease, grime and stains, in addition to doing a great job at removing foul odors. We also liked that it is organically made and is manufactured using non-toxic ingredients, like orange oil, making it safe to use around pets and infants. We look for this in the best laundry detergent too.
Unlike our top pick, this product is not intended to be used as a disinfectant nor to be used as an antibacterial agent. Additionally, it is an incredibly concentrated formula, so keep it away from the eyes. I should mention that the best robot vacuum can really help keep the floor clean.
For the best cleaning products for your stainless steel kitchen appliances, read our review on How to Clean Stainless Steel Refrigerator, and the Best Oven Cleaner review that includes our evaluation on foam vs. spray cleaners.
How We Decided
To help narrow down to the above list, we focused on products that delivered efficient and even cleaning functionality, truly delivering on promises to quickly eliminate grease, stains, grime, and other common household messes. To that end, these all purpose cleaners use powerful formulations to achieve that goal and were suitable in any area of the home, including the kitchen and bathroom.
To get you the best all-purpose or multi-purpose cleaner, we populated the above list with a nice mix of standard cleaning agents and those that boasted extremely concentrated formulations. These concentrated products easily dilute with water, creating an entire gallon of solution in just two to four ounces of concentrate. These were often industrial-grade products that shine in a number of applications in addition to simple household cleaning tasks.
We also preferred products that were natural, free of toxic chemicals, and those all-purpose cleaners that were biodegradable and, occasionally, Kosher. We also liked fast-acting antibacterial cleaners, like our top pick, which kills dangerous and common bacteria, such as e.coli and salmonella. Finally, for the best all-purpose cleaner, we chose plenty of multipacks, thus maximizing your buying dollar.
All Purpose Cleaner Buying Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Standard or Concentrate
All purpose cleaners are available as standard cleaning agents, such as our top picks, which do a great job at eliminating grease and performing other household cleaning tasks. If you are looking for industrial-grade strength performance, you may want to choose an ultra-concentrated formula, as seen in several of the above picks. These products dilute with as much water as you want to make incredibly strong cleaning agents that excel with household cleaning tasks and are often commercial grade, so you can use them to clean up nasty industrial messes, for instance. - Antibacterials and Disinfectants
Some all purpose cleaners also double as antibacterial agents and disinfectants. These products, like our top pick, excel at killing dangerous and common household bacteria, such as e.coli, salmonella, and listeria, among many others. This can be especially helpful on kitchen countertops, faucets, drains, and bathroom areas, particularly near the toilet, as these are the areas that typically foster growth of these harmful bacteria. - Eco-friendly Ingredients
Many of the above products are manufactured using eco-friendly and non-toxic ingredients, making them safe to be used around infants and pets, for instance. Some products are also organic and completely compostable, as found in number three pick, in addition to being placed inside recyclable containers. If remaining eco-friendly is high on your list of priorities, there are plenty of products to choose from.
