The best antibacterial spray sanitizes and eliminates odors across all types of surfaces. Choosing the wrong one could mean the difference between a foul stench and a clean, pleasant smelling environment. Our evaluation looked at effectiveness, odor, ingredients, safety, and usage on hard vs. soft surfaces. Find more great kitchen products with our reviews.
After more than 14 hours of research and testing, our top pick goes to the Elite Sportz Shoe Deodorizer and Foot Spray. This all-natural formula contains more than 11 ingredients to kill foot fungus with an added cooling effect to soothe tired and aching soles. It is also safe for children. Keep reading to learn more about the Elite Sportz Shoe Deodorizer and Foot Spray and six others that made the cut.
Top 7 Best Antibacterial Spray Compared
#1 Elite Sportz Shoe Deodorizer and Foot Spray – Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: This show and foot spray offers 11 all-natural ingredients and a cooling sensation. It is an excellent choice if you are looking for a daily antibacterial spray with a light therapeutic effect.
Read Full Review: Elite Sportz Shoe Deodorizer
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- Safe all-natural formula
- Kills bacteria quickly
- Cools feet
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- Slippery on application
- High cost
- Nozzle doesn’t always spray when bottle is straight
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Some of this shoe deodorizer’s ingredients include peppermint, menthol, chamomile, tea tree, and lavender. Each ingredient offers amazing benefits with its antifungal properties, fighting athletes foot, jock itch, and other foot conditions. No chemicals are used, making it safe around children and pets, much like some of the best disinfectant sprays on the market today.
We love this shoe deodorizer because of its cooling and tingling effect, felt shortly after spraying on. Its predominant light peppermint smell covers up bad odors quickly. Its application is straightforward, using a thin spray nozzle instead of aerosol sprays and powders that are easy to over-apply. Make your cupcakes look perfect with our best baking cup liners.
#2 CleanSmart Disinfectant Spray – Honorable Mention
WHY WE LIKE IT: This disinfectant spray comes with a hypochlorous formula that promises to kill 99.99% of germs and a convenient, pull-handle spray dispenser.
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- Best quality
- Safe for kids
- No harsh fumes
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- Flimsy spray handle
- Leak-prone
- Faint vinegar smell
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Thanks to its hypochlorous formula, this food-safe antibacterial spray does an excellent job of sanitizing all types of surfaces, including cutting boards, trash cans, and kitchen countertops. We love the fact it converts to a saline solution after applying, which means it leaves no chemical residue – non-toxic around children and pets. Bonus points for its trigger, which sprays a light mist to cover a larger area than a stream.
Unlike rubbing alcohol and some hydrogen peroxide formulas, this disinfectant spray carries no harsh fumes or dyes that stain. This makes it very good for sanitizing toys and other kids items. Which is always a nice complement to that of the best spray bottles, which are a great addition if you buy something like this in bulk.
#3 Shibari Advanced Antibacterial Toy Cleaner – Best Budget
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WHY WE LIKE IT: This anti-bacterial toy cleaner features a water-based formula and easy-to-use spray bottle. It is a great choice if you want to sanitize latex, rubber, and silicone sex toys, which could degrade over time with an alcohol-based formula.
Read Full Review: Shibari Advanced Antibacterial
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- Perfect for adult toys
- Water-based formula (Paraben and alcohol free)
- Discrete bottle
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- Slight, chemical smell
- Leak-prone container
- Not the best at eliminating odors
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We love this cleaner’s application – just spray once or twice and wipe down with a dry towel. It is an excellent alternative to using soap and warm water, which may not get rid of all bacteria. Once applied, be sure to let it air dry, as there is a slight tinge of noticeable smell that quickly fades.
Bonus points for its packaging, which simply reads ‘Shibari Advanced Toy Cleaner’ with no graphic images of adult products. This is especially useful if you have concerns about privacy, especially in a larger household where the best all purpose cleaner is a must, and a great complement to these top picks.
#4 Medline Skintegrity Wound Cleanser – Best For Cuts
WHY WE LIKE IT: This cleaner features a non-toxic formula and adjustable trigger pressure. It is an excellent choice for treating all types of wounds, including cuts, scrapes, and minor burns.
Read Full Review: Medline Skin integrity Wound Cleansers
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- Great for scrapes & wounds
- Sprays in a stream or mist form
- 16-ounce bottle
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- May burn a little
- Leak-prone bottle
- May apply too much pressure for some
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This wound cleaner has a nifty spray nozzle that uses stream or fine mist to treat all types of wounds. Its trigger is also adjustable, shooting spray three inches away for a gentle touch. We really love its large 16-ounce bottle, making it easier to grip while spraying.
We also liked the fact that this wound cleanser is completely odorless and colorless, unlike hydrogen peroxide, which has a harsh chemical smell.
#5 Puracyn Plus Wound and Skin Cleanser – Best for Children
WHY WE LIKE IT: This wound and skin cleanser feature a hypochlorous acid formula in an easy to use 16-ounce pump spray bottle. It is an excellent choice for anyone looking to treat minor cuts, burns, mosquito bites, and irritation with a more forceful application.
Read Full Review: Puracyn Plus Wound and Skin Cleanser
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- Safe for children
- Easy to use pump spray bottle
- No sting
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- Minor bleach smell
- High cost
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This cleanser’s 16-ounce pump spray bottle makes it very easy to apply. This is especially good with larger wounds that need wider dispensing. Plus, it is also made using a non-toxic formula that is safe to use on newborns and children. Sensitive areas such as the eyes and ears are in good hands.
Though this wound and skin cleanser does contain a non-toxic formula, It has a minor bleach-like smell, which may aggravate your nose temporarily. No mixing or diluting of the formula is needed – simply pump it right out of the bottle on the affected area.
#6 Lysol Disinfectant Spray – Best for Beds
WHY WE LIKE IT: This disinfectant spray is an absolute dynamo, killing more than 100 illness-causing germs on contact using a powerful spray bottle. It is a great choice if you want to disinfect all kinds of surfaces, including those scary children’s ball pits and sandboxes.
Read Full Review: Lysol Disinfectant Spray Review
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- Kills 99.9% of viruses & bacteria
- Removes odors
- Prevents mold and mildew growth
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- Strong smell
- Flimsy nozzle
- Cap easy to break
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Aside from the Lysol name, we really appreciate it can be used to disinfect all kinds of surfaces, including beds, pillows, and couches. It also blasts odors, deodorizing sweaty gym shoes, and backpacks with a quick one-two pump. Bonus points for its variety of scents, with blissful names like Cherry Pomegranate, Citrus Meadows, and Early Morning Breeze.
This spray’s aerosol canister and nozzle also disperse spray very strongly, covering a large area rather quickly. It responds to pressure, so a light press downward on the nozzle dispenses a light stream and a heavier press creates more of a mist. A cap also keeps the spray out of the reach of children. If you’re worried about the cap or nozzle breaking, try one of the best plastic spray bottles instead!
#7 Pledge Multi-Surface Antibacterial Cleaner – Best All-Purpose
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WHY WE LIKE IT: This antibacterial cleaner kills the bad stuff on all types of surfaces. It is a great No. 1 option for anyone looking to sanitize their countertops, keyboards, glass windows, and electronics.
Read Full Review: Pledge Antibacterial Surface Cleaner
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- Cleans most hard surfaces
- Great scent
- Easy to spray
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- Not for soft surfaces
- Chemical smell
- Leaves heavy streaks
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Applying this all-purpose cleaner is a breeze. Simply turn the spray nozzle to and on position, spray, and wipe it off gently using a cloth. Though spraying is easy, we were bothered slightly by heavy streaks that appeared on glass. You may decide to use it where it is less noticeable (if left untreated), such as on laminate countertops.
Like our #6 pick Lysol Disinfectant spray, this cleaner comes in an aerosol can with a short trigger and nozzle. It is pressure-sensitive, with a light press good for smaller surfaces and heavy presses good for all-out assaults on bacteria over larger surfaces. We were very impressed with the ability to control how much product is used.
How We Decided
In determining the best antibacterial spray to buy, we explored different types of applications, germ-fighting power, and ability to sanitize soft vs. hard surfaces. Needless to say, we made sure our picks killed 99% of germs and bacteria.
To control the amount of spray dispensed, pressure-sensitive spray nozzles and triggers found on the Lysol, Puracyn Plus, and the Pledge antibacterial cleaners are a good bet. Bonus points for stream and mist dispensing to hit small and larger surface areas.
The ability to protect surfaces from corrosion and fading is important. Specialized formulas, like the Shibari Advanced sex toy cleaner, are mostly water-based, which means it works well on latex, rubber, and silicone a lot better than chemical-based formulas found in the Lysol Disinfectant spray.
Antibacterial Spray Buying Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Hard vs. Soft Surfaces
Some antibacterial sprays, such as the Lysol Disinfectant Spray, can be used on soft and hard surfaces. - Application
We prefer antibacterial sprays with a spray nozzle and/or trigger, which responds based on applied pressure. The lighter the pressure, the less formula dispensed. Breeding grounds for bacteria develop on all types of surfaces large and small, so a good application helps limit waste. Look for antibacterial sprays that can also disperse as a stream or mist. - Ingredients and Safety
We recommend antibacterial sprays with natural ingredients. The Puracyn Plus Wound and Skin Cleanser with its hypochlorous acid formula and the water-based Shibari Advanced Antibacterial Toy Cleaner are completely safe to use around children and pets, disinfecting really well at the same time. - EPA Registration and Dwell Time
In cleaning products, the dwell time is an important consideration, and it’s the amount of time the disinfectant needs to disinfect surfaces or the time needed for it to kill germs, which is 10 minutes for an unknown bacteria or virus not yet tested. A disinfectant can get EPA registration after testing, and a common multi-surface cleaner will usually get a rated dwell time of one or two minutes on surfaces like metal, countertops, glass, and ceramic. Of course, if the surface is very dirty or muddy for example you should wash it with soap and water first before disinfecting. Finally, when making an effective bleach disinfectant at home, it is recommended to use half a cup of bleach per gallon of water.
