20 Best Cleaning Products a Cleaning Editor Actually Uses

Morton Salt Kitchen Counter Cleaner

This is—hands down—my number-one, most-recommended product. If you get anything from this list, let it be this. Not only is it eco-friendly, non-toxic, and safe around people, pets, and food (you could literally spray an apple directly and then safely eat it, but we don’t recommend that), but it also cleans impressively well. I love cleaning the inside of my fridge with this, in addition to my countertops, bathroom, windows, and pretty much every hard surface I have. 

Clorox Free & Clear Wipes

Some of the eco-friendly wipes I’ve tried fall apart, are too thin, or seemingly disintegrate after trying to scrub syrup off of a countertop. These, however, are everything you know and love from a Clorox wipe, but eco-friendly. They’re compostable, safe around food, kids and pets, and are bleach-free.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Vinegar Gel Cleaning Spray

Vinegar is an excellent, natural cleaner, so when products use it as a main ingredient, I am a bit more skeptical: is it really a good cleaner, or is it just an overpriced bottle of vinegar? In this case, it’s a great cleaner. I love the gel consistency (no drips!) and use this all over my bathroom.

Clorox Disinfecting Mist

When I need to disinfect something, I turn to this spray. I’m a sucker for a continuous mist nozzle—it helps cover more area, quicker—and I love that this can be used on fabric. Plus, it’s aerosol-free, which means it’s a bit more planet-friendly.

Sonic Power Electric Scrubber

We have a flat tile drain in one of our showers and it holds a ton of soap scum. This scrubber is perfect for getting rid of the build up, as well as cleaning the hair trap, and the tiles throughout the rest of the shower. I like the brush heads (especially the soft, conical one) on this model, compared to some other brands I’ve tried in the past.

Charlie’s Soap Laundry Powder

Out of every cleaning category, I probably test out the most laundry products, so I have a seemingly endless supply of laundry detergent. Let the fact that I repurchased this before using up what I have in my stash speak for itself. This works so well and removes stains better than anything else I’ve tested (even big brand names), all while being eco-friendly.

AspenClean Oxygen Bleach

I will forever be on team-separate-laundry mostly because of this product. This powder works like a standard bleach, but it’s actually oxygen bleach: a natural, plant derived product (also known as sodium percarbonate) that isn’t harmful to skin or surfaces, unlike traditional bleach, and is color-safe. I add a spoonful (with the provided scoop) and my whites have never looked brighter.

Gleener Dryer Dots

Dryer sheets can cause a number of unintended consequences for your textiles. They’re also one-time use products that aren’t great for the environment, so I try to avoid them. Instead, I use dryer balls for static control. I’ve tested a couple of different brands, but these are the ones I‘ve kept around longest.

Scrub Daddy Dish Daddy

I hate doing the dishes, so I love any product that helps speed up the process, like this one. This dish brush is easy to use, makes quick work of stuck on messes, dispenses soap from the handle, and has a built in stand that actually keeps the brush standing on its own (brushes sitting in the sink is possibly my biggest pet peeve). I also like the new attachments—one of which lets you attach a standard Scrub Daddy sponge to the wand.

The Ionic Brush Set

If you’re looking to splurge, or spend a bit more for something that looks more aesthetically pleasing, I recommend this set. I wanted to dislike this set because of how expensive it is, but then I tried it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. The three brush system covers every dishwashing need you might run into, including a very handy bottle brush. I like to use one brush for scraping off food and the other for cleaning with soap after scraping. I also like the detachable heads that you can wash in the dishwasher, and the magnetic base holds them all up nicely.

AspenClean Dish Soap

It’s hard to find an eco-friendly dish soap that rivals the sudsing of a standard one, so up until recently, I was just using regular dish soap. Once I tested this eco-friendly one, I made the immediate switch. This gets just as sudsy and I feel better knowing it’s made from clean ingredients—it’s even EWG-verified.

Cascade Complete Powder Dishwasher Detergent

I’ll be the first to admit I get pretty glamorous with the products in my routine, but this basic is still the best I’ve tried for my dishwasher. I’ve tried countless dishwasher detergents, but none of them work quite as well as this classic. Traditional pods, eco pods, and other powder detergents have clumped up and don’t dispense properly in our machine in the past. This is the only dishwasher detergent that works every time.

Shark WandVac System

I tested this vacuum for the first time almost three years ago and it’ still one of my all-time favorites. (Even my teenage brother is obsessed with it). The battery life is great and held up well over the last three years. I love how easy it is to maneuver and easily transform from stick vac to hand vac. The mechanism for emptying the canister is super simple, too, and the base stores it nicely and compactly. The TL;DR: this is a straightforward stick vac that cleans well, is well-priced, and is super easy to use—no complaints!

Dyson V15s Detect Submarine

Up until I got this vacuum, I wasn’t a fan of mop/vacuum combos. The upkeep is usually too much and cleaning the machine afterward always seemed like too much of a hassle. But once I got this bad boy, my life was changed. Not only does it come with all of the Dyson Detect vacuum attachments (which are also life changing, by the way), but it also comes with a genius mop head. The water and gunk is all contained in the head (aka: the wet stuff never moves up the stick or into the main part of the vacuum) so there’s no major cleanup afterward. Just empty the head and rinse off the brush and voila! If you’re thinking about getting a Dyson, I recommend this one—the submarine attachment makes the it worth the high price.

iRobot Roomba Combo j9+

If I’m being honest, I don’t use robot vacuums very often. But when I’m hosting a last minute dinner party, or need to clean while multi-tasking, I usually pick this one. I love how smart it is and all of the features it has—It was quick to map my house and it easily identifies obstacles. The self empty base is also a must for a robo vac, in my opinion, and this one is the sleekest and most attractive one I’ve seen.

Fun fact: when I was testing robot vacuums for the 2024 Clean House Awards, I named each of the vacuums after members of One Direction. I affectionately named this one after Harry Styles, my favorite member of the band, and it coincidentally ended up being my favorite robo vac, as well.

Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Bona is a brand I’ve always loved and trusted, even before I was a cleaning editor. So after testing other floor cleaners, I can confirm it’s still the best option. I love how shiny and clean my floors look after using it, and it’s an EPA safer choice designee.

Chom Chom Pet Hair Remover

Every pet parent needs this! I’m not exaggerating! No matter how many times I vacuum or lint roll, there’s always more hair that this picks up. I’ve tested products with a similar mechanism, but none work quite as well as this puppy (pun intended).

Puracy Pet Stain & Odor Remover

Every pet parent has to clean up vomit or an accident every once and a while. And when nature calls, this spray is my go-to. I like that it works well on both soft and hard surfaces and removes and neutralizes odor. But the best part? It has an enzymatic formula—which means it keeps cleaning, even after I’ve walked away.

Litter-Robot 4

The fact that I don’t scoop litter anymore, thanks to this, is life changing. And definitely makes this one worth the splurge. My cat adjusted to it right away and I love that it tracks her weight, number of visits, and the number of scoops I’ve saved—the bonus features I didn’t know I needed! It was easy to set up and I only have to empty the large-capacity drawer about every two weeks. 

Bissell Little Green Hydrosteam Wet Vac Extractor

The viral hype for this thing is real. I’ve used this extractor to clean my sofa, vomit on area rugs, and our musty dog bed and the results are always flawless. I tried this side by side with and without the steam function, and the steam did make a noticeable difference, so if you can upgrade from the standard Little Green Machine, it’s worth it.