The best cleaning products of all time

Cleaning can sometimes be such a chore – but it doesn’t have to be when you know the best products to use! Here at WhatsTheBest, we’ve tried and tested the top-rated and bestselling cleaning products and we’ve got all of the top tips ready to help your home look spick and span.

From carpet cleaning to toilet bleaching, cleaning products can range in intensity and strengths for every room inside and out. If you're ending up with five products that do the same thing, you're not cleaning as efficiently as you need to be.

What essential cleaning products or supplies do I need?

Don't make the mistake of piling up different products that you don't really need. The best way to keep the germs away is with a multi-surface antibacterial spray, also known as an all-purpose cleaner.

Get a spray that kills 99.% of germs and can be used over different surfaces so that you use it all around the house – then you won’t have to shuffle through hundreds of bottles just to have a quick wipe down with a microfibre cloth.

If you’re looking to go deeper into your cleaning cupboard and your products, we recommend bleach, white vinegar, baking soda and glass cleaner. These products – as well as your anti-bac – will hit most of the spots in your house if you’re looking for a basic setup of cleaning products alongside your general appliances like hoovers or vacuum cleaners, dusters, pressure washes and so on.

Related: The best washing machine cleaner 2021

Lucky for you, we’ve simplified it and put our cleaning products into the best categories so that your cleaning cupboard doesn’t look like it needs a clean itself.

Here are our highlights of the best cleaning products of all time - make sure you scroll down to see our full reviews!

Best all-round cleaning product: The Pink Stuff

Best anti-bacterial cleaning product: Zoflora

Best must-have cleaning product: Dettol Antibacterial Cleaning Wipes

Best eco-friendly cleaning product: Ecozone Limescale Remover

Best oven cleaner: Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaning Kit

Best carpet stain remover cleaning product: Dr. Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover

Best toilet cleaning product: Dr. Beckmann Power-Foaming Toilet Cleaner

Best sustainable laundry detergent: ecoegg

The best cleaning products of all time

All of these best cleaning products have been hand-selected by What's The Best shopping experts. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching cleaning products, so you can choose the best one. Plus, we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in. Find out why you should trust us here.

As well as the miracle paste, you get a multi-purpose cleaning spray for stains, grease and grime as well as a cream cleaner to tackle hard surfaces and deeper stains. If that’s not enough for you, grab the pack of six where you get two of each.

Why it's the best:

• This pack covers the basic cleaning products you’ll need for your home

• All-round, cleaning everything from countertops to fabrics, floors to glass, brass and sinks – all rooms are covered

• Natural formulation without harsh chemicals

Tried and tested by What's The Best Deputy Editor, Natalie Corner:

"I am a sucker for a cleaning product recommendation and after seeing Mrs Hinch rave about this I knew the paste had to be worth buying. It really is a miracle cleaner, when moving out of a rental I literally blitzed everything with it and the place looked better than it did when I moved in. Hopefully the landlord appreciated my efforts!"

Other customer reviews: “This product is just so good for cleaning all sorts of things. I clean my oven with it and glass shower doors - I never could get the shower glass quite right, but this does the job. Wouldn’t be without it and the price is good too.”

The easiest way to get this antibacterial disinfectant working is to pour a capful (yes, just a cap!) into a 500ml spray bottle and fill it up with water. This eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and smells amazing, one of the biggest selling points of the product.

As well as spraying across kitchen surfaces and bathroom areas, you can soak your toilet bowl with a capful of neat Zoflora or use it diluted with mopping or on a dishcloth. Get rid of those germs fast! We've picked out our favourite Midnight Blooms scent but Zoflora comes in over 30 different scents and bundles such as White Blossoms and Linen Fresh - your cleaning, your choice.

Why it's the best:

• Kills 99.9% of bacteria

• Multi-use, through spray, neat or diluted

• Sustainable for its reusability and small doses

• Comes in over 30 different smells

Tried and Tested by Commercial Content Writer, Caitlin Casey:

"I was introduced to Zoflora not long ago and I will definitely be purchasing on the regular. The germs on my surfaces are all gone but my kitchen also smells amazing - no more bleachy smells! The fact that you dilute only a capful into a spray bottle means that you can get bottle after bottle of cleaning with just a £3 product, making it really sustainable. If you're looking for a great disinfectant for everyday use, this is it."

These are perfect for cleaning quickly and hygienically, killing 99% of bacteria - but they don’t contain bleach so they’re safe all around the house. If you’re worried about germs spreading or picking up anything from outside, just pop these into your bag or car and they work well for a quick clean wherever you are. Don't fancy stocking up? You can buy single packs of these wipes across supermarkets.

Why it’s the best:

• Kills 99% of bacteria and 90% of allergens

• Airtight resealable pack – so you can keep your pack fresh

• Easy to pop in your bag or around the house

Tried and tested by What's The Best Deputy Editor, Natalie Corner:

"These Dettol Wipes are a staple in my handbag. Whenever I have to travel on public transport I am not ashamed of whipping out a wipe and giving my seat, table, armrests a wipe down just to feel safe from germs, especially during the pandemic. I go through these very quickly!"

Other customer reviews: “Need to clean something? Then these are the immediate go-to. Whatever I'm doing, if I need to clean some dust, food spillage, smears on appliances, even car engine oil spills down the engine, these work wonders. Have a use for everything everywhere, the toilet seat, door handles, the office desk, the kitchen floor, finger marks on doors, even just for your hands after a train journey. Whoever invented this product is a genius.”

We recommend this tough limescale remover which gets into that deep grime, leaving only a shine behind. Made for bathrooms, kitchens, wet rooms and utility rooms, this range is cruelty-free, vegan & PETA-endorsed all while being made right here in the UK. They have everything from biodegradable bin liners to laundry detergent – what more could you want?

Why it’s the best:

• Cruelty-free, vegan, plant-based & PETA-endorsed

• Perfect for all around the house

• Wide range of products on offer

Review: “After trying and failing with many other products (and things like vinegar, baking soda, lemon, etc) this product did the job! Our shower glass is now totally free of watermarks and is shiny and clean. I used this with a squeegee, and it was very simple and quick to use. We had quite significant watermarks and I ended up using half the bottle first time round, but much less is needed for maintenance cleaning.”

In this kit, you’ll find a bag to put your oven racks, a pair of gloves and the deep cleaning liquid to do the job! Don’t worry about the grime and grease, where Oven Pride recommends leaving the product to soak overnight, everything (including burnt-on food) will come off with just a sponge.

Why it’s the best:

• All-in-one kit to clean your oven in one go

• Contains a bag, gloves and the cleaning agent

• No scrubbing required

• Fume-free formula makes it odourless whilst still removing the toughest grease

• Simple to use and comes with instructions

Review: “Nothing I have ever used worked as well as this and with NO SCRUBBING at all. It melts the grease. I left the product overnight and followed the package instructions carefully. My oven looks new again. Such an effective product!”

Still not sure about this cleaning product? The video below explains how to use it:

All you need to do is squeeze the bottle and scrub your carpet with the brush head and voila! Stains will be out in no time. We recommend this as the best because it’s formulated to remove heavy stains but neutralises odours, so will leave your carpet looking fresh.

If you’ve got furry friends around the house and you need a carpet cleaner specifically for pets, you can also pick up the Dr Beckmann pet stain remover aimed specifically at animal accidents.

Why it’s the best:

• Works on tough stains and odours

• Also formulated for pet stains

• Useful for all soft furnishings

Tried and tested by What's The Best Deputy Editor, Natalie Corner:

"When it comes to carpet cleaners I have tried them all and nothing comes close to Dr. Beckmann. I have lost count how many times I have dripped make-up foundation on the carpet and it just refuses to budge. This stain remover has saved my rental deposits a few times and the fact it comes with a brush so you don't even really need extra tools is ideal."

Other customer reviews: “Wow! I spilt tea on my carpet, and it's been there for a few weeks as we didn't notice it went under the sofa. Tried everything to get it out - without much success - until today!! This product is amazing and smells lovely. Also, super easy to use!"

All you need to do is cut open a sachet, pour it into the toilet water and let the self-activating foam develop. After 10 minutes, just brush and flush and you’ll have a toilet that’s squeaky clean. It’s so good some have said it's better than bleach.

Why it’s the best:

• Simple to use and convenient

• Self-activating power foam cuts through tough stains, odours and limescale

• Reaches areas you might not be able to get to with bleach

Review: “Got this a while ago. Used it the first time yesterday. It’s amazing! As soon as I poured the powder into the toilet, the foam starts to form. Soon the foam reached up almost to the toilet seat. Which makes it affect the hardest reaching areas. Ten minutes later, I flushed and dirty bits were almost gone. with a bit of brush, my toilet was new again!! Love this product. It makes my cleaning routine much easier. Will definitely buy it again!”

All you need to do is pop all of the mineral pellets into the egg and close it, chuck it in the washer with your clothes and off it goes! Before you know it, your clothes will be good as new. These pellets are perfect for people with sensitive skin (that's what it was originally developed for), and allergies, reducing your plastic waste is a huge plus for this product.

If you don't have access to a machine, these are also useful for handwashing, so they're perfect for everyone. With only £5 refills every two months, this is a good value option compared to normal detergent.

Why it's the best:

• Perfect for sensitive skin

• Helps to reduce single-use plastics

• Allergy friendly

• Over 70 washes in one egg

• Also comes with a machine wash detox tablet and you can grab tumble drier eggs too!

Tried and Tested by Commercial Content Writer, Caitlin Casey:

"I have never seen a product like this, and when I heard about the eco-friendly laundry 'egg', I knew I had to try. It's super easy to use and one egg can be used for over 70 washes - that I was incredibly impressed with. It completely saves on having to buy continuous plastic bottles and my clothes smell nice and fresh with the 'Fresh Linen' scent. It even comes with a washing machine 'detox' tablet so that you can get all of the grime from previous detergents out.

"Trying out the Ecoegg Drier Eggs as well, these left my clothes soft and with a gentle smell. If you're someone who hates pushing chemicals through your clothes, then these are a great subtle option. I recommend this to everyone looking for a sustainable alternative to their weekly washing."

What cleaning products are safe for pets?

With cats and dogs, it can be frustrating trying to get stains out of carpets with carpet cleaners, or desperately trying to remove pesky pet hairs.

According to the PDSA, look out for pet-safe cleaning products that you can buy widely, or use natural cleaning products like baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice that are less likely to harm them.

The most harmful cleaning products for pets like cats and dogs are bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, laundry detergent, and floor cleaners.

Sometimes it's unavoidable and you have to use chemical products. When you are using these stronger cleaning products - especially bleaches or harsh chemicals - make sure your pet is out of the room so they don't step in any product or keep them outside to not inhale fumes.

Related: The best steam cleaners

Top tips on cleaning your house like a pro

Check out our best advice to keep your house looking spotless and having you feel like a professional below.

Don't clean by room, clean by product

If you're finishing rooms and moving onto the next one, you'll be putting products away and getting them back out all the time. If you choose one tool - let's say, dusting - you can finish that task in every room, and then move onto the next thing, like vacuuming.

This makes a much more efficient method of cleaning your house and you'll get a good workout!

Leave the vacuuming and mopping to last

If you're leaving vacuuming and mopping until last, all of the mess made from dusting or sweeping can all be removed at once. Then you're not making more mess after just cleaning up! Once vacuumed, mop or clean your floor to make it spick and span.

Disinfect your house

After the past year, we all know the benefits of disinfecting regularly. Go through your house room by room and disinfect the things you touch on a regular basis - handles, the remote, doors, walls, light switches and so on. This will make your house spotless and clean, and get rid of those pesky germs.

Put extra time into the grimier places

Bathrooms and kitchens can be the hardest places to clean because of limescale and grime. If you spray over a strong cleaner and leave it to soak for a few minutes, that gives it time to set in when you get into scrubbing.

With all the humidity that comes with these rooms, they may need some extra elbow grease so make sure you give yourself time to get right into the nooks and crannies.

Want more of the best cleaning products? Check out our choices here:

The best eco-friendly cleaners

The best oven cleaning product

All of the best spring cleaning essentials in one place

Caitlin Casey is a Commercial Content Writer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in lifestyle topics. She also writes for Closer, Heat, Yours.co.uk and Mother&Baby.

Subscribe to the What’s The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the What’s The Best team.