These All-Purpose Cleaners Keep Your Surfaces Looking Clean and Smelling Nice

All-purpose cleaners are the genius multipurpose products you should be reaching for to clean up small messes that happen over the course of a day. Great for wiping down your kitchen table, floors, appliances, and even painted walls, all-purpose cleaners typically have gentle formulas that keep surfaces grease and grime-free all over the home.

The Best All-Purpose Cleaners:

• Best Overall: Method All-Purpose Naturally Derived Surface Cleaner
• Most Cost-Effective: Blueland Multi-Surface Starter Set
• Best Disinfectant: Purell Multi Surface Disinfectant Spray
• Best for Scent Lovers: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Liquid All Purpose Cleaner
• Best Unscented: Seventh Generation Free & Clear All Purpose Cleaner
• Best Fancy Cleaner: Caldrea Multi-Surface Countertop Spray Cleaner
• Best No-Nonsense Cleaner: Stardrops The Pink Stuff Miracle Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray
• Best Essential Oil Cleaner: Grove Co. Multi-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate Set
  

What to Consider

All-purpose cleaners are best used to wipe down nonporous surfaces, including treated wood, glass, stainless steel, and porcelain. Many of these types of cleaners have plant-based ingredients or nontoxic formulas that smell great and are ideal for quick cleanups. But while gentle all-purpose cleaners may remove grime, germs, and dust on the surface level, they may not necessarily kill bacteria. In the event that something at home gets soiled, or you are looking for a deeper clean for an area like the bathroom, you'll want something a little stronger.

Some all-purpose cleaners are also disinfectants, which means that they can kill bacteria and viruses. You must use these products as directed in order to reap their full benefits — this usually involves spraying and waiting for the formula to sit on the surface for a minute.

I've tested out all eight products in this guide in my own home for several weeks each and have evaluated their cleaning efficacy, scent potency, and general ease and enjoyment of use. Read on to learn more about these all-purpose cleaners and see which one is best aligned with your household's needs.