Spring is here, and if you're anything like me, along with the joy of this season (hello, warmer weather) also comes the job of spring cleaning your home. Personally, I love deep cleaning. I'm not a fan of doing smaller, weekly, or daily chores, but there's nothing more satisfying than that post-deep clean feeling. It's truly like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
So what do you need to stock up on before spring cleaning to ensure you get that same satisfaction? Cleaning supplies, of course. And by this, I mean cleaning supplies that actually work and will help you get the job done faster (and with less effort). Along with testing out a bunch of cleaning hacks, the Real Homes team has put some of the best-rated cleaning products to the test and found these are the picks that'll make a real difference to the cleanliness of your space.
How can we help?
Jump to:
Anywhere
Kitchen
Bathroom
FAQs
How we test
Whether you're freshening up your bathroom or really cleaning your tiny studio kitchen, everything you need to help get the job done is right here. These products have been split by room with a larger category of products you can use to clean anywhere. Plus, we've featured some eco-friendly cleaning products to keep your routine more sustainable.
The best cleaning products, as tried and tested by the Real Homes team
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Cleaning supplies to use anywhere
Our favorite everyday cleaning spray
The perfect everyday cleaning supply, this cleaner is great for all around your home. Affordable, well-scented, and cruelty-free, it's an essential for your cleaning caddy. The spray is a golden pick because it's made with plant-derived ingredients, and avoids artificial colors, parabens, and glycol solvents. Well-scented and thoughtfully made, what could be better to spritz your home with?
Our favorite cleaning paste
There's no end to the usefulness of this versatile and magical goop. Whether you're cleaning saucepans, your grill, or even rusted patio furniture, this mighty paste has your back. Designed using a non-toxic, environmentally responsible formula, The Pink Stuff is my definition of an all-rounder. Its ingredients? 99% natural and completely cruelty-free. We even have a guide on all of The Pink Stuff's uses.
Our favorite air freshener
Puressentiel's Purifying Air Spray is our favorite air freshener, and the best part is that it's made with no synthetic chemicals — just a blend of 100% pure and natural essential oils. After one spray, you'll immediately notice the air clearing. As for the scent, it's a fresh fragrance with notes of tea tree, peppermint, and eucalyptus.
Our second favorite all-purpose cleaner
This cleaner is a staple in several Real Homes team members' homes. Why? It's a multi-purpose solution so you can use it pretty much anywhere, and it smells AMAZING — just like fresh rhubarb. Just spray, leave it for a few minutes, and wipe away. It kills bacteria yet is plant-based and cruelty-free.
Our favorite cleaning cloths
Using these E-Cloths to clean your home will make a big improvement to the sustainability of your setup. You can get any and every cleaning task done with these cloths, which are suitable for countertops, appliances, and glass. Each one has a different use, and thanks to the precision-engineered microfiber texture, they can be washed up to 300 times. You can use them to clean with only hot water, and most of the Real Homes team practically swear by theirs.
The best cleaning vinegar
If you're not using vinegar to clean your home, then sorry, but you are doing it all wrong. This multi-purpose vinegar from Heinz is ideal to have in your arsenal, with special strength for banishing stains and aiding with overall cleaning. Pop it in your dishwasher or washing machine come cleaning day and reap all the rewards. A little goes a long way, and it's safe for cleaning up after pets.
Our favorite baking soda for cleaning
It's a smart idea to always have a box of baking soda in your home. You can use this powder to refresh and deodorize a range of places at home. Use it to clean your mattress, deep clean your wooden spoons, and much more.
For removing tough stains
This fan-fave product can power through grease, rust, and more to get rid of stains — even historic ones — to return countertops in your kitchen and sinks in your bathroom to their former glory. It works wonders on cookware, restoring it back to its original condition. Happy reviewers refer to this as a "literal miracle worker," so it's worth testing it out on your problem areas.
Our favorite upholstery cleaner
We've used this upholstery cleaner to get mud stains out of rugs and pet accidents out of carpets and it works every time. Even better, it has an integrated brush to make application easy, though it does smell pretty strong. It's safe to use around pets and in our eyes, it's a must-have for underneath your sink. Use it on pretty much all your soft surfaces, from your sofa to your mattress, but always do a patch test first.
For cleaning wooden floors
Specially formulated for sealed wooden floors, the Bona Wood Floor Cleaner Spray is great for quick and easy cleaning. It doesn't leave streaks or residue, just a soft sheen. Make sure you vacuum or sweep first to remove any loose dirt or grit from the surface, and then spray this on. Reviewers rave about it, and repurchase it again and again thanks to its effectiveness. It's an easy way to clean wooden floors, too.
For removing mold
There's no scrubbing necessary with this top-rated mold remover, which works right away to restore your walls or your bathroom tiles to their former glory. Suitable for use on bathtubs, wood, drywall, and plenty of other surfaces, this reasonably priced spray will help you eradicate mildew and mold, and keep away bad odors, too. As with any cleaning product, be wary of how strong this spray is, and take all necessary precautions when it comes to airing your home from the fumes and with protective clothing and eyewear. More than 40,000 reviewers on Amazon love it.
Our favorite dusting cloth
TikToker Vanesa Amaro introduced us to the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster and it's a true game-changer. You can use it to clean and dust anywhere from shelves to baseboards to blinds, only using the tool and water. This rippled sponge also manages to catch pet hair at the same time. Magic!
For easy surface cleaning
Cleaning wipes are like pineapple pizzas, some people love them, and others hate them. No comment. What we will say, it that they make cleaning a lot easier. These are the best-rated cleaning wipes on Amazon and they're bleach-free, plus they're scented. You can use them to clean everything from your door knobs to your trash can, and they banish bacteria and can kill Covid-19 from surfaces. More than 120,000 reviewers on Amazon love 'em for their convenience (and tbh, our editor-in-chief loves them, too).
For cleaning windows and glass
This is a serious bestseller, and it gives effortless results. There are plenty of ways to clean a mirror but if you want a cleaning product to help, then this should be it. Plus, its bottle is made from 100% coastal recovered plastic, too.
For removing marks and stains
Whether you're a messy renter or you live with kids, this magic eraser is a total game-changer when it comes to banishing stains. It can be used on your shower or bathtub to remove scum, on your walls to get rid of pen stains, on your sneakers to get them white again, and much more. This one smells like lavender, too. Amazon reviewers rave about it.
Cleaning supplies to use in your kitchen
For cleaning your oven
A little bit of this stuff goes a loooong way. Just apply a small amount of the Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner to your oven, stovetop, sink, or tiles (yes, it doesn't just work wonders on ovens) and rub with a damp sponge or cloth, and then rinse with clean water and a clean cloth. It makes cleaning an oven a super simple process.
Our favorite cleaning sponge
The ultimate cleaning companion: the Scrub Daddy. With this pack, you can have one of these friendly scrubbers for every room of the house, which really is the dream. Soft in warm water and hard in cold water, this sponge is versatile, multi-functional, and deal for both deep and quick kitchen cleans.
For handwashing your dishes
If you handwash your crockery and cutlery, this heavy-duty scrubber will speed up time at the sink. No wet sponge on the side, and the see-through handle clearly shows you how much dish soap you have left. Over time, it'll save you from free-pouring soap onto dishes. When the sponge gets a bit gross, there's no need to throw away the whole thing. Simply replace the scrubber with a new one.
For cleaning stainless steel
You can give your appliances' exteriors a thorough clean with this spray that reviewers love. It doesn't just clean but it also polishes and protects against pesky fingerprint marks and fights dust and other nasty stuff. It's a must-have for making your fridge, microwave, and oven look brand new.
For cleaning granite
Granite surfaces can be a real problem, mostly because the majority of multi-surface cleaners can't be used this kind of material. This one from Method will help you keep your granite countertops clean and safe. We're big fans of Method at Real Homes, and this product is no exception. It can be used daily, is plant-based, and will leave your countertop sparkling.
Our favorite reusable dishcloth
We're all trying to do our best for the environment at Real Homes. These reusable kitchen cloths are one way we're cutting down waste since they can be cleaned in your dishwasher. They're super robust for wiping down countertops and are much better than using single-use paper towels.
Cleaning supplies to use in your bathroom
Our favorite bathroom cleaner
One of our staff writers swears by the Method eucalyptus and mint bathroom cleaner for cleaning her sink, shower, and bathroom surfaces. She says it leaves them feeling super fresh and pristine. The smell is beyond invigorating, and the spray itself is perfect for daily maintenance. She says to spray and let it sit for about 10 minutes before wiping your surfaces down. It dissolves soap scum and better yet, it works on mold and mildew.
The best shower cleaner
If you want a separate shower cleaner, then this one (also from Method) is great. Take it from us: this is the easiest shower cleaner to use in the history of all shower cleaners. Simply spritz it around your shower (when it's wet), and it gets on with the job: dissolving watermarks, soap scum, and residue. Oh, and it's free from toxic chemicals. Now you know how to clean a shower quickly (and thoroughly), you've got no excuse.
For cleaning your toilet
Okay, so it's not the most glamorous job in the world, but this Lysol cleaner definitely makes cleaning your toilet a lot easier. Able to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, it has a handy angled top to get the task done as quickly and efficiently as possible. It has more than 60,000 reviews on Amazon and people really go out of their way to buy it again and again.
FAQs
What are the most important cleaning products?
As a team, we agree that the six most important cleaning products you can buy are:
1. A good multi-purpose cleaning spray
2. Some strong microfiber cloths that you can wash
3. Toilet bleach
4. A cleaning vinegar
5. A good cleaning sponge (for tougher stains)
6. A hard-working upholstery cleaner
As long as you've got these in your cleaning caddy, you're all set to go.
Which cleaning supplies do I need for my bathroom?
You'll find that you'll end up with a completely separate cleaning arsenal in your bathroom (if you have the space), with solutions designed specifically to clean this room. Here are the basics that you will need to keep your bathroom sparkling:
- Bathroom cleaner (or all-purpose spray)
- Glass and mirror cleaner
- Stainless steel cleaner (for your taps)
- Limescale remover
- Toilet cleaner
- Mold remover
4 things to consider when buying cleaning supplies online
There's plenty to consider when you're building up a cleaning selection for your home, from where you're going to stash it all to what kind of scents you favor. These are the essential things we keep in mind when restocking your cleaning caddy.
1. What does it smell like?
We know there's more to a spray or toilet cleaner than its scent, but at the end of the day, it is still important to like the smell of whatever you're spritzing in your home. Work out which scent profile you like, whether that's fresh cotton, a citrus burst, or something more specific like lemongrass, and try and line your products up with that smell, to avoid a headache when you're deep cleaning.
2. Does it have any eco-friendly credentials?
For a lot of us, it's becoming increasingly important to ensure that the things we buy for our homes are certified as being good for the planet in the long term. There are so many great brands you can invest in that have starter bundles featuring glass bottles and cheap refill programs for when you run out of your favorite cleaners. Some of our favorite eco-friendly cleaning retailers include Blueland, CleanCult, and Grove Collaborative.
3. How long will it last?
Investing in a cleaning product that you can only use once always feels wasteful, and isn't good for those who forget to pick another one up next time they're at the store. Using microfiber cloths or mops with washable heads is great for ensuring longevity, as you can throw them into your machine and use them again once they're nice and clean.
4. Is it made using any hazardous chemicals?
Understandably, people have different viewpoints when it comes to using chemicals to clean their homes. While some won't mind using a stronger cleaner to get rid of something like mold, some want to avoid it entirely. Always check the hazards involved when it comes to cleaning supplies, and prepare yourself with rubber gloves and protective clothing if necessary.
Wondering where to buy your cleaning supplies online?
Cleaning your home is a pretty personal thing, and you might be searching for a more niche product for a particular area or appliance. Or, you might have more specific needs when it comes to sustainability or products needing to be used around children, animals, and those with sensitive skin. These are our favorite retailers to head to, to stock up on cleaning products for your home.
- Amazon cleaning supplies
- The Home Depot cleaning supplies
- Lowe's cleaning supplies
- Target cleaning supplies
- Walmart cleaning supplies
Real Homes review process
Cleaning products are so important when it comes to making your home sparkle, which is why we've gone to lengths to test the majority of these products out firsthand as a team at Real Homes. The products we've labeled as our favorites are the ones we have tested.
First of all, we asked our whole team what their favorite products are (and their reasons why) so that we can show you why we really think these products are worth your money. Then, we include the products that we've used to test cleaning hacks and to write our how-to cleaning guides, too.
There are some products on this list that we haven't had a chance to test in our homes (just yet). The cleaning products that are not listed as our favorites have been chosen based on incredible customer ratings.