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How To Choose The Best All Purpose Cleaner?

Floor cleaners, oven cleaners, sink cleaners – there are cleaners for everything these days. While that’s great, it’s a lot of work to keep track of all the cleaners you need for your home. That’s why we recommend getting an all purpose cleaner.

All purpose cleaners save you the hassle of buying a specific cleaner for each surface. You get just one cleaner, and use it on almost any surface in your home.

In this buying guide, we recommend the best all purpose cleaners, and explain what to look for when choosing the best all purpose cleaner for your home.

Key Considerations When Choosing an All Purpose Cleaner

A. Cleaning Performance

A good multipurpose cleaner should be able to handle most types of dirt and grime including everyday dirt, greasy surfaces, and food stains. Check customer reviews to see how satisfied customers are with a particular cleaner.

Make sure you follow usage instructions on the label. For example, some cleaners need to be mixed with warm water. Others recommend using the cleaner undiluted while cleaning a tough stain. Also, check if you need to let the cleaner sit on a dirty surface before wiping it clean.

B. Type of Surfaces

Just because it’s labelled all-purpose, it doesn’t mean it cleans every type of surface. All purposes cleaner are safe for most surfaces including stainless steel, plastic, wood, and tile. But some have exceptions.

Some cleaners are not ideal for use on porous surfaces like limestone or marble. If you have a wooden floor, check if the cleaner is safe for it (most are safe for wood floors).

Note: All-purpose cleaners are surface cleaners. Do not use them in your dishwasher, washing machine or to clean fabrics and upholstery. They are also definitely not safe for cleaning your skin.

C. Antibacterial

Not all all-purpose cleaners are antibacterial. Most simply lift up dirt, oils and stains, but will not disinfect the surface.

If you want to also disinfect the floor, counter, and other sensitive surfaces, look for an antibacterial all-purpose cleaner. These are typically more expensive, and come in small bottles (usually spray bottles).

We recommend buying a general all purpose cleaner for everyday use, and an antibacterial cleaner for occasionally disinfecting surfaces.

D. Amount

Lastly, decide how much cleaner you need. To save money and the hassle of frequently buying more cleaner, we recommend a large 5 to 15 litre can of all-purpose cleaner. You can then decant it into a smaller bottle.

Antibacterial all purpose cleaners, however, usually come in smaller bottles of less than a litre.

Best All Purpose Cleaners: Top 5 Reviews

1. Flash All Purpose Multi Surface Cleaner, 7.8L

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The Flash liquid all-purpose cleaner is our top pick for most homes. It is suitable for most  hard surfaces including countertops, wood, tile and stone flooring, doors, stainless steel surfaces (like sinks and appliance doors), cook stoves, bathtubs and many more.

Flash lifts up dirt easily and quickly, leaving the surface clean. It also has no problem cutting through grease, making it perfect for kitchen countertops, sinks and greasy stove tops.

It also dissolves most stains on the floor and other surfaces.

To use the Flash multipurpose cleaner, mix it in cold water (check recommended ratio on label). But for particularly tough stains or extra dirty surfaces, you can use it undiluted, but make sure you rinse and wipe after application.

What customers love most about Flash, other than its good cleaning performance, is the scent. The cherry blossom scent is perfectly balanced such that it’s not overpowering but still fills your home and lingers for days.

If you want your home clean and smelling gorgeous, Flash is a great choice.

It’s also a great bargain. For an affordable price, you receive 7.8 litres of it in six 1.3 litre bottles. It should last you a long time.

What we like about it:

  • Great cleaning performance.
  • Smells great.
  • A good bargain – lots of cleaner for an affordable price.
  • Safe for most surfaces.

2.  Ecover All Purpose Cleaner Lemongrass & Ginger, 5L

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If you are looking for an eco-friendly all-purpose cleaner, we recommend this 5 litre can from Ecover.

The lemongrass and ginger scented cleaner (these are plant-based fragrances, by the way), is made with eco-friendly plant and mineral based ingredients.

The cleaner does a great job on most kinds of hard surfaces including ceramic, wood, stainless steel, and plastic. It lifts dirt and cuts through grease effortlessly.

Mix it with warm water for best cleaning results. But if you are tackling tough stains, use it undiluted then rinse and wipe with water.

The plant-based fragrances leave a lovely natural scent in your home.

The Ecover all purpose cleaner comes in a 5-litre can, so you don’t have to keep buying it. For ease of use, put it in a small bottle.

What we like about it:

  • Eco-friendly.
  • Smells great.
  • Great cleaning performance.

3. Method Antibacterial Spray, All Purpose Cleaner, 828ml

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If you are looking for an antibacterial/disinfectant all-purpose cleaner, the Method antibacterial spray is one of the best.

In addition to lifting dirt, dissolving stains and cleaning greasy surfaces, the Method spray also kills 99.9% of bacteria.

This makes it easy to keep surfaces like the kitchen counter clean and safe. You can also use the spray to sterilize the floor after a pet accident.

The spray bottle is super easy to use, allowing you to apply the cleaner on a surface quickly and evenly. You don’t need to mix it in water first.

The wild rhubarb fragrance is one of the best of any cleaner. It’s great if you want something a bit different from the usual scents.

Method is also eco-friendly. Most of its ingredients are plant based, thus are biodegradable and have minimal impact on the environment.

Furthermore, the antibacterial spray is vegan and cruelty-free.

The Method antibacterial spray comes in a large 828ml bottle that should last a long time. To get it to last longer, use it only when you need to disinfect a surface. Get one of the other all purpose cleaners for everyday cleaning.

What we like about it:

  • Anti-bacterial disinfectant.
  • Eliminates grease and dirt.
  • Eco-friendly.
  • Cruelty-free and vegan.

4. CIF 7517879 Professional All Purpose Cleaner, 5L

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This is another good choice if you are looking for an affordable everyday surface cleaner. It’s not antibacterial, but does a great job eliminating dirt, grease and stains from a variety of hard surfaces.

The CIF cleaner is safe for most kinds of surfaces including wood, plastics, ceramic, stainless steel and others.

It’s perfect for mopping floors (you can add it to a spray mop), cleaning kitchen countertops and wiping down walls.

You can use the CIF cleaner diluted or undiluted depending on how dirty the surface is. For everyday use, mix it in warm water. For tough stains and extra-dirty/greasy surfaces, use it undiluted then rinse with water.

The CIF all purpose cleaner comes in a large 5-litre can.

What we like about it:

  • Good bargain.
  • Good cleaning performance.
  • Safe for most surfaces.
  • Pleasant lemon fragrance.

5. Zoflora Peony Blush Concentrated Disinfectant, All Purpose Cleaner, 500ml

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Zoflora Peony Blush is another great, and nice-smelling, antibacterial all purpose cleaner. The disinfectant kills 99.9% of bacteria, making it great for kitchen counters, toilets, bathroom floors, baby potty, and other sensitive surfaces.

Zoflora is safe for most surfaces, except polished wood. Also be careful when using it around pets. To be safe, dilute it to avoid any adverse effects on pets.

The entire 500ml bottle can make up to 20 litres of diluted disinfectant. But you can also use it neat to spot-clean stains and dirt.

The peony blush fragrance fills your home without overpowering your senses. And it’s formulated to linger for up to 24 hours.

What we like about it:

  • Anti-bacterial.
  • Smells great.
  • Can be used neat or diluted.

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  1. lloyd

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