For decades, Good Housekeeping has been with you every step of the way, providing cleaning advice and product testing recommendations to help keep your home running smoothly and your family safe. And that's why we are thrilled to present our second annual Best Cleaning Product Awards. To select these 28 top-performing products, we considered all cleaning categories, then narrowed the field to the things and places our readers clean most often, and selected the ones that were best in our Cleaning Lab tests for washing dishes, removing stains, shining floors, and more. Some of these picks are tried-and-true favorites, others are new and innovative, but all are ones our experts can’t (and don’t want to) live without.
Carolyn Forté
Cleaning Lab Director
Laurie Jennings
Good Housekeeping Institute Director
Lynn Redmile
Cleaning Lab Testing Analyst
This new formula from multiyear winner Dawn eliminates overnight soaking and the endless scrubbing of greasy pans and casserole dishes with burned-on food. Spray the foam on one item or a sinkful, then have your dinner. Before you can finish dessert, gunk will be ready to remove with just a rinse or light scrub.
WHY IT WON: A grimy grill, a charred frying pan and a splattered oven door were no match for this powerful spray in our tests. You can even use it on your sinks.
Keeping glass cooktops clean and streak-free is not as easy as it seems. Wait too long, and bits burn on. Use the wrong cleaner, and you get streaks. With ScotchBrite’s cool tool, all that’s needed for a showroom shine is water and a light rub.
WHY IT WON: This gentle scrubber removed tough stuff easily without scratching. We used it to clean a stovetop in our Test Kitchen and were super impressed.
Ditch the toothbrush and step up to a tool that attacks dirty grout from any angle. Casabella’s diamond-shaped head and double rows of sturdy bristles mean less wrist twisting and less pressure while you scrub.
WHY IT WON: This tool makes it easy to clean vertically, horizontally and in hard-to-reach corners, and it’s comfortable to hold
Who wants to run the dishwasher and have to hand-dry items when it’s done? Bosch’s new models pass warm, moist air through a chamber of minerals, then send dry heat back in to finish the job — all in only 30 minutes and without compromising energy efficiency.
WHY IT WON: Even dishwashers that clean well often leave plastics wet, but with Bosch’s innovative drying approach, we literally threw in the towel. The storage containers, lids, utensils, and drink bottles we placed inside came out thoroughly dry and without the spotting other models leave behind.
Bacteria can be reintroduced to a surface as soon as it’s touched. New Microban 24 Hour cleans, sanitizes, disinfects and provides continuous surface protection, killing bacteria for up to 24 hours.
WHY IT WON: We found it’s a great all-around cleaner that works quickly and on most surfaces, has long-lasting benefits and comes in bathroom-cleaning and sanitizing-spray versions.
Yes, the appliance that cleans your dishes needs cleaning too. Drop in an Affresh tablet monthly to power away limescale and mineral buildup. Use it in an empty machine or with a regular load.
The only real way to avoid bathtub backups is to keep hair from going down the drain. TubShroom fits into the drain opening and catches hair before clogs happen —without slowing the flow, so you won’t be ankle-deep in a pool of water.
Thanks to Downy’s dye- and perfume-free formula, even those with sensitive skin can have soft fabrics. And it helps eliminate the stretching and fuzzing that can happen to garments in the wash cycle, so clothing feels smoother and less scratchy.
Managing trash is definitely one of the downsides of kitchen cleanup, but with Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs, it doesn’t have to be smelly. Place one of these little mesh packs in the bottom of your trash can, and the beads of odor-busting plant oils nix smells for up to 30 days.
Frequent messes made by a puppy or kitty can ruin not only your carpet, but the padding and flooring below. That’s why it’s important to remove both the stain and the odor. Bissell’s formula contains enzymes to attack odor-causing bacteria so your fur baby won’t pick up the scent and repeat the offense.
WHY IT WON: Not only does it work on pet accidents, but it also removes food and other stains, like makeup, from carpet, upholstery and mattresses.
A great vacuum is your cleaning BFF, and this Miele is a keeper. Use it on carpets, floors, upholstery, draperies, delicate surfaces, and beyond. For allergy sufferers, it includes a HEPA AirClean filter and a high-efficiency dust bag.
WHY IT WON: Miele tops our tests for pickup and filtration, so you’ll know that what goes into the vacuum will stay there.
Our favorite does it again! Whether you are sopping up spills, shining mirrors, or removing a stain, Bounty paper towels blow others out of the water and are at home in any room of the house.
WHY IT WON: Bounty paper towels always top our tests for wet and dry strength, absorbency and performance. We swear by them at home and in our Institute Labs.
These oversize microfiber cloths from Maker’s Clean are so large, they should be called towels. Use them to dry dishes, pets, or the shower as well as to clean windows, pick up spills, and more.
WHY IT WON: With just a few drops of water, we easily shined mirrors, chrome, and appliances. They’re so large that there’s always a dry spot, and we liked that we didn’t need to switch off to a second towel for buffing.
We’ve tested many of the latest “pole” vacuums in our GH Cleaning Lab, and LG’s CordZero tops the list. Use it with the telescoping wand for floors and high places or as a handheld for stairs, the sofa and the car. It comes with two batteries, three nozzles, a compact storage stand and more.
WHY IT WON This amazing machine is powerful, versatile, beautifully designed and easy to use and store.
Leave it to Mr. Clean to make a great thing better. That’s what the company did with Magic Eraser Sheets. Slimmer and more flexible than the blocks, they’re made for cleaning tight spaces like around faucets and in shower-door tracks.
Go ahead, wear your silver jewelry and use Grandma’s sterling tray. Polishing silver has never been easier than with Weiman’s wipes. They are thick, effective, and neat. The snap-top canister keeps them from drying out quickly.
Charred grates are a pain to clean, and frankly, who wants to? Sienna’s steamers do well in our tests, and this one was no exception. It is easy to use and works fast, and the head is dishwasher safe.
Faded leather furniture is no longer destined for the trash heap with Furniture Clinic’s restorative balm. Select the best match from 21 colors and work it into the cleaned worn area to make the leather look new again.
You know you do it — we all do. We drape items we’ve worn only once on the back of a chair with the hope of rewearing them before they have to be washed. Febreze’s new spray can help get your clothes back into use. Lightly mist clothing and allow to dry to nix odors such as trapped sweat, smoke, and cooking smells.
WHY IT WON: Use this genius formula to get at least one more wear out of your clothes. The fine mist penetrates and dries quickly. Plus it cuts down on laundry and can keep the house neater.
Dryer sheets are known for pulling the plug on static, but they usually don’t leave fabrics as soft as liquid softeners do. Bounce’s new sheets are twice the size of regular ones, so they soften more and have extra ingredients to help relax and align fibers for fewer wrinkles and less ironing.
WHY IT WON: We washed 100% cotton sheets, pillowcases, and dress shirts, and after tumbling with Bounce, all were soft and noticeably smoother.
Today’s large washing machines hold some pretty large loads, and big loads mean more dirt even if you can’t see it. Tide Power Pods have more cleaning power than two regular packs to tackle stains and odors better in large, heavily soiled loads.
WHY IT WON: The cotton and polyester swatches we smeared with coffee, wine, salad oil, lipstick, ink, and more (and let set for almost two days), came out as close to stain-free as we have ever seen, even in cold water!
CHI irons are a Cleaning Lab favorite, and now this new slim steamer is too. Comfortable to hold and about the size of a flat iron, it heats up quickly, is easy to fill, and pumps out five minutes of steam when you press the button.
WHY IT WON: We got pro results even on the front placket of a cotton shirt. It works in any direction without dripping and has a travel case.
This gel formula clings to fabrics to quickly penetrate and break down tough, dried-on stains. And no worries if you can’t wash an item right away: Shout is safe to apply to and leave on fabric for up to a week. Phew!
WHY IT WON: If there’s one thing we know in the GH Cleaning Lab, it’s stains. Shout’s powerful formula works not only on fresh stains, but also on set-in ones that have gone through the dryer (oops!).
Front-load washers’ dirty little secret is out: they stink. Deposits that pool inside lead to mold growth and odors that can transfer to clothes. GE Appliances’ washer vents the drum with fresh air post-cycle to eliminate extra moisture, and Microban components help prevent the growth of odor-causing bacteria.
WHY IT WON This is a breakthrough for front-loaders. In GH tests, the UltraFresh Vent option worked like a charm, and it has other cool features like bulk dispensing and a one-step wash and dry.
When Seventh Generation made this dish soap, it thought about performance and the planet. It’s a tough grease-cutting formula inside a 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic bottle—that includes the cap.
WHY IT WON: In our evaluations, it washed more dishes than any other plant-based dish soap we tested. We applaud that it is USDA Certified Biobased, carries the EPA Safer Choice Certification, and lists all ingredients on the label for transparency.
A good laundry detergent is hard to find, and Gain proves that doing good doesn’t have to come at the expense of being good. Made with 65% plant-based ingredients, it’s also free of dyes and brighteners.
WHY IT WON: In our test of 43 detergents, Gain Botanicals was a top performer, beating out traditional brands on cotton and polyester fabrics in hot and cold water.
Vinegar cuts grease and dissolves limescale, but it does smell. Schmidt’s took the power of cleaning vinegar (20% stronger than regular white vinegar) and added essential oils and plant-based cleaners for a pleasant, effective spray.
WHY IT WON: We erased splatters, smears, and smudges with ease. Schmidt’s is a USDA Certified Biobased product in a 100% PCR plastic bottle.
Kitchen sponges are absorbent but get germy and don’t last, and washable dishcloths can be wimpy. Ten and Co.’s cellulose-cotton sponge cloths offer the best of both. They soak up spills, feel hefty in your hand, dry surfaces without streaking and can be washed and reused.
WHY IT WON: Once you try these, you’ll never go back to stinky sponges again. We used them for dishes and kitchen cleanup and found them flexible and absorbent.
Lynn Redmile (she/her) is a contributing product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she's been evaluating nutrition, fitness, travel services, beauty, textiles, home, pet, and cleaning products since 2012. She is passionate about figuring out how things work and experiencing their full potential, and brings over three decades of data analysis and project management experience to the role.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
