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If You’re Excellent At Making A Mess, You’ll Appreciate These 41 Cleaners
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BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More From someone who’s never seen a drink glass she can’t knock over and create a giant spill. As a Deputy Editorial Director for BuzzFeed’s shopping team, I love to get into the weeds of why a product’s worth the money by deep diving into customer reviews, and product-testing as much as possible. Like Marie Kondo, I love mess. Though I prefer the Real Housewives flavor to physical messes in my home. I'm blessed with the first and cursed with the second kind. But, people who both love and loathe cleaning up messes are quite generous with their opinions on cleaners that WORK on all kinds of gross stuff like dog urine, (human and animal) puke, soap scum, red wine, and lots more. So, here are several options that are tried-and-true for whatever mess you make in your own home. Hope's is a small business based in Missouri that makes cleaning supplies. My colleague Maitland Quitmeyer has this and LOVES it: "I bought this for my white porcelain kitchen sink and I've since texted five people about it, which is really a lot for such a boring grown-up product. It cleans beautifully, but the *best* thing about it is its ability to repel stains after cleaning. You know that thing when you rinse out your coffee cup and the coffee water just lingers in your sink and you have to purposefully rinse it out for two minutes? You don't have to do that — the coffee can't stick to the sink and just goes RIGHT down the drain. Time saved, sink clean — this is really a Virgo dream product right here." Promising review: "This stuff is amazing! 10 year old sink looks brand new! Plus water beads right off, sweet stuff for a clean freak!" —Jenny Lynn Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in two sizes). To use, apply to the stain, gently agitate with your fingers, and blot with an absorbent cloth. This is nontoxic and should be nonirritating on the skin! Promising review: "I'm a clean freak. Found Folex at the hardware store. Used it in my steam cleaner, and it just wowed me. Folex is my favorite for getting out pee stains and smell. The mix is one gallon of Folex to 4 gallons of water. Wow! Goes a long way! No residue. Can use in steam cleaners or spot cleaning. Happy cleaning!" —Boss Promising review: "I'm a clean freak with hard water, and this stuff took off the build-up like magic. I would recommend using a slightly damp scratch pad. It takes a little elbow grease, but I have tried a ton of products, and this one is the only one that worked!" —Lori Promising review: "I’m a bit of clean freak. This tool is an essential tool that scrubs hard to remove bunt-on food and stains. A real game changer. So glad someone introduced this to me." —Grade E Promising review: "Saw on TikTok (don’t judge) and automatically added to cart. So easy to use, takes probably a minute to fully bubble up and clean, and you’re left with a clean sink! I use with other drain cleaning products, but would 100% recommend for weekly maintenance." —Jessica Hamilton Check out a TikTok of the foaming pink drain cleaner in action. Promising review: "Wow! I don't think I've ever been more excited to use a cleaning product before. Who knew you could get so much satisfaction from a drain cleaner. I could probably make an ASMR video and post it, as it is that satisfying! Even though I had to angle this over my sink drain, to avoid the low faucet, it worked perfectly. The foam went down the drain and up through the overflow, bringing lots of black, yucky gunk with it. I have used lots of drain cleaners before, but not one that actually came up through the overflow. I'd never even considered what stuff was in there. It did a great job of cleaning everything out and it left the sink smelling fresh and clean as well." —Amazon Customer The kit includes a 10-ounce bottle of Cerama Bryte Cooktop Cleaner, one cleaning pad, and one scraper to make it a quick and easy job. Promising review: "Works on my new range and cleans up beautifully so that my cooktop looks as shiny and clean as it did the day it was installed. Follow the directions exactly, and you can't go wrong. Very easy and quick to use. Not a lot of cleaner is needed, so the bottle will last a long time. I clean the cooktop with this almost every day, and I find that it cleans better than with regular cleaner." —Darcy Get it from Amazon for $16.98+ (available in three styles). Promising review: "Okay, so these cleaner pods are awesome! I didn't know how gross our Keurig was until today. The big mason jar on the left is when I actually ran the cleaner through plus one rinse cycle. The middle one is another rinse cycle and the last one, on the right, is the last one I did. So yes, I would suggest running two or three rinse cycles instead of the recommended one. But it's still an awesome product for the price! I have a Keurig 2.0 and I had no issues." —Mads0421 Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.95. BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes says: "I've used Ecotools brush cleaning shampoo for years, and it makes cleaning my brushes so much easier. I just add a bit of the shampoo to my brush and gently rub it against a silicone mat under running water, and it makes quick work of removing all the makeup that's built up on my brush for, frankly, way too long. You'll see the water start running brown immediately, which is always super gross but also really satisfying, and once you see your brush return to its original color, you know you're done. And the bristles are always left as soft as before too!" Promising review: "I'm not very good at makeup, but am practicing. I'm also a clean freak so I was able to use just a tiny bit of this cleaner and my brushes come out clean as new." —William M. Buttlicker It can remove oil, grease, ink, grass, and blood stains for all my vampires out there. Psst, a few months ago I recommended this to a friend who fell in a puddle of motor oil on a sidewalk, then accidentally wiped it on her camel coat. It got the stains out! Promising review: "So….my son pays no mind to the amount of grease that he is covered in while working in the farm shop!! 🤣😂 I had basically said these jeans are work jeans now!!! I am amazed at how these look after two washes!! If you haven’t ordered it, go do it now!!" —Mommyof20607 It's from a family-run business that specializes in cleaning products, especially ones for homes with pets! Promising review: "After reading the reviews I thought I could at least try it, and holy smokes, this is a miracle cleaner!!! I think I have tried every cleaner on the market for pet stains and nothing ever really works on my carpets. Even if I get it off the top, it somehow comes back up. My crazy dogs hate the rain and they have one spot that they always go on when they decide they are not going outside. I have cleaned the spot probably 100 times. I cleaned this area one time with this cleaner and my spot steam cleaner and it is completely gone! The stain and smell are 100% gone, not just covered up like before, completely and absolutely gone. Miracle cleaner for sure!" —PLLane Promising review: "This stuff is magic! Works in seconds! I highly, highly recommend." —Diane Harper They can be used wet or dry and on basically every type of flooring and even drywall if you're so inclined. Since they can be thrown in the wash, one microfiber pad can replace up 100 single-use pads. These are from a small biz! Promising review: I bought these for my friends when I house-sat. I picked up GIANT-sized bunny monster balls!! She usually uses the throw-away Swiffer wipes, which I told her were a waste and not very effective at actually picking up dust. So I showed her what these mop heads picked up, right after she 'dusted' with the Swiffer. Giant fur balls of dust!!!! These need to be in every household with hardwood or hard surface floors. Seriously, I'm a clean freak and do a 'white glove' test in my own household. The cling picks up everything...and not wasting any more money on disposable dusters is a bonus. I just wash them in cool water, but then don't throw them in the dryer, unless I forget it was in the load of laundry. I find they stay softer, and more durable longer, if I don't dry them in the dryer. I'll buy more for my mom's house!" —Maria_O Get a set of two from Amazon for $13.75. Promising review: "I bought this so that I would not have to use energy to scrub my tub and shower. It may not seem like a lot of energy but for somebody who has a chronic illness and is a clean freak, it's a lifesaver!" —Amazon Customer Promising review: "Love this product. This is so easy to use. I cleaned my floors yesterday and am still admiring how good they look. I am a clean freak and highly recommend this product." —Jeann Topper Get two bottles from Amazon for $12.99 (available in two scents and unscented). Promising review: "These are exactly like the Scrub Daddy's. Only hella cheaper." —kr425 Get it from Amazon for $8.49 (available in five color packs). Promising reviews: "Clean freak–approved. These tablets give me peace of mind that my undishwasher-safe bottles and such are actually clean. I'm the person who washes my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, so having this second step of a cleaning process for the things that can't go in really makes me feel better." —Ally Get a box of 12 tablets from Amazon for $7.99. Promising review: "I am somewhat of a clean freak and this is a game-changer. I normally wash my washing machine with bleach but this is 10X easier. I recommend using once a month for optimum freshness." —Kaylan Promising review: "Um, why haven't you bought it already? This stuff WORKS! As a repeat boil-over offender, this has saved my stove time and time again. No regrets buying it! First photo is after a messy cooking session, second photo shows just how great the pink stuff is at cleaning up!" —M.C. Promising review: "I am pregnant so I have a hard time scrubbing my floors but I am a clean freak. So I bought this to give it a try based on the reviews and this has been a lifesaver for me. Before this I used bleach, The Pink Stuff, etc, but flooring was still messy. Now I barely scrub and magic! Can’t find the proper words to describe this beauty." —Lila Reviewers note that using this may darken the leather, so keep that in mind! Promising review: "I'm a clean freak! I have used a couple of other leather conditioners/cleaners for my leather couch and this by far is the best. The consistency is similar to honey (hence the name).... a little elbow grease is necessary to work it into the leather. I use this approximately every 6–8 weeks (3x) I have half the bottle left. After using this product, any scuffs or scratches were immediately less noticeable; it's very clean and conditioned (not dull). I plan on using this product so long the quality stays the same." —Rachell B. The plant-based, lavender-scented cleaner comes with a microfiber cloth for you to use on your appliances, and reviewers say you only have to use a little bit of the cleaner to clean your entire fridge or oven, which means one bottle will last you a really long time. Promising review: "This stuff works great... and that’s coming from a clean freak. This cleaner/polish works awesome on stainless steel and any other material that the appliance is made of. It comes with a high-quality microfiber cloth, and it smells good. A little goes a long way, so it lasts through daily use." —RMK Get the set of cleanser and polish from Amazon for $19.95+ (also available in a larger size and two-pack). Promising review: "I went in skeptical, I'm not going to lie. We had grease spilled on our brand-new paver patio. The grease had been sitting for a few weeks, and I saw an ad for this stuff. I ordered it to try because why not? Well, I'll be damned because this took the spots right off! No evidence we ever spilled anything! I'd buy it again." —Susan You run your bath, add the cleaner, watch the gunk emerge, drain your bath, and then clean off the gunk! Promising review: "I own a 400-gallon Rio Jacuzzi and I purchased this product based on the favorable reviews. I am a clean freak and I thought I did a pretty good job of cleaning my Jacuzzi. I must say that I put 8 ounces into my Jacuzzi, turned the jets on, and ran them for an hour. I was absolutely amazed of the crud and scum that was floating on the top of the water. I cleaned and drained the jacuzzi and repeated the process a second time. My spa is sparkling clean and I have already ordered another bottle. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT." —Dodger01 FYI, this is the pre-mixed version (which saves you a bit of time). But you can also try the original powder version. To understand just *how* versatile this product is, check out our review of Bar Keepers Friend and prepare to be amazed! Promising review: "This is the best cleaning product I have ever bought in my 40+ life...bar none. Coming from a clean freak, I recommend this product 111% (yes)!" —DA Get two 13 oz. bottles from Amazon for $15.90. Promising review: "A clean freak must-have! This is the best fabric seat cleaner ever!!! I have a light creamy seat and it gets stained easily, i had it cleaned numerous times at a deep clean car wash and they always leave water spot stains whenever the seats are dried. The light color seats make it so easy to see the flaws. This product work like a charm, I was skeptical since I tried couple of things before but nothing really worked. I just need to spray it once and scrub with a brush and it just come right off. For a clean freak, this is truly my dream come true." —Jonathan Erickson BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes says: "I've used Ecotools brush cleaning shampoo for years, and it makes cleaning my brushes so much easier. I just add a bit of the shampoo to my brush and gently rub it against a silicone mat under running water, and it makes quick work of removing all the makeup that's built up on my brush for, frankly, way too long. You'll see the water start running brown immediately, which is always super gross but also really satisfying, and once you see your brush return to its original color, you know you're done. And the bristles are always left as soft as before too!" Promising review: "I'm not very good at makeup, but am practicing. I'm also a clean freak so I was able to use just a tiny bit of this cleaner and my brushes come out clean as new." —William M. Buttlicker Promising review: "Some would say I'm a clean freak, no harsh feelings though! I have used many 'ring' remover cleaners and none have worked like this pumie stone. It doesn’t scratch your bowl and the best part, you're not gagging on fumes from other harsh toilet bowl cleaners that promise removal of harsh water stains in your toilet. Not sure how it affects a well system though I’ve read that it’s ok." —Amazon Customer Includes a wand, storage caddy, and six disinfecting wand head refills. Promising review: "Clean freaks would agree. To put it simply, you need this product in your life. This great for overall cleaning in many different areas." —lala Useful Products is a US-based small business established in 2007 by car wash owner, electrician, and former bodybuilder Anthony LaPolla that specializes in drill-cleaning brushes and attachments. Each of the different brush colors indicates which tasks the brushes are meant for based on their bristle type, so be sure to check which one is best suited for whatever you need to for! Yellow is the “all-purpose” medium bristle, but some are softer and harder depending on what types of surfaces you’re cleaning (but none of them will scratch!). Promising review: "I have been thinking about getting these brushes for a while. I finally did and I’m soooo happy! I would definitely describe myself as a bit of clean freak. After spending so much time hand scrubbing the bath tub, it was never quite enough. After a couple of minutes with these brushes, it’s cleaner than ever before! The beauty is that I no longer have to work so hard to get results! These are worth every penny and I wish I would have bought these ages ago. I used the black and yellow ones for the tub. These are a total game changer!!" —Mom4 Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in six colors and stiffness levels). Promising review: "An overjoyed clean freak! Absolutely the BEST cleaning tool I own! With these little babies, a hot soapy bucket of water and a microfiber cloth, I can FINALLY get into all the nooks and crannies around the house! They work wonders on things like window sills and sashes, baseboards, intricate trim, and cabinetry. No longer am I beating up my fingers and wearing my nails to the nubs getting scratched and bruised along the way. Keep your toothbrush where it belongs...in the bathroom and get these! Oxo please don't ever stop making these little wonders!" —KB Promising review: "I cannot believe how well this worked. I am a CLEAN FREAK, and my nasty bathtub would literally keep me up at night. I tried every product on the shell,f and nothing worked. I literally scrubbed until my fingers were raw and still got nowhere. I sprayed this bad boy TWICE on the mildew stains and now they are COMPLETELY GONE!! I am so happy, relieved, and thankful, but also mad that I didn’t know about this product sooner. I absolutely, 100% recommend, and I would give it 10 stars if I could!" —Mackenzie Mayock These work on almost any surface: leather, fabric, furniture, hardwood, pans, metal, WHEREVER. And! They'll clean up grease, oil, tar, dirt, ink, lipstick, nail polish, food, and a whole lot more. Promising review: "I know this sounds cliché, but I literally never write reviews. And here I am. I did it. Why did I do it? Because this product is absolutely unbelievably unreal. It’s not just your run-of-the-mill Clorox cleaning wipes; there’s something in this product that actually legitimately works. I have dogs who pee and poop in the house sometimes, and I use this product to clean their messes. And it is miraculous. No stains, no smell, nothing. I’ve used it on the inside of my car and removed marks that have been on there for years. It almost works like an eraser. And it works on fabric. wood, rugs, glass. I buy three or four tubs at a time, because I don’t want to run out. I’m a clean freak, and have OCD (for real), and this is my go-to wipe for pretty much everything. And they’re really not that expensive. Kudos to the Inventors of this!!!" —Jim Get a pack of 90 from Amazon for $14.98 (available in nine sizes/packs). Promising review: "Cleaned three items in less than five minutes. Vacuum brush head and two hair brushes that have three girls' long hair. I can’t wait to get the whole vacuum and rug cleaner bristles cleaned. I had to write this review after testing it out. Design is strong, sturdy, and handles great. Highly recommended." —Rob Promising review: "I'm a clean freak with hard water, and this stuff took off the build-up like magic. I would recommend using a slightly damp scratch pad. It takes a little elbow grease, but I have tried a ton of products, and this one is the only one that worked!" —Lori Promising review: "For six years I have tried to remove stains from my toilet. I used bleach, pumice stones, CLR, vinegar, baking soda. This has done the job with zero scrubbing on my part. I am so happy with this product. I put it in my toilet bowl overnight as well as the tank and the stains are going away." —Amazon Customer Humble Suds is a Denver-based Etsy shop creating plant-based cleaning solutions that are safe, effective, and come in cute packaging (Bonus!). BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Danielle Healy is a big fan: "Shortly after moving in to my current apartment, my partner and I went to store something on the top of the kitchen cabinets only to find them caked in a thick layer of grime 🤢 After going at it with regular multipurpose cleaner (with little success) we broke out the scour paste as a last-ditch effort and OH BOY did this miracle product deliver (pics above). After handling all that grossness, it's had no problem with day-to-day messes like soap scum and burnt-on food. Plus, it smells delightful and comes in minimal, low-waste packaging!" Get it from Humble Suds on Etsy for $14.95+ (available in two sizes). FryAway is a US-based small business specializing in planet-friendly cooking waste solutions. Promising review: "I will always keep this stocked in my house! My husband sent me a TikTok, I know I know, and I thought it couldn't hurt to try it out. I loved after the first night! I could easily remove the hardened oil and throw it out." —Roberta Promising review: "This this is like magic. Our van was nasty and covered with hair from a German and Australian shepherd. Looked brand new after. Don’t think about just buy it. It will blow your mind." —Dan * Your Windowsill, Under The Couch, And 25 Other Places In Your Home That You Should Probably Clean ASAP * If You Would Rather Watch Paint Dry Than Clean, These 30 Things Will Make The Process So Much Easier * Cleaning And Organizing Products That’ll Make You Say “O-M-G” At Their Results * If You Missed Spring Cleaning, These 33 Products Will Help You Make Summer Cleaning A Thing * Cleaning Products That Work So Well, I Bet You'll Keep Using Them Forever BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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