36 Cleaning Products With Results Worth Every Penny

Dec 26, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

And we've got the pics to prove it.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "Best, most affordable brush and sponge shampoo on the market! No joke, I have tried everything; even homemade hacks like dish detergent mixed with olive oil. Nothing works like this brush shampoo. Don't waste your money on the Beauty Blender soap and other big-name brands." —Lily

Get it from Amazon for $6.99 (also available as a pack of two and with dissolving cleansing cloths).

The pointed end of the tool is ideal for picking out tangles, the stiff bristles work great at removing dust and dirt, and the bristles at the bottom end of the tool can give your hairbrush a deep clean.

Promising review: "When I bought this I was really skeptical. I am grossed out by my hairbrush and clean it all the time. I've soaked it in vinegar and tea tree oil, used a toothbrush, scrubbed it with shampoo, picked it clean by hand — everything you can think of. Still, it's so hard to get the little lint that forms at the base of the brush — they don't dissolve off and you have to pick them off the bristles one by one because a toothbrush won't even break them up. This thing works amazingly. I don't know why, it just does — the particular texture of the bristles on this really grabs everything. It scraped the little lint rings right off and now my brush is cleaner, 10 times as fast." —HeartsofHavoc

Get it from Amazon for $11.95.

Promising review: "I rarely post reviews, but this stuff has completely changed our lives. Our dishwasher, utensils, plates, and glasses were covered with dry scale and nothing we tried came close to helping. After using the tablets three times our dishwasher looks like new; our glasses are sparkling like fine china and everything else looks fabulous. Highly recommend, worth every penny, best product BY FAR!!! One great advantage is you can use it with your dishes. Some other products are used to clean the dishwasher but not to clean dishes and glasses. Buy this, you will be blown away!!! It is astounding!" —Jenny

Get a pack of six tablets from Amazon for $8.95.

Promising reviews: "This has saved me so many times. I use it mostly for my carpet and the couch. I have a cat and dog with an almost white couch, so this has been SUPER helpful. It has yet to fail me." —Amazon Customer

"This little guy has been working pretty well for me so far. Raising my puppy from 8 weeks, I've had my share of things to try and get out of the carpet, from pee stains to puke to things he would knock over, to the mud he would track in. This would get most of it out if I used it right away. I am happy with the way it takes out most stains." —Cece

Get it from Amazon for $123.59+.

BTW, this tool comes with small bottles of ready-to-use cleaning formula, but if you need more, grab a bigger bottle for $11.99!

Promising review: "I had tried everything to get the hardware stains off my shower. CLR, metal scrubbing pads, vinegar, and many other things. I thought I'd end up having to replace all the faucets. I saw this in a BuzzFeed article and thought, no way it's THAT good... It's that good. It's better than good. It's wild how good it is. My shower looks better than new. It took rust stains off tile. It took years of hard water scale buildup off in seconds. It is literally a miracle product." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

BuzzFeed Writer Emma Lord (pictured above) swears by this thing!:

"An embarrassing confession: my hair gets so ingrained in the carpet that a vacuum truly does nothing for it. In fact, to make matters worse, weird particles get stuck in the hair on the floor, which is stuck to the carpet, so I often was just unrooting clumps of hair from the floor with my hands (sorry for the visual). I bought this broom and it immediately started pulling it up GOBS of hair. My carpet like, genuinely changed color (turns out the pink was supposed to be much pinker, whoops). Anyway, do with that semi-horrifying information what you will."

Promising review: "I bought this broom two years ago and it is still going strong! I have four large dogs and we have fur EVERYWHERE! This works so, so well! I am always amazed at what this picks up even after I just ran the vacuum. If you remove the head from the handle you can use the head to do in all the crevices along baseboards where fur gets trapped on the carpets. I also use it that way to do the carpet corners on the stairs. Lastly, I use it to get dust and cobwebs off the floors and ceilings. It truly is a super tool." —Roseann

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

P.S. These fizzing tablets work for Invisalign, retainers, dentures, night guards, and more.

Promising review: "I really loved this product. I am currently waiting for a new Invisalign set. My old Invisalign needed to be cleaned. I read the reviews and decided to purchase. OMG it worked! There was a fresh taste and they were clean. I wished I had found this product sooner. I did let them soak overnight only because I had been wearing them for the last four months. Nothing happened to Invisalign; there was no weakness or anything. Just very clean and fresh. If I could have given the product 10 stars I would have." —Lisa R.

Get 120 tablets from Amazon for $17.19 (also available in 240-count pack).

Rocco & Roxie is a family-run small business specializing in all things pets, from treats and supplements to grooming products and toys.

Promising review: “When we moved into our home four years ago, we found several small dog pee stains on the oatmeal colored carpet. I tried everything over the years to get them up. My professional carpet cleaner tried his best as well and between us we managed to lighten them a little, but they were still obvious. I tried the Rocco & Roxie using my normal method of spraying the spot, working it in with my fingers, laying a half inch of white paper towels on top, then putting a glass casserole dish on top of that with a stack of books to weight it down. This is the only product I’ve used that has worked on eliminating those pee spots stains. You could see the pee soaked up in the white paper towels when I would pick them up to change them out. It takes a few change outs but I just keep working on them changing the paper towel stack over and over until the spots were gone. Previously I had tried the same method using the top enzymatic brand you see in the pet stores and several other carpet cleaning products. Nothing has worked like the Rocco & Roxie!" —Laurie B., CA

Get it from Amazon for $19.97+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "Used it on our tubs, toilets, sinks and shower. Compared it to the It Works Bathroom you can get at The Dollar Tree. It took one bottle of this stuff to achieve the same result as three bottles of the It Works. I will buy this again, hands down. I tried the powder, which was good for scrubbing and soaking the tub, but the spray was fantastic for the shower and sink. Just sprayed, walk away for a few minutes and wipe/rinse." —Carrie D.

Get it from Amazon for $10.97.

Promising review: "I never thought I'd be this excited about a clean toilet. I had largely given up on our first floor toilet. Nothing would take out the ring along the waterline. But I saw this product in a BuzzFeed roundup and figured it was worth a shot. Tried it this morning and oh. my. goodness. It easily took out the ring and with some harder scrubbing, the rest of the stains/buildup/whatever the term is for the stuff that made the bowl look gross. It looks just about brand new! Definitely worth the purchase." —Courtney

Get it from Amazon for $11.95 (available in multiple packs).

The kit comes with a wand, six refill heads filled with Clorox, and a storage caddy. The wand has a convenient button you can use to dispose of the used sponge heads in the trash, and the heads are uniquely shaped to fit under the rim of your toilet.

Promising review: "So, we have a toilet that belongs to the cats. We don't use it, we don't look at it, we like to pretend it does not exist. Even with semi-regular flushing, cat waste is pretty nasty stuff that builds up quickly in the bowl. One of these wands cleaned it up in a single session (pictured above)!" —Whitney

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (also available in two bundle sets).

Promising review: "I bought this RMR-86 spray with low expectations, even with the good reviews. I sprayed a small patch in the evening and let it sit overnight. The next morning, the grout where I had sprayed was as white as if it were brand new. I decided to spray the entire wall and part of the roof. The next day, everything I sprayed had no visible mold. By the third night, I was pretty much spraying everything left in the shower. This stuff is amazing." —John Werner

Get a 32-ounce bottle on Amazon for $16.99 (available in three sizes and multiple quantities).

Promising reviews: "This brush is amazing. My daughter went puddle jumping in her boots [Uggs pictured above]. They dried out while I was trying to figure out how to clean them. Saw the reviews on this and ordered right away. Holy cow they look almost new. I cleaned all my boots too because I was so excited. Even ones I thought looked clean were much improved. I washed the brush with dish soap and water and let dry between pairs." —TRW

"This brush saved my shoes! I posted before and after photos so you can see the difference. My shoes were light pink with big noticeable stains on the sides. I just brushed it on the same direction until the stains wore off." —Lissette Castillo

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

Promising review: "I've been using this spot/stain remover for about 10 years now. It really is magic. I've removed numerous stains and spots with it over the years and have only come across two stains that it would not remove. Unfortunately, I don't know what the stains were caused by, so can't pass that along. I've used it on both carpet and upholstery, and it has never changed the color of either. I would definitely test it on an inconspicuous area first, though, as the directions state. And it's so easy to use: Spray some on the stain, agitate it with your fingertips, then blot dry with a cloth or paper towel. You may have to let it sit on tougher stains for a few minutes before agitating and blotting, but I only had to do that once or twice. Definitely recommend." —Alex

Get it from Amazon for $6.65+ (available in three sizes).

This cleaning pen has soft bristles for gentle cleaning, and is filled with a cleansing and polishing solution that removes dirt and oil, and fills in scratches, making jewelry as good as new! All you need to do is twist the bottom of the pen and start brushin'.

Promising review: "Amazing sparkle!💍💎 I am obsessed! I have an heirloom diamond set high in a solitaire band and it gets dirty quickly. This worked awesomely and cleaned my ring back to a sparkler in 30 seconds! It looks as good as it does when it gets cleaned at the jeweler! I love that it fits in my purse too! Recommending it to all my friends!" —Shyan

Get it from Amazon for $9.29 (also available in packs of two and three).

Promising review: "We moved into our house a year ago and I’ve been on a quest to clean the grout next to the stove ever since then. I’ve tried everything — store products, DIY solutions, Pinterest recommendations, you name it. As a last resort I got this and holy cow! I left it on for three minutes as a spot test at first and I could already see a huge difference. I then did two more rounds letting it sit for five minutes each. The scent's not bad, it was fine if I had the window open, it was just being down close to it that got me. Seriously, stop looking and buy this." —Britney Phillips

Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (also available with cleaning brush).

Promising review: "These are incredible! I have a lot of different cups and drinking bottles. I get them all together once a week and pop one in each. 15 minutes later they are clean and smell good. I rinse them out and let them dry naturally. I recommend these to everyone. I’ve been using these a long time and they never fail me." —Csiemsen

Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $8.

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.

Promising review: "Changed the oil on my girlfriend's car and some oil spilled on my NEW driveway...which I didn't notice 'til four days later. Four spots all about the size of a dollar bill baking in the Arizona sun for four days. Found this searching on Amazon and I thought, whatever. That's one less vodka soda tonight for dinner. Put the stuff on (sits on the stain like pancake batter — don't be afraid to pour liberally) and let it sit from 6 p.m. 'til about 9 a.m. the next day. It dried and the instructions said to just sweep the stuff up (right, like I am not going to need a scraper and wire scrub pad for an hour. HA). Well it broke apart with the broom and the stains were gone, just swept up the powder pieces — took about a minute. I WAS SHOCKED! Something that actually works on oil and it's easy. Absolutely NO sign of anything that was there. My driveway is smooth concrete so I can't vouch for what would happen with a rougher surface but whoever makes this stuff is a genius. If they tried to take on World Peace, Earth would be a better place." —AmazonBob

Get it from Amazon for $17.97 (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "When I pulled the orange plastic spiked strip from the package, I was immediately skeptical and felt like all those five-star reviews were from people who exist in an alternate universe. I was tempted to initiate a return on Amazon but decided that I might as well gamble on a piece of $9 plastic before gambling $200 on a plumber. I slipped the plastic strip down my shower drain and literally FIVE SECONDS LATER I was pulling up gobs and gobs and gobs of hair. HOLY COW!!!!!!!! OHMYGOSH. I can't believe I still have any hair left on my head. SO MUCH REPULSIVE GUNK!!!! I saved my prize hairball on the shower floor to show my husband because I knew he would be as skeptical as I was. We both agree it looks like a small raccoon or a large squirrel lying helplessly on my shower floor. It's a grisly, messy, smelly and oh-so-rewarding job." —Chocolate and Chips

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors).

This carpet cleaner is from a family-run small business that specializes in cleaning products, especially ones for homes with pets!

Promising review: "I cannot believe how incredible this carpet cleaner is!! I have four dogs, five kids, and a large home with very light carpet. This carpet cleaner literally is magic. It has gotten out red wine, coffee, raspberry stain on white carpet, old urine stains that were found WAY after the fact, and the list goes on and on. I use it in a spray bottle as a pretreatment before shampooing, and most often the stain is completely gone before I even shampoo it. When I say 'gone'…I mean GONE! And that’s with no scrubbing. It disappears like magic! To say that I’d buy it again is such an understatement. I can’t be without it!!" —Angela Raab

Get it from Amazon for $19.50+ (available in two sizes and two scents).

Promising review: "My dogs like to scratch my new leather couch, and has made scratch marks on my beautiful leather sofa and loveseat (something about basset hounds). I used this stain of blue on my leather furniture and it completely masked the scratch marks. I does dry darker, but barely a half shade darker and is not noticeable to the unknowing eye (my neighbors said so). I would by more again, worth the price! Shipping was fast. Thanks." —Robyn

Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in 16 colors).

Promising review: "Sharing our nasty before picture so you can really see the difference! Our tub/shower has a grippy bottom, and scum and dirt cakes on there so easily. The only way I've been able to get it off before was literally scraping it inch by inch, I've spent hours and all it ever got was somewhat clean — never enough for me to want to take a real bath in it. This stuff is expensive but with the good reviews, I decided to try it. it works amazingly!! I sprayed it on (it came with a great spray nozzle and a lid) and left it for about 15–20 minutes. Then I took a brush with hard plastic bristles (I believe a soft brush would have even worked) and with less than 20 minutes of scrubbing the entire tub and walls, it was cleaner than when we moved in. The grime and scum almost, like, melted off. It smells pleasant, it's not strong smelling but in an enclosed space I still felt the need to wear a mask while cleaning. The before picture is how the tub has looked forever and normally looks if cleaned with any cleaner/brush. The white spot towards the left with the brush next to it is where I tried a little area first. The second picture is after 20 minutes of work and I'm definitely taking a bath instead of a shower tonight!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon $19.98+ (available in two sizes and with or without the sprayer).

Promising review: "I have two kids. They have destroyed my back seat. Spilled chocolate milk, vomit, melted chocolate, dropped fries, dropped ice cream, spilled Gatorade — you name it, it has been spilled in my back seat. I was to the point of accepting my backseat would forever be a disgusting wasteland. Then I stumbled upon this product and y'all...Y'ALL IT WORKS! I almost cried when I sprayed it on, ran a detail brush over it, wiped it away with the cloth, and the stains were GONE. No scrubbing for 30 minutes. No 'leave to set for 15 minutes.' No carpet cleaner required. Just spray, scrub, wipe, and it takes everything off. I am now cleaning EVERYTHING with this stuff. It is AMAZING!" —Rachel

Get it from Amazon for $16.97 (available in two sizes).

It works with various wheel finishes including chrome, aluminum, steel, clear-coated, PVD, painted, plastic wheel covers, magnesium, and aftermarket wheels.

Promising review: "It will take one look from your friends to say 'Did you buy some new wheels?' This stuff is absolutely amazing. For the full effect, dismount your wheel, spray the back. Go do something for 10 minutes. Wash with water, no scrubbing needed. Turn the rim face up, do it again. Do the rest of your rims, and don't forget the tire protectant when you reinstall them. This stuff will handle salt, road tar, off-road dirt and mud — you get it dirty, it comes clean. Where was this stuff when I was racing off-road?" —johnfcon

Get it from Amazon for $22.25+ (available in two sizes).

The Hate Stains Co. is a small biz that was founded by a parent who set out to create a stain remover that was nontoxic but effective.

Promising review: "I've tried Shout wipes, stain removal pens, and all the other tricks in the book. This removes organic stains from sweat better than anything I've tried thus far. I followed the directions, got the fabric wet, sprayed it on, and left it to chill for an hour. When I came back, I was dumbfounded. I can't believe I didn't have this sooner, I'm about to buy a gallon!" —Mark, the solid 7 out of 10

Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (also available in packs of two or three, and with on-the-go wipes).

Promising review: "Unbelievable! My daughter just moved into her first home. She thought she would have to paint her brick fireplace because of the heavy soot stains that had been there for years. We applied the product twice and put in a whole lot of elbow grease, but what a difference! It’s a messy process, but well worth the time and energy." —MM

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "I tried six different products before trying this one and by far, this is the best one of all. I am the type of person who prefers cleaning the grill immediately after grilling. It loosens the debris off the grates easily and comes off easily. I like easy practical cleaning without the need to spend much time scrubbing. Try it, you will not regret it." —Fmcasado

Get it from Amazon for $21.69+ (available in three sizes).

Promising review: "My neighbors would rate this 0 stars because I'm running this bad boy at all hours. Car wash at 4 a.m.? You bet. Hose out the garage and all down the driveway? Consider it done. There's no longer any paint on my house; the layers of dirt from when dinosaurs walked the Earth have been removed from every crack of concrete, and the stubborn moss that engulfed my front steps has been screaming, 'No more, Daddy!' for days now. I'm a ruthless power washing machine now. It has become a part of me. I dream about it every night. Now I'm just figuring a way to power-clean my putrid, filthy soul." —b00mfox

Get it from Amazon for $149.

Promising review: "This product works beautifully. I tried a lot of products to remove the hard water from my glass shower. I have to admit the first time I used it with a cloth it was not very effective. The second time I used a nonabrasive sponge for glass, it turned out beautiful just like the first day the glass was installed." —EJP

Get it from Amazon for $11.40.

It only takes 15 minutes to clean — just run the water, pour it in, and turn the jets on!

Oh Yuk is a family-owned small business based in Minnesota that specializes in PhD chemist-formulated cleaning products for home appliances, from dishwashers and washing machines to hot tubs and jetted bathtubs.

Promising review: "This stuff is great! We just bought a house and my hubby cleaned the jetted tub twice with a strong bleach solution. I bought this product based on the reviews and tried it after. Look at the crud that came out of the jets. Now our tub is all sparkly and clean! 😊" —Becky

Get it from Amazon for $17.84.

The cleanser is nonabrasive, bleach-free, and effective on stainless steel, porcelain, ceramic, copper alloys, fiberglass, Corian, brass, bronze, chrome, and aluminum surfaces. Simply wet the surface to be cleaned, sprinkle a small amount of cleanser on the surface, and gently rub it with a wet cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly within one minute of application and wipe it dry!

Promising review: "My stainless steel dishwasher constantly has streaks. I tried vinegar and vegetable oil and any and all home remedies. Just bought the Bar Keepers Friend and was totally amazed: It looks like new again. No streaks." —Lacinda Campbell

Get it from Amazon for $8.95.

All you gotta do is wet and swipe!

Promising review: "These magic erasers work exceptionally better than the Mr. Clean erasers that are obtained locally. These are twice as thick and do a fantastic job at cleaning up dirt and grime. I originally purchased these to scrub out the inside of my electric smoker, and WOW, just one of these makes my smoker door look brand new! I have started using them to clean all kinds of things around the house, and they have become my go-to tool! They work phenomenal on the whites of shoes look new, wall scuffs, bathrooms, shower doors, sinks, etc. There hasn't been a thing that these magic erasers failed at. Buy them today!!" —TShepp

Get a pack of 20 from Amazon for $13.95.

Promising review: "Works amazingly! I hadn't thoroughly scrubbed my glass cooktop in years — only wiped down with random multicleaners that never seemed to do much. Then a friend recommended this product...AMAZING! The included scrubbers and scrapers really make the difference. As others have said, it will leave your cooktop shiny and new. Even marks that had been on there for years came almost completely off...98% better. The key is to use very little product; let dry to a haze; and wipe with a clean, dry cotton towel (just like waxing a car). If you aren't getting a mirrored finish, it's because you've used too much product and not enough elbow grease to polish off." —B. Swartwood

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $14.98 (available as a 4-, 5-, and 6-piece set).

Just add this to your pre-wash chamber with detergent. If you don't have a pre-wash chamber, don't fret. Just add 2 tablespoons to the bottom of your dishwasher!

Promising review: "Seriously, using this in conjunction with my Cascade platinum tabs, my dishes come out perfect. I have a problem with hard water in my house, and this just never fails me. I've got it on subscription delivery, too, in hopes that this never becomes discontinued." —Delvin

Get it from Amazon for $6.99.

OK, so the drill is NOT included. This is just a set of three brushes that attach to your drill, or check out this one you might wanna buy.

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.

Promising review: "These brushes, paired with some liquid glass cooktop cleaner, MIRACULOUSLY cleaned soap scum and limescale deposits from the doors. It took a lot of work but these brushes succeeded where everything else failed. My sister thought the doors were frosted glass, that's how bad the buildup was on them. After a weekend's work (with frequent breaks so I wouldn't burn out my husband's DeWalt cordless drill), the results are amazing." —Mary in Nebraska

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in six colors).

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.