Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner: This cleaner didn’t cut through the dried tomato sauce the best, but it did have a very pleasant smell and it cleaned up the dusty range hood above my stove nicely. It also meets the EPA’s Safer-Choice Standard.
Clorox EcoClean All-Purpose Cleaner: Although this is another product registered by the EPA as a Safer-Choice product, I was not a fan of its smell or performance in comparison to the other Clorox products I tested.
Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes: Like the product above, these wipes are a certified Safer-Choice product, but although they can disinfect various bacterias, they are not listed by the EPA as one that can fight the Covid-19 virus, which is why Clorox Bleach-Free Disinfecting and Cleaning Wipes have a slight edge over them. However, if you prefer plant-based wipes with more natural ingredients, these are a great option.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day All-Purpose Cleaner: This one smells nice, but it had a hard time cleaning up the tomato sauce, left behind residue and made stainless steel surfaces streaky.
Method All-Purpose Cleaner: This is another one that has a pleasant scent, but it was unable to cut through tough build-up like others. Similar to the Mrs. Meyer’s option above, if you want a light daily cleaner, either could work, but they are not the best option for build-up or deep cleans.
Pledge Multisurface Cleaner: This removed more tomato sauce than I expected, but there was still a bit left behind even after using elbow grease. However, when used on surfaces without food build-up, it did leave them shiny and clean.
a close-up shot of all-purpose cleaners
To determine which cleaners to test, we only took into account options that were highly rated online. Corin Cesaric/CNET
365 All-Purpose Cleaner: The spray nozzle created a foamy spray that to me seemed to use a lot more product than needed. It also left behind some tomato sauce on the wooden surface, but my biggest concern regarding this cleaner was wasted product.
The Pink Stuff, Miracle Multi-Purpose Household Cleaner: I’ve previously been a fan of using The Pink Stuff’s Cleaning Paste throughout my home, but I was not as impressed with the multi-purpose cleaner. During our tomato sauce test, it seemed to only move around the sauce rather than actually clean it. Once the majority of the sauce was finally removed, a good amount of residue from it was still leftover on the wooden island.
Amazon Basics Disinfecting Wipes: Although there is nothing terrible about these wipes in regards to performance, I did prefer the texture on the Clorox wipes, and I was unable to find these on the EPA’s lists of certified disinfectants that clean the Covid-19 virus or Norovirus.