Cleaning Products You Should Have In Your Kitchen Right Now

Cleaning Products You Should Have In Your Kitchen Right Now

Natali _ Mis/Shutterstock By Clara Zervigon/Updated: Nov. 15, 2021 4:35 pm EST

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We’re going to cut to the chase here: Cleaning the kitchen can be a giant hassle. Cooking, by nature, creates dirty dishes, stovetop spills, and, if you aren’t careful, difficult stains. Plus, spots like tile grout and the inside of the oven slowly but surely take a beating, and over time they can become so dirty they are hardly recognizable.

What’s worse is that many of the cleaning products we rely on don’t hold up as well as they should. While some surface cleaners cut through oily messes, others simply push kitchen gunk around. Even the dishwasher tablets you trust to clean your dishes can leave your appliance clogged and full of grime. What a nightmare! The good news is there are plenty of great cleaning supplies — if you know where to look for them. If you don’t know where to look, well, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find our essential cleaning products for kitchen messes big and small and see how your current arsenal stacks up.

Cleaning Products You Should Have In Your Kitchen Right Now

Natali _ Mis/Shutterstock

By Clara Zervigon/Updated: Nov. 15, 2021 4:35 pm EST

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. We’re going to cut to the chase here: Cleaning the kitchen can be a giant hassle. Cooking, by nature, creates dirty dishes, stovetop spills, and, if you aren’t careful, difficult stains. Plus, spots like tile grout and the inside of the oven slowly but surely take a beating, and over time they can become so dirty they are hardly recognizable.

What’s worse is that many of the cleaning products we rely on don’t hold up as well as they should. While some surface cleaners cut through oily messes, others simply push kitchen gunk around. Even the dishwasher tablets you trust to clean your dishes can leave your appliance clogged and full of grime. What a nightmare! The good news is there are plenty of great cleaning supplies — if you know where to look for them. If you don’t know where to look, well, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find our essential cleaning products for kitchen messes big and small and see how your current arsenal stacks up.

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

What’s worse is that many of the cleaning products we rely on don’t hold up as well as they should. While some surface cleaners cut through oily messes, others simply push kitchen gunk around. Even the dishwasher tablets you trust to clean your dishes can leave your appliance clogged and full of grime. What a nightmare!

The good news is there are plenty of great cleaning supplies — if you know where to look for them. If you don’t know where to look, well, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to find our essential cleaning products for kitchen messes big and small and see how your current arsenal stacks up.

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

Keith Homan/Shutterstock

Our only warning is to be mindful of what surfaces you clean with these. Magic erasers are made of melamine foam, which essentially acts like ultra-fine sandpaper, using abrasion (in addition to a little liquid) to get through messes (via How Stuff Works). The microscopic size of the grain makes it totally fine on most surfaces, but it can create scuffs on stainless steel, stone, and non-stick pans, according to 21 Oak.

Method All-Purpose Cleaner

In addition to rave reviews about its cleaning abilities, Method users love the brand’s nature-inspired scents. With flavors like French Lavender, Yuzu Ginger, and Clementine, clean doesn’t have to smell like chemicals. Plus, for fans of the Clorox wipe, Method makes a canister of wipes soaked in their own solution for ease of use.

Microfiber cloths

Microfiber cloths are like your current cotton rags but infinitely better. They use millions of tiny (micro!) fibers to scrub away dirt and destroy bacteria without the use of chemicals (via Grove Collaborative). Innovative Cleaning Services loves that they’re super absorbent, machine washable, and last longer than cotton rags (or paper towels).

Cleaning expert Leslie Reichert told Today that with microfiber, “since it’s the fibers that do the work, bargain cloths do not clean as well as quality cloths, nor do they last as long.” So, while many of the products on this list are both effective and great bargains, we’d advise you to get slightly pricier microfiber cloths. E-Cloth brand rags are highly rated by the experts at RealSimple, who say their specialized designs make them well worth the price. However, if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, Mr. Siga towels are a great all-purpose solution for cleaning all kinds of surfaces.

Cleaning expert Leslie Reichert told Today that with microfiber, “since it’s the fibers that do the work, bargain cloths do not clean as well as quality cloths, nor do they last as long.” So, while many of the products on this list are both effective and great bargains, we’d advise you to get slightly pricier microfiber cloths. E-Cloth brand rags are highly rated by the experts at RealSimple, who say their specialized designs make them well worth the price. However, if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, Mr. Siga towels are a great all-purpose solution for cleaning all kinds of surfaces.

Bar Keepers Friend Powder Cleanser

Just like with the Magic Erasers, you do need to be careful of what you clean with Bar Keepers friend. Don’t use it on surfaces like plastic, stone, or non-stick pans, and when in doubt, consult our good friend Google (or this list). Additionally, the Bar Keepers Friend website has a handy list of ways to use the product safely, such as using gloves and not letting it sit too long — remember, people, abrasion! However, don’t let these warnings scare you out of using a great product. As long as you do your due diligence you should be totally fine, and you’ll be on your way to a sparkling clean home in no time!

Glisten Foaming Disposer Cleaner

Easy Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner

Swedish Dishcloths

O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop

Finish Quantum Powerball

If you’re worried about your environmental impact, these are a good choice for you. They are gel packs, which means they aren’t individually wrapped in disposable foil. Plus, they work so well on grease and stuck-on food that you don’t need to pre-rinse, which saves water — and is actually something the brand advocates for. On their website, you can “take the pledge” not to pre-rinse your dishes, something which they claim has saved nearly 20 million gallons of water so far. For clean dishes, a clean dishwasher, and a clean conscience, we recommend Finish Quantum.

Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes

The wipes come with a rave review from the staff of The Kitchn, who say “they worked like a dream.” Additionally, customers have noted that “you don’t have to work very hard” because “it gets in there and actually cleans” (via YouTube). We recommend these wipes for a stainless cleaner that is as easy as it is effective.

OXO Good Grips Deep Clean Brush

The Pink Stuff

So what’s all the hype about? The Pink Stuff uses a mix of quartz, detergent, sodium silicate, and baking soda to buff out particularly tough stains all while cutting through grime. To use, simply apply a glob to a sponge or towel, wet it, and get to scrubbing. The product description claims it is “ideal for cleaning saucepans, barbecues, ceramic tiles, glass, rust, sinks,” as well as a handful of other non-kitchen surfaces, but consumers have used it on stovetops, grout, counters, and even sneakers. It has proven to be effective on a variety of stains and surfaces, plus, it has a delightful pink lemonade scent. What’s not to love!