With hundreds of cleaning products on supermarket shelves and countless "miracle" solutions advertised online, choosing the right products for your home can be overwhelming. We asked our professional cleaners — people who use cleaning products for hours every day — to share what actually works.
This is not a sponsored list. These are genuine recommendations from people whose livelihoods depend on effective, efficient cleaning.
The All-Purpose Workhorse
Every cleaner needs a reliable all-purpose spray. It handles 70% of surfaces in a typical home.
Our pick: Method All-Purpose Cleaner (Pink Grapefruit or French Lavender)
Why our cleaners love it:
- Plant-based formula that actually cleans (not just smells nice)
- Works on worktops, tiles, painted surfaces, glass, and most hard surfaces
- Pleasant scent without being overpowering
- Biodegradable and cruelty-free
- Widely available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, and most supermarkets
Runner-up: Stardrops The Pink Stuff Multi-Purpose Cleaner Spray
Extremely effective, especially on grease. Slightly more chemical in composition but hard to beat on performance.
Kitchen Degreaser
Kitchen grease requires something stronger than an all-purpose spray, especially around the hob and splashback.
Our pick: Astonish Specialist Kitchen Cleaner
- Cuts through grease and baked-on food with minimal effort
- Works on hobs, ovens, extractor hoods, and splashbacks
- Budget-friendly — typically under £2 per bottle
- Available in Poundland, B&M, and most supermarkets
For the oven specifically: Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaning Kit
The bag-and-soak method is the most effective oven cleaning system available to consumers. Place the racks in the bag with the solution, leave overnight, and wipe clean in the morning. Our cleaners use this exact product for oven add-ons.
Bathroom Limescale Remover
Hard water areas (and Solihull has moderately hard water) mean limescale is a constant battle.
Our pick: Viakal Limescale Remover
- The industry standard for limescale removal
- Works on taps, showerheads, glass screens, and tiles
- Available in spray and liquid form
- Leaves chrome taps gleaming
Important note: Never use limescale remover on natural stone (marble, granite, limestone). The acid will etch and damage the surface permanently. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner instead.
Toilet Cleaner
Our pick: Domestos Zero Limescale
- Combines bleach disinfection with limescale removal
- The angled bottle neck makes under-rim application easy
- Kills 99.9% of bacteria
- Available everywhere
Eco-friendly alternative: Ecover Toilet Cleaner
Plant-based, biodegradable, and surprisingly effective. Will not tackle heavy limescale buildup as aggressively as Domestos, but excellent for maintenance cleaning.
Glass and Mirror Cleaner
Our pick: a dry microfibre cloth
Seriously. For regular maintenance, a high-quality microfibre cloth used dry or very slightly damp gives a better streak-free finish than any spray product. Our cleaners rarely use glass cleaner for mirrors.
For very dirty windows or glass with buildup, use a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray, wipe with a microfibre cloth, and buff dry.
Floor Cleaner
Different floors need different products:
For tile and vinyl: Flash All-Purpose Floor Cleaner
- Effective, economical, and leaves a pleasant scent
- Dilute in a mop bucket as directed — more is not better
For wood and laminate: Method Squirt + Mop Wood Floor Cleaner
- No-rinse formula that will not damage or dull wood
- Almond scent
- Safe for sealed hardwood, laminate, and engineered wood
For stone floors: Lithofin MN Easy-Clean
- pH-neutral, safe for all natural stone
- Will not strip sealant or etch the surface
- Available from tile shops and online
Microfibre Cloths
The single most important cleaning tool is not a product — it is a cloth.
Our pick: Vileda Microfibre Colours (8-pack)
- Colour-coded for different rooms (reduces cross-contamination)
- Machine washable up to 60°C
- Last for months with proper care
- Available in supermarkets and online
The colour system our cleaners use:
- Blue: bathroom
- Yellow: kitchen
- Green: general surfaces
- Red: toilet (never used anywhere else)
Products to Avoid
Our cleaners actively avoid these:
- Bleach on coloured grout: It will discolour and degrade the grout over time
- Abrasive cream cleaners on modern worktops: Products like Cif Cream can scratch composite and quartz surfaces
- Furniture polish on modern furniture: Spray polishes leave a buildup that attracts dust. A damp microfibre cloth is better
- Mixing products: Never mix bleach with anything containing ammonia or acid. The chemical reaction produces toxic gases
The Professional Cleaning Caddy
If you want to set up a cleaning caddy like our professionals use, here is the essential kit:
- All-purpose spray (Method or Pink Stuff)
- Kitchen degreaser (Astonish)
- Limescale remover (Viakal)
- Toilet cleaner (Domestos or Ecover)
- 4 colour-coded microfibre cloths
- A non-scratch scouring sponge
- Rubber gloves
- A squeegee (for shower glass)
Total cost: under £25 for a setup that will last months. This is exactly what our cleaners carry to every job, supplemented with specialist products for add-on services.