CHOICE reveals best and worst cleaning products

Have you ever wondered if specific cleaning products actually do anything?

CHOICE have been busy testing out cleaning products to see if products targeted at different areas of the home actually make a difference.

Cleaning product expert Ash Iredale. told CHOICE, "Scores are comparable across kitchen and multipurpose cleaners, so our takeaway is that they're all essentially the same thing."

She added "you don't need to buy 57 different cleaning products – just use the same one for everything."

Plain water beat these multipurpose cleaners, which scored 40% on our test:

• 30 Seconds Multi Surface Cleaner (39%)
• Pine O Cleen Multi Purpose Cleaner Pine with Vinegar (40%)
• Pledge Multisurface Cleaner Rainshower (40%)
• Pine O Cleen Multi Purpose Cleaner Lemon Lime Burst (40%)
• Strike Multi Purpose Cleaner Pomegranate & Vanilla (40%)
• Orange Power Multi-Purpose Cleaner (40%)

The worst of the lot though was 30 Seconds Multi Surface Cleaner - CHOICE gave it dishonourable distinction with plain water beating it.

The best multipurpose cleaners included:

• Nifti Hardworking New Look (88%)
• Bam Easy-Off Power Cleaner Grease & Sparkle (84%)

According to the CHOICE tests, floor cleaners aren't even worst spending money on.

Iredale saying it's not the product you use, it's how it's cleaned. "It's not the floor cleaner that cleans; it's the scrubbing action," she said. "For many of them, you're no better off than if you use plain water."

Plain water scored 40% in the CHOICE test, with the best on ground only scoring 41%.

According to CHOICE, if you're going to buy one cleaning product specific to a certain need, glass cleaners are where you should do it. With plain water only scoring 35% most cleaners did better than just rinsing your glassware in a sink would've.

To avoid a streaky finish, the best cleaners to use are:

• Windex Multi-Purpose Surface & Glass Mountain Fresh (74%)
• Windex Multi-Purpose Surface & Glass (74%)

The worst glass cleaners:

• Ecostore Ultra Sensitive Glass & Surface Cleaner (33%)
• Aldi Power Force Pro Glass Cleaner (35%)
• Community Co Clean Freak! Glass & Window Cleaner (35%)
• Earth Choice Window & Glass Crystal Clean (36%)

Kitchen cleaners was where the testing for interesting, plain water scored 40% along with the worst scoring cleaner (McLintocks Vanilla Fresh Fridge & Kitchen Wipe).

The highest scoring kitchen cleaner came in at 84% (Dettol Healthy Clean Kitchen), so at least we know one cleaning product is worth the money!

The best kitchen cleaners:

• Dettol Healthy Clean Kitchen (84%)
• Pine o Cleen Kitchen Expert Antibacterial Kitchen Spray (77%)

The worst kitchen cleaners

• McLintocks Vanilla Fresh Fridge & Kitchen Wipe (40%)
• Strike Kitchen Cleaner Surface Spray (41%)
• Ecostore Multi-purpose Kitchen Cleaner Orange & Thyme (42%)
• White King Kitchen Cleaner Citrus Fresh (42%)
• Ajax Spray n' Wipe Kitchen Multi-Purpose Baking Soda (44%)

For the full results visit https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/surface-cleaners/articles/the-best-and-worst-cleaning-products