29 Cleaning Products Professionals Who Know Their Stuff Use Because They're *That* Effective

Buzz Feed

09-03-2025

1. A carpet and upholstery stain remover so you can extract all kinds of dirt, rust, grease, food, and other stains that you haven't been able to get out using literally anything else. Like Pikachu's thunderbolt against a Pidgey, it's SUPER effective (yes, I went there). I literally keep it in a basket under my couch, ready to tackle any stain that dares challenge the carpet.
It might take a couple of rounds to fully work, but it's worth it because this spray doesn't bleach, doesn't need to be vacuumed up or rinsed, and doesn't attract new dirt to the area. It works well on stains like grease and oil, pet stains, wine, coffee, rust, food, makeup, and dirt, and on upholstery safe to clean with water. And can of course it doubles as a laundry stain remover.
I took the pictures on the right, when I melted a chocolate chip into my favorite couch pillow. As you can see, this spray got every bit of it out! So much so that I took pictures of both sides of the pillow because I couldn't find where the original stain had been! You can read more about that experience in my Folex stain remover review.
Promising review: "A great tool for house cleaners. This product is amazing and has never let me down since the first time I used it. My landlords dog cut his paw and ran all over my white carpeted house, this magic spray made quick work of stain removal. I also used it on my job as a yacht management contractor, I used this to remove mold from the roof of sailboats and worked awesome!!!" — Jen E
Get a bottle from Amazon for $6.65.
2. Or a solvent-based cleaner for any upholstery or fabric you have that has an "S" on its cleaning tag: "W" means you should use a water-based cleaner, so "S" means solvent cleaners are best! Believe the furniture store owner who wrote the review below: this stuff works instantly and thoroughly.
Any marked with a "W/S" means you can use either, of course.
Promising review:"Extremely effective. I own a furniture store. We purposely spread some butter, french fry grease, and pomegranate juice on a Clean Code "S" fabric swatch, and let it sit for a day. Then we put on gloves, put some fluid on a small part of a rag, dabbed at the spill (didn't rub into it), which disintegrated the spill. Did this a few times, and lightly scraped sideways over the spill. You can't even see where the spills were. We keep this swatch on our desk when we write up our sales orders. Every one of our customers who buys a fabric sofa or chair, that has code S fabric, buys one of these or else we include it for free. I ordered a case for our stock." — J. Rasmussen
Get a bottle from Amazon for $9.50.
3. A fur (and faux-fur) de-matting brush to rewind the clock on that matted, tangled fuzz on your favorite throw, pillow, chair, Ugg boots, or teddy bear coat so it once more looks exactly like the day you got it. That stuff can be $$$$, so it's worth it to take care of it. Hey Parents: this will bring well-loved STUFFED ANIMALS back to soft, touchable life!
Promising review: "I got an expensive sheep hair chair from CB2. I thought I could just vacuum it but it wasn't removing the dust/dirt/lint bits and the seat was matting after six months of daily use. This cleaned and smoothed it out well. I got the suggestion from professional furniture restorers. It WILL remove some hairs, particularly if matted, but the hairs are often loose anyway. All dust/dirt/lint bits combed right out and it looks new again." — SH
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
4. Some under-$10(!!) Purple Power Industrial Strength Degreaser because when you need to tackle a super big, tough cleaning job — like blasting through disgusting road grease on your car wheels or the thick oily buildup on your kitchen exhaust fan's filter — you want a formula up to the task. Dilute it according to the instructions, apply to your surface, and wait for your jaw to drop.
While it's excellent for the heavy duty problems, it is a tad harsh, so always test in a hidden area before using it on painted surfaces or fabrics.
Promising review: " As an ASE Master Automotive Technician I have been using Purple Power since I discovered it almost 20 years ago. It is EXACTLY like a certain name brand degreaser called super-clean. I use it for cleaning parts and for washing oils/grease out of clothes, as well as household cleaning when basic cleaning agents won't cut it. I love it, highly recommend it, and I buy about 2 gallons of it every month. Don't be fooled by the price, this stuff is the real deal." — John Martin
Get a gallon from Amazon for $6.97.
5. A set of reusable, extra-thick microfiber mop pads for nabbing entire neighborhoods of dust bunnies in a single swipe when used dry, and wiping up dried mud, pasta sauce, or whatever everyday gunk's gracing your wood, tile, and other hard floors when used wet. Designed to fit snugly on your Swiffer and wash effortlessly in the laundry, you'll cut down on single-use pad waste while making everyday cleaning about ten billion times easier.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Like, you can buy mop systems with microfiber pads that work great, but since you already have a Swiffer that works great, might as well get something you can just use with that!
Promising review: " Professional housekeeping essential. Great to use on walls and floors especially for pet hair. I'm a professional housekeeper and these save me time and money by not having to use several disposable Swiffers at each job. I wipe/shake them off and toss them in the washer and they are ready for the next day. I love anything reusable and these will become a staple in my cleaning bags!" — Stefanie
Get a set of two from Amazon for $11.49.
6. A pack of dishwasher cleaning tablets featuring citric acid to dissolve that gray-looking mineral buildup, wash away lingering grease, and leave behind nothing but a lovely lemony scent and shiny, new-looking stainless steel. Simply run your dishwasher empty with one of these tablets to see immediate results!
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Use one monthly to maintain the shine and avoid future buildup!
Promising reviews: "Professional plumber recommended this brand. It works great at giving my dishwasher a deeeep clean. It is 28-years-old and still going and looking sparkling clean." — Cindy Garcia
"I had an appliance professional refer these to me for regular maintenance and keeping my dishwasher clean. After the first use I could tell a big difference as the hard water deposits were gone." — Turner
Get a box of 24 from Amazon for $18.95.
7. A tub of The Pink Stuff cleaning paste so you can instantly shine or de-gunk dozens of different surfaces without having to scrub for hours *or* worry about scratching your chrome, marble, porcelain, wood, glass shower door or stovetop, or stainless steel. It's so good, the pro house cleaner below made it their first choice!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews:" As a professional housecleaner I am pleasantly surprised as to how good this works! I was skeptical at first, but having tried it on numerous projects like stove top cleaning, stainless steel cookware, oven door cleaning, I have found it well worth the money. It goes a long way. I use it with a damp scrub sponge and so far it's my new go to cleaner." — Owen
" I saw this in a BuzzFeed article and thought, no way it's THAT good....It's that good. It's better than good. 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.
8. A glass cooktop cleaning kit packed with a grease- and grime-busting polish *plus* a scrubber and a scraper, so you can skip hours of elbow-aching scouring (so annoying) but still get your cooktop gleamingly clean.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Owning a professional cleaning company, I know a good product, and this is it. The kit has a great little scrubber, and a blade to get stubborn messes. A must have for every kitchen." — Richard M
"A little water boil over? Bam! Stained. It was ugly. I read about this from a person that cleans houses and it works! No more ugly stovetop. Clean. Like new. Sweet! Now granted it might take a little bit of elbow grease to scrape off the dried residue and apply cleaner with the scrub pad but it is so worth it. Now, I am ready with the proper cleaning tools to get the job done. If you have a glass top stove, get this." — P. Hustead
Get the kit from Amazon for $11.28.
9. A soft cleanser that, with very little effort on your part, will banish years of built-up hard water stains on tile or glass, truly transforming your shower right before your eyes. *Cue angelic-sounding music*
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Shower. Door. Cleaner!!!! Guys. This is NEEDED for glass shower doors!!! I saw a tip on Pinterest and, being a former maid with her own cleaning business, had to try it. I applied it to the glass, let it sit for a few minutes and hand to God it cleaned the soap scum!!!! I'll always keep this in stock for that reason!" — Tanya Mireles-Carriere
Get two bottles from Amazon for $13.
10. And a daily shower cleaner to spray on your walls or glass at the end of each shower because it will actually *prevent* soap scum and hard water build up, so everything just stays nice and clean, even if you're like me and HATE to squeegee. Like, way better to spray and walk away than to work up a squeegee-ing sweat right after your shower.
Amazon
Simply rinse the next day, right before you shower again.
Promising review:"Something in my well water reacts with copper plumbing and turns my shower tiles blue. This is problematic. It also causes the shower glass to film up quickly. I've tried dozens of cleaners and scrubbed till my arms ached. I saw this stuff on a professional house cleaner's TikTok (sorry, don't remember which one) and thought "what the heck, might as well". The first day I sprayed this stuff all over and walked away. The next morning there was a NOTICEABLE reduction in the blue and the glass looked clearer. Day two, sprayed again and walked away. The next morning the blue was gone except for a few spots on the floor tile and the glass looked amazing. Day three I spayed the remaining spots and the next morning the shower practically looked new. NO SCRUBBING AT ALL!!!! This is my new favorite shower cleaner. The ONLY con I have is that it makes me sneeze while I'm spraying from inside the shower, but I can live with that." — L. J. Petillo
Get it from Amazon for $20.52.
11. A Baseboard Buddy — it's designed specifically to pick up all the grime from the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies like baseboards, moldings, and grates in one quick wipe, zero bending over or crawling on your hands and knees required. No one's got time for anything that takes longer than that!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
It includes three washable, reusable pads that you can use wet or dry. One reviewer who's over 65 swears by it because it's so difficult for them to get up and down!
Promising review: "Easy to use and care for! By far the best investment I've made as a professional cleaner. No more needing to bend over and hurt my back and knees! Washing the cleaning pads is also super easy and convenient!" — Y&M Rico
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
12. A pet hair removing–roller so you can pick up every last bit of shedding your beloved furry friend's always leaving on your couch with a quick, simple brush-brush-brush. My in-laws own this and I've used it probably a hundred times to pick up dachshund-chihuahua Maddie's hair, and it genuinely does a fast and thorough job!
www.amazon.com
Because it doesn't rely on adhesive paper, you only have to buy it once and use it forever — cleaning the hair off the brush when it gets clogged, of course!
Promising review:"This thing is the real deal. I've owned a carpet cleaning business for 17 years. We've tried everything from lint rollers, rubber brushes, pumice stones, vacuum rolling brush attachments, etc. Nothing seems to make short work of pet hair, until now. I tried it on a massive job with cat hair all over chairs, sofas and cushions. Four chairs had thick layers of cat hair on the back where the animals rubbed their coats. Five or six back and forth swipes and it was gone. I pushed the button, scooped out the hair with my finger, and was on to the next area. This little tool is no joke. Impressed me to all ends and that's not easy since we've tried so many products. That's not to say it'll remove all embedded pet hair since some are threaded through fabrics, but it's the most impressive hair removal tool we've used thus far." — Mazzahs8
Get one from Amazon for $25.45.
13. A bottle of makeup brush and sponge shampoo that will break up all the embedded layers of foundation, contour, concealer, powder, and eye makeup on your favorite applicator. And it'll do it so quickly and easily you'll hate washing brushes a little (just a little) less than before. At least enough that you'll be willing to do it regularly!
www.amazon.com
And it could help with your acne, too, because washing your makeup tools cuts down the amount of dirt and bacteria that tend to accumulate on them over time. (Oh, and it's cruelty-free.)
Promising review:"I am a professional MUA and this is by far the best brush and sponge cleaner I've ever used! It actually cleans the makeup out of my brushes and sponges without leaving a heavy perfume scent. Leaves bristles soft." — Al-Mumtahanah
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
14. And a brush spinner so you can get every last bit of makeup out of even the dirtiest brushes AND dry 'em — all in less than a minute. Neither you nor the professional makeup artist who reviewed this below have any more time than that!
www.amazon.com
You charge up the wand with a USB, put your brush in the wand, and choose one of three different speeds to spin it clean in a pretty little glass bowl.
Promising Review:"As soon as I got it I put it to the test. Every brush you can imagine, with all the filth, it can handle. I have to say, I LOVE this little machine. It does the job and it does it well. From waterproof makeup to annoying pigment that just don't seem to come off. The bowl is made of glass so be careful not to drop it. I am a professional make up artist and I feel I can use this on the go. Happy to add it on to my kit. One thing that is inevitable due to the spinning is the frayed hairs. Easy solution, brush guards." — Mia V.
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in two colors).
15. A leather stain remover spray because even though leather's usually relatively stain resistant, years with kids, pets, spouses, or just our own messy selves eventually take their toll, and this will basically give you a refund. It eliminates stains on car leather, too, including that marker drawing your five-year-old left on the back of your drivers seat.
This also works on durablend, vinyl, compound, saffiano, faux and other leather or leather-like surfaces.
Promising reviews:" As a professional detailer, I needed something better to clean leather seats with. I have not been disappointed one bit with Trinova. Makes cleaning leather a breeze now." — Kaylee Elaine
"Used the microfiber cloth to apply and after the first treatment noted only mild improvement, but after the second treatment (done just after the first treatment dried), the stain was not visible!! I then did the entire chair and the results are great. Advice: Do not scrub the area hard. This may roughen up the leather. Apply lightly and wipe off with another microfiber towel." — mich
Get it and a microfiber cloth from Amazon for $19.98.
16. A pack of Bottle Bright fizzing cleaning tablets that you simply drop into almost any seemingly permanently stained travel mug or stainless water bottle to banish those stains without scrubbing even one little bit. Want all your beloved drinking vessels to look new in no time? This stuff's the key!
Promising reviews: "Bottle Bright was what I've used for years in powder form in professional kitchens and specifically CATERING. You know those HUGE carafes you see at a hotel or wedding? Yeah, those suckers get GROSS. Bottle Bright every week — we'd let em' soak over night, and rinse in the morning. They looked new for YEARS. So clearly I use it at home for all of my stainless carafes (coffee pot) and travel cups. Works great in bottles too obviously." — RuffTuffCreamPuff
Get a box of 12 tablets from Amazon for $8.
17. A sturdy microfiber blinds duster — it firmly grabs two blinds at a time to pick up every speck of grime with just a few effortless swipes. Sure, you're not going to LIKE doing this or anything, but it'll be a SIGNIFICANT improvement over wiping each and every blind individually...or just living with the gross buildup of dust.
It comes with five microfiber sleeves, which means you can finish all the blinds in your home and just pop all the covers in the wash when you're done.
Promising review:"These blind cleaners are terrific!! I've enjoyed cleaning houses and offices professionally for over 20 years. Cleaning blinds is not always easy. Within five minutes of using this, I was almost doing cartwheels — This Product Really Works! Best product I have ever used to clean blinds. My first time using it, I had eight large blinds to clean, with skinny slats to boot, and this duster brush w/refills DID THE JOB BEAUTIFULLY. I have gone from dreading cleaning blinds to actually enjoying the process. The product is top-notch!" — T.R.
Get one from Amazon for $7.99 (available in two colors).
18. A automatic scrubbing brush so you can just lazily move it back and forth over whatever stubborn, sticky, rubbed-in mess you're cleaning up this time while it scrubs up to *sixty times each second* for you. It's like a giant electric toothbrush, but y'all, I own one, have used it consistently since 2018, and it REALLY works. You literally see the dirt come up and the grout lighten with just 30 seconds of use.
Grout, tough mold, mystery sticky stuff, and stubborn dirt don't stand a chance. They make a specialty grout head you can buy for it, but TBH the default brush works just as well, unless you have incredibly narrow grout lines.
Promising review:"My wrist says thank you! This works amazingly well! I do professional housecleaning for a living and this is a game changer! Just look at what the power scrubber with a little baking soda, dish soap and vinegar can do in the picture above! Powerful combo!" — Nicole Foster
Get it from Amazon for $19.63.
19. A tub of 90 oversized heavy-duty cleaning wipes perfect for tough jobs big and small — it only takes a few swipes to remove grease, oil, tar, ink, paint, permanent marker, food stains, and so much more from all kinds of surfaces like fabric, carpet, leather, and painted walls. Yup, that's all the effort required.
Promising review:"These were recommended by a professional detailer. I've used name-brand wipes before but nothing like this stuff. My Jeep Wrangler internal plastic, doors, center console, etc. were stained with dirt that just didn't come off with commercial or home brewed cleaners. Then I tried these out and and was absolutely amazed that they took that dirt off of the plastic like it was nothing. It just kind of surrendered to the wipes and went away. In less than 10 minutes I had both doors and the console arm rest top cleaned up and looking like new. That said, the wipes did have a bit of a time with the passenger grab rail and air bag cover which are of a different, more rubberized material. A few minutes more and the dash plastic and steering wheel were back to where I like them." — GBeckwith
Get a tub from Amazon for $14.98.
20. A pumice stone to vanquish those built-up hard water stains without using up all your spare energy for the day. If your toilets look like the one below, this should 1,000% become a staple in your cleaning routine. Bleach and other typical cleaners won't make a dent on the dried minerals, but this will!
www.amazon.com
Promising reviews:"Easy to use and very effective. This product was recommended to me by a professional house cleaner. Sure enough, she was right and this is a great product for removing stain and scale from fixtures." — Amazon Customer
"I have a 19-year-old master bathroom toilet that had accumulated some nasty stains over time which regular toilet brushes and cleaning products just would not remove. Pumice stone worked like a charm! Given the nature and severity of the stains, it required some elbow grease, but 10 minutes later I have a new-looking bowl, and I see no signs of scratching. Am very happy with this purchase...well worth the very low price!" — Happy Retiree
Get one from Amazon for $12.99.
21. A microfiber duster perfect for wiping down all kinds of surfaces, because it attracts and holds onto dust like a *magnet* instead of brushing it into the air just to settle again later. Actually getting rid of the dust is THE key to a home that needs less dusting.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
This one from Oxo is very thin so it can squeeze into tight crevices. To clean it you just run it through a gentle cycle in the washer and air-dry.
You can buy extra covers for $12.99 each and a long-handled version for $17.99.
Promising reviews: "My housekeeper loves this for dusting. Easy to toss in the wash." — PT
" I hate dusting. I normally would go through many paper towels or rags just to dust around the house. It was such a pain in the neck. After buying this, my dusting days have become much easier! I simply dust and then toss the microfiber part in the washer. It doesn't fall apart in the wash either. Works beautifully!" — PCamps
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
22. Or an extendable microfiber duster set that makes it easy to follow the cardinal rule of cleaning — start at the top, and work your way down to the bottom, so you don't vacuum first then end up with dust on the floor from your fan.
Amazon
It comes with a fluffy duster, a microfiber finger duster, a short handle, and the extending pole (which starts at 29 inches and telescopes up to 49 inches).
Promising reviews: "Five stars. I do housekeeping and this has helped! It can be thrown in the washer and dryer." — Richard Johnson
"I got all my dusting done in no time and the dusters held on to the dust so much better than my Swiffers, which is key with four children who all have asthma and allergies. I also notices that the dusters didn't catch on everything the way the Swiffer dusters do. Plus, the extender made it super easy to reach the ceiling fans and the tops of all the windows and doors. Anything that makes life easier for this full-time mama deserves five stars!" — Tending To The Lights
Get it from Amazon for $22.61.
23. A battery-powered fabric shaver because there's no need to throw out a sweater or chair just because it's started to pill! This quickly and easily pinches off those pesky little buggers to make your pebbled fabrics (upholstery! rugs! sweaters! mattresses! tees!) look brand-new. Some reviewers eliminated cat claw damage with it, too!
www.amazon.com
Granted if you have an entire sofa to do, it'll probably take you a bit, but for small furniture and ESPECIALLY for clothes, it'll have things looking new in no time!!
Promising reviews:"I use it professionally, it does the job and batteries last." — john miller
"I bought this in last attempts to save my favorite duvet cover. The pills were seriously uncomfortable to sleep with them getting all up in my leg space. I thought I was going to have to get a new duvet cover entirely. Along came this li'l baby. Not only is my duvet cover basically brand new, but I have found a new hobby. I'm depilling everything. Sweatshirts, leggings, blankets, socks, anything that looks like it needs some love. It does the job quickly and leaves everything looking fresh." — Dena Jensen
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in six colors).
24. A bottle of Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator, which you absolutely NEED if your cat, dog, or toddler causes 99% of your big-problem SMELLY STAINS (think pee, poop, and vomit funk specifically). Even if there's not a stain but there's still a lingering wet dog smell on your couch, this stuff will make it go *poof*.
Angry Orange, a small biz started in 2014, makes all kinds of supplies to clean up after your pets!
Promising reviews:"I run a cleaning business and I absolutely love Angry Orange. I just recently found it and it works wonders for my clients with pets and potty training children. The scent is strong but not overwhelming. My clients love it and so do my cleaners." — Julia
"Ok this stuff really does work! I'm a dog groomer and use it to keep everything smelling fresh and clean. I also recommend it to all my clients." — Crystal mejia
Get it from Amazon for $17.99+ (available in three sizes).
25.
An automatic pool cleaner that crawls around the bottom and sides of your pool and picks up dirt, bugs, leaves, sand, and pebbles while you just chill out with your latest poolside read. Okay, sure, you're not using your pool right now, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared for next season!
Amazon, www.amazon.com
Sure it's a splurge but like, it beats manual scrubbing with that big broom! Some reviewers mention it even helps keep algae down after rains. The scuff-resistant hoses are also included.
Promising reviews: "Best vacuum for the money. This was recommended by a pool professional out of Florida on YouTube. He was absolutely right. Best for the money. I had a Kreepy K. for 20 years and I like this better. Easy to assemble and install. I had a couple of rocks caught in it and it was easy to disassemble, remove and reassemble. Works like a champ!" — RC
"This is our second of these (the first lasted six years of full time south Florida use). I love the simplicity of this thing. Our first one needed a new diaphragm, disk, and some hose pieces over the past six years but kept on working like a champ. We just had some pavers put down which left a bunch of debris in the pool and I decided it was now time to just replace it altogether. Couldn't be happier. Best reliability and price point intersect for a pool vacuum. Highly recommended." — Brian J
Get it from Amazon for $324.
26. A pack of 24 washable, reusable microfiber cleaning cloths that you'll find dozens of uses for: they're great for dusting, using with window and countertop cleaner instead of (wasteful) paper towels, wiping fingerprints off screens, washing dishes, polishing furniture, sopping up spills, shining stainless steel, picking up sawdust, washing and waxing cars and other vehicles, wiping up a messy dog, catching baby's spit-up, and the list goes on and on...
Amazon
Promising review: " As a Professional Organizer I need good quality towels that are thick, absorb well and easy to wash. These towels are awesome! I have purchased two orders for my business and many more for clients. Even after cleaning up some real messes they come clean. They do pick up everything! I found this out while washing my windows when a few dropped in the dirt. Shaking didn't get rid of the dirt so I had to hand pick some of the debris from the cloth. These are great for cleaning windows with vinegar and water. I use a new clean one to dry each window and they do a great job!" — Nancy W
Get them from Amazon for $14.39.
27. A bottle of food-grade mineral oil because it's perfect for freshening up your bamboo and wooden cutting boards or countertops, after scrubbing them down with salt and half a lemon for a nice clean. Rub this over them, let it soak in, and they'll last longer and have a rich, beautiful sheen!
You'll still want to give them a good wash with soap and water after every time you use them (never let it soak, that'll harm the wood), but this is good for a ~deep clean~ and conditioning.
Promising review: "Does a wonderful job keeping my bamboo cutting boards from warping and splitting. I went through four cutting boards before I got fed up and asked a professional why my bamboo boards kept splitting. Easy fix with mineral oil! I have no other mineral oil to compare this to, but I like it. It is easy to apply, and has left my new bamboo cutting boards in excellent condition!" — adventurebabbler
Get a bottle from Amazon for $8.98.
28. An oil stain remover that works wonders on basically any kind of stone (whether it's untreated *or* sealed and polished) because you shouldn't have to live with the consequences of that one leaky bottle of olive oil. It happens to everyone!
It works on marble, granite, limestone, travertine, slate, sandstone, grout (for ceramic and porcelain tile), masonry, and concrete — and it won't discolor the surface of the stone even one bit!
Promising review:" I can't recommend this product enough as stone professional. It works wonderfully every time I use it and I recommend it to my customers. This is only for oil stains. Any other kind of stain requires different treatments. For example for red wine on white marble countertops I used hydrogen peroxide with a cloth and cover it for three days." — Dilsad Meraler
Get a can of it from Amazon for $9.99.