35 Cleaning Products That Seem Too Good To Be True — But Actually Work

Jul 02, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

What you see is *actually* what you'll get.

BuzzFeed Staff

This awesome stuff can be used to clean like a bajillion and one things, but note that it shouldn't be used on plastic or acrylic surfaces, highly polished stainless steel, or hot/warm surfaces, so of course, you can use it on cooktops and grills, just be sure to do so once they've cooled down! Plus, this is vegan!

Promising reviews: "Oh my gosh — this stuff is a life changer! Used it to get my fiberglass shower totally clean. Nothing else would get it done and this stuff brought my shower back to near-new in one use. We’ve since cleaned a weird chalky film off our garage door, removed wall markings, and cleaned my storm door. We’ll never be without a jar (or three) of this stuff. Worth every penny." —Nancy F.

"Great for stubborn stains. We had some turmeric that stained our sink and I had tried everything to clean it. This did the trick INSTANTLY." —Carla B

"Best cleaning product purchase of my life. Don't sleep on this product! It made my bathtub look brand new with very little scrubbing involved!" —Kaykay

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Gives your wooden furniture a protective, soft luster coating thanks to carnauba wax and beeswax. It also prevents it from drying and fading. Good for use on antiques, dining tables, kitchen cabinets, wood doors, trim, and more.

Promising review: "This stuff is absolutely AMAZING. My wife and I were getting tired of looking at our worn out cabinets and wood paneling and were very close to paying a professional thousands of dollars to refinish it all, but then we came across this product. Our paneling and cabinets were looking rough. We have two dogs that jumped up and scratched places, we also had an area that was damaged by water spots where our dog bowls were, and several other areas that were just worn from heavy traffic. This stuff was like a magic eraser for water spots, scratches, scuffs, and any other blemish. We simply wiped the product on with a paper towel and let it sit for 20 minutes before wiping it off with a clean towel. Everything looks brand new. I'm buying a couple more so we can finish our cabinets and wood paneling. We're so glad we found this product." —Kris

Get it from Amazon for $11.79.

The biodegradable packet cleans/scrubs away at grime and odor that cause buildup and yucky smells on sidewalls, blades, under the splashguard, and other hidden areas. They come in pre-measured drop-in packets and are recommended to use about once a week!

Promising review: "It seems counterintuitive to put a little packet down your garbage disposal to clean it, but this does actually seem to work, at least for getting out weird smells that baking soda and vinegar don't really touch. I scrub the sink down first, especially around the garbage disposal area, rinse it down, and then just follow the directions on the package. I have used it with single, large-size sinks and with double sinks — only difference is that the double sink will have blue cleaning foam rise up the drain, which you rinse away when the disposal sounds clear again. I have tried the foaming cleaner in a can, but unfortunately it stopped coming out of the can about 10% of the way through. Went back to this tried-and-true." —KS

Get four packets from Amazon for $3.78 (also available in a larger size).

These tablets remove odor-causing residue and help get rid of lime and mineral build-up that naturally occurs inside dishwashers. The tablet is designed to last throughout the entire wash cycle, and is recommended for use about once a month. These are safe to use in stainless-steel tub and plastic tub dishwashers.

Promising review: "After using this product, I am happy to report that my $5 investment saved me over $500. I was ready to replace my dishwasher due to super cloudy glasses, residue, and just not getting clean. Then, I became aware that the water softener no longer was doing its job, so I had the rental company replace it. Dishwasher performance improved somewhat. I decided to do two more loads before deciding to purchase a new one. Then I saw a product test review for Affresh in a magazine. I was ordering some stuff from Amazon anyway, so I added that to my order. When it came, I tossed one of the tablets into the bottom of the full machine, and ran the regular cycle. I did not expect the results I got! My glassware that I thought was permanently etched and ruined came out like new. Same with cutlery. The difference is unbelievable. I will use this faithfully on a monthly basis, as recommended. I can even put it on my subscribe and save order, so I will get a new pack every six months. I am amazed!" —Sheila

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "I have an old shower/bathtub. I tried name brand shower cleaners and bleach to try and clean the soap scum off the tiles and tub. I had no luck and I would cough and get sick because of how strong the smell was. I thought I would try this to save my lungs. I sprayed my entire shower and left it for about 15 minutes. I came back and rinsed off the walls and they were shiny! I've never had such a clean shower. The smell is amazing and subtle. All I smell is tea tree and it didn't affect me at all. The price is also a good deal since the bottle is pretty large. It came with the sprayer separate and the bottle sealed so it wouldn't leak in the box. I highly recommend this." —Amber Erwin

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $15.99.

All you have to do is put one of these babies in like you would with any other K-Cup, brew one large cycle, watch dirty water get cleaned out, throw the pod away, and then return to brewing your faves.

Promising reviews: "We’ve had our Keurig for a few years, and with the exception of using only filtered water and dispensing hot water every so often, we’ve never cleaned the needle or K-Cup area. I used three cleaning cups back-to-back and WOW our machine was dirty! I'm so happy I purchased these! I’ll be keeping up on cleaning these more often." —Heather Garcia

"I was amazed at the ease of this product. I no longer have to soak and scrub." —Mcarpino5

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $9.95.

Promising review: "Wow! I would give this 10 stars if I could. We've had issues for a few years with the caulking behind the handle of our kitchen faucet turning black from mildew. We've scrubbed with what seems like a million different products, with no luck. We were actually just talking about ripping out the caulking and doing a total replacement. But, my husband saw this online the other day and decided to order it. Almost immediately when he applied it, you could see it was starting to work. We left it on overnight and the black is COMPLETELY GONE! It's incredible. 1,000% worth the (small) investment. Seriously — just buy this. It's amazing!!" —Nicole D.

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

Promising review: "We cannot BEGIN to tell you what a lifesaver this is! We have two old fiberglass tubs with vinyl shower enclosures that no matter what amount of scrubbing we have done with everything from bleach to cleanser to vinegar and baking soda would NOT come clean. After I took my shower last night, I sprayed down the tub and walls. Within minutes, all the built-up water deposits and dirt and grime began to melt away in front of my eyes. I left it on overnight, and when I got up this morning, it did not look like the same tub and shower. This product is a godsend, especially for old folks like us who have difficulty getting down on our hands and knees and scrubbing anything. More importantly, it performs as advertised. This is truly an overnight sensation!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $19.98+ (available in two scents, two sizes, and multipacks).

This helps eliminate hard water stains, rust, and limescale from things like shower doors, shower stalls, shower glass, windshields, windows, glass, barbecues, chrome, tile, toilets, granite, steel, fiberglass, pools, bath tubs, sinks, granite, marble, chrome, boats, autos, brass, stone, metals, porcelain, brass, alumnium, stainless steel, hard vinyl, and more!

Promising review: "When we moved into our new place the shower doors looked like they had never been cleaned before. I tried at least 10 different products and methods to remove the hard water spots but nothing even made a dent. Bio Clean, however, was like a magic eraser! I scrubbed each door for about 10 minutes and it was incredible! I’ve never written a cleaning product review before but this one is worth every penny." —Shane B

Get it from Amazon for $18.77 (also available in a two-pack).

Promising reviews: "I was so excited to see the huge difference in how clean my jewelry looked. The cleaning process took less than five minutes and now it sparkles like new!" —Jackie_X

"The only ring cleaner I use. I love this!! A friend recommended it to me and it's all I use to clean my diamond wedding ring! Just bought one for my other friend who is getting married! It is quick and easy whenever you need to add that sparkle back to your ring." —Jessica Leigh

Get it from Amazon for $8.88 (also available in multipacks).

It's made with purified water, coconut-derived actives, citric acid, natural rosemary oil, and natural lemon oil. It's free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, and is biodegradable. Public Goods is a small business based in New York, NY that offers low prices on high-quality sustainable products from household cleaners, to hair and body, to grocery items, and more. Annual membership is $79, but if you're interested in buying a product like the bathroom cleaner above before committing to a membership, you can sign up for a free two-week trial!

Promising review: "Love this stuff! Light and refreshing scent. Cleans great! And the simplicity of the bottle is so aesthetically pleasing on my cleaning shelf!" —Amanda M.

Get it from Public Goods for $5.95.

Drill Brush is a small business based in New York. Its founder is a former technician living with carpal tunnel who started the company to create products that'll allow folks like him to clean pain-free.

It comes with three different sizes and shapes of brushes. The bristles won't scratch and are good to use on tubs, sinks, baseboards, fiberglass shower enclosures, shower door tracks, and porcelain. BTW, the drill isn't included, but you can find a bunch of great ones on Amazon!

Promising review: "I bought this on a whim because my walk-in shower is just a pain to clean. I'm 51 and I guess I've just been old school with how I clean, so I was hand scrubbing it for years. The FIRST time I used this to clean my shower, it took five minutes AND it scrubbed my shower cleaner than it has been in years. In the corners, the floor, the glass door, everything came out squeaky clean. I'm NEVER cleaning my shower by hand again." —Terry

Get it from Amazon for $18.95 (available in different brush stiffnesses).

Promising review: "Where has this been all my cat-loving life? Sticky rollers work fine for clothes but this is the only product that has ever COMPLETELY removed all the cat hair from my bed. I have a long-haired 20 pound tabby and if you run your hands up his back a few times and fling the hair everywhere, it looks like it's snowing – he never stops shedding no matter what I do. After using the ChomChom, I can put on a black dress and roll around on my bed and not get a single hair on me. It's absolutely amazing. Everyone is getting one for Christmas, even if they don't have a pet. I don't care; it's THAT good." —Stephanie

Get it from Amazon for $24.99.

Promising review: "This thing just plain works. We got a mature golden retriever last year and were told he didn't shed. Then in the spring he started shedding badly. We were tired of hair everywhere and somehow I realized that dragging my shoe across the carpet balled the hair up. I found this product on a whim one day and knew it had to be better than my shoe! I ordered it and it was tough at first. The bristles pulled the hair up but then caught the tufts and spread them around. I found that using short quick strokes with the rake turned upside down got the best results. The backside is more like a squeegee and helps pull the hair up in long rolls and keeps the hair in one big pile." —Nick V.

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Check out our FURemover Evriholder broom review to learn more!

It's more than 40% denser than similar products so it has a longer life! The handle allows you to keep your hands clean while cleaning the toilet. It removes calcium, lime, and hard-water stains using gentle abrasive action, and cleans porcelain fixtures, hard-water stains, pool tile, toilet bowls, barbecues, steel, and stone.

Promising review: "I have a 19-year-old bathroom toilet that had accumulated some nasty stains over time, and regular toilet brushes and cleaning products just would not remove them. I decided to try this pumice stone, and it 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." —Happy Retiree

Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (also available in two- and four-packs).

Check out our Conair fabric defuzzer deep dive! The battery-operated model requires two AA batteries that aren't included, but you can buy some right here!

Promising review: "I don’t normally rave about things like this. I bought this on a whim in a last attempt to save my favorite duvet cover. The pills had gotten to the point where it was 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 lil' 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. Hi, I’m obsessed. I can’t stop. I should send this back. I’ve started asking if my neighbors need anything depilled. I’m going to buy one of these for everyone in my life. Everyone needs to own this. Take it away from me." —Sydney Jensen

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in six colors and two styles).

Sunny & Honey is a family-run small biz that sells home cleaning products. This stuff both cleans AND deodorizes carpets. It can be used in pretty much all machines — Hoover, Bissell, Rug Doctor, Kenmore, Carpet Express. The solution works on all water-safe surfaces like carpets, rugs, furniture, and automobiles. Plus, it's biodegradable and nontoxic.

Promising review: "This works like a dream. I have light beige carpets, and this gets all the dirt and stains right out." —Karen M.

Get it from Amazon for $18.50+ (available in two scents and two sizes).

It comes in an easy-to-use trigger spray and is ideal for cleaning bathtubs, showers, toilets, colorfast fabrics, vertical surfaces, and hard-to-reach spots. Plus, it's non-abrasive, and made with non-hydrofluoric acid based formula which is safer than other similar liquid rust stain removers.

Promising review: "Holy wizardry! Seriously it was more work to clean the mirror over the vanity than use this product. With almost no effort, this made my dark orange, iron-water shower stall white again. I definitely suggest wearing a mask or bandana and running the ventilation fan if spraying in an enclosed area. Great product!" —Jessica B

Get it from Amazon for $11.55.

Each bottle cleans about four times, and it's septic-safe! Only takes about 15 minutes to clean!

Promising review: "Love this stuff. I was skeptical at first. I am a huge germaphobe and this worked well enough for me to actually take a bath at my new place with the jets on!" —Ann

Get it from Amazon for $17.84.

Good for use on ovens, broilers, and barbecue grills. Only takes about five minutes to spot clean.

Promising review: "Fantastic product!! Wish I knew about it sooner. Also wish I took before and after photos because it is that amazing. Just be careful to protect the heating elements before spraying it. I forgot, so it smelled a bit when I used the oven the first time after cleaning it. The smell didn't last long though." —Ivana K.

Get it from Amazon for $13.75.

This comes with the jar of oven scrub as well as a professional-grade metallic scrubber. You can use this to clean your enamel oven, racks, the oven door's interior glass panel. Everneat is an Etsy shop based in Fairfield, Connecticut that sells 100% natural cleaning products and microfiber cloths.

Promising review: "I am in absolute shock over how well this works. I really wish I took a before picture. WOW! My oven door window had grime on it for years that i couldn't get off from the previous owners so I'm estimating it's been like that for 4+ years. Nothing helped to cut through it and finally this oven cleaner made it look brand new. Still in shock!! Would highly recommend. Also, the smell of the product is sooo delightful." —Vanessa

Get it from Everneat on Etsy for $19.99 (available in three scents).

Rocco & Roxie is is a family-owned small business that sells all sorts of great pet products like collars and leashes, shampoos, and small-batch treats!

Promising review: "I'm not going to lie, this stuff is significantly more expensive than most other available carpet sprays. You could probably buy four or five bottles of Febreze for the cost of this stuff, but the competition won't work nearly as well as Rocco & Roxie. This stuff is AMAZING." —Brian

Get it from Amazon for $19.97 (available in two sizes).

Promising review: "Dawn is a soap that I think most people are familiar with. This is Dawn, but about 50x stronger! I used to dread cleaning pots and pans, but Dawn Platinum Powerwash makes that chore a lot quicker and and the pots and pans cleaner. Note: you get the original spray bottle plus three refills, so when you run out of the product in the bottle, it’s no problem. I would highly recommend this cleaning power house! I don’t think there is anything else on the market even close to what this does." —Phoenix Tyler

Get a spray bottle and three refills from Amazon for $17.50.

Humble Suds is a woman-owned Etsy shop based in Denver. They sell plant-based cleaning products boasting ingredient lists that never contain more than six ingredients.

Promising review: "I got the tea tree oil and lavender cleaner, and have had an easier time cleaning my kitchen than when I used chemical cleaners. Plus, I know it’s non-toxic, so I find myself cleaning far more frequently (I have asthma and this product doesn’t trigger an attack or take my breath away). My kitchen has never looked cleaner." —Jessica Mathisen

Get it from Humble Suds on Etsy for $15.55.

Comes with a 10 ounce bottle of cooktop cleaner, a cleaning pad, a scraper, and a grip pad tool. It helps to clean grease, stains, and remove burnt and baked-on deposits.

Promising review: "As soon as I used this stuff, I couldn't believe it! We had a new stove that I didn't clean for months and assumed the burnt pea juice (my enemy) would just be a new stain forever. However, after one application, it was basically gone. I used the scraper that came with it and did one more small application on just that spot, and it was gone! Every time I use this it looks like my stove could be brand new." —Christi

Get it from Amazon for $15.03.

More than 4,000 hook and loop micro-hooks cover the full 18-inch span of the snake. It's reusable! Just remove hair after use, and clean with soap, water, and a brush. It's compatible with most bathroom drains, without needing to take off the stopper.

Promising review: "I don’t write many reviews, but when something blows my mind like this, I have to! Not only did this remove an enormous amount of hair from my drain, it took less than 30 seconds to do so! I didn’t really read the instructions, but it’s pretty straightforward. Stuck it in the drain, cranked the handle, pulled it out. Voila, no more hair! Buy it! You won’t be disappointed." —Linsey Walker

Get a pack of five from Amazon for $19.99.

This fits any standard 1.5-inch tub drain or bathroom sink drain. But, if you want to keep your hair-catching separate between your tub and sink, then treat yourself and your home to the SinkShroom!

Promising review: "This is absolutely worth every penny. Kudos to the inventor of this product. I have thick long dark hair, and after two months of moving into my own apartment, my shower drain was completely clogged with all my hair. After being disgusted at the amount of hair I had to clean out with a snake (which is NOT a fun task), I decided I needed to purchase something to prevent it from happening again. I read about this product in a BuzzFeed article, and I have no regrets. It is so satisfying to clean out, and it does not lie when it says it catches every single hair. I have had it for close to four months without once instance of my shower drain backing up. This product is absolutely worth it." —JT

Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in five colors and a multipack).

Pen is ideal for use on floors and walls!

Promising review: "I was pleasantly surprised by how far these went. I did the entire floor of my large master bathroom plus a little of the shower with one pen. It is pretty forgiving and you have quite a bit of working time before it dries completely. This was not a quick task, but it went faster than I thought it would. I was worried the white would look too bright, but it just makes everything look so much cleaner. I'm very happy with this product!" —Jenelle

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes and various other colors).

Therapy Clean is a family-owned small biz that sells cleaning products boasting cleaning products with safe and readable ingredient lists in the loveliest scents.

Comes with a microfiber cloth! This is good for use on stainless refrigerators, stoves, sinks, dishwashers, microwaves, grills, and other appliances!

Promising review: "In my experience, cleaning products usually need to be pretty strong chemicals that require care when applying. When faced with options, I usually buy the chemical with the most skull and cross bones, warning labels, and danger symbols I can find. I figure the more volatile and poisonous the chemical, the better it will work! So I was skeptical about this product when it was billed as a plant based chemical on the other end of the toxicity spectrum. I decided to try it because of the many positive reviews. I'm glad I did. It works great! I wouldn't use it as a mouthwash, but it certainly isn't as harsh as other cleaners I've used." —Joe

Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in two sizes and multipacks).

For those who are fans of the Bar Keepers Friend Classic Cleanser and Polish, this delivers the same results, but in a pre-mixed formula to make for a quicker clean. It works well against rust stains, tarnish, mineral deposits, soap scum, and indoor and outdoor grime, and is especially good on the following surfaces: stainless steel, brass, bronze, copper alloys, aluminum, ceramic, porcelain, glass, Corian. Recommended to use in the kitchen (sinks, cookware, stove cooktops and exteriors, oven door windows, non-stone countertops, and plates to buff out knife marks), bathroom (sinks, bathtubs, showers, faucets, toilets, tile, and grout), and outdoors (rust stains, grills, vehicles, siding, and sporting equipment).

Promising review: "I was so bummed when I scratched up my pretty white sink with pots and pans. I thought I'd need to have it replaced or try to sand it and refinish it somehow, but I bought this stuff as a last ditch effort to fix it myself. It takes some elbow grease to make them go away, the scratches don't just wipe off. But if you scrub at them for a few minutes they melt away pretty quickly. After two rounds my sink looks nearly brand-new again. It also worked on a few mineral stains in my bathtub that I thought were permanent after soft scrub failed to remove them. Again, a little of this stuff, the scrubby side of a blue sponge, a little bit of effort and they were gone!" —Dan Borden

Get a pack of two from Amazon for $17.50.

Promising review: "My daughter is queen of spilling juice on her bed and I never fully realized the damage/dirt it was causing. My sister bought this and I decided to try and it is worth every single penny!! I sprayed the bed down with the machine and I left for about five minutes, came back, and began to actually do the suction. It took about 15 minutes to finish but some lighter stains disappeared right away — no scrubbing needed." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $123.59.

Promising review: “OK, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS HOSE. My dryer was like one cycle away from catching fire, and my vacuum’s skinny hose nozzle was too short to get into my dryer vent because the nozzle widens after 6 inches. So when I saw this product go on sale I bought it and it came the next day. It came in two or three pieces that fit into each other and go over the vacuum hose. It was SO SATISFYING to watch the big clumps come out of the dryer vent! I mean my dryer was nasty. I have a German shepherd and a pit bull, so our laundry is always full of nastiness. Well, this little hose got it all and it looks brand new in there. The big clumps were hard to get through the hose at first until I realized I could pinch the opening of the hose to make it circular, which allowed the clumps to fly through. Even the sound was satisfying. I will be vacuuming under my fridge next. No dying in a fire for me.” —Bee92

Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in five colors).

Good for removing spots and stains from colorfast carpet, rugs, upholstery, and clothing without leaving a sticky residue or needing to rinse or vacuum. To use, apply to the stain, gently agitate with your fingers, and blot with absorbent cloth. This is non-toxic and should be non-irritating on the skin!

Promising review: "I had terrible rust and oil stains all over the seats of my car when I bought it. I tried other cleaners to get it out, but they actually made the stains darker. I took it to the dealership to see if they could get it out and they flat out told me no, so I gave up and lived with it for almost five years. I tried this after it was recommended by a friend. I sprayed it on and literally watched the stain run right off my seat. It was amazing! I thought I was going to have to pay hundreds of dollars to replace the seats in my car because nothing else would work. This stuff really is awesome!" —Brittany

Get it from Amazon for $6.65+ (available in two sizes and multipacks).

Recommended for use on marble, granite, limestone, travertine, slate, sandstone, grout for ceramic and porcelain tile, masonry, and concrete!

Promising review: "Had an oil stain on my untreated West Elm marble top buffet from a kids toy. I purchased the oil stain remover and crossed my fingers that it would work. Followed the directions, waited 72 hours to let it dry completely, and then scraped it off with a credit card. It worked perfectly! I couldn't be happier with the results. I highly recommend this product!" —MKDJ

Get it from Amazon for $12.49.

Promising review: "This little device is great. Super simple. Fill to the lines with vinegar and water, nuke for seven minutes, let sit for two minutes, then wipe clean. My embarrassingly super gross microwave wiped completely clean with a couple paper towels. Highly recommend." —UglyPetty

Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in four colors).