50 Cleaning Products Editors Think Are Actually Worth It, Starting at $3
The secret to keeping a clean house lies in a few key things: the routines and habits you keep, and the cleaning products you use. If you’re looking to expand your “cleaning tool kit,” then look no further than Apartment Therapy’s Cleaning Awards — our guide to the cleaning essentials everyone should have in their home.
What Is Apartment Therapy’s Cleaning Awards?
Apartment Therapy’s Cleaning Awards program is our guide to the cleaning products we genuinely think are worth owning — they’re all researched, tested, vetted, and recommended by our editors. Each year, our team spends hundreds of hours testing cleaning products in their homes — but for our 2026 awards, we took it even further.
In addition to highlighting the very best cleaning tools of the year — such as sponges, scrubbers, and vacuum cleaners — we also spotlight our favorite cleaning solutions (ever!), including all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents, eco-friendly formulas, and more. In the end we chose 50 winners, organized into two categories: the tools you need, and the solutions that’ll change your life (like they did ours).
Our Testing Process (and Why You Should Trust Us)
Our editorial team spent hundreds of hours researching, testing, and vetting hundreds of products to create our Cleaning Awards program, which is now in its third year. We only recommended the items we truly believe are worth a spot in your home because we tried them out in ours. For every cleaning tool we tested we wrote up a thorough review on what makes it the best (our “Best” pick), and for every cleaning solution we recommended we added our seal of editor approval (our “AT Favorite” stamp).
- For Cleaning Tools: Cleaning tools are the devices you use for cleaning, such as sponges, scrubbers, and vacuum cleaners. We tested the latest and greatest innovations out there — items released between 2024 and 2026. We accepted submissions from brands, but the products we ultimately tested and chose as winners were not limited to submissions.
- For Cleaning Solutions: Cleaning solutions are the cleaning formulas you use in your home, such as laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, and any other liquids, sprays, and wipes. This is a new addition to our awards program, and for 2026 we focused on our favorite picks of all time — whether they’re tried-and-true staples, brand-new discoveries, or submitted products we ended up loving — as chosen by our editorial team. As with tools, submissions did not determine our finalists or winners.
See the 50 Winning Cleaning Products
Without further ado, say hello to the 50 winners of our 2026 Cleaning Awards.
Cleaning Tools
Looking for the best tools to use to get your home clean? We put these cleaning must-haves — like vacuum cleaners, brushes, and dusters — to the test, and every single one earned top marks.
Cleaning Solutions
From all-purpose cleaners to odor eliminators, cleaning solutions help tackle dirt, bad smells, germs, and allergens throughout your home. These are our favorite picks of all time.