One good all-purpose cleaner does most of the work in a house. Kitchen counters, the hob, sinks, bathroom tiles, skirting boards, painted doors, sealed floors: a single spray or a capful of concentrate handles the lot, which is why we always have one on the van. The trick is picking a cleaner that is genuinely safe across all those surfaces and still strong enough to cut grease. These are the five we rate for 2026, chosen from what is actually on UK shelves now.
We clean homes for a living, across London, Liverpool and Manchester, so we get through a lot of these. This guide covers the consumable cleaners: ready-to-use sprays, a dilute-it-yourself concentrate, and a plastic-free refill drop. We have included a proper eco pick and a value pick under a pound a bottle, because that is what most people ask us for. One honest warning up front, which we come back to lower down: an all-purpose cleaner is not for every surface. Natural stone and bare wood need leaving well alone. If you would rather hand the whole job over, our regular domestic cleaning team can take it off you.
Best all-purpose cleaners: quick comparison
| Product | Form | Surfaces | Best for | Eco / ingredients | Approx UK price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Method Multi-Surface Cleaner | Spray, 828ml | Most sealed, non-porous hard surfaces | An everyday all-rounder that smells good | Plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free | About £3.40–£4 |
| The Pink Stuff Miracle Spray | Spray, 750ml | Kitchens, bathrooms, tiles, sealed floors | Cheap, strong, grease and grime | Cruelty-free (Leaping Bunny) | About £1–£1.50 |
| Flash All-Purpose Liquid | Liquid concentrate, 1L | Washable hard floors and surfaces | Mopping floors and big jobs | Works in cold water | About £2 (1L) |
| Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser | Spray, 750ml | Hard surfaces, not glass or wood | Kitchens, germs, food areas | Non-bleach, kills 99.9% bacteria | About £2–£2.65 |
| OceanSaver All-Surface EcoDrop | Refill drop (makes 750ml) | Kitchen to bathroom hard surfaces | Cutting plastic, eco refilling | Plant-based, plastic-free, biodegradable | About £2 per drop (6 for £11.99) |
Method Multi-Surface Cleaner Spray
A plant-based spray that cleans nearly everything and actually smells nice doing it.
| Form | Ready-to-use spray, 828ml |
|---|---|
| Size | 828ml trigger bottle |
| Surfaces | Most sealed, non-porous hard surfaces |
| Scent | French Lavender, Pink Grapefruit and others |
| Eco / ingredients | Plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free |
| Price | About £3.40–£4 |
Reasons to buy
- Plant-based and biodegradable, made with cleaners derived from corn and coconut, yet still cuts grease
- Vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free, from a brand whose whole range is built around it
- The scents are genuinely pleasant, not the usual chemical hit, and a big 828ml bottle lasts
- Safe on most sealed counters, tiles, glass-topped tables and painted woodwork
Reasons to avoid
- Dearer per bottle than the supermarket value sprays below
- It is for non-porous surfaces, so the same stone and bare-wood rules apply
- On baked-on grease it needs a minute to sit, it is not a heavy degreaser
If you only keep one spray under the sink, this is the one we would pick. You spray it, wipe it, and that is most of a kitchen and bathroom done. It handles sealed worktops, splashbacks, the hob, sinks, taps, glass-topped tables and painted doors without streaking, and the formula is plant-based rather than harsh chemistry going down the drain. Method say it suits most non-porous surfaces, and we would echo their advice to test a hidden spot first on anything you are unsure about.
It is not the cheapest, and it will not strip months of baked-on oven grease, that is a job for a dedicated oven cleaner. For day-to-day cleaning across a whole home though, it is the most pleasant all-rounder here. The 828ml bottle is bigger than most rivals, so the price per use is fairer than it first looks.
Where to buy
Sold in several scents through the Method shop, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Amazon. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Stardrops The Pink Stuff Miracle Multi-Purpose Cleaner Spray
A pound-ish spray that punches miles above its price on grease and grime.
| Form | Ready-to-use spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 750ml (also sold as 850ml) |
| Surfaces | Kitchens, bathrooms, tiles, showers, sealed floors |
| Scent | Light, fresh |
| Eco / ingredients | Cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny certified |
| Price | About £1–£1.50 |
Reasons to buy
- Often around a pound, which makes it the best value spray on this list by a distance
- Genuinely strong on grease, soap scum and general grime, well beyond a cheap freshener
- Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, the same as its famous cleaning paste
- Stocked everywhere: Asda, Tesco, B&M, Home Bargains and Amazon
Reasons to avoid
- Stardrops are clear it is not for waxed, oiled, open-pore, painted or varnished wood
- The scent is faint and short-lived
- Bottle and trigger feel cheaper than the Method or Dettol
The Pink Stuff built its name on the pink cleaning paste, but the spray is the one that lives in our kit. For roughly a pound you get a multi-surface cleaner that shifts kitchen grease, bathroom limescale film and grubby tiles without much elbow grease. We use it on sinks, taps, hobs, splashbacks and sealed floors, and it earns its place every time. There is a reason it has tens of thousands of five-star reviews.
The one thing to watch is wood. Stardrops state plainly that it should not go on waxed, oiled, open-pore, painted or varnished wooden surfaces, so keep it off your kitchen table and worktops if they are real timber. Everywhere else it is a brilliant cheap workhorse. If you are kitting out a first flat, buy this and the Flash below and you have most jobs covered for under a fiver.
Where to buy
Sold as a 750ml or 850ml spray through Asda, Tesco, B&M, Home Bargains and Amazon. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Flash All-Purpose Liquid Cleaner
A cheap concentrate you dilute by the bucket, made for floors and big jobs.
| Form | Liquid concentrate, dilute in water |
|---|---|
| Size | 1L (also 1.2L; 5L for trade) |
| Surfaces | Washable hard floors and surfaces |
| Scent | Crisp Lemons, plus other scents |
| Eco / ingredients | Cleans in cold water, saving energy |
| Price | About £2 (1L) |
Reasons to buy
- A capful in a bucket of water cleans a whole floor, so the cost per clean is tiny
- Works in cold water, which saves boiling the kettle and a bit of energy
- Good on sealed hard floors, lino, tiles and washable painted surfaces
- The lemon scent is strong and fresh, and there are other scents if you prefer
Reasons to avoid
- It is a concentrate, so you mix it yourself rather than spray and go
- Surfaces in contact with food need a rinse afterwards
- Not the one for a quick wipe of a single worktop, that is a spray’s job
Flash is the cheapest way to clean a lot of floor. You add a capful to a bucket of warm or cold water, mop, and a single bottle lasts for months. It cut its teeth as a floor cleaner, and that is still where it shines: sealed wood-effect laminate, vinyl, tiles and painted skirting all come up clean and shiny. For mopping a kitchen or hallway it is hard to beat on price.
Because it is diluted you can also decant some into a spray bottle for surfaces, though we would keep it mainly for floors and bigger wipe-downs. Surfaces that touch food want a rinse with clean water after. Pair it with the Pink Stuff spray for counters and you have a tidy, cheap two-product setup. If a tenancy has left the floors in a real state, our end of tenancy cleaning team deals with that grade of grime.
Where to buy
Sold in 1L and 1.2L bottles through Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Amazon, and 5L for trade. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser Spray
A non-bleach spray that cleans and kills 99.9% of bacteria, ideal for kitchens.
| Form | Ready-to-use spray |
|---|---|
| Size | 750ml |
| Surfaces | Hard surfaces and food areas; not glass, mirrors or wood |
| Scent | Original, or Lime & Mint |
| Eco / ingredients | Non-bleach, kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses |
| Price | About £2–£2.65 |
Reasons to buy
- Kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including E. coli, salmonella, MRSA and flu
- Non-bleach, and Dettol say it is safe on food-contact surfaces
- The one we recommend for homes with kids, pets or anyone shielding
- Cheap, and stocked in every supermarket, often around £2 on a deal
Reasons to avoid
- Not for windows, mirrors, fabrics or painted and varnished surfaces
- It is a cleaner and sanitiser, not a heavy degreaser for baked-on grime
- The original scent is light and a touch clinical for some
When the job is about germs as well as grime, this is our pick. It cleans the surface and kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses in one wipe, which is why it lives in the kitchens we clean for families. Dettol list E. coli, salmonella, listeria, MRSA, flu and human coronavirus among what it deals with, it is non-bleach, and they confirm it is fine on food-contact surfaces such as worktops and chopping boards.
The catch is the surface list. Dettol are clear it is not for windows, mirrors, fabrics or painted and varnished surfaces, so it is a hard-surface sanitiser rather than a true clean-anything spray. For glass you want a proper glass cleaner. If you are after a stronger germ-killing kit for the whole home, our guide to the best disinfectant sprays goes deeper on that.
Where to buy
Sold as a 750ml spray in Original and Lime & Mint through Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Amazon. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
OceanSaver Antibacterial All-Surface Cleaner EcoDrop
One plastic-free drop plus tap water makes a full antibacterial spray bottle.
| Form | Refill drop, makes 750ml |
|---|---|
| Size | 10ml drop per 750ml bottle |
| Surfaces | Hard surfaces, kitchen to bathroom |
| Scent | Ocean Mist |
| Eco / ingredients | Plant-based, plastic-free, biodegradable; kills 99.9% bacteria |
| Price | About £2 per drop (6 for £11.99) |
Reasons to buy
- Plastic-free refill: you reuse one spray bottle instead of buying a new one each time
- Plant-based and biodegradable, yet still kills 99.9% of bacteria (BS EN 1276 at 30 seconds)
- Carries the Good Housekeeping tick of approval, so the performance is independently checked
- Light and cheap to post, and a 6-pack works out around £2 a bottle
Reasons to avoid
- You have to keep a bottle and dissolve the drop, a small faff versus grab-and-spray
- Some users find it weaker on glass than a dedicated glass spray
- Higher up-front cost than a single supermarket spray, the saving comes over time
If cutting plastic matters to you, this is the smart all-purpose pick. You drop one small pod into a clean 750ml spray bottle, fill with tap water, shake, and you have an antibacterial all-surface cleaner. The pod film dissolves completely with no microplastics, the formula is plant-based and biodegradable, and it still kills 99.9% of bacteria, which most eco cleaners cannot claim. It has the Good Housekeeping tick too.
It does ask a little more of you than grabbing a ready-made spray, and on glass it is not the strongest. But for everyday kitchen and bathroom surfaces it works well, and refilling one bottle for months keeps a stack of plastic out of the bin. If you are working through the rest of the house, our best dishwasher cleaners guide has an eco pick too.
Where to buy
Sold as single drops, 6-packs and 12-packs through OceanSaver direct, Amazon, Ocado and eco shops. Affiliate links coming soon — price last checked May 2026.
Which surfaces you should not use all-purpose cleaner on
This is the bit most labels gloss over, and the mistake we see most often in homes. An all-purpose cleaner is made for sealed, non-porous hard surfaces. On anything porous or naturally finished, it can stain, dull or etch the surface for good. A quick wipe with the wrong spray has ruined more worktops than any spillage.
Leave the all-purpose spray off these, every time:
- Natural stone such as marble, granite, limestone, travertine and slate. Most all-purpose cleaners are slightly acidic or alkaline, and that etches and dulls polished stone. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner instead.
- Bare, waxed or oiled wood. The Pink Stuff and Dettol both say so on the bottle. Water and cleaner soak into open-pore timber, lift the finish and leave marks. Wooden worktops and tables need a dedicated wood cleaner or just a damp cloth.
- Unsealed grout and porous tiles can absorb colour and dirt from a coloured cleaner. Test first.
- TV and laptop screens and other electronics. Use a proper screen cleaner, or a barely damp microfibre cloth, never an all-purpose spray.
- Brass, copper and some other metals can tarnish or discolour. Check before you spray.
If you are not sure what a surface is, test on a hidden corner first and wait a few minutes. When in doubt, plain warm water and a microfibre cloth is the safe option, and it does more than people expect.
How to choose an all-purpose cleaner
Start with the surfaces you actually clean most. If it is mainly kitchen counters and the bathroom, a good spray like the Method or the Pink Stuff covers you. If it is acres of hard floor, a concentrate like Flash is far cheaper per clean. Match the product to the job, not the other way round.
Spray, concentrate or refill?
A ready-to-use spray is the quickest for everyday wipe-downs and spot cleaning. A liquid concentrate is the cheapest for floors and big jobs, since one bottle makes many buckets. A refill drop sits in between: you reuse one spray bottle and cut the plastic, at the cost of mixing it yourself. Many homes end up with a spray for surfaces and a concentrate for floors.
Do you need antibacterial?
For most surfaces, a regular all-purpose cleaner is plenty. Antibacterial sprays like the Dettol earn their place in the kitchen, around food prep, bins and chopping boards, and in homes with young children or anyone more vulnerable to bugs. You do not need to disinfect a coffee table.
Scent and eco credentials
Scent is personal, and it fades fast on most sprays, so do not pay a lot for it. Eco matters more to the planet than to the clean: plant-based cleaners like Method and OceanSaver work well day to day, while a stubborn, baked-on mess may still need a stronger product. Look for real certifications, Leaping Bunny for cruelty-free, the Vegan Society for vegan, a Good Housekeeping tick for tested performance, rather than vague green wording.
How we picked these
We clean homes for a living, so this list comes from what we actually reach for, cross-checked against current UK shelves. We looked at how well each cleaner cuts grease and grime, how many surfaces it is genuinely safe on, the form and size, the scent, the eco and ingredient credentials, and the price per use.
Prices and pack sizes were checked against UK retailers and manufacturer listings in May 2026, and they do move, especially the value sprays that go in and out of offer. If your kitchen, oven or whole home needs more than a spray and a wipe, our deep cleaning service covers London, Liverpool and Manchester. For a price, ask us for a quote or call 0333 555 2076.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best all-purpose cleaner in 2026?
For most people the Method Multi-Surface Cleaner spray is the best all-purpose cleaner, because it is plant-based, safe on most sealed surfaces and pleasant to use. If you want the best value, the Stardrops Pink Stuff spray cuts grease and grime for about a pound, and for an eco refill the OceanSaver All-Surface EcoDrop makes a full antibacterial bottle from one plastic-free drop.
What surfaces should you not use an all-purpose cleaner on?
Keep all-purpose cleaners off natural stone like marble and granite, and off bare, waxed or oiled wood, because they can etch the stone and lift the wood finish. Also avoid using them on TV and laptop screens, and on some metals like brass and copper. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner, a wood cleaner, or a barely damp microfibre cloth instead, and test a hidden spot if you are unsure.
Is an all-purpose cleaner the same as a disinfectant?
No, though some products do both. A standard all-purpose cleaner lifts dirt and grease but does not necessarily kill germs. A disinfectant or antibacterial spray, like the Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser, is tested to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. For kitchens and food areas an antibacterial one is worth it; for general surfaces a regular cleaner is fine.
Can you use all-purpose cleaner on kitchen worktops?
On most sealed worktops, yes, such as laminate, quartz composite and sealed solid surfaces. But not on natural stone like marble or granite, and not on bare or oiled wooden worktops, where it can etch or stain. Check what your worktop is made of first, and for food areas rinse or use a cleaner that states it is safe on food-contact surfaces.
Are eco all-purpose cleaners as good as the regular ones?
For everyday cleaning, yes. Plant-based options like Method and the OceanSaver EcoDrop handle normal kitchen and bathroom grime well, and the OceanSaver even kills 99.9% of bacteria. For heavy baked-on grease or thick limescale, a stronger or more specialist product sometimes still has the edge, but for day-to-day use a good eco cleaner is plenty.
What is the cheapest good all-purpose cleaner?
The Stardrops Pink Stuff Miracle spray is the best value ready-to-use option, often around a pound. For floors and big jobs the Flash All-Purpose Liquid is cheaper still per clean, because a 1L bottle of concentrate makes many buckets of cleaning solution. Between those two you can cover most of a home for very little.
Can I use an antibacterial spray on every surface?
Not on every surface. The Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser, for example, is not for windows, mirrors, fabrics or painted and varnished surfaces, even though it is great on hard kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Always read the label, because antibacterial sprays are usually formulated for sealed hard surfaces rather than glass or delicate finishes.
How much should I spend on an all-purpose cleaner?
Not much. A value spray like the Pink Stuff is about £1 to £1.50, and a Flash concentrate is around £2 for a litre that lasts months. A plant-based Method spray is roughly £3.40 to £4, and an OceanSaver refill works out near £2 a bottle in a 6-pack. Spending more mostly buys eco credentials and nicer scent, not a dramatically better clean.
Last updated 29 May 2026. Written by the team at Monster Cleaning, professional cleaners working in UK homes since 2014. Prices and pack sizes were checked against UK retailers and manufacturer listings at the time of writing and do change.