7 Brands Professional Cleaners Swear By

Woman cleaning wood countertop — Getty Images / d3sign

Every person's cleaning arsenal is different. There are brand loyalists with an under-sink caddy piled high with their favorite tried-and-true items. There are also others who have a sparse array of items they have no affinity towards. Regardless of whether you stand behind particular names in the cleaning world or not, one thing is evident: efficacy is everything. Not every solution or scrub brush will deliver results either, even if the name on the label has a legacy.

Though it can be dizzying to wade through the numerous brands lining the cleaning aisle, there are some names that rightly deserve a spot in every person's bin of spray bottles and containers. To narrow it down, there are no better opinions than those of professional cleaners who have tried countless companies' products—from popular to less well-known—and use them on a daily basis.

Mr. Clean

Several experts we heard from had Mr. Clean products featured in their cleaning compilations. Though the company has multiple products, including cleaning wipes and scented surface cleaners, there was one specific item from the brand on repeat.

Sara San Angelo, a professional house cleaner who's also known as The Cleaning Lady, says she will "never leave home without my Mr. Clean Magic Erasers in my cleaning caddy."

These melamine sponges are renowned for their ability to work across a variety of surfaces and swipe away gunk and build up. San Angelo couldn't agree more. "They truly are magic," she explains. "They are the best thing I've used to get soap scum off bathtubs and especially glass shower doors. They really shine with Magic Erasers!"

A second vote for Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers comes from MaidForYou operations manager Adriana Aziz. She's responsible for creating the standard operating procedures at the company and their teams use Mr. Clean while tidying up homes. "We keep them handy, especially for move-out cleans where removing marks from walls is a necessity for our customers."

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Clorox

It's easy to question if big-name brands really hold up to their promises when it comes to getting your spaces sparkling clean. Some of them certainly do, according to Johnny Pallares, the owner of Arizona-based De La Rosa House Cleaning and the recently-started DLR Commercial Cleaning.

His number one brand is Clorox, particularly their bleach. "Bleach is the number one product we use for bathrooms because it does an amazing job at disinfecting and cleaning surfaces," he says. "People also love the smell of bleach because they can immediately tell the space is clean."

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Pine-Sol

When it comes to classic cleaning brands, Pine-Sol almost always makes the cut. The smell and look of Pine-Sol aren't easily forgotten and their simple collection of liquid surface cleaners make it a must-have for professionals, including Pallares and his companies.

Because of its reputation and results, Pallares says that Pine-Sol is another oft-used brand, especially for a streak-free finish on floors and other surfaces. He adds that it's also a fan favorite for the same reason as bleach—it's easy for clients to register the scent of Pine-Sol and feel confident that the space has been thoroughly cleaned.

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Dawn

Dawn products are known for their oil-busting properties, which is handy for cleaning up after dinner. Although this brand is an obvious must-have by the sink, most people wouldn't realize how useful its soaps are for other areas of your home. Pallares of De La Rosa House Cleaning and DLR Commercial Cleaning explains that there are far more ways Dawn products can be implemented in cleaning.

"The best product you can use is Dawn liquid soap," he says. "It does wonders on countertops, sinks, refrigerators, and even windows. It is the overall best cleaner for your home. You can use Dawn to clean your entire house." But before you start adding some to your mop bucket, press pause: "I wouldn’t suggest it for the floors, but it works great on every other surface."

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Ecolab

There are two brands that Scott Schrader, the CMO of CottageCare, says the company's team relies on for cleaning. "Our professional house cleaners use Ecolab and Shaklee products to care for our customers’ homes, as CottageCare has the distinguished record of being environmentally friendly since our roots in the mid-’70s," he says. "We use non-toxic and non-abrasive products to protect the environment, the customers’ property, and the crew members providing our services."

The Ecolab Peroxide Multi-Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant is a staple for cleaning glass and other surfaces. For any grimy surfaces they come across in bathrooms, they turn to Ecolab's Neutral Bathroom Cleaner. Floors, on the other hand, get treated with Ecolab's Neutral Floor Cleaner.

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Shaklee

Shaklee first started out as a nutrition and vitamin brand in 1956 and since expanded into green home cleaning products. Schrader notes that the CottageCare crew likes using Shaklee products, too, particularly the Scour Off paste for this. "[It] can be used to rid surfaces of hard to clean spots and hard water stains," he explains.

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Sprayway

Renowned for its glass cleaners and an extensive list of cleaning solutions for homes and cars alike, Sprayway makes a feature in professionals' caddies, too. Though the brand launched with an aerosol glass cleaner as its hero product, its other items have fans as well.

Kellsie R. Zapata, owner of Zapata's Cleaning Service, LLC, stands by Sprayway's Stainless Steel Cleaner for bringing shine back to metallic surfaces, whether it's a fridge or stove, and says, "We always keep this fantastic cleaner in stock."

"This product will clean, polish, and protect all types of stainless steel surfaces. It even works on chrome," explains Zapata. "It does a great job at resisting fingerprints. I love being able to use this product at our client's homes and I even do the 'fingerprint' test in front of them to show how it truly does resist fingerprints."