Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner Provides Average Cleaning Power

We purchased the Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner so our expert reviewer could put it to the test in her home. Keep reading for our full product review.

Puracy’s Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner leaves synthetic ingredients behind for a more natural take on clean. As far as bathrooms go, shower doors are one of the hardest areas to keep clean. Hard water and soap scum cloud the glass, leaving behind an unsightly residue. All shower cleaners aren’t created equal, though, and may lack the adequate strength to clear up stains. To see if Puracy was up to the task, we picked up a few bottles and got to work. Keep reading to see whether it’s worth adding to your cleaning arsenal. 

Ingredients: Plant- and vegetable-based

Puracy takes an eco-friendly approach to cleaning by using plant- and vegetable-based ingredients and a biodegradable preservative in its formula. One of the vegetable-based cleansers used is decyl glucoside, which if we're getting technical, is a non-ionic compound made from the starch of corn or coconuts. That means it reduces the surface tension of water and has a neutral charge.

Another one of the main ingredients, C10-C16 alcohol ethoxylate, replaces cleansers like ammonia and petroleum-based distillates and propellants. Like decyl glucoside, it's a surfactant that breaks the surface tension of water to help remove dirt and debris. It's also commonly used in baby wipes and dish soap. 

That’s what’s notable about this formula—the gentleness of the ingredients, yet the ability to remove most dirt. We won't list all of the ingredients, but they’re all plant-based including the neutralizers, preservatives, and fragrances.

Bottle Design and Application: Simple and straightforward

Puracy’s ingredients are relatively simple, and so too is the bottle design and application. Our package included two 25-ounce clear bottles with two attachable spray nozzles. The bottle setup was simple and straightforward. We liked that we could adjust the head to spray or stream, depending on where we were cleaning. 

The application was a cinch, too. The directions state that it should be left on heavily soiled areas for 30 seconds before scrubbing. We followed the directions and got to work, allowing it to sit for the full 30 seconds to get the maximum amount of cleaning power. We wiped down the surface, and that was it. The cleaner evaporates as you’re wiping. We did use a damp/wet cloth on some surfaces, like mirrors, where we had streaking issues, though. 

Cleaning Performance: An average cleaner, only safer

If there’s anything a cleaner should do well, it’s clean. We focused our testing on our shower door, but we also tested this cleaner on several other surfaces as it is advertised as a multi-purpose cleaner. We found that, overall, it did a good job on most surfaces. It couldn't cut through water stains and rust or clean grout very well, though. On some surfaces, it also left streaks. 

The shower door we focused on wasn’t terribly dirty. There were some water stains, and we had let some soap residue build-up so we could see if the cleaner made a difference. The surface of the inside of the shower door is smooth while the outside is textured. We used Puracy on both. 

We used two different items to do our scrubbing—a microfiber cloth and paper towels—to see how the cleaner performed with different materials. Using both the cloth and the paper towels, the soap scum didn't pose a problem. This cleaner performed just as well as our standard bathroom cleaner that doesn’t have Puracy's plant-based ingredients. Both sides of the door were as clean as they usually are after a weekly scrubbing. That also means it left behind the water stains, which our standard cleaner can’t handle either (no matter what kind of material we use to do the scrubbing). 

We kept going and tried it all over the shower—on chrome-covered handles, fiberglass walls, and grout. There was even a rust stain on the fiberglass that we tried to remove. Puracy removed surface dirt and shampoo and conditioner residue, but the water spots and rust remained. 

Grout is a tough one—and Puracy did little to clean it (though in fairness, that’s not included on the list of cleanable surfaces on the bottle). We tried it on other areas of the bathroom, including the mirror, sink, countertop, and toilets, as well. We found that it cleaned just as well as our average all-purpose cleaner.

On the label, it states, “Guaranteed to safely clean any hard surface without streaking.” We’re skeptical of all-encompassing statements like that, and here’s why: You can always find the exception to the rule. The label also includes a list of materials that it can be used on. The list is long but includes all major household surfaces, including marble, metal, and sealed and unsealed stone. We didn’t test every surface but tried to hit the most common ones to which we had access. 

Again, in general, Puracy performed well and removed basic grease and dirt. However, it required some extra water on mirrors to prevent streaking and left streaks on stainless steel. Like most cleaners, Puracy has its areas of strength and weakness. For the removal of daily grime, it did a good job. For tough stains and buildup, you’re going to need something extra.

Fragrance: Strong, herbal scent

We tested the green tea and lime scent, but there’s also an organic lemongrass option. We would have to say it's definitely heavier on the green tea than it is the lime. In fact, we really couldn’t detect the lime at all. The fragrance could be a bit overpowering, especially in the restricted space of the shower where the strong green tea scent reminded us of incense. We’re not partial to the smell of green tea, but if you don’t mind that, the fragrance probably won’t bother you. 

Product Update: Scent changes

Puracy has updated its natural lemongrass scent, and we got our hands on it. The first time we tried Puracy, we found the green tea and lime scent pretty heavy for our taste. However, we tried an updated lemongrass scent and were pretty much blown away. We cleaned all three bathrooms in our house, and we truly love this scent. The formula had the same cleaning power as the original scent, but we would definitely add the lemongrass to our cleaning closet for a couple of reasons. 

First, it wasn’t an overpowering lemon scent. We would call it gentle without the chemical sting of some lemon cleaners. Some cleaners almost sting your eyes. That’s not the case with the combination of lemongrass and natural ingredients. Second, the scent dissipates within about 30 minutes. Don’t get us wrong. We love a clean scent, but we appreciated that the scent disappeared. The bathrooms smelt (and looked) clean and fresh. 

The lemongrass became a hit for everyone in the house. When it was our kids’ turn to clean the bathroom, they came searching it out because they liked it so much more than our regular cleaner. The scent won over scent-sensitive teens; that’s a win in our book. 

Price: On target for a natural cleaner

All-natural cleaners cost more than your average household cleaner, many of which can be found for around $0.07 per ounce. Puracy comes in at over twice that amount, but it’s a fairly standard price for all-natural formulas. You can find Puracy Natural Multi-Surface Cleaner in a two-pack for around $12, which we think is reasonable. 

The company also donates a portion of its proceeds to families in need so that everyone has access to all-natural products. Plus, the artwork on its bottle helps support local artists. 

Competition: Harder to apply, but deeper clean

Rain-X Shower Door X-treme Clean: A formula specifically targeted to combat the challenges of a shower door will usually outperform a multi-surface cleaner like Puracy, and our testing confirmed that this one from Rain-X does. While it didn’t remove all our water stains, it removed more than Puracy. The application is laborious and time-consuming and it’s quite expensive for what you get, though, so consider what you’ll be using the cleaner for before purchasing. 

Bio Clean Hard Water Stain Remover: Bio Clean presents another eco-friendly option, which we also tested, and it has some serious kick behind it. The application and cleaning take far longer than Puracy, but this one has a mild abrasive that was more effective on water stains and also removed rust. It’s a good addition to your cleaning arsenal for tough stains, but it’s not an all-purpose cleaner.