All-purpose cleaning sprays are an efficient way to de-funk most surfaces of your home. But in terms of waste they can be kind of a bummer. The majority of products come in plastic containers—a loss in the ongoing battle against single-use plastic—and schlepping those bottles through the supply chain is also wildly inefficient. Why? Well, they’re mostly water, which is heavy and takes up a lot of room. Consider, for instance, that 29% of a plastic beverage bottle’s carbon footprint comes from transportation.
That’s why we’re Team Concentrate. While there are pouches of gels and jumbo bottles of concentrated cleaner available to cut down on packaging waste, there’s an even more sustainable option: dissolvable cleaning spray tablets. These lightweight pellets arrive in minimal packaging, favor transparent, Earth-friendly ingredients, and are more efficient to transport. Plus, they don’t hog under-sink space. Using one is simple: drop it into an empty spray bottle, add water, wait for it to dissolve, and spritz away. One tablet produces 16 to 24 ounces of cleaner, enough to last around a month.
The value proposition is enticing as well. The six brands we tested ranged in price from $1 to $2.95 per refill, which is competitive with traditional cleaners. But the big question is do these plop-and-mist solutions really pack the power necessary to replace your go-to spray? We spent two months battling household grime to find out. The good news is all of the tablets we tried performed quite well, but, once we dug into each brand’s planet-friendliness—including any potential toxicity in their ingredients and where the companies behind them get their energy—the best all-purpose spray, ahem, cleaned up the competition.
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one5c’s pick: Blueland Multi-Surface Cleaner Tablet
A chunky, oblong tablet produced by a company that delivers when it comes to keeping both the Earth and your home clean, Blueland’s Multi-Surface Cleaner Tablet (from $2.25 per tablet; blueland.com) bested some very close competitors to land the top spot. Each tablet dissolved into 24 ounces of pleasant, lemon-scented solution that effectively handled everything from greasy countertops to sticky, dried messes. Blueland wasn’t the absolute best all-purpose cleaner we tried, but performance-wise there was a relatively narrow margin separating first from dead last. The company’s dedication to minimizing environmental harm is what pulled it to victory. Their tablets are, for example, the only ones in our test that earned the EPA’s strict Safer Choice label, which is reserved for only the most benign products, and Blueland manufactures with 100% renewable energy.
Why it’s good
Every tablet-based spray cleaner we tested fared quite well in a series of five controlled tests and general ’round the house cleaning. They all eradicated simulated soap scum from a ceramic tub, lifted coffee stains, cleared tomato paste, and handled general dust and dirt with relative ease and few streaks. We were impressed.
Cleaners showed their true colors during the grease test. Grease repels water, and if it sits on a surface too long it can collect dust and become sticky. A sponge and a few sprays of Blueland’s solution, which relies on the active ingredients citric acid and sodium carbonate (aka washing soda), picked up both fresh bacon grease and dried-on film without any remaining schmutz. Only two other cleaners (Fomin and Skipper) managed the same, while the rest (particularly Green Llama) left smudges.
Considering how frequently one uses an all-purpose cleaner, aroma is important. Blueland’s soft citrus scent is reminiscent of a subtle lemon tea; it’s sharp enough to evoke a sense of cleanliness with no harsh notes.
Nothing’s perfect. When it comes to Blueland’s cleaning power, our only complaint is that it required slightly more elbow grease to clear soap scum than the other products. We did, however, have some non-cleaning gripes: The tablets were too big to fit easily through the mouth of a standard spray bottle (Blueland sells its own wide-neck glass “Forever Bottle” for $12, but it’s not necessary). It doesn’t take much force to push them through, but the process did leave a light dusting of powder on the countertop. And, while this isn’t surprising given the chunkiness of the tablet, it needed 24 minutes to dissolve—the longest of the bunch.
Why it’s sustainable
From a planet-minded perspective, there are few boxes Blueland doesn’t tick. It’s the only cleaning tab we considered that’s part of the EPA Safer Choice program, which only includes products that don’t have ingredients known to be toxic (e.g., volatile organic compounds, or VOCs) and overly harsh (e.g., ammonia and bleach). Blueland is also Cradle to Cradle Certified for using ingredients that protect the health of humans and the environment, Leaping Bunny Certified as cruelty-free, and a Certified B Corp, meaning that it meets higher-than-normal standards of social and environmental responsibility.
Blueland also earned excellent marks for its energy use and packaging. Its shipping boxes are made with Forest Stewardship Council–certified recycled paper, and the tabs themselves come in compostable wrappers. The company is Climate Neutral Certified through The Change Climate Project, though it’s thankfully not just relying on carbon offsets to hit that mark: Blueland worked with its key manufacturing partner to transition its facility to 100% renewable energy.
Nothing’s perfect. There’s not much to complain about here, but if you insist we’ll pick a nit or two. The EPA notes that greener cleaning products use cold water because heating H2O takes energy, but Blueland recommends dissolving its tabs in warm water. And we also don’t love that the tabs come individually wrapped, but that knock is a constant across the entire category.
The runner-up
Performance testing ended with a photo finish. Fomin’s Multi-Surface Cleaner Tablets ($10 for six; amazon.com) edged to the top of the scrub-a-dubbing pack based on small, though not trivial, differences. It required the fewest passes to wipe up messes, including soap scum and grease. We also liked its fresh scent.
While it’s not as buttoned-up as Blueland, Fomin still takes sustainability seriously. The company donates a portion of profits to environmental causes through 1% for the Planet, has got some certifications about safety, and says it’s climate neutral. Most of that is totally copacetic but there are hang-ups: It doesn’t offer any support for its climate neutrality claims, and although the tablets are largely free of harsh products, they do contain Berol 226SA, a degreaser that can be toxic to aquatic life.
What we tested
We selected six widely available, well-reviewed cleaning tablets that are transparent about, and made with, mostly naturally derived ingredients: Blueland Multi-Surface Refill Packs, Fab Tab Multi-Surface Cleaning Spray Refill, Flowcheer Multi-Surface Cleaner Refills, Fomin Multi-Surface Cleaner Refill Tablets, Green Llama All-Purpose Cleaner Refills, and Skipper Multi-Surface Cleaner Refills (formerly Tirtyl).
How we picked our winner
Our recommendations are based on two parallel assessment tracks: one for performance and one for sustainability. These ratings combine to land on our final winner, which represents the ideal blend of a product that’s good for the Earth and for your life. Read more about our assessment process here.
How we tested performance
We put all tablets through a testing protocol designed to mimic real-life messes. We also evaluated the products over the course of two months of everyday use.
- Grease test: We fried a strip of bacon in a pan and used the solution and a sponge to clean the dried splatter off a greasy stainless-steel stovetop.
- Scum/crud test: We smeared a teaspoon of simulated soap scum (a blend of grated bar soap, olive oil, and baking soda) on a tub and assessed how each solution tackled the mess, noting how well the cleaner and sponge removed the scum.
- Countertop test: We spilled 1 teaspoon of coffee onto a white marble countertop, let it dry, and cleaned the residue, checking for complete stain removal with zero streaks.
- Stainless-steel test: We used each cleaner to remove smudges from a stainless-steel refrigerator, evaluating how well it cleared fingerprints and the overall finish.
- Wood test: We smeared 1 teaspoon of tomato paste on a sealed wood floor, let it dry, and removed the mess with an all-purpose cleaner and a rag.
How we scored sustainability
Our sustainability ratings take into account three factors: a product’s environmental impact at its production, what happens at its end-of-life, and the manufacturer’s environmental behavior. Production factors in where, how, and with what a product is made—as well as how it’s transported through the supply chain. We also assess end-of-life variables like toxicity and biodegradability of product and packaging, as well as actions the company takes outside the life of a product to minimize its footprint or benefit the environment. We award bonus points for transparency, as well. These scores are informed inferences based on available information, not full-blown life-cycle analyses.
FAQs: What to know about all-purpose cleaners
All-purpose cleaners remove dirt, dust, grease, and general grime from surfaces like countertops, appliances, walls, and certain floors. However, some formulas aren’t suitable for glass or porous surfaces like unfinished wood. It’s good practice to check the label and spot-test the cleaner on a small area first.
An all-purpose cleaner can remove some germs from surfaces, but don’t confuse it with a disinfectant, which is specially formulated to kill bacteria and viruses. To handle all cleaning tasks, a home should have both all-purpose cleaner to handle everyday messes and disinfectant where necessary.
While exact formulas vary, cleaning spray tablets all contain surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, which help break down grease and dirt; baking soda, which acts as an abrasive and helps to deodorize; citric acid, which helps break down mold, mildew, and soap scum; and sodium carbonate (that’s washing soda) to help remove stains. These tablets also contain essential oils and colorants, as well as binders and fillers to help them maintain shape and dissolve effectively.
In addition to being planet-friendlier, all-purpose spray tablets often contain safer ingredients than premixed cleaners. Many traditional sprays and disinfectants contain harsh chemicals and VOCs that contribute to everything from asthma to cancer. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has graded many all-purpose cleaners on a scale of A–F based on the chemical concerns of ingredients, and there are a lot of popular brands with Cs, Ds, and Fs. The majority of all-purpose cleaning tablets opt for transparency and use mostly plant-based and naturally derived ingredients to clean your home.
Madeline Muzzi is a writer with more than ten years of experience covering lifestyle, culture, and products. She is a certified sommelier with a special love for cooking and restaurants. Her work has been featured in New York Magazine, Eater, Taste, and Serious Eats, among others.
Tyler Santora is a freelance science journalist, editor, and fact-checker. He’s written for publications such as Undark, Scientific American, Popular Science, and more.
one5c does not earn a commission on any product purchased through our reviews.