We may earn revenue from products available on this page and may participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
One way to become more consistent with your home cleaning routine is to find products that you enjoy. As a Bob Vella writer and product tester, I’ve tested over a hundred popular cleaning tools, from vacuums to steam mops to toilet bowl cleaners and everything in between. Through this experience, one thing has become very clear: When a product works well, cleaning is less of a chore.
If you’re stocking your cleaning closet and looking for tools that are satisfying to use, the 12 items below will help. Each has been thoroughly vetted and recommended by Bob Villa’s expert team of writers and editors, ensuring excellent performance and value.
The reliable stick vacuum
Image: Amazon
Vacuuming is an essential part of the cleaning routine, and if you’re looking for an option that cleans well, is easy to maneuver, and is a pleasure to use, you can’t go wrong with the Dyson V15 Detector. One of our favorite features is the green illumination on its hard floor head, which illuminates otherwise invisible dust and hair for spotless cleaning. It also has excellent suction, comes with a range of vacuum heads and accessories, and performed so well in our testing that it earned the title of best overall vacuum.
Scrub-cum-toilet bowl cleaner
Image: Amazon
While no product will make cleaning the toilet fun, Lysol Power Cling Gel can make it easier. This toilet bowl cleaner quickly breaks down even the most stubborn stains, so you spend less time cleaning. It can also be a disinfectant, killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. During testing, it was the only cleaner that powered through the embarrassing toilet bowl rings built into our porcelain throne.
Battery operated scrubber
Image: Amazon
If you toss a dish with clean food to get clean, the Dermal Versa 4V Power Scrubber Kit is for you. This handy little tool comes with neat pads that can power everything from burnt dishes to soupscum around your bathtub. We tested this model against other power scrubbers and found it easy to handle.
Nice smelling all purpose spray
Photo: Walmart
All-purpose cleaners are must-haves for tackling multiple household surfaces without the need to lug multiple products around. Mr. Clean Clean Freak Multipurpose Spray is excellent thanks to its ability to break down dirt, grease, soap scum and grime. We love the lavender scent, which is fragrant and EPA certified as a safe choice.
Cleaning the steam mop
Image: Amazon
If you want to kill germs and walk away with squeaky clean floors, it’s hard to beat a good steam mop. The Basil Power Fresh Scrubbing and Sanitizing Steam Mop is one of our favorites, thanks to its three levels of steam to suit a variety of hard floor types. We also appreciate the ease of maneuvering, which allows for cleaning some of the tightest spots in the house, such as over the bottom of cabinets and against the base of the toilet.
Treatment of stainless steel
Image: Amazon
Food stains and fingerprints don’t mar the look of stainless steel any faster, which is where the Therapy stainless steel kit comes in. This kit, which includes a spray and microfiber towel, was a winner in our stainless steel cleaner tests and is also well received by consumers, with a 4.6-star rating from more than 20,000 reviewers. It cuts through grease and grime, and leaves behind a pleasant lavender scent.
Deep cleaning carpet solution
Image: Amazon
Whether you need to remove stains from carpet or upholstery, the Basil Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner has you covered. This machine is small but powerful, featuring a clean and dirty water tank, plus powerful suction that can remove dirt, debris and set-in stains. It was the best performing model in our portable carpet cleaner tests and has an impressive 4.4 out of 5 star rating from over 100,000 Amazon reviewers.
Wash all the dishes
Image: Amazon
The often unsung hero of cleaning is a good dish soap, and Seventh Generation Free and Clear dish soap is the cream of the crop. Featuring a sensitive skin-friendly formula, this dish soap outperformed all others during our tests, removing food residue with ease and performing well during household use. It is also highly rated on Amazon, with a 4.6 out of 5 star rating from over 19,000 reviewers.
Lightweight spray mop
Image: Amazon
There are many different types of MOPS to choose from. However, when the goal is to get the cleaning done as quickly as possible, nothing beats a spray mop. The Rubbermaid Disclosure Microfiber Spray Mop is one such option that deserves a spot in your cleaning arsenal. It features a refillable bottle so you can mix your own cleaning solution, comes with a washable microfiber mop pad, and is safe for all hard floor types. Whether you’re cleaning up a mess or deep cleaning your entire home, this mop is easy to use.
Automatic robot vacuum
Image: Amazon
If you want your floors to look spotless without constantly whipping out a vacuum and mop, the Aquawax DBot X9 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop might be the solution you’re after. Featuring AI navigation, it tackles dirt, dust and sticky spots without user intervention. It also self-washes its mop pad for continuous cleaning and self-empties its vacuum contents into the base station, ensuring you never have to lift a finger.
Targeted steam cleaner
Photo: Katie Barton for Bob Villa
While a steam mop can remove gunk from hard floors, the Basil Steam Shot handheld steam cleaner is perfect for tackling a wide range of cleaning jobs, from cleaning toilets to blasting gunk off the tops of baseboards. This small machine allows the user to control the amount of steam released and includes a variety of attachments for scrubbing, cleaning grout, washing windows, and tackling upholstery. It can even remove wrinkles from clothes.
Dual duty wet/dry vacuum
Image: Amazon
One way to enjoy your cleaning routine is to speed it up, which is exactly what the Tinoco Floor One S5 Smart Wet/Dry Vacuum does. Instead of vacuuming and mopping separately, this floor sweeper tackles both jobs at once. Its self-powered design makes it almost effortless to use, and thanks to its sensors, it can detect how dirty your floors are and adjust its cleaning power accordingly.

