Just one bottle of cleaning agent for everything would be practical – but an all-purpose cleaner is usually not enough to get the whole apartment clean. However, Stiftung Warentest rates one product as “very good”. In the video you can see how to dose cleaning agents correctly.
Some all-purpose cleaners can do both: protect surfaces and at the same time effectively remove grease and dust there. However, many all-purpose cleaners reach their limits when it comes to limescale, sticky syrup, overboiled or burnt-in, according to the Stiftung Warentest in its “test” magazine (issue 5/2021).
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The foundation took a closer look at a total of 13 all-purpose cleaners in the laboratory. The testers used the products both diluted for wiping floors and pure for stubborn stains. Not all products were convincing in both disciplines.
The Domol all-purpose cleaner from Rossmann (see at Otto Office) with the grade “very good” (1.5). The overall rating “good” was given to seven other products, four of which showed very good cleaning power according to the foundation: dm Denkmit, frogLidl W5 and Meister Proper.
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Not only the cleaning power was important
Two cleaners each scored “satisfactory” and “sufficient”, and one received the grade “poor” – not for its cleaning performance, but because the product, according to the product test, polluted the water with the active ingredient benzalkonium chloride.
In addition to the cleaning performance (50 percent), the testers also included criteria such as “handling” and “water pollution” in the overall rating, as well as points such as “recyclability of the packaging” or “material protection”.
It is best to remove stains quickly
Even if many all-purpose cleaners gently clean the surfaces, the testers advise against cleaning oiled wooden floors with them. Burnt-in residue should be removed while it is still warm with a sponge, hot water and washing-up liquid.
In the case of lime, the experts recommend loosening the stain with the help of a lemon. In the case of heavier limescale deposits, cleaning agents containing citric acid usually help. However, it is best to prevent such stains – for example, regularly wiping the tap or sink dry with a cloth to prevent limescale stains from forming in the first place.
You can read the entire test for a fee at test.de.