We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
From sachets to sheets, how effective are these innovative cleaners? The GHI found out… biological laundry detergent
Plastic waste is a huge global problem, but small changes can make a difference. Along with carrying a reusable water bottle and using a tote bag for your shopping, one way you can help do your bit to clean up the environment is by choosing refillable cleaning products.
That's why the experts at the GHI have been busy scrubbing to find the most reliable on the market. These are our top-rated refillable cleaners to buy now, but keep reading for our detailed reviews and more information about how they work.
Switching out your (typically plastic) cleaning products for one of these more eco-friendly cleaners is an easy way to cut your plastic waste. Many soluble cleaning products come as concentrated liquid in mini refill bottles, so you just need to pop it in an empty spray bottle, fill it with water, give it a good shake, and you’re ready to clean. You can also buy pouches or large containers that you can pour into existing bottles, as well as pods, tablets and sheets.
Soluble cleaning sheets are less common, but we have tested a few at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Our top performer was the Simple Living Eco Multi-Purpose Cleaning Sheets, which scored 77/100.
These easy-store sheets must be shaken in hot or cold water for two minutes until fully dissolved and they can also be used as dishwasher tablets! Our testers found the resulting solution surprisingly strong and effective, particularly when cutting through grease, but it failed to budge burnt-on stains and left glass smeary. Still, our testers appreciated the easy-to-follow instructions and enjoyed a streak-free finish on kitchen appliances.
While the UK’s plastic recycling has come a long way, only 42% of all household plastic packaging is collected. This includes 63% of plastic bottles (including cleaning products) and 39% of plastic pots, tubs and trays. In other words, there’s still work to be done. So, using refillable cleaning products automatically cuts back on plastic waste. But, besides the obvious benefit of being more eco-friendly, they can also save you money in the long run. Products are often concentrated, so a small amount should go a long way.
Thanks to their more sustainable format, you'll save on repeatedly buying new plastic bottles, plus the concentrated solutions are smaller so are easier to store and leave you with a less cluttered kitchen.
As refillable products are made to stay in your home for a longer period, most brands have also made their products more aesthetically pleasing, too. Win, win.
To put these cleaning products to the test, the GHI experts mess up the lab with food stains and grease in the kitchen, and shower gel, shampoo, baby oil and bubble bath in our wet room.
Then they start scrubbing, checking each product’s ability to shift grease and grime from every surface. For soluble products, they also note how long each concentrate, tablet or sheet takes to dissolve in water, and what the provided bottles are like.
We also give each cleaner to 10 at-home panellists who put the products to work over a two-week period. They give feedback on each product's fragrance, ease of use and of course, cleaning prowess.
Because each product we test has differing eco-credentials, overall scores are based solely on their cleaning performance, and all their claims are listed below so you can find the right one for you.
This multi-purpose cleaner is designed to banish dirt, grease and germs from worktops, sinks, tiles and more. Our panellists were drawn to its “slick and cool” packaging and liked its strong, fresh fragrance. It cleaned brilliantly across all tests, with only a little scrubbing required to remove tough stains, and it left a sparkling, streak-free finish on everything from stainless steel hobs to glass coffee tables.
Everybody found it quick to dissolve in basic cold tap water but the opaque metal spray bottle made it tricky to gauge when a top-up was required. It sprayed finely and evenly though. And, if you already have a bottle, the effective cleaner is available as a standalone refill (£2.50).
It's not the only Neat product we'd recommend adding to your cleaning arsenal; we recently tested the brand's new daily shower spray at the GHI, awarding it an equally high score of 90/100. It impressed in our bath cleaning test and left our shower screen shiny and streak-free.
Another top-scorer for Neat. And if you want a fresh-smelling home, this all-purpose floor cleaner is a smart buy. Its mango and fig scent was a huge hit with panellists and the majority said it banished odours effectively.
The cleaner starter pick comes with a compact, refillable bottle made from 100% recycled plastic and a concentrated glass bottle of floor cleaner. Instructions were easy to follow but the consistency of the cleaner was on the runny side, leaving some panellists struggling to dispense the right amount – more of a sprinkle rather than a clean pour.
When it came down to the chores at hand, though, this impressed, barely dropping a mark while cleaning ceramic tiles and leaving behind only minor mud and tea stains on laminate.
This "clean green" mix is suitable for use on almost all surfaces. It's also both vegan and palm oil-free. Performance-wise, it excelled all-round, eroding stubborn stains with minimal scrubbing for gleaming, non-streaky results.
Most testers liked its allergy-friendly orange fragrance and, though pricey, they appreciated that one bottle of concentrate can make a lot of cleaner, and therefore last a long time. Our panellists did find it messy to dispense, which can make it more time-consuming to use with the small amber glass spray bottle (bought separately for £2).
This is another fantastic product from Neat that you’ll want in your cleaning cupboard. The formula turns from liquid to foam (when sprayed and once made up in the refillable bottle), and is designed to cling to the toilet bowl for effective stain and odour removal.
Its cleaning efficacy was something most of our panel vouched for too. After sitting for five minutes, stains were removed from the toilet without the need for excessive scrubbing and it cut through grime around the rim, only needing a wipe to clear it up afterwards.
Plus, it tackled dried toothpaste on tiles, shampoo stains, grease and soap scum throughout the bathroom. It was less impressive at tackling limescale and cleaning grout though, so opt for a specific product for those tasks.
Grubby sink or stinky bin? This plant-based cleaning kit will tackle all your household grime. Soft on surfaces and easy on the nose, our panellists found it good value for money and thought it “smelled lovely”. The drops dissolved, mixed and cleaned well, but a lot of elbow grease was needed to lift dried or burnt-on stains, so save it for lighter cleans and everyday spills. It also left some streaks on glass.
Though not very storage-friendly, the bulky bottle included doesn’t require frequent top-ups, which busy folk will appreciate. This starter kit includes three refills or you can sign up to a handy subscription service.
With a similar design to our winning refillable, Purdy and Figg’s Counter Clean kit comes with a bottle for life and concentrated refills that just need diluting before you get started.
It left our tiles spotless and the cleaner cut through grease on our countertop without leaving any sticky residue behind. Testers found it struggled more when tasked with removing shampoo and grease from the bathroom, needing some extra scrubbing and a final buffing to remove all stains and leave it clear of watermarks.
If you’re willing to expend some elbow grease on tough stains though, the gorgeous natural scents are a real treat.
For daily freshen ups and quick wipe downs, this cleaner was a winner in our panellists' eyes. They loved the pleasant scent, which wasn’t too overpowering, and the compact glass bottle has a nice design that they were happy to display rather than keep hidden away.
In terms of cleaning power, it was best at wiping down tiles and removing light stains such as shampoo and body wash from a shower screen. It removed some limescale too, but this was more superficial and required some scrubbing – for tougher marks and deep cleans, a stronger cleaner may be better. Despite this, most of our testers said they’d continue to use the product as well as recommending it to others.
This starter kit comes with three sachets of cleaning concentrate, a metal bottle and a glass microfibre cloth – everything you need to get cleaning immediately (sorry)! Made using live, healthy bacteria, the formula claims to remove dirt from deep inside the pores of common surfaces, where viruses like to breed.
Our panellists liked its attractive packaging and pleasant scent and found it fast to dilute. It cut through grease a treat, making it a top pick for cleaning kitchen appliances, but it left our ceramic tiles slightly smeary.
Refills can be bought online (albeit at greater cost than from other brands) and there’s a subscription service available too. Our testers particularly liked the inclusion of a pre-paid envelope for returning empty sachets for recycling.
This detergent’s mix of aloe vera and rosemary was a big hit with our panellists who loved the scent it left on their clothes. It’s made with natural ingredients and effectively removed baby food, tomato puree and coffee marks from our laundry. Red wine stains on cotton lifted well too.
Across both cotton and polycotton washes, the cleaner struggled to remove mud and grass stains, however, most panellists were still pleased with its vegan cleaning power.
As the refillable product comes as a bulk buy, most found it difficult to refill their reusable bottles or pour the liquid into the washing machine drawer without making a mess. But that’s a small price to pay though for an effective, eco-friendlier alternative.
Made with essential orange oil, this citrus all-purpose cleaner is derived from 100% natural ingredients and claims to neutralise 99.9% of bacteria.
Instead of a liquid concentrate, this refillable comes as a pouch that can be used to top up your bottle and then collected free of charge to be cleaned and refilled or recycled. You can use it neat on a cloth or diluted, and our panellists found it effectively cut through grease, sticky stains and soap scum with ease. In fact, it even left most surfaces streak-free and shiny – result!
Burnt-on stains were tricky, but they always are. Most trouble came when refilling our bottle. The pouch is large and the product more viscous, which means it’s difficult to pour without making a mess. Otherwise, it’s an effective, pleasant-scented refillable.
If you, or someone in your household, has an allergy or sensitivity, you may want to try this antibacterial, fragrance-free cleaner, which is suitable for use on all hard surfaces. This brand purposefully doesn’t supply a bottle to encourage the reuse of one you already have – an ethos you may or may not welcome, depending on your existing bottle supply!
Our testers found it reliable when tackling grease and light soiling, especially on tiles, but it smeared on glass and failed to lift burnt-on food without some heavy-duty scrubbing.
Limescale is every cleaner’s nightmare so we were excited to get our hands on Bower Collective’s dedicated solution. Testers found it successfully removed limescale, soap scum and water marks from tiles and baths with minimal elbow grease.
But it struggled more when combatting the same on shower heads, taps and toilets. Superficial limescale budged but when it came to built-up residue, even tough scrubbing couldn’t clear everything. Most panellists were pleased with the results though.
The product was easy to dispense, and panellists found it worked wonders at descaling a kettle, too. Some had difficulties refilling a bottle with product from the pouch and you need to buy a bottle separately (or use one you already have at home), but all in all it’s an effective cleaner for preventing limescale and ridding watermarks from your home.
This versatile Zoflora refillable comes as a concentrated pod that needs diluting with 750ml of water before you can get to work on stains and spills. The instructions were easy to understand but the pod takes around seven minutes to fully dissolve.
Once ready, testers found this pleasant-smelling spray effective at cutting through grease and removing soap scum, leaving surfaces streak-free and shiny after little scrubbing.
Tea, coffee and dried on stains required more attention though. And make sure your refillable bottle can hold 750ml to make the most of the pod (or buy one of Zoflora’s own bottles). Otherwise, it’s a savvy buy.
These good-looking, non-toxic refills can be used on most surfaces, including wood and stone. Our panellists loved the clean, contemporary design and felt the metal bottle with its sturdy trigger would last a long time, even if it is slightly tricky to fill up (tip: do so slowly to avoid lots of foaming).
It gave great coverage but our testers had to scrub hard to remove tough stains. The geranium fragrance proved divisive and some testers found the solution best suited to quick, light cleans, but a couple of sprays was ample to freshen up everything from our kitchen appliances to our bathrooms.
These soluble tablets are formulated for use as general purpose sprays on everything from granite and marble to stainless steel, laminate and sealed wood. Our panellists found the sturdy, attractively designed bottles (available as part of the Keep It Clean kit, £16) comfortable to hold and use, but noted that the tablet failed to dissolve without a good shake.
Once ready to clean, it rid their hobs of grease but left glass quite streaky. In-house, our testers reported similar results, but found it just as effective as other products at cleaning more stubborn soils.
MACK Ocean Potion multi-surface cleaner: 81/100
ecovibe Plastic-Free Soluble Kitchen Cleaner: 80/100
Nookary Probiotic All Purpose Cleaner (Bare): 78/100
Simple Living Eco Multi-Purpose Cleaning Sheets: 77/100
Refillable cleaning products are a great environmentally-friendly swap to make. Neat is our top pick brand-wise – between its All Purpose Floor Cleaner and its Multi-Surface Starter Pack, it's a strong-performer across the board, tackling all kinds of stains and marks.
While it’s a pricier option, Purdy & Figg’s Counter Clean Kit is a smart buy if this is your first step into refillables. It comes with a bottle for life, three concentrated refills in different scents, and a premium microfibre cloth so you can start using everything straight away.
For a budget buy, Zoflora’s Antibacterial Multipurpose Cleaner Pods provide an effective clean that will leave your home smelling fresh and looking shiny.
We’ve been testing household products for 100 years at the GHI, so we’re always on the lookout for innovative new launches that are changing the game.
This is definitely the case with refillable cleaning products. They’re more environmentally friendly, stylish, and just as effective at cleaning. Our homes testing manager, Blossom Boothroyd, has designed rigorous testing protocols to make sure each one lives up to its claims.
Alongside Blossom, our homes writer, Megan Geall, has scouted out the best refillable products to test by speaking to leading brands and researching the factors that make them kinder to the environment.
Megan is the Good Housekeeping Institute’s homes writer. She loves diving into the latest product releases to find the very best buys on the market. When she’s not writing about the newest gadgets and gizmos for your home and garden, you’ll find her cooking, running and exploring London’s foodie hotspots – or trying to make friends with every dog she passes. Megan has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has previously written for Stylist, Glamour, TimeOut, SquareMeal, and YOU magazine. You can find Megan on Instagram @meganlouisegeall and on X @megan_geall
Blossom is our Senior Homes Tester. Passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for our readers, she has tested everything from blenders to pizza ovens. Blossom enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols for hundreds of items. Innovative items like robot vacuum cleaners and wine coolers are among her favourite tests to date, and her most notable accomplishment is toasting 360 slices of bread in a determined bid to find the best toaster. In her free time, Blossom openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
The best hobs to buy, from induction to ceramic
The best Dyson fan to buy now
The best mattress toppers for easing back pain
The 11 best spot cleaners, tried and tested
These are the GHI's best Emma mattresses
The best Simba mattresses, tried and tested
The best multi-cookers, tried and tested
The best affordable vacuum cleaners we’ve tested
The GHI's best cordless vacuum cleaners
The best hard floor cleaners, tried and tested
The best pillows for easing your neck pain
Good Housekeeping, Part of the Hearst UK Fashion & Beauty Network
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
toilet odor remover ©2024 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Registered in England. All Rights Reserved.