When you’re ready to clean, it’s easy to spend big bucks on pricey supplies at the hardware store or a big-box store. But you can find just about everything you need to tackle a deep clean or stay on top of daily cleaning at a decent price.
Of course, there will be duds among the cheapest of cleaning products. So I headed to my local Dollar Tree to find out just how much cleaning bang I could actually get for my buck.
For about $25, I bought a cartload of cleaning supplies. Then I put them to the test to save you the trouble of having to figure out for yourself which products are a waste of time and money.
Technically, Dollar Tree isn’t a true dollar store anymore, having upped its lowest price point to $1.25 and introduced somewhat more expensive items. But all but one of the following products happened to cost $1.50.
Unfortunately, each of the following is a case of getting what you pay for. I wouldn’t buy any of them again for myself and can’t say I recommend any to you, either. (For the winners, check out “8 of the Best Cleaning Supplies at the Dollar Store.”)
1. Foam mop head
The product: The Essentials Premium Sponge Mop Head, which has a pressure-plate hand wringer.
The price: $1.50 per head
My experience: I mopped the tile floor in my kitchen with this mop head and noticed that the foam was harder to push across the floor than with higher-quality mop heads I’ve used. I also didn’t like having to use a hand wringer.
And when I finished mopping, my floor still didn’t look clean.
My take: If all you can afford to pay for a mop head is $1.50, you could do worse. But I won’t buy this one again, preferring quality over price point when it comes to mop heads.
2. Long-cuff latex gloves
The product: Scrub Buddies Long-Cuff Large Reusable Latex Gloves, which measure 10.3 inches long and come in a few colors
The price: $1.50 per pair
My experience: I was initially impressed with these latex gloves. I used one pair to wash dishes and a separate pair for cleaning the bathroom. The gloves I used for cleaning held up well.
But after three weeks of using these gloves to wash dishes, the latex became sticky on the inside when wet, making the gloves tight and uncomfortable. The gloves also looked like they were beginning to degrade on the outside.
My take: I won’t buy these gloves again because of how sticky they become when wet.
3. Compressed air
The product: Homebright Compressed Gas Air Duster, which comes with a tube for precise spraying
The price: $1.50 per 2-ounce can
My experience: I sprayed this product on my laptop keyboard and a few keys that kept sticking. By the time I was finished, half of the tiny can was empty. While spraying with compressed air worked in the past to clean certain keys, this time, some of the keys remained stuck.
My take: I won’t buy this tiny can of compressed air again, mainly because it empties too quickly. Instead, I’ll buy bigger cans in larger quantities at online marketplaces to save money.
4. Disinfectant spray (as an air freshener)
The product: OdoBan Ready-to-Use Disinfectant
The price: $3 per 32-ounce bottle
My experience: This OdoBan spray is marketed as a fabric and air freshener, but it’s only worth buying for one of those two purposes.
It’s a name-brand product, so I expected it would work well. Instead, I have a mixed review on this one.
When I used it as an air freshener, it made my hardwood floors slick as ice and they remained that way until I mopped them to remove the product.
However, this product also has a pleasant scent: When I used it as a fabric and area rug freshener, it helped my furniture smell good.
My take: I’d buy this again only for freshening fabric but not air.
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