Scoring a product for less money and finding out it’s just as good (if not better) than a more expensive competitor is a major win. CR tested four multipurpose cleaners from Amazon Basics, Target, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart and found that none were inferior to the pricier name-brand multipurpose cleaners CR has tested. That alone is reason to celebrate and commit to saving money on household cleaners.

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But we wouldn’t be CR if we didn’t get in the weeds and get our hands (and houses) dirty to discover the distinctive differences among these cleaners so that you can make an informed shopping decision.

We defaced mirrors with red lipstick, spilled vegetable oil on a stovetop, marked stainless steel appliances with greasy handprints, coated a bathroom sink with blue toothpaste, and poured maple syrup on a counter and let it sit (during ant season, no less). Here’s how these multipurpose cleaners handled our mess.

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