Effective and easy to use, these picks are sure to be household staples.
Jessica Comstock is an associate commerce editor at Better Homes & Gardens with over 5 years of experience writing and editing lifestyle content. She currently covers home and garden products, specializing in cleaning products, small appliances, and more. Dog Car Back Seat Cover
We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.
Better Homes & Gardens / Alli Waataja
Whether they’re for wiping down the kitchen counter or sanitizing doorknobs during flu season, cleaning wipes are a popular and convenient way to keep your home clean. But with so many cleaning and disinfecting wipes on the market, it can be tough to find the right one for your needs.
“The key to buying cleaning wipes is to decide for what specific purpose you will be using them,” says Angela Brown, CEO and founder of Savvy Cleaner. “This will help you determine if you buy a small purse-size pack or a larger family pack.”
In addition to where you’ll be using the wipes, it’s important to consider what type is the best cleaning wipe for your needs. In general, you’ll find two options: all-purpose cleaning wipes and disinfecting wipes. An all-purpose wipe will remove dirt and grime, making it an ideal choice for quickly cleaning up messes throughout the home. On the other hand, disinfecting wipes remove bacteria and viruses, making them a better choice for sanitizing and disinfecting high-traffic surfaces like doorknobs or shopping carts.
To find the best cleaning wipes, we conducted a survey to find what regular users like and don’t like about the cleaning wipes they use in their own homes. We reviewed their responses to find the best cleaning wipes, taking into consideration each wipe’s reported effectiveness, ease of use, scent, and value.
For an affordable price, these wipes leave surfaces sanitized and disinfected.
After using these wipes, surfaces that will come in contact with food should be rinsed after the disinfection period.
The Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are popular for a reason: These are the best cleaning wipes for cleaning up messes and sanitizing non-porous surfaces at the same time. These wipes kill up to 99.9% of viruses and bacteria—including COVID-19, E. coli, salmonella, staph and more—when used correctly. And although some Clorox products contain bleach, these do not, so they are more gentle on skin and surfaces.
According to our survey respondents, these wipes are effective at removing tough stains and leave behind a pleasant smell that’s not overpowering. The wipes only come in two scents (Fresh Scent and Crisp Lemon), though the three-pack comes with both so you don’t have to choose between the two. Plus, buying in bulk means you can place canisters in different rooms throughout your home to always have one on hand for quick cleanups.
Keep in mind, to disinfect properly, Clorox instructs users to use enough wipes to keep the surface visibly wet for four minutes and to let the surface air dry. When using the wipes on kitchen countertops or other surfaces that may come in contact with food, wipe with a wet rag or paper towel after drying.
Price at time of publish: $13 for three packages
Product Details: Disinfecting: Yes | Wipes per Package: 75 | Scent: Fresh Scent, Crisp Lemon
In addition to fighting against viruses and bacterias, these wipes remove more than 95% of allergens.
Their scent has a more chemical-like smell, which may be off-putting.
If you’re looking for the best cleaning wipe to disinfect surfaces, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes will do the trick. When used properly, these wipes remove 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. In addition to disinfecting, they also remove more than 95% of allergens, making them a great choice for households with pets.
Our survey respondents appreciated that the wipes are effective and easy to use, with one respondent saying the wipes make their home feel cleaner. However, some respondents said the wipes were too moist. Like other disinfecting options, Lysol wipes require keeping the surface wet for four minutes for maximum effectiveness against viruses. However, it only takes 10 seconds for the wipes to kill bacteria.
While these are some of the best cleaning wipes in terms of effectiveness, our survey respondents thought they tend to smell like cleaning chemicals. The Lysol Disinfecting Wipes are most often found in a Lemon & Lime Blossom Scent, but the brand also offers scents like Mango & Hibiscus, Crisp Linen, and Early Morning Breeze (lavender).
Price at time of publishing: $18 for four packages
Product Details: Disinfecting: Yes | Wipes per Package: 80 | Scent: Lemon & Lime Blossom
These wipes are compostable, making them a great eco-friendly option.
They can be hard to get out of the container.
You don’t need to disinfect every surface in order to clean, so if you’re looking for a simple cleaning wipe, consider this option from Clorox. These wipes are a quick way to cut through grime and are safe for food-contact surfaces, making them a great pick for kitchen counters or high chairs. The light lemon scent is a great choice for leaving behind a fresh smell, but Clorox also offers a fragrance-free version for sensitive noses. Note that these wipes do not contain bleach, so there are no chemical smells after using them either.
We appreciate that these wipes are compostable, so long that they aren’t used to clean non-compostable messes, like human or animal waste. Keep in mind, if you’re adding these to your compost bin, they shouldn’t take up more than 10% of the pile. In addition, the wipes are EPA Safer Choice-certified, which means all of the ingredients meet the EPA’s safety standards for human health and the environment.
Keep in mind that these wipes tend to be difficult to get out of the container, according to our survey. One respondent even said they take the entire roll out of the canister to avoid the finicky dispenser.
Price at time of publish: $21 for three packages
Product Details: Disinfecting: No | Wipes per Package: 75 | Scent: Lemon
In addition to compostable wipes, the container is made of 70% recycled plastic.
They’re pricier than other options on our list.
When it comes to cleaning products, it’s hard to find options that clean well and smell pleasant. You’ll find that even some of the best cleaning wipes leave a chemical smell on the surface, but that’s not the case with this pick from Method. In fact, out of all the cleaning wipes mentioned in our survey, these received the highest remarks in terms of smell. In addition to Pink Grapefruit, these wipes are available in Lime + Sea Salt and French Lavender scents.
Like other all-purpose cleaning wipes, these aren’t meant to kill viruses or bacteria, but that means they can be used on food-contact surfaces without rinsing. We also appreciate that these are compostable, but they shouldn’t be added to your home composting pile as they are only compostable through municipal systems.
If we could change one thing about these wipes, it’d be the price. Compared to other wipes on our list, these are on the pricey side. Plus, each canister contains only 70 wipes—compared to 75 or 80 in other brand’s similarly-sized containers—so you’re paying more per wipe overall.
We appreciate that these are compostable, but they shouldn’t be added to your home composting pile as they are only compostable through municipal systems.
Price at time of publish: $20 for three packages
Product Details: Disinfecting: No | Wipes per Package: 70 | Scent: Pink Grapefruit
When sealed tight, the wipes stay moist for at least a year.
The texture could be rougher for cleaning stubborn stains.
Cleaning wipes aren’t limited to the kitchen and bathroom. These wipes from Armor All are the best cleaning wipes for cars to clean up spills on-the-go. Made to give your car a quick detail, these wipes are designed to clean upholstery, carpet, and dashboards, unlike other cleaning wipes that are suitable for non-porous surfaces only. Keep in mind that these particular wipes aren’t meant to clean glass, but the brand sells a glass wipe, too.
Armor All claims its cleaning wipes will stay fresh for up to a year, as long as the lid is sealed correctly after each use. While the container itself is fairly affordable, it includes far fewer (only 30) wipes compared to other wipes on our list. Our survey respondents also said that the texture isn’t as rough as it could be, which makes it tougher to scrub set-in stains.
Price at time of publish: $5 for one package
Product Details: Disinfecting: No | Wipes per Package: Answer 30 | Scent: Unscented
These no-fuss wipes clean quickly and effectively.
The citrus scent may be too strong for some.
You never know what you’ll encounter while on-the-go, so keeping a pack of cleaning wipes with you as you travel is always a good idea. Whether you want to give your hotel counters a quick wipe-down or have an option on hand for unexpected spills, these are the best cleaning wipes for traveling.
These wipes come in a resealable pouch that fits nicely in a large purse or duffel bag. Each pouch contains 25 wipes that can be used on hard surfaces like wood, laminate, and glass. While these aren’t disinfecting wipes, they’re strong enough to cut through dirt and debris to offer a quick cleaning job.
Keep in mind that these wipes, which are citrus-scented, can leave a strong aroma behind, according to our survey. Plus, the wipes should be stored at temperatures between 50°F and 90°F, so these aren’t the best option for throwing in your car and forgetting about them, especially in the hot summer or cold winter months.
Price at time of publish: $19 for four packages
Product Details: Disinfecting: No | Wipes per Package: 25 | Scent: Fresh Citrus
The active ingredient and scent both derive from essential oils.
To disinfect properly, these leave surfaces wet for up to 10 minutes, more than twice as long as other disinfecting wipes on our list.
Most disinfectant wipes require you to rinse surfaces that will come in contact with food (such as kitchen counters or high chairs) after disinfecting, but this pick from Seventh Generation removes that step. Still strong enough to kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, the active ingredient, Thymol, is derived from essential oils. Simply wipe any non-porous surface and let air dry for a thorough clean—no rinsing necessary. However, the wipes should keep surfaces visibly wet for up to 10 minutes to thoroughly disinfect, which is over twice as long as disinfecting wipes from Clorox or Lysol.
The lemongrass citrus scent leaves behind a fresh smell, but the wipes are also available in garden mint and lemon zest if you’re looking to switch it up.
Price at time of publish: $20 for three packages
Product Details: Disinfecting: Yes | Wipes per Package: 30 | Scent: Lemongrass Citrus, Garden Mint, or Lemon Zest
According to our research and survey results, the best cleaning wipes are the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. In addition to being easy to use and effective at disinfecting surfaces, these wipes are affordable and leave behind a pleasant smell.
We conducted a cleaning products survey to find what people enjoy and wish they could change about the cleaning products they use in their homes. Among the 3,216 individuals surveyed, 186 respondents shared their insights on disinfecting wipes and 132 offered their thoughts on all-purpose cleaning wipes. We analyzed each response to find the top products in both categories, considering the product’s effectiveness, ease of use, scent, and value.
When finding the best cleaning wipe for your needs, you may notice that products use different terms to describe their level of cleaning. It’s important to know what each term means
All-purpose cleaning wipes do not disinfect or sanitize, making them best for simply removing dirt and grime from surfaces. According to Brown, “Cleaning alone does not necessarily kill or eliminate all harmful germs or bacteria. It primarily focuses on removing surface-level contaminants.”
A step above cleaning, sanitization reduces the amount of germs on a surface, but, according to the EPA, only kills bacteria—not viruses. Disinfecting wipes typically sanitize surfaces fairly quickly, requiring the surface to stay visibly wet for only around 10 to 15 seconds.
If you’re looking for maximum effectiveness against bacteria and viruses, look for a disinfecting wipe. “Disinfecting is more potent than sanitizing and can kill a higher percentage of germs on surfaces, making it a more effective method for infection control,” Brown says.
While you may find yourself frustrated with how wet a disinfecting wipe leaves your countertop, you may be missing out on a wipe’s disinfecting abilities entirely if you wipe it dry too quickly. In order to maximize a wipe’s disinfecting period, it’s best to let the surface air dry completely. Disinfecting times vary between brands, but you should expect to wait between four to 10 minutes for the surface to dry (and disinfect) completely. Make sure to check the label on your disinfectant wipe for the brand’s instructions.
Most cleaning wipes, including every wipe on our list, are bleach-free. However, they still include strong active ingredients to cut through grime and in some cases, fight common bacteria and viruses. If you’re looking for an option with more mild ingredients, consider the Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Wipes, which has an active ingredient derived from essential oils.
Cleaning wipes should be used on non-porous surfaces like granite, stainless steel, glass, laminate, and sealed wood. In addition to surfaces around your home like countertops and doorknobs, the best cleaning wipes can also be used to disinfect children’s toys and even some electronics, though Brown advises against using regular wipes on delicate electronics like screens and lenses.
Brown adds, “sensitive fabrics like silk, satin, or velvet require caution as the chemicals in cleaning wipes may leave stains or damage the texture.”
Cleaning wipes come in a wide variety of scents, but most brands offer a citrus option like lemon. If you’re looking for something different, our survey respondents favored the Method All Purpose Cleaning Wipes for their pleasant scent, and the brand offers three options: grapefruit, lime, and lavender. Those sensitive to smells may prefer the Clorox Compostable Cleaning Wipes, which comes in a fragrance-free version.
Disinfecting cleaning wipes are the best option for those who want to remove bacteria and viruses from surfaces in their home. All three disinfecting cleaning wipes on our list are effective against 99.9% of common bacteria and viruses.
It depends on what type of cleaning wipe you use. Disinfecting wipes should wet surfaces and remain wet for a set amount of time to reach maximum effectiveness. However, after the disinfectant dries, food-contact surfaces should typically be rinsed with a wet rag or paper towel.
On the other hand, all-purpose cleaning wipes are typically safe for use on food-contact surfaces without a rinse. In these cases, “rinsing defeats the purpose of a quick clean-up,” Brown says.
While disinfecting wipes shouldn’t bother your hands when you use them to clean surfaces, they are not made to clean your skin directly. Disinfectants are too harsh to be used on your skin and can cause irritation and allergic reactions.
Jessica Comstock is an associate commerce editor at Better Homes & Gardens, where she frequently writes and edits articles about cleaning supplies and organization products. To write this roundup, she consulted responses from a cleaning product survey where respondents were asked about their experiences using cleaning wipes in their own homes. She also spoke with Angela Brown, CEO and founder of Savvy Cleaner.
Nipple Pads Nursing By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.