General Purpose Cleaners

General purpose cleaners help commercial and industrial teams handle routine soil removal on washable or water-safe surfaces in kitchens, bathrooms, offices, custodial areas, and other facility spaces. Choose based on the soil involved—such as light dirt and food residue or heavier grease and grime—the surface to be cleaned, whether a ready-to-use or dilution-based format fits the workflow, and preferred bottle, packet, or gallon packaging.

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Helpful Buying Guide

How to Choose General Purpose Cleaners

Match the cleaner to the surfaces, soils, and cleaning method used in your facility. Available options include ready-to-use spray cleaners for direct application, measured concentrate packets for consistent preparation, and gallon-format concentrates for dilution-based cleaning tasks.

Visual Guide

Popular examples in this category

Formula 50 Ready-to-Use All-Purpose Cleaner, 32 oz Trigger Spray BottleFormula 50 Ready-to-Use All-Purpose Cleaner, 32 oz Trigger Spray BottleFS-GLO-F50001Commercial All-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, 32 oz BottleCommercial All-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, 32 oz BottleFS-GLO-ZUALL32Multi-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, 1 Gallon Bottles, Case of 2Multi-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser, 1 Gallon Bottles, Case of 2FS-GLO-670175Citrus Cleaner & Degreaser, 32 oz Trigger Spray Bottles, Case of 6Citrus Cleaner & Degreaser, 32 oz Trigger Spray Bottles, Case of 6FS-GLO-670281
Use Cases

Support everyday facility cleaning

Use general purpose cleaners for routine removal of dirt, dust, food residue, light grease and oil, stains, grime, and other common buildup. Some cleaner and degreaser options are intended for more demanding greasy soils.

How to Choose

Start with soil level and workflow

Choose ready-to-use bottles when staff need to clean without mixing. Select concentrates or packets when task-specific dilution, measured preparation, scrubbing, damp mopping, floor cleaning, pressure washing, or parts washing is part of the workflow.

Applications

Consider the surface and task

Product-specific options are described for washable or water-safe surfaces and may include metal, plastic, ceramic, fabric, marble, painted surfaces, cement, fiberglass, walls, cabinets, kitchens, and bathrooms. Confirm that the selected cleaner is suitable for the intended surface.

Additional Info

Compare formats and formula details

Formats include trigger-spray bottles, standard bottles, individual concentrate packets, and gallon bottles. Product-specific details may also include non-abrasive, noncorrosive, non-butyl, low-VOC, citrus, lavender, fresh, or green sassafras-scented formulas.

Ready-to-useDirect application

Selected spray cleaners can be used without mixing or dilution.

Measured packetsConsistent preparation

Individual packets help prepare cleaning solution in measured portions.

Dilution optionsTask-based mixing

Selected concentrates provide dilution directions for specific cleaning workflows.

Multi-surfaceRoutine facility care

Product-specific options address cleaning on a range of washable or water-safe surfaces.

Comparison Guide

Compare General Purpose Cleaner Formats

Use this overview to identify the format that best aligns with your team’s cleaning routine. Always check individual product details for surfaces, soil types, and dilution instructions.

FormatBest suited forKey considerations
Ready-to-use trigger sprayTargeted routine cleaning of common soilsNo mixing step; selected options help with dirt, dust, food residue, and light grease or oil.
Concentrate packetsMeasured solution preparation for scrubbing, damp mopping, or spray-and-wipe workFollow the product-specific water ratio and task directions.
Gallon concentrateDilution-based commercial or industrial cleaning tasksSelected options address medium- to heavy-duty soils and may be used for floor cleaning, pressure washing, or parts washing.
Planning Guide

Plan the right fit before choosing

Plan by cleaning task

Match cleaning strength to the soils you encounter

Routine cleaning may call for an all-purpose cleaner that addresses dust, dirt, food residue, and light grease or oil. For grease, oil, grime, ink, tar, rubber marks, and other heavier buildup, consider cleaner and degreaser options identified for demanding or greasy soils.

  • Use general-purpose sprays for targeted routine cleaning.
  • Choose cleaner and degreaser formulas for grease and heavier soil removal.
  • Review each product’s listed soil-removal capabilities before use.
Choose a preparation method

Select ready-to-use or concentrate formats

Ready-to-use cleaners allow staff to begin cleaning without a mixing step and are offered in handheld bottle formats. Concentrated products require water for preparation and can support measured mixing, with some options providing directions for spray-and-wipe cleaning, scrubbing, damp mopping, or other cleaning applications.

  • Ready-to-use formulas simplify direct application.
  • Packets provide measured portions for solution preparation.
  • Review source-specified dilution directions for the selected cleaner and task.
Review surface compatibility

Use the product description to guide surface selection

Some products are intended for washable or water-safe surfaces, while certain options specifically list materials and areas such as metal, plastics, ceramics, fabric, marble, painted surfaces, cement, fiberglass, painted walls, cabinets, kitchens, and bathrooms. Surface suitability varies by product.

  • Check whether the product is identified for washable or water-safe surfaces.
  • Use listed material compatibility to narrow your selection.
  • Consider non-abrasive or noncorrosive options where those product-specific characteristics are needed.
FAQ

Common questions before buying

What are general purpose cleaners used for?

They are used for routine commercial and industrial cleaning tasks, including removal of dirt, dust, food residue, grease, oil, grime, stains, and other buildup, depending on the product.

Should I choose ready-to-use cleaner or concentrate?

Choose ready-to-use cleaner for direct application without mixing. Choose a concentrate or packet when your workflow uses dilution and prepared cleaning solution.

Can these cleaners be used on painted surfaces?

Some products specifically list painted surfaces, painted walls, or cabinets among their suitable uses. Check the selected product’s surface-compatibility details.

Are general purpose cleaners also degreasers?

Some options are cleaner and degreaser formulas designed to help remove grease and oily soils. Others focus on routine cleaning and light grease or oil removal.

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