Want a Healthier Home? Here Are 29 Products We’ve Tried, Plus Advice From Experts on How to Keep Your Home Clean and Healthy

The Dyson V15 Detect Absolute illuminates every speck of dirt and dust in its path, so that you get the most out of your vacuum session. It transitions to a handheld vacuum in seconds, and for homes with pets (or humans with long hair), the hair screw tool picks up hair and fur using anti-tangle technology. The Detect Absolute is a low-profile stick vacuum, which makes it easy to store in a smaller home or apartment. It also has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which Dr. Goldberg says is one of the most important features to look for in a vacuum cleaner.

“A vacuum without a HEPA filter can worsen indoor air quality by capturing particles in the collection chamber but sending fine allergen-laden particles back into the room,” Goldberg says. Dyson boasts that this vacuum’s fully sealed, whole-machine filtration system captures 99.99 percent of microscopic particles. Goldberg recommends vacuums that use bags. When emptying a vacuum cleaner like this one that collects debris in a canister, he recommends emptying it outdoors, wearing a mask.

“I love the light that detects dust,” says editor Ashley Ziegler, who tested this vacuum at home. “I am a pretty clean person, and the first time I used the vacuum, I realized just how much dust I was missing. As someone with allergies, this is a big perk.” She does note that the vacuum head with an illumination feature only works on hard floors, not on carpet, so you’ll have to use one of the other attachments for your carpeted floors. But she says that this is her favorite stick vacuum that she has tried so far.

Picture this: You head to the office for the day, but before heading out the door, you notice the floor is a bit of a mess. You don’t have time to address it, but when you come home, the floor is spick and span. That’s only possible if you have a house cleaner who can let themselves in — or if you have a robot vacuum like the Eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E25. It vacuums hard floors and carpets and even mops hard floors as well. Users can schedule cleaning sessions and get a detailed report after each one.

“This was my favorite of the three robot combo vacs I tested, for a lot of reasons,” says editorial director Simone Scully. “First, it was super easy to set up, and I like that the water tank is clear (and illuminated at the bottom with a white ring) so you can clearly see when you need to refill the tank. It is also very good at avoiding obstacles and did a pretty good job at not falling off my kitchen step (it did once, but that may be because it was also avoiding my dog).” Scully also loves that it comes with its own cleaning solution, which loads right into the docking station.

This one is my personal favorite. With two messy kids, this vacuum-mop combo comes in handy more than I could have imagined. This thing tackles juice spills, mystery stains, and stuck-on food on hard flooring. I’m not typically able to do a full mopping session each week, so I just break this thing out for quick spot cleans between the deeper cleans.

The best part is that this unit combines a dry vacuum and a mop in one machine. Fill up the water tank, add some Kenmore Pet Multi-Surface Hard Floor Cleaning Formula, and your floors will get a nice refresh. The tool self-cleans and dries the brushroll for you (you’ll still have to hand-wash it from time to time though), and it comes with an extra brushroll too. Don’t forget to dump the dirty water out after each session; it could grow mold and bacteria and get a bit stinky.

Sometimes all you need is a handheld vacuum to clean up small, concentrated messes, like when someone knocks over a potted plant or tracks a bit of dirt into the house. The Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ is a great grab because it’s cordless, lightweight, and compact. It can handle crumbs, dust, and pet hair, and is easy to use in small spaces, as well as on upholstery, car interiors, and mattresses.

“I’d recommend it to parents and pet owners who have lots of little messes that can be sucked up quickly, like food crumbs and dog hair,” says writer Eve Lederman. “It’s light and easy to empty.” The bagless system comes with a built-in crevice tool and a rotating nozzle with a removable brush.

This is for those times when you want a really deep clean. It’s meant to be a precursor to your regular mop (such as the spin mop seen below). This mop can really scrub grout and remove grime from your floor, and you’ll see how dirty these surfaces were as the suds turn brown or gray. I like to use it at least once a season to get an extra good clean. 

You’ll need a bucket and cleaning solution, and this mop can be a bit difficult to fit into a typical bucket. But, I love that there are bristles on one side as well as the bottom, so you can scrub baseboards or beneath your cabinets. Once you’ve scrubbed your whole floor, you should go over it with your other mop to make sure you’ve gotten all the dirt up. 

This is my go-to mop; it helps that the spinning EasyWring feature is so much fun. The mop is just your classic microfiber string mop (which is easily removable and machine washable), but the bucket is where this device really shines. One side is for wetting the mop, the other side is for wringing. You just pump the foot pedal, and the mop spins out any excess water.

“Allergens like dust mite particles, pollen, pet dander fragments, and mold spores settle on hard floors and can be easily re-aerosolized by foot traffic, air currents, or even just walking through a room,” says Goldberg. “Mopping with a damp or microfiber mop captures and removes these particles, rather than redistributing them. The key is damp mopping, not wet mopping. Excess moisture on floors can promote mold growth, particularly near baseboards and in corners.”

Thanks to my two little kids, my floor is often spotted with stains and grime before I’m able to do a full mop. It’s also frustrating to use a mop and bucket with my 2-year-old toddling around, wanting to splash and play in the bucket every time I break it out. That’s where a lightweight spray mop comes in handy. You fill the attached tank with water, add a bit of Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner, stick on the included microfiber pad, and spray and mop away.

I love that the cleaning pads are reusable, and that the floor cleaner concentrate (the system comes with a small pouch that will last through several cleanings) is U.S. Department of Agriculture–certified bio-based, follows Environmental Protection Agency product standards, and is Safer Choice Certified, meaning it’s a safer choice for human health and the environment, and is made using practices that reduce, eliminate, or prevent pollution at the source.

“Carpets and upholstered furniture trap and hold allergens (dust, pet dander, pollen) far more than hard surfaces,” says Goldberg. Both he and Aujnarain suggest using a vacuum that includes attachments specifically meant for vacuuming upholstery. However, sometimes a vacuum isn’t enough to deep clean your furniture and carpets. Enter Bissell’s Little Green Mini. Using water and cleaning solution, it can scrub and vacuum up stains and dirt — and remove those stubborn spots. 

“It really did help me get some stains out of my rugs that had been bothering me — and helped accidents, like a spilled drink, not be that big of a deal,” says Scully. She wishes she could clean her whole carpet with it. 

“This is a multiuse tool that can convert from a steam mop to other cleaning tools,” says Ziegler. “I love that it can convert into different tools. I also like that it doesn’t require a cleaning solution, which helps minimize the use of chemicals in my bathrooms a bit.” It heats up to 230 degrees F to melt away sticky stains, and it comes with eight steam-cleaning accessories (in addition to the mop head) to help you really get into the nooks and crannies of your home, where grime tends to collect. It’s advertised as safe for tile, stone, vinyl, marble, laminate, and even hardwood.

I mentioned this cleaning solution above, but it deserves its own spot on the list. I love that it’s unscented and formulated for safe use around pets and families. I first tried this when I tested the Kenmore AquaLite 3-in-1 Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner, and now I’m a convert and use it with the O-Cedar RinseClean System as well.

It’s practically undetectable during use, leaving behind no smell, and it effectively removes stains, grime, and stickiness. You can even use it on sealed hardwood, as well as on tiles, laminate, and vinyl flooring, so you won’t be scrambling to dump your water bucket and make a new cleaning solution when mopping your whole house.

Scrubbing away grime, mildew, and mold can tire the arm — and sometimes even putting in maximum elbow grease isn’t enough. That’s where the Casabella Extendable Power Spin Scrubber comes in. It can help you reach high and low, and the spinning action allows you to power clean at the push of a button. The company also makes a handheld scrubber and a detail scrubber. Scully tried all three. “I really like the electric cleaners a lot,” she says. “They just make things easier. You don’t have to scrub at dirt quite as hard, and the extendable one is helpful for me because I tend to find it difficult to get all the way up to the top of my shower — this makes that easy.”

“Air purifiers are a genuinely evidence-based tool for improving indoor air quality, particularly for allergen and particulate reduction,” says Goldberg. “The primary mechanism is mechanical filtration: Air is drawn through a HEPA filter, which captures particulates, including pollen, dust mite debris, mold spores, and pet dander.”

This one ranked “best for pets” in our roundup of our favorite air purifiers. “[I] noticed a lot of pet hair gathering at the bottom, showing that it was working hard to clean,” says writer Caitlin Beale. “It can clean up to 1,700 square feet within just an hour, and a light signals when it’s time to change the filter.” The Honeywell Allergen Plus HEPA Air Purifier also monitors the air quality in real time.

Yorkshire moss, coconut fiber, and activated carbon derived from discarded walnut husks reduce odors and cleanse harmful particles from the air. “It looks and smells really good, and I do think it does help overall,” says Scully. The filter works as a diffuser as well; all you need to do is add a bit of essential oil to the diffusing tool. An app tracks the filter’s status and provides real-time alerts, though Scully reports that connecting the app to the device is a bit confusing.

This water filtration system removes lead, chlorine, microplastics, and more, and it attaches right to your faucet. That means you won’t have to wait around for water to trickle through a water filter pitcher — purified water will come straight out of your tap after filtering through this system. Part of what makes this great is that you can turn it on and off right at the source, so it doesn’t have to be removed if you want to use the sink without the filter. “This is really convenient in my home because my 6-year old loves to pour himself water right from the sink,” says Scully. “This purifier is super easy to use and gives me peace of mind.”

The filter lasts for up to 100 gallons of water or three months of use, whichever comes first, and the filter light will let you know when it’s time to pick up a new filter.

You can sit back and just trust that your water filter is working, or you can get the proof, like me. This pitcher monitors water quality in real time, measuring total dissolved solids, which, when it’s working properly, should be zero, or close to it. I tested out my tap water before and after filtration, and the difference was shocking.

You can get this pitcher in six different sizes, from 7 to 40 cups. The filters remove lead, PFAS, and pesticides, and you’ll save money the more filters you buy. My only complaint is that the pitcher is plastic, and I prefer glass to reduce my exposure to microplastics.

We often focus on purifying our drinking water, but we’re still exposed to unfiltered water every day in the shower — unless you’ve got a filtered showerhead like this one. It filters hard water and chlorine and claims to reduce symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, and acne, as well as promote healthier hair.

“With these, I felt better about the safety of our water,” says Scully, who has hard water in her home. “I also felt like my skin was softer after using both of these (and my son was less itchy too). My hair seemed softer and shinier.” She likes that the showerhead has three stream settings: narrow, dual, and wide. Worried about the water quality in your kiddo’s bath? Try Canopy’s Baby Bath Tub Filter, which Scully also tried and raves about.

Although we’re grateful for the power of hand sanitizer, I have yet to meet someone who enjoys its typically strong alcohol smell. This one, however, is available in three nice scents: Peppermint Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, and Sweet Orange Bergamot. “It’s a really refreshing, uplifting scent,” says Maria Cristina Lalonde, who tested the Peppermint Eucalyptus version. “The scent lingers for a while, probably an hour or so.” We also like the sleek green bottle, which looks great on a desk or table by your front door.

You could bring a large pump bottle of hand sanitizer everywhere, but why, when Noshinku makes these slim, easily portable pocket hand sanitizer sprays? You can buy them in a three-pack, so that you’ve always got one on hand. They’re also sold as singles.

“Noshinku has some lovely scents, like Bergamot, Lavendula, Eucalyptus, Limon, Orange-Coriander, and Vetiver blends,” says Tuttle. “This spray did dry out my hands a little, but this sanitizer smells so good, I frankly did not care.” She also loves that you can buy refills, making this product more sustainable than buying a brand-new spray bottle every time it runs out.

Why not kill two birds with one stone? This bundle features laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent pellets, each with its own tin for storage. You can choose from Spring Bloom, Lemon Zest, or the Free & Clear version, and they come in 60-count or 120-count packages. I’ve used both the dishwasher and laundry tablets, and I feel safer knowing that they’re microplastic-free and made from plant and mineral ingredients. I thought they both performed quite well compared with more traditional dishwasher fluid and detergent. You can also purchase refills for the laundry detergent and dishwasher packs separately when you run out.

If a laundry sheet is more your style, look no further than The Proofed! Starter Kit, which also comes with a stain remover that I found to be very effective. These laundry detergent sheets are 100 percent plastic-free. Also, the laundry detergent sheets and the precision stain remover are both fragrance-free, which I appreciate. Scented laundry sheets are available as well, in fragrances like Clean Scent and Sport Scent. I tried both scents, and while I prefer fragrance-free, both scents were quite mild after the laundry cycle, though the sheets smell strong out of the box.

This 24-piece glass storage set can effectively replace all those plastic takeout containers you’ve been keeping around. The set includes square, rectangular, and round containers in four sizes, each with snap-on lids (which are made from BPA-free plastic) that lock closed and keep liquids from leaking. You can choose from six colors to match your kitchen.

“They’re made of borosilicate glass, which never seems to get too hot in the microwave, but also insulates super well in the freezer,” says editor Ally Hirschlag. “I love the leakproof lids (they really and truly are leakproof), and that you get a nice range of shapes and sizes in the set.”