Strongest All Purpose Cleaners
Ranked by degreasing power—a composite score based on alkaline strength, surfactant systems, alkaline builders for sustained cleaning, and degreasing solvents that directly dissolve oils.
Updated · 41 products analyzed
24 ranked · 17 excluded due to insufficient transparency or missing data
How we rank: Based on alkaline strength for saponifying grease, the surfactant system, chelating agents for hard water performance, alkaline builders for sustained pH, and degreasing solvents at working concentration that dissolve oils directly.
Degreasing Power vs. Value
Top-right is the sweet spot — high degreasing power and more affordable.
Strongest All Purpose Cleaners Summary
Autoglym All Purpose Cleaner is the strongest all-purpose cleaner according to ChemCX's analysis of 24 APCs with verified ingredient data, scoring 10.1 with a high-alkaline formula at pH 13.1. The runner-up, Adam's Polishes Adams All Purpose Cleaner, scores 10.0 at pH 13 at $0.27/oz. In third, Ethos Car Care Super APC scores 10.0 at pH 13 at $0.93/oz. Degreasing power is scored by alkaline strength for saponifying grease, surfactant diversity, chelating agents for hard water performance, alkaline builders for sustained pH, and degreasing solvents that dissolve oils directly. The category spans pH 7.0 to 13.6 across 41 products.
Rankings based on Safety Data Sheet analysis. Only products with verified ingredient disclosure qualify.
