The Curator: The 2026 viral cleaning products that are actually worth the hype - National - Global News
The Curator independently decides what topics and products we feature. When you purchase an item through our links, we may earn a commission. Promotions and products are subject to availability and retailer terms.
Every year, cleaning product companies do their best to innovate and excite us consumers, and with social media we get to see a flurry of cleaning product review videos online and ask ourselves, ‘is that really as good as it seems?’ Because lots of these look great on camera and fail in real life. So, before you spend our hard earned money on cleaning products and tools that aren’t worth the hype, let me tell you what actually is worth it that got hyped up this year, and why.
Liquid and powder laundry detergent are messy to pour and can be complex to dose. Almost everyone uses more than they need, which means wasted product and residue left behind on your clothes. And even though laundry detergent pods are designed to make dosing easier, people will sometimes complain that detergent pods don’t break down (they do! You just need to add them to the drum first).
S if getting dressed wasn’t stressful enough each morning, you find the garment you want only to see it’s got wrinkles all over it. Now you’re rushing for time and need it wrinkle-free in 5 and don’t feel like taming the shriek of the ironing board. Can you trust a steamer to help in this situation? Most handheld steamers need your other hand to pull the fabric tight, which puts that hand right next to the steam and still doesn’t get the fabric taut enough to release the creases. It is in moments like this where we ask ourselves why humans don’t have a third hand and then pick a black shirt we’ve worn a hundred times already.
It seems to me – a cleaning expert – that a new vacuum is coming out approximately every 14 minutes. But how many of them really do anything different? The biggest areas for improvement I still see with vacuums is increased performance (battery life, suction, weight) and convenience (lightweight, robotic) or simplicity to use.
You can’t plan for a stain, and yet, there they are at the worst possible time in the worst possible place. Coffee on the couch, wine on the rug.
When I look at a ‘viral’ cleaning product, all I care about is whether or not it makes our lives easier or better when it comes to cleaning. And I can say this, each of these products is most definitely makes the job easier (or smell better!).
