Best Enzymatic Cleaner
Cleaning the house is a necessary evil, since left too long, it can end up looking – and smelling – like a pigsty. Stains and odors are a part of daily living, and if you have a pet, the occasional accident on the floor, carpet or furniture can be hard to clean – never mind the smell. A good enzymatic cleaner is the best way to tackle dirt and odor problems in every area of your home, including your laundry.
What are enzymatic cleaners? They are products that use enzymes – macromolecular biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions – to help break down stains. Different enzymes handle different stains. For example, lipolase works on fats or oil-based stains, protease breaks down protein-based stains, and amylase tackles carbohydrates and starches. So yes, you can use also use an enzymatic cleaner to help your laundry come out stain and odor-free.
We feature five enzymatic cleaners you can purchase online. Read on to find the one you like best.
Top Pick Best Versatile: Biokleen Natural All Purpose Cleaner
It’s amazing how dirty a home can get with normal daily living. Preparing meals, steamy hot showers, running in and out from the garden or trips to run errands – outdoor dirt, kitchen grease, mold and more manage to crop up on the floor, walls and surfaces in pretty much every room in the house. Multiply that by the number of people (children and pets) in the house and you know keeping up with it all takes daily attention – and a remarkable cleaner.
For an all-natural solution to getting every room in the house sparkling clean, we recommend this product from Biokleen. We like this super-concentrated cleaner because it uses grapefruit seed and orange essence to degrease dirt and grime in and around your home. So economical; just once ounce per gallon of water can get most any job done.
Contains no phosphates, chlorine, ammonia, petroleum solvents, alcohol, butyl, glycol ether, brighteners, artificial colors or artificial fragrance, preservatives and is cruelty free – not tested on animals. This cleaner leaves no harsh residues or fumes behind and is gentle enough for most surfaces. Just dilute with water and you’re set to go.
Ideal for floors, kitchens, bathrooms, the laundry, RV’s, boats, garages, walls, shiny surfaces, fridges, vehicles, grease vents, ovens and more.
Ingredients: Water (filtered), Laureth 7 (plant based surfactant), Cocamidopropyl Betaine (plant based surfactant), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (plant based surfactant), Lauramine Oxide (plant based surfactant), Glycerin (vegetable), Sodium Chloride, Sodium Carboxymethyl Inulin (plant based chelant), Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit)
Pros:
- Super concentrated cleaner suited for most areas of the house
- No harsh chemicals or odors
- Cruelty free, not tested on animals
- Economical
Cons:
- Not recommended for cat or dog urine smell
Top Pick Best For Pet Odors and Stains: Rocco & Roxie Supply Professional Strength Stain and Odor Eliminator
There’s no doubt that dog and cat owners love their pets and consider them as part of the family. But no matter how much affection there is, there’s no love lost when Felix or Fido has an accident on the bed, sofa or floor. It’s really tough getting the stains out, never mind the smell. But it’s not just pets that have accidents; our little ones who are being toilet trained can also wet the bed, soaking the mattress. Whenever any of these things happen, it’s best to reach for a good enzymatic cleaner to take care of it all.
For stains and odors due to urine, feces, vomit and other organic spills, we recommend this cleaner from Rocco & Roxie. This professional-strength formula contains natural enzymatic bacteria that are activated on contact with odors and stains, and work by feeding on ammonia crystals and organic matter until they are destroyed.
Chlorine free and safe to use on colors, this cleaner is not harmful to pets or children, contains no hazardous propellants, and leaves no residue behind. This product is so gentle, it’s been certified safe for all carpets, earning the Seal of Approval by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).
This cleaner is suitable to use on carpets, floors, furniture, upholstery, clothing, litter boxes, kennels, carriers, all pet living and sleeping areas – anywhere stains happen.
Pros:
- Eliminates stains and odors due to urine, feces and vomit
- Safe to use around pets and children
- Suitable for use on almost every surface including concrete, tile, hardwood and laminate
- Can be used as a stain remover in the laundry
- Cruelty free, not tested on animals
Cons:
- More expensive than other products
Top Pick Best For Laundry: Nature’s Miracle Laundry Stain and Odor Additive Bio-Enzymatic Formula for Pets
Sometimes we don’t even notice how stained and smelly our clothes become. And it’s not as if we’re doing anything out of the ordinary. Food, dirt, perspiration and even makeup and deodorant can end up on our clothes, leaving their mark either in a stain or smell. Then there’s blood, urine, vomit – well, you get the picture. And while we do the laundry regularly, sometimes ordinary detergent just doesn’t do the job right and the trash is the only place those stained items go.
If you want to save your clothes and other household items from ending up in the garbage, you may want to add this enzymatic cleaner from Nature’s Miracle to your washing machine to make sure all stains and odors are removed. Specially formulated with powerful stain and odor cleaning agents that penetrate, loosen and eliminate the toughest pet stains and odors. Formulated with odor eliminating technology for superior odor control.
Plus, when you add this phosphate-free cleaner to the wash along with your regular detergent, everything will come out whiter, brighter and smelling fresh and clean.
Pros:
- Use in addition to your laundry detergent for superior stain and odor remover
- Bio-enzymatic technology works on tough pet stains and odors
- Effective in both hot and cold temperatures
- Affordable
Cons:
- Only recommended to be used in the laundry
Top Pick Best For Artificial Turf: BioTurf BioS+ Artificial Turf Pet Odor Eliminator and All Purpose Surface Cleaner
Taking care of a lawn can be time consuming and tedious. Keeping the grass green and healthy uses a lot of water, too, especially in hot weather. Other times, heavy rains can turn that green space into a field of mud. For many people, replacing grass with artificial turf is a practical solution to ongoing maintenance. However, if you have a dog or cat that uses the outdoors to urinate, then you’ll have to clean the artificial turf to get rid of the odors that come hand-in-hand with dog and cat urine.
Your yard is covered in artificial turf and you want to treat it to get rid of pet odors, then we recommend this enzymatic cleaner from BioTurf that’s specially formulated for this kind of task.
Originally formulated for use in industrial applications such as septic tanks, pet kennels, environmental protection, feed industries and pet waste removal companies, this safe, non-toxic, all natural enzymatic turf odor eliminator will keep your turf smelling fresh. Not just for turf, it can also be used on concrete, carpet, tile, Formica, granite, outdoor walls around bushes and anywhere where pet odor is an issue. It also eliminates the ammonia and methane odors associated with cat litter boxes and pet waste removal containers.
This cleaner uses a combination of naturally occurring micro-organisms and their enzymes to digest the uric acid crystals (which produce urine’s pungent aroma) as well as urea (the sticky substance in urine) and proteins (which promote pathogen growth).
Pros:
- Eliminates pet odors from artificial turf
- All natural enzymatic turf odor eliminator
- Biodegradable
- Safe, non-toxic
- Can also be used on concrete, tile, granite and outdoor walls
Cons:
- Not recommended for clothing or upholstery
- More expensive than other products
Top Pick Best Unscented: DROXY Pet Odor and Stain Eliminator
Pet odors from urine and feces are bad enough, but many people are also sensitive to fragrances and scents that are added to products that are used to cleanup these problems, making living in a scent-free environment a challenge. In cases like this, it’s important to find a cleaner that does not leave behind a scent of its own after it’s removed the stain and odor from animals.
We recommend this enzymatic cleaner from Droxy for anyone looking for an unscented, chlorine-free method to removing pet odors and stains. The unscented formula will not irritate sensitive noses or stress dogs and cats with masking scents. Safe for people and pets, it contains no harsh chemicals and all components are biodegradable and eco-friendly.
And, it’s not just for stains and odors from pets. You can use it in the car, the bathroom, kitchen and yard, the locker room and around drains and garbage collection areas, on hard and soft surfaces, material, furniture, even inside a sports bag – any place where bad odors linger. This enzymatic cleaner is effective against a range of organic compounds including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, volatile fatty acids and mercaptans, as well as proteins, starches, cellulose and oils.
Pros:
- Neutralizes pet odor fast
- Fragrance free
- Biodegradable
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor use
- Removes pet stains
Cons:
- More expensive than other cleaners
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for an enzymatic cleaner so you will choose the one that best suits your needs:
Active ingredients
Enzymatic cleaners don’t all use the same active ingredients to get the job done and it can vary widely. Some tend to use harsh chemicals that can have an adverse effect on one’s health so if you or a member of your family have specific sensitivities, including fragrances, choose a product that is composed of natural and organic ingredients that is scent-free.
Use
Before choosing an enzymatic cleaner, consider what you will use it for. Some products are made to be used only on carpets and rugs, while others have wider applications and can be used on many surfaces. Some are specific only to pet stains and odors while others will handle many protein-based problems. There are cleaners that can be added to the laundry, and some that cannot. So, it’s best to look for a product that addresses your specific needs. Generally speaking, however, it is a good idea to choose an enzymatic cleaner that is as versatile as possible.
Application
Look for a product that is easy to apply. Of course, this differs from person to person according to one’s preference. Some people prefer a spray pump while others like a spout to pour out the quantity they will need. If you don’t want to get close to the smelly stain, you may want to consider a spray nozzle application so you can use it at a bit of a distance.
On the other hand, a pour bottle is usually larger in size and of better value for the money. That being said, you could still transfer cleaner from a pour bottle into a bottle with a spray so you won’t have to get too close to the stain.
Drying time
If it’s hard to isolate the area that you are treating for stains and odor, then look for a product with a quick drying time. But if you know there will be no foot traffic in the treated area, then it’s less of an issue to have to wait 12 or 24 hours for the area to dry.