I Tried Caldrea Cleaning Products—and My Kitchen Smells Amazing
Updated: Apr. 28, 2022
Caldrea cleaning products offer luxe fragrances and a mid-range price tag. We had to try them!
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I strongly believe in the power of scent. When I walk in my front door, I want to be struck by a clean and pleasant fragrance—not lingering odors from last night’s dinner (yuck).
To combat unwanted kitchen smells, I light yummy candles and use room sprays and scented cleaning products—but sometimes that’s not enough to overpower simmered onions and burned Brussels sprouts. I’d have to wait for the fumes to fade.
In my constant battle against kitchen odors, I was very excited to try out Caldrea cleaning products. The brand of high quality home essentials and cleaning products feature fragrant essential oils with lasting power. Could Caldrea clean my kitchen and leave it smelling good?
To find out, I tested a bunch of their cleaning products, including the Caldrea countertop spray and Caldrea hand soap. I even lit a Ginger Pomelo Caldrea candle. Here are the results.
What Are Caldrea Cleaning Products?
Caldrea has offered a winning combination of fragrance + efficacy + transparency since it launched in the United States in 1999. These are luxury-inspired cleaning products with a mid-range price point, and they’re available both on Amazon and Caldrea’s website.
Each product is made with essential oils of flowers and herbs, and the company is transparent about their eco-friendly ingredient list. For instance, in the Ginger Pomelo scented products I tested, the ingredient list includes basil oil, aloe leaf juice and bark extract.
What isn’t in the products might be even more important! Caldrea products are made without phthalates, triclosan, formaldehyde, artificial colors, parabens and animal-derived ingredients.
One con, however, is that the cleaning products are sold in plastic bottles. If you’re looking for a glass-bottle cleaning line with refillable concentrates that also smell amazing, check out our Grove Co. review.
How Did We Test Caldrea Cleaning Products?
For this Caldrea test, I went straight to the kitchen. I made a pot of fragrant Thai shrimp soup and a big batch of spicy curry with roasted vegetables. After the meal prep session, my kitchen was an absolute disaster: burned coconut milk on the glass stove, peanut butter smears and shrimp shells on the counter and a sink filled with sheet pans loaded with stuck-on veggies.
The kitchen (and my adjacent open living room!) smelled like onions, garlic, curry paste and that odor that always comes from the oven no matter how often I clean it. Before busting out my Caldrea products, I took the dog for a walk, so I could return with a fresh nose. The kitchen smelled exactly as you’d expect after cooking a big feast—not good.
Caldrea to the rescue!
Caldrea Countertop Spray
Caldrea countertop spray is one of the most popular products, and it comes in nine unique fragrance combinations like Pear Blossom Agave and Basil Blue Sage. I tested the Ginger Pomelo countertop spray. I immediately liked the beautiful fruit and flower illustration on the packaging—pretty enough to keep out on the counter. A whiff from the bottle gave citrus notes with a hint of floral spice from the ginger. Yum!
A quick spritz on the quartz countertop instantly broke down saucy spills which I easily wiped up with a plant-based sponge. The formula made fast work of burned-on coconut milk on the glass stovetop, too. Sometimes products made with essential oils are too heavy for stainless steel appliances, but not Caldrea. I used the spray on the stainless steel refrigerator door handle, dishwasher front and microwave buttons. (How do they get so dirty?) The smudges wiped away without leaving any film. Success!
Pros:
What we liked about Caldrea Countertop Spray
- Bright scent
- Easily broke down stains and oily, saucy messes
- Worked nicely on hard-to-clean surfaces like microwaves and dishwasher handles
Cons:
What to consider about Caldrea Countertop Spray
- Strongly scented formula may not be ideal for those who prefer unscented or lightly scented products
Caldrea Dish Soap
Once the major messes were cleaned off surfaces, I moved onto the sink filled with dirty dishes and cookware. I oven-roast veggies pretty much every week, and even with parchment paper I find that olive oil, seasonings and the occasional onion make their way onto my baking sheets—and are almost impossible to remove. I was interested to see how Caldrea dish soap stood up to the test.
Caldrea dish soap uses soap bark extract as a secret weapon degreaser. I also feel good knowing the formula is biodegradable.
I squirted a dollop of dish soap on my dirty pans and blasted them with hot water. The soap immediately lathered into a rich foam and the citrusy smell was a major improvement over charred red pepper. I broke out a silicone sponge to help break down burned food, and the mess cleaned right up. I had similar success washing copper pans. Rinsing wasn’t an issue either, no film and shiny results.
Pros:
What we liked about Caldrea Dish Soap
- Biodegradable formula
- Pleasant citrus scent
- Effective cleaning, even on stuck-on surfaces
- No film after washing
Cons:
What to consider about Caldrea Dish Soap
- More expensive than other dish soaps on the market
Caldrea Hand Soap
After cleaning kitchen surfaces and dishes, my hands needed a wash too! The Caldrea hand soap has the same pretty green and nature-inspired packaging as the cleaning products—it’s nice enough to use in the guest bathroom!
My first impression of Caldrea hand soap was how good it smelled. It’s similar to the countertop spray and dish soap, but even richer and more fragrant. The formula is made with olive oil and aloe vera, both known for moisturizing properties. After a quick wash my hands smelled lovely and felt soft.
Pros:
What we liked about Caldrea Hand Soap
- Nature-inspired packaging and ingredients
- Smells ever richer and more fragrant than the brand’s household cleaners
- Made with moisturizing aloe and olive oil
Cons:
What to consider about Caldrea Hand Soap
- Packaging may vary depending on scent
Caldrea Scented Candle
I already mentioned that I regularly light a scented candle after I clean the kitchen. It serves as both a fragrance boost, and feels like a nice ritual that symbolizes the kitchen is clean and closed for the night. (With the exception of a late-night Popsicle treat, of course.)
The Ginger Pomelo Caldrea scented candle comes in an elegant eight-ounce glass jar etched with a green geometric design. It has a burn time of 45 hours, and I’ve burned it for about 20 hours so far. The burn is consistent and even—no tunneling.
Some scented candles are so strong that I get a fragrance headache, but the Caldrea candle has a subtle scent. I can smell it within 10 feet of where I place it, and the citrus aroma with a ginger top note smells delicious.
Pros:
What we liked about Caldrea Scented Candles
- Generously sized eight-ounce jar
- Expensive-looking glass etching
- Subtle-to-medium scent that lingers but won’t overpower most rooms
Cons:
What to consider about Caldrea Scented Candles
- Moderate luxury pricing makes these candles best for special occasions and gifts
Caldrea Linen and Room Spray Air Freshener
I prefer scented candles to room sprays. The fragrance lasts longer coming from a candle than spraying the air. I had similar results with the Caldrea linen and room spray air freshener. It definitely smells amazing (all citrusy and tropical) for a few minutes, but the scent dissipates pretty quickly in the air.
That said, I did spritz this on my tea towels and noticed the cloth held the scent! I now use Caldrea air freshener to refresh the kitchen towels, and give a quick kitchen and entryway spritz if I know guests are coming over.
Pros:
What we liked about Caldrea Linen and Room Spray Air Freshener
- Adds bright, positive fragrance notes to any room of the house
- Refreshes stale linens in an instant
- An immediate alternative to candles
Cons:
What to consider about Caldrea Linen and Room Spray Air Freshener
- Scent dissipated quickly in the air, although fabric held it nicely
Caldrea FAQ
Do Caldrea products come in glass or plastic packaging?
Caldrea products come in easily recycled plastic packaging. This also helps the brand cut down on shipping costs so they can offer Caldrea products at modest price points.
Is Caldrea countertop spray safe for quartz and granite?
The gentle cleaning agents in Caldrea sprays are safe for most stone countertops and provide an easy spray alternative to potentially damaging formulas like Windex. Here’s how to clean granite countertops like a pro though.
Is Caldrea hand soap antibacterial?
While it isn’t designed to be fully antibacterial, it does wash away most dirt and impurities with ease.
Do Caldrea products come in other scents?
Yep, and Taste of Home’s Executive Editor Ellie Martin Cliffe tested a few herself. She found Basil Blue Sage to be a “soft herbal scent that doesn’t overpower. It includes basil, sage and rosemary essential oils, giving my home a fresh, clean smell.”
Lavender Cedar Leaf has a soothing quality, and “I feel calmer every time I catch a whiff of this scent,” Ellie says. “The relaxing blend of lavender, cedarwood and eucalyptus oils has staying power, but doesn’t smell too strong, even when you’re using it.”
The energizing Tangelo Palm Frond is citrusy and woodsy. “It wakes my senses right up while I’m cleaning and stays around afterward,” according to Ellie.
What other reviewers had to say about Caldrea products
“This must be what heaven smells like,” writes verified Amazon purchaser, Erika Stark, of the Caldrea lineup. “The scent is nowhere near overwhelming, but still lasts for days. A little bit goes a long way and there is minimal wiping effort for my household surfaces; there is certainly no scrubbing required. My countertops are left gleaming in the sunlight, even if far away from any light sources.”
Mallory Wang, another five-star Amazon reviewer, writes, “The appeal of this product is the scent, which is lovely. I haven’t gotten a Caldrea item yet that I haven’t liked the smell of. I think Rosewater Driftwood might be my favorite so far. Another thing I like about this product is that it doesn’t leave streaks on my black stone countertops like a lot of products do. I use this spray as a multipurpose cleaner on a lot of things around my home.”
Product Comparison
Caldrea products stand up well to their cleaning product competitors and the best cleaning subscription boxes on the market. Although knowing the standard-sized bottles fit in the best under-sink organizers is appealing, the scent is where this brand really stands out. The thoughtful scent combinations and use of essential oils puts Caldrea in a category of its own and catapults it to the head of the premium fragrance line.
The best part? The entire lineup of easy-to-use Caldrea products is moderately priced, meaning most households can afford to give this line a try. You don’t have to be an expert-level cleaner to appreciate how simple these scented wonders make tidying up.
The Final Verdict on Caldrea Cleaning Products
After I used all five Ginger Pomelo Caldrea cleaning products, I left the house to return with a fresh nose. As soon as I opened the front door, I was struck by a floral bouquet of grapefruit and zing of ginger. Yum! What meal prep? I was impressed that the Caldrea products cleaned my kitchen, left it smelling fragrant, and looked pretty while doing it. I can’t wait to finish the Ginger Pomelo bottles so I can try Rosewater Driftwood next. My kitchen smells good!
Where to Buy Caldrea Cleaning Products
The entire lineup of Caldrea products can be found on Amazon, Walmart, Grove Co. and even Home Depot. Most of the line’s bestselling products can be found under $20, with some items offered in impressive family-friendly sizes for less than $12. The widest variety of scents, sizes and bundles is offered on the brand’s Amazon page, though, where shoppers suggest “snagging the best scents” quickly ahead of selling out. But don’t worry—they’re all good.
Bryce Gruber, Taste of Home Home Editor, contributed to this article.
Originally Published: April 28, 2022
