Lemi Shine Review: Cleans Your House and Leaves You with a Clean Conscience

Gear Diary is independently owned and operated. We receive compensation through advertising and from the companies whose products we review, usually in the form of the reviewed product. We test the products supplied to us, and the opinions expressed are our own.

Gear Diary is also reader-supported. When you buy through links posted on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

You can learn more by clicking here.

The Lowdown

There are a few things to consider about the Lemi Shine products. One, they’re more expensive than their mass-marketed counterparts. Two, they use essential oils in their mixes to make them smell fresher, so if you have a sensitivity to certain oils or have many lick-happy pets around, you might want to just double check before using them. But the upside is the Lemi Shine products work without using harsh chemicals.

Overall
5

Pros

  • Smell great
  • Clean incredibly well
  • No harsh chemicals
  • Utilizes citric acid as a natural disinfectant
  • Can be purchased via subscribe and save
  • Dishwasher tabs get my dishes super clean
  • The Disinfecting Wipes are 99.9% effective against COVID-19, other viruses, and bacteria— and they are made of biodegradable ingredients

Cons

  • The products can get pricey at full retail price

If there’s one thing we learned after a year in a pandemic, it’s that keeping things clean is always a smart idea. Unfortunately, a lot of traditional cleaning products smell like you’re prepping the vat of chemicals to create the Joker, and parenting is hard enough without accidentally turning your child into the crown prince of crime. Lemi Shine aims to solve this by using citric acid in place of harsher chemicals — all of the clean, less risk of creating a Batman villain, still have a clean house!

Lemi Shine

This was almost a very different review. I sat down to start the review a week ago and was all set to share how my son tried to abscond with the wipes because he’s very into cleaning when he’s not distracted by Pokemon. Then my landlord called to let me know he’s moving out of state and plans to sell my place when my lease is up.

Because I’m both a good tenant and in constant fear of the ghost of my grandmother judging me, I needed to do a deep dive spring cleaning to help make the place sparkle. Luckily, I was armed with Lemi Shine and a day off, and no amount of dirt or clutter could stand in my way.

Lemi Shine sent us a sampler pack of their products: dishwasher tabs, washing machine cleaner, dishwasher cleaner, a garbage disposal cleaner, cleaning wipes, general cleaning spray, and a specific bathroom cleaner. The dishwasher tabs have been fantastic — I noticed a real difference in how clean my dishes were versus my usual store brand dishwasher tablets. I haven’t had a free moment to test the cleaners for the dishwasher or washing machine yet, but I’m glad to have them to make that final “moving out” cleaning much easier. I also don’t have a garbage disposal, so I couldn’t test those. But I made solid use of the cleaning spray, wipes, and bathroom cleaner!

Lemi Shine

The wipes, in particular, are great — they smell wonderful, and they were remarkably effective at cleaning all kinds of surfaces. I grabbed them for everything from wiping down my bedroom furniture to cleaning out my microwave, and they cleared it all out nicely. It was especially shocking how great they were at cleaning the microwave, as it seemed like one swipe through with the Lemi Shine wipes did more to undo the grime than any number of heavier-duty cleaning agents. The wipes are even made of biodegradable ingredients, so you don’t have to feel guilty about throwing them away after using them.

And if you’re wondering if these wipes are effective against COVID-19, other viruses, and bacteria, the answer is yes! Lemi Shine says that they have a 99.9% efficacy when used as directed without using bleach or other harsh chemicals.

Lemi Shine

Likewise, the Lemi Shine all-purpose cleaner and the bathroom cleaner both seemed to punch well above their weight in terms of cleaning power. I was pleasantly surprised, bordering on shocked, when I saw how fast the bathroom seemed to get brighter and cleaner, which is no small feat when you’re cleaning the bathroom of a 7-year-old boy (he’s at that age where his aim is decent, but you still get moments of “what sort of physics-defying moment caused THAT to get THERE?”). Basically, I cleaned everything except the windows and the floors using Lemi Shine products, and I was very, very pleased.

Lemi Shine

There are a few things to consider about the Lemi Shine products. One, they’re more expensive than their mass-marketed counterparts. The wipes I love so much cost $7.49, while Lysol/Clorox can be found for around $5 and generics slightly cheaper. I think the Lemi Shine performed better, but it obviously depends on your budget as to whether you are willing to decide if they perform $2-3 better than the competition.

Two, they use essential oils in their mixes to make them smell fresher, so if you have a sensitivity to certain oils or have many lick-happy pets around, you might want to just double check before using them.

On the upside, their website also has some great tips for cleaning hacks, and they aren’t all simply “buy some Lemi Shine.” If you look at an article, like their mold treatment tips, they obviously suggest their own products, but they offer practical ideas to prevent mold and some thoughts on where you might track down culprits. It’s clear that they’ve put a lot of thought into their more holistic approach, and they’re looking to bring that into how you clean, not just what you use to clean.

I am really impressed with Lemi Shine overall. As I said, Lemi Shine sent me several samples, and I was able to specifically test the Lemi Shine Antibacterial Bathroom Cleaner ($6.29), Disinfecting Multisurface Cleaner ($6.29), Disinfecting Wipes ($7.49), and the Dishwashing Detergent ($5.49). You can read a full list of the ingredients in each of their products here. Lemi Shine offers “subscribe and save,” they offer bundles that offer savings, plus they’re available through several retailers, including Amazon and Walmart; doing some judicious shopping may well mean you pay below MSRP.

I was really pleased with Lemi Shine. Whether it was the placebo effect from having such a clean condo or just being overjoyed that it didn’t take several passes to get each area clean, it was perfect timing that I had the chance to check out these products. I definitely plan to use them when I’m setting up my new place!

Source: Manufacturer supplied review samples

What I Liked: Smell great; Clean incredibly well; No harsh chemicals; Utilizes citric acid as a natural disinfectant; Can be purchased via subscribe and save; Dishwasher tabs get my dishes super clean; The Disinfecting Wipes are 99.9% effective against COVID-19, other viruses, and bacteria — and they are made of biodegradable ingredients

What Needs Improvement: The products can get pricey at full retail price

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!


About the Author

Zek
Zek has been a gadget fiend for a long time, going back to their first PDA (a Palm M100). They quickly went from researching what PDA to buy to following tech news closely and keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff. They love writing about ebooks because they combine their two favorite activities; reading anything and everything, and talking about fun new tech toys. What could be better?