If you have a home to clean, you likely already have your favorite brands. Maybe it’s Shout to pre-treat your laundry, Pine Sol for the kitchen and Bon Ami in the bathroom; after all, it’s what your parents used.

But there's a brand you're likely unaware of that's highly rated yet insanely cheap. The brand is LA's Totally Awesome, and despite the goofy name, it has legions of die-hard fans. Sold at dollar stores such as Dollar Tree and Dollar General, the products retail for a single dollar and are pretty much the bargain of the century.

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Do dollar store cleaners work as well as more expensive ones?

I’ve been using their knock-off Oxyclean for years, and I speak from experience when I write that this product is every bit as good as its name brand competitor. I use it in my laundry, I use it to pre-treat stains and I dilute it for my rug shampooer.

Officially called 'LA's Totally Awesome Power Oxygen Base Cleaner,' this small container packs a wallop. The directions suggest that you 'Use in the bathroom and kitchen to remove scummy residue from tubs, tile, floors, sinks, shower doors and curtains. Use outdoors to clean decks, garbage cans, lawn furniture and more.' Not too shabby for a one dollar product!

You may shy away from cheap cleaners due to environmental or health concerns, but LA's Totally Awesome oxygen cleaner received an 'A' from the Environmental Working Group. (Considered the standard for rating the toxicity of personal care products.)

I figured that this product was an anomaly, but I recently joined the 144,000+ member Laundry Love & Cleaning Science Facebook group and learned that I was not alone in my adoration for this line of cleaners.

The LA's Totally Awesome All Purpose Concentrated Cleaner/Degreaser Spot Remover has its own legions of loyal fans too. Almost every 'how do I remove this stain?' question is answered with 'Have you tried LA's Totally Awesome?'

I knew I needed to give it a try. A quick trip to The Dollar Tree secured my own bottle, and I came home ready to scrub down my home.

A quick read through the label taught me that the concentrated cleaner/degreaser is formulated to work on a multitude of surfaces, from air conditioners to rust stains, chrome to driveways. In all, the bottle includes directions for 43 different types of surfaces.

First up? My stovetop. It had been a couple of days since I’d given the stove a good cleaning, so it was the perfect opportunity to test out the degreaser’s efficacy. (I normally procrastinate this job, as I hate the inevitable scrubbing.) I read the instructions and diluted the liquid 5:1. I got out an empty bottle, mixed up some solution and then gave the surface a thorough spraying. I set an alarm for 15 minutes and walked away. I came back and miraculously was able to wipe off the baked on splatters with nothing more than a soft sponge. No scrubbing!

I then put the LA’s Awesome cleaner/degreaser to the test on my bathroom tiles. I live in moisture-plagued Oregon, so mildew is a constant challenge, but this product surpassed my expectations. Again I sprayed the product, set an alarm and walked away. I came back and was happy to discover that almost all of the nastiness simply rinsed away, with just a small amount of scrubbing in a few stubborn areas.

Need more evidence? You can watch this YouTube video of a woman using LA's Totally Awesome cleaner/degreaser to remove stains from her truck upholstery, or you could read this online review from a woman who used it to remove tree sap from her car. You might even want to read this testimonial from a woman who used it to save her laundry after accidentally sending a crayon through the dryer.

Need one more reason to check out the LA's Totally Awesome cleaning line? They're made right here in the U.S.A. with 'Manufacturing and distribution centers in West Memphis, Arkansas, and Orange County, California.'

You may hesitate to budge from your brand loyalty, but it’s worth giving LA’s Totally Awesome products a try. After all, they’re only a buck. What have you got to lose?

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