Best Early Black Friday Deals on Household Goods
Stock up on the essentials for the holidays with extra-low prices on dish soap, laundry detergents, and more
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
The holiday season is almost here, and we can hardly believe it. Whether you’re hosting a big or small group, you’ll want to stock up on the essentials to make hosting and the clean-up after dinner easier. Laundry stain removers, detergents, dish soaps, and more are on sale before the major Black Friday deals begin. We’ve tested all of the products on sale in this list, so you know that they will work for you.
We track the prices of all the household essentials we’ve tested so we can help you get a great deal, whether you’re stocking the supply cabinet with toilet paper and cleaning wipes or you need a can of powder cleanser to finally clean that soap scum ring off your tub (we’ve all been there). During the holiday shopping season, there are deals on just about everything, and that includes household essentials. We will be updating this article throughout the season.
Plus, we’re tracking prices on everything we test to help you find the best holiday deals, no matter what (or who) you’re shopping for. Check out our Deals Hub to see the latest and greatest offers.
Anti-Static Sprays
Bounce Instant Static Remover+
This spray did a good job at removing static electricity from toddler socks and microfiber cloths, but note that the scent is very strong. It’s discounted 15 percent.
Caulk
DAP Kwik Seal Kitchen & Bath Adhesive Caulk
The best feature about this caulk is that it does not require a caulk gun to dispense. In our tests, it had the second-best adhesion on painted wood and worked just as well after being exposed to extreme cold and hot temperatures.
Dish Soap
Dawn Platinum Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap
When we tested three of Dawn’s dish soaps against each other, we found that they all cleaned dishes well. It produced rich suds in warm water, cleaned dishes easily, and was as easy to dispense as the brand’s Ultra and Platinum Plus PowerSuds. Its smell is identical to Dawn Ultra—a clean, bright smell that does not linger on dishes. Our evaluator didn’t notice any dryness on her hands after washing a sink full of dishes.
Dawn Ultra Dishwashing Soap
This dish soap from Dawn is our top pick because of the amount of thick suds it creates and the number of dishes we were able to wash with just a half tablespoon of this soap. We found this soap easy to dispense, with a pleasant and fresh fragrance.
Nellie's Dish Butter
Choosing a soap bar like Nellie’s Dish Butter, which was our top choice for dish soap bars, helps you cut down on plastic waste and still get your dishes, pots, and pans squeaky clean. This one created a nice amount of suds and boasted an herbal scent that we found pleasant and not overpowering.
Glass Cleaners
Windex Original Glass Cleaner
This well-known cleaner left mirrors, windows, stovetops, and glass shower doors absolutely flawless in our testing. It is made with ammonia, so avoid using it on tinted windows or other surfaces that may be damaged.
Laundry Detergent, Pods, and Sheets
These pods from Tide have extra odor-eliminating ingredients that help remove stubborn smells from clothing. They worked really well at eliminating most stains in our lab tests, including dirt and salad dressing.
Laundry Stain Removers
OxiClean Max Force Laundry Stain Remover
We did not make our tests easy when we tested laundry stain removers. OxiClean Max Force performed better than all the rest. It lightened even the toughest stains like concealer and mustard and you can pre-treat stains up to a week in advance.
Shout Triple Acting Laundry Stain Remover
This was the second-best laundry stain remover we tested. It completely eliminated blood and oil stains from cotton fabrics. It was also the only model we tested with instructions printed in both English and Spanish.
Miss Mouth’s Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray
This really is a stain remover for messy eaters. In our lab tests, it performed best against food stains like coffee, chipotle pepper sauce, chocolate syrup, and oil. It’s also the only stain remover we tested with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice label. Grab it on sale while you can–it’s the priciest model we tried.
Magic Eraser Sponges
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
This was our second-favorite melamine sponge. Its dual textured design makes it versatile and it cleaned up crayon from walls well. When wet and wrung out, this sponge didn’t fall apart.
Paper Towels
Scott Paper Towels Choose-A-Sheet
This single-ply paper towel excelled at cleaning up chunky messes—we used cooked oatmeal in our tests. They are discounted 20 percent.
Quart Bags
Ziploc Storage Quart Bags
Although hard to close, these are very sturdy bags, and make a great option for parents with toddlers who have a penchant for throwing their snacks. We love their stand-up bottom, which makes it easier to add foods without making a mess. These are perfect for food prep and leftovers.
Get discounts, product recommendations, and buying advice from the shopping experts at CR. Sign up for our ShopSmart newsletter.