What are your favorite cleaning supplies?

[Deleted]

"Green" or not I don't really care one or the other in that department.

I need an overhaul. I just got back from a road trip to my sisters and SILs. Both of their houses seem so much cleaner than mine and I know I clean way more than the both of them. It's like there's a layer of sticky in my house I just can't get off or something esp. on the glass, my counters, appliances etc.

I did randomly notice my floors, dishes, tubs and toilets seemed cleaner than theirs.

Which means I love:

*Scrub N Bubbles automatic shower cleaner with a  Dawn/vinegar scrub down every few weeks.
*Dishsoap/vinegar water with an Armstrong floor cleaner scrub down every month or so
*My Eureka Zoom vaccuum
*Bleach for the toilets. Hands down. A few drops. A good scrub. Done.
*Cascade with Dawn dish pacs.

FWIW, I had a great time. We had fun. It's not like I spent all week analyzing this crap. Toddler went on a sleep strike, was up at 3am so I had a lot of time on my hands..lol. It all started because I noticed my sister's glass just sparkles thanks to her Windex addiction and thought I need to get some....which spurred this whole thought train. Ha.

[Deleted]

Jun 29, 2013 16:10:45 GMT -5 @callmefia said:

Lol. Windex for sure (it's magic for sure. We had ink on our laminate floors that wouldn't come off with all purpose cleaner but windex took it right off!)

I use vinegar & water on floors
Vinegar & dawn in showers (and sometimes toilets)
I use that toilet bowl cleaner stuff with bleach that you tip the bottle over and run along the edge. Usually Clorox. The works sucks, too runny
On the seat I just use Clorox wipes (I run them on the sinks & counter than finish up with toilet seat)
Cascade packets for dishwasher (it needs a good run with vinegar too sometimes)
Spot shot for carpet stains (it's magic)
In the kitchen, soft scrub for counters & sinks

I do not clean much TBH

LOL. They don't either. I feel like I'm scrubbing something all the time in this place lately. I think it's just because I'm off all summer which means I'm home more, so I see this crap.

And you know...as I type this..Toddler is sitting next to me smearing muffin all over the counter. Doesn't really help the clean cause..ha!

I'm sure my house is fine. I just wonder if I'm missing something great.

And I need to get me some Windex stat.

[Deleted]

I pretty much use vinegar on everything. I am an admitted neat freak. It leaves no streaks on my countertops and nothing has gotten them as clean.
I just use my shark steam mop on my floors. On the carpeted areas I use simple green in my carpet cleaner and it works a million times better than the stuff that is twice as expensive in the store.
Now in my bathroom I do use chemicals. I love comet. I dump some in the toilet, swirl around with the brush and that's it. I also use it in the bathtub.
I have a bottle of the Clorox bleach cleaning stuff and will use it to clean out my white kitchen sink if needed.

[Deleted]

Jun 29, 2013 19:53:27 GMT -5 @callmefia said:

@justdairy
It's a lot easier to have to clean up after two adults. I'm milking it until December. Already tried to talk H into a cleaning lady just to clean the floors. Lol

I am funny about buying cleaners. Like, I really wanted a swiffer wet jet one year, and it's a POS. The cleaner makes the floor really sticky.

I really like vinegar for a lot of stuff because its greener, cheaper, and cleans better.

Yeah, I vinegar water a lot of stuff too but I feel like I just can't get the stick off of stuff with it anymore. It just doesn't seem shiny clean to me anymore.

I was lamenting to my MIL about this and she told me the internet recipes were crap. A) Double the vinegar in the water and get done with it. B) Find a new hobby

I might have to try both.

And yeah, my sister has no one else in her house other than her FI. SIL has a constant parade like me too, so I can't even use that as an excuse. Ha!

[pumpkin]

The only thing that hasn't been mentioned already that I use is Mrs. Meyer's countertop/all purpose cleaner. In one of the other places I lived we had dark green countertops and that stuff was the only stuff that didn't seem to streak or leave residue and made them look clean.

But I have a question about the automatic shower cleaner you mentioned. Is that the thing they used to advertise that hangs from the shower head and sprays the shower after you get out? I'm looking for a new/better cleaning routine for my shower.

[katie4253]

Blue dawn and vinegar (equal parts) is amazing.  It cleans everything.

Clorox clean-up.  It is just bleach in a spray bottle.  I use it to clean the bathroom.  It works well.  Since we've only had one bathroom the only thing that gets it really clean is bleach.  I have a man and a boy to contend with.  It gets funky. 

Bar keeper's friend and comet are also my loves.  They just work well and are cheap. 

I don't love magic erasers, but they have their place.  I use them on a few things. 

I also love pledge.  I am sure it is terrible for wood, but I love it.  The smell takes me back to my child hood. 

H is a vinegar freak.  He uses it for everything (laundry, cleaning the grill grates, soaking random crap, cloth diapers). 

[Deleted]

Jun 29, 2013 20:26:28 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

The only thing that hasn't been mentioned already that I use is Mrs. Meyer's countertop/all purpose cleaner. In one of the other places I lived we had dark green countertops and that stuff was the only stuff that didn't seem to streak or leave residue and made them look clean.

But I have a question about the automatic shower cleaner you mentioned. Is that the thing they used to advertise that hangs from the shower head and sprays the shower after you get out? I'm looking for a new/better cleaning routine for my shower.

That's exactly what it is! I know some people don't think they do much but I really like them. They're not going to prevent a deep clean but it surely has cut the number of times I have to do it in half. I have one in our E. student's bathroom (read: college boy, who thinks the world is his dorm..ha) I was scrubbing it once a week with dishsoap/Dawn and now it's every other. It just keeps the ring around the tub gone for sure.

[katie4253]

Jun 29, 2013 21:06:52 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

Jun 29, 2013 20:26:28 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

The only thing that hasn't been mentioned already that I use is Mrs. Meyer's countertop/all purpose cleaner. In one of the other places I lived we had dark green countertops and that stuff was the only stuff that didn't seem to streak or leave residue and made them look clean.

But I have a question about the automatic shower cleaner you mentioned. Is that the thing they used to advertise that hangs from the shower head and sprays the shower after you get out? I'm looking for a new/better cleaning routine for my shower.

That's exactly what it is! I know some people don't think they do much but I really like them. They're not going to prevent a deep clean but it surely has cut the number of times I have to do it in half. I have one in our E. student's bathroom (read: college boy, who thinks the world is his dorm..ha) I was scrubbing it once a week with dishsoap/Dawn and now it's every other. It just keeps the ring around the tub gone for sure.

I may need to get the shower cleaner thing again.  With one bathroom our bathtub gets funky a lot faster too. 

[pumpkin]

Dairy, that sounds like just what I'm looking for. Do you use their refills too? I vaguely remember my friend having one of these and I was trying to help her refill he bottle with some other solution and I remember that being a huge pain and I'm not sure we were ever successful in getting the top off that bottle

[hbomdiggity]

It's pretty sad that I recently did an overhaul, but only in anticipation of getting a housekeeper.

We have mrs Meyers for almost everything and the counter spray as well (are they even different? I have no idea).
Some sort of toilet bowl cleaner - I'm not super picky.
Simple green for the cooktop (gas range and I tend to be messy)
Endust and swiffer dusters
Minwax floor cleaner and polish for the hardwoods.

We also use a lexol system (cleaner &conditioner) for the leather couch, which desperately needs cleaning.

[Deleted]

Jun 29, 2013 21:47:13 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

Dairy, that sounds like just what I'm looking for. Do you use their refills too? I vaguely remember my friend having one of these and I was trying to help her refill he bottle with some other solution and I remember that being a huge pain and I'm not sure we were ever successful in getting the top off that bottle

I just buy the refills. I'm too lazy for the other hassle and I honestly like the fresh clean smell it gives. I think it works, well because the cleaner works..lol. They're also constantly on sale at Menard's and I use the rebate we get back on other stuff to buy household supplies. The bottle lasts a month in E. students bathroom and almost 2 in mine so it's not like the $6.00 I spend a month on Scrubbing Bubbles is breaking the budget around here.

[Deleted]

Jun 29, 2013 21:59:17 GMT -5 @buster said:

1. You work/live on a farm.
2. You're toddler is pretty close age-wise to mine.

Would you like to know about the horrid disgusting mess I found under the couch cushion the other day?

I can't keep up lately. I stick with vinegar for the most part. I use regular toilet bowl cleaner (Lysol, I think). I used soft scrub with bleach in the kitchen sink tonight because I'm having an ant problem. I just bought Bona floor cleaner for our new floor. I use Method's Wood for Good for whatever furniture needs it. I think that's all I use. Tide for laundry, Dawn for dishsoap, Cascade packs for dishwasher.

Yeah..I probably should just enjoy my summer and lower the standards. I will give it to Toddler..she's got inner neat freak tendencies. I have toy clutter everywhere and there's a constant trail of stuff behind her.. but she usually always returns her sticky yucky snack mess to me ASAP. HA. She's weird. All Toddlers are.

I also love me some Tide. Nothing gets my clothes cleaner. People always comment on how clean my clothes are esp. my barn stuff. I will never buy anything else. I don't care it's expensive. Although at Sam's a 160 load box is like $19.99 so I don't find it the end of the world either.

I also have to remember there's 2 extra people in this house other than us on any given day and about 3 more in and out. I just feel like I pickup and there's another mess right behind me. H and I decided next E. student will have to do some picking up as part of his job. Our first 2 were really great about it so it was never an issue to address. The last couple seem to think I'm the maid and I didn't draw the line soon enough because I wasn't expecting that.

It's also people's houses stay clean because they're at work all day and nobody's in it. I go to work all day and the parade in and out still continues without me. Ha.

[katie4253]

I love Tide too.

[sierramist03]

My mom made me a mixture of blue dawn and vinegar and that stuff is awesome it got rid of years of hard water stains on our faucets in our rental.
I use the windex multi surface too and have for a long time it also has vinegar in it.
I haven't found a floor cleaner I like but I did buy a new mop by Rubbermaid
I love my scrubbing bubbles it's my favorite I use shower one too

[pumpkin]

Reading these posts reminds me how much I love bar keepers friend. It does wonders for my pots and pans and has a ton of uses.

For those of you who use blue dawn & vinegar do you mix it up each time you use it or do you keep it in a spray bottle and just mix it up when you run out?

[TBM]

I find that often the cleaning products cause more problems than they fix. They make it seem clean, but then leave behind a residue that seems to attract more dirt. I actually use water and microfiber cloths/sponges for most everyday kitchen cleaning, and Mr Clean magic type cleaning sponge type things for the cooktop. I have a few things that I use for deeper cleaning, but mostly natural stuff...vinegar based or occasionally something with essential oils. or Dawn dish soap.

I really miss my small steamer. I used to use it pretty often for cleaning hard surfaces, especially in the kitchen. I think it missed getting packed at the old house because we were using it after the movers left.

[munkii]

I just cleaned my tub with baking soda and peroxide. It worked fantastically. Now I'm trying to think of other places to use it.

[Deleted]

Jun 30, 2013 15:57:23 GMT -5 TBM said:

I find that often the cleaning products cause more problems than they fix. They make it seem clean, but then leave behind a residue that seems to attract more dirt. I actually use water and microfiber cloths/sponges for most everyday kitchen cleaning, and Mr Clean magic type cleaning sponge type things for the cooktop. I have a few things that I use for deeper cleaning, but mostly natural stuff...vinegar based or occasionally something with essential oils. or Dawn dish soap.

I really miss my small steamer. I used to use it pretty often for cleaning hard surfaces, especially in the kitchen. I think it missed getting packed at the old house because we were using it after the movers left.

Yeah...I agree. It's why I dish soap vinegar water most things. I don't know. I'm probably bored. Or restless. Lol. I don't know.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I've completely stopped using Windex in favor of Incredible Glass. I think it gets the glass cleaner, and also does a great job on just about everything else, too ... appliances, faucets, the sink, stainless ...

[TBM]

Jun 30, 2013 20:43:33 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I've completely stopped using Windex in favor of Incredible Glass. I think it gets the glass cleaner, and also does a great job on just about everything else, too ... appliances, faucets, the sink, stainless ...

That is good stuff. I use it when I feel like my usual non chemical approach needs a boost. By far my favorite over windex.ETA: Wait...I was thinking of Invisible Glass...now that is good stuff.

[panicked]

I use Pine-Sol and Comet. I love the smell of Pine Sol. It works so well for so many things!

[mrs.jacinthe]

Jun 30, 2013 20:53:39 GMT -5 TBM said:

Jun 30, 2013 20:43:33 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I've completely stopped using Windex in favor of Incredible Glass. I think it gets the glass cleaner, and also does a great job on just about everything else, too ... appliances, faucets, the sink, stainless ...

That is good stuff. I use it when I feel like my usual non chemical approach needs a boost. By far my favorite over windex.ETA: Wait...I was thinking of Invisible Glass...now that is good stuff.

No, that's what I mean ... some days I just can't use the right words all day.

[thewop]

Scotch Green and Yellow scrubby sponges. They've worked miracles in my house. Seriously. There was a spot on our laminate countertops for years and I tried everything to get it off, then one day the H took the Scotch scrubby sponge to that bad boy and it was GONE. It was all the sponge, no cleaner was used. I was amazed.

I also have Lysol something or other spray. It's the degreaser/soap scum cleaner in the yellow bottle. I cuts soap scum like no one's business, better than Scrubbing Bubbles IMO. It smells to high heaven when I spray the shower, but all I have to do is a quick scrub with an old sponge and rinse and it sparkles. I have white tile and white grout and I've never had an issue keeping it looking white and clean.

I looove my Rubbemaid Revel mop. I can use my own cleaner and it's super easy to use. That thing rocks my world.