My housekeeping is inefficient and haphazard. While I would likely see the greatest return on investment by making procedural changes (e.g. a frequent wipe-down of a surface can take less cumulative time than less-frequent scrubbing off of accumulated grime), I’m curious about what others use. If some product or another really makes a difference, I’d like to hear about it.
Kitchen
Some random counter spray and sponges or paper towels for non-floor surfaces.
Generic detergents for sink-washing and dishwasher-washing. Plus a sponge hand-washing.
The linoleum floor is gross. I use a broom sometimes.
Bathroom
The same random counter spray with sponge/paper towel for non-floor surfaces
Plus a scrub brush for the shower, which I sometimes use while taking a shower
Throwaway toilet wand scrubby things
The tile floor is gross. I use a broom sometimes.
Mirrors get a Windex knockoff and paper-toweling
I just throw out the curtain liner when it starts growing things
Elsewhere
I have a cheap vacuum cleaner from Sears. It seems to work ok.
Paper towels remove dust, although not very well.
Someone here, in a previous thread, recommended the Mr. Clean (or other brand) “Magic Eraser” scrubbing pad. It’s a block of foam with a scrubbing surface, and it really does the trick! I love these things! (I buy the generic store brand version for less $$$.)
Someone also recommended using an old credit card as a scraper, and that, too, works a jolly wonder!
I find that from a time savings standpoint, Dawn dish soap is worth the extra few dollars. It usually does well on grease, and it’s a little thicker than generic, so it lasts longer. Plus it doubles as a stain pretreatment on food stains on clothing. Generics never work as well in this respect.
When dusting, use an old sock that doesn’t have a match. It works better than paper towels, and is cheaper.
I have no real brand loyalty it’s usually whatevers cheap. I have a prefferance for bleach based cleaners. The smell doesn’t bother me as much as other people and its rather effective at killing everything. I also like vinegar for dealing with pet smells.
The marketing sells people a lot more cleaners than is needed, I’ve never seen a reason for seperate kitchen and bathroom cleaners, often they are the same thing in different packaging.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser For Bathrooms for my shower. Ayeeeeeee! It is so the best! It literally erases the ring around my tub like an actual pencil eraser. It’s bigger than the regular Eraser so it lasts longer (through a whole shower and sink). It’s got a nice fancy smell to it so the bathroom smells clean.
I will add that for toilet cleaner, I prefer gel or thicker ones, as opposed to watery ones. I think I use less with a gel. And Clorox. I’m pretty loyal to Clorox toilet bowl cleaner.
~ Bleach-based all purpose cleaners (brand doesn’t matter – they’re all the same IMO)
~ Vinegar in a spray bottle for mirrors
~ Same vinegar works wonders for pet odors
~ I have a Shark steam mop in lieu of a regular mop. It picks up practically everything. You just pop the pad(s) into the wash when they’re dirty and let them line dry or else they’ll shrink.
~ I also have a Shark pet-hair strength vacuum (don’t remember the name of model but it’s got purple trim). In the kitchen/bathrooms I’ll use a broom to first get into the corners/crevices/under things then use the vacuum to pick up everything.
~ OxyClean and whatever detergent’s on sale for the laundry. I’ll bleach the whites every other load. I use cold water wash for everything except for towels/sheets. They get warm.
I will be the third to say that the Magic Eraser DOES work incredibly well.
Also, I love Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner. It seems to work really well and… I don’t know. I like the foam.
Bleachwater works really well for everything else.
And I use Pinesol on the floor. My mom used it too. I love the smell and it works well.
Those take care of >90% of cleaning jobs for me, because the cleaning lady does the bathrooms.
Spot Shot. For cleaning the rug after kitty-barfs.
Comet (or equivalent) and a sponge, for cleaning pots and pans when dish soap won’t do.
For cleaning cat fur off of sofas, we’ve got this thing that looks like a thick black sponge, and it works great for pulling the cat fur out of the upholstery. I have no idea what it’s called or who sells it. We bought a few of them years ago, and they apparently last forever.
Dishwasher, clothes washer: whatever’s cheap and comes in those little blobby one-load thingies. No strong preferences. Generic fabric softener. Dryer sheets: any brand-name variety, but not generic.
I’m going to pick up some of these melamine sponges people are recommending. I used them once to remove scuffs from walls in a rental, but I haven’t thought about them since.
I love my Swiffer Wet Jet. If your floor is already a mess, you will probably have to use a wet mop and bucket, maybe a scrubby. But once it is clean, a Swiffer Wet Jet is an easy way to keep it clean. The ease of use is more than worth the cost of supplies (cleaning fluid and pads).
For some items, yes…for some, no. Scents can be problematic, so I’m brand and scent-specific for some items.
Carbona carpet cleaner for cat barf cleanup. (Interesting that all of us with cats seem to be brand-loyal for cleanup.)
Paper towels – Bounty select-a-size. Tried generic/store brand, and they don’t work as well.
Windex window cleaner. Again, it seems to work better for me.
All Free and Clear with Oxy-clean.
Woolite or Ivory Snow for delicate laundry items.
Unscented fabric softener for sheets. A particular Arm and Hammer scent for clothing (“clean breeze” or something; it registers as “clean clothing”, not as “perfumed stuff”).
Generic powdered scrub stuff with bleach for the tub.
I like the pods for the dishwasher – right now using Oxyclean, as there was a good coupon.
Whatever dish soap is cheapest. Normally Ajax.
Furniture spray – whatever was on sale. It has lemon oil.
Some kind of generic 409-like stuff for heavy-duty grease.
And for a lot of cleaning, like the weekly counter-scrub (as opposed to the normal wipe-down), I just use hot water, baking soda, and some dish soap.
Contrary to the commercials, wet jets aren’t that great unless you use them in low traffic areas. I broke two of them while trying to scrub then switched to a regular sponge mop. At least those allow for more elbow grease.
The nice thing about a steam mop is that you can leave it on a stubborn spot and let the steam melt it. Works like a charm. You also don’t need as much elbow grease as the sponge mop.
Kitchen stuff:
[ul]
[li]Dishwasher: Cascade Platinum tablets/pacs.[/li][li]Spray bottles: One with Dr. Bronner Sal Suds mixed up at whatever the suggested rate is, and one with Simple Green Pro V mixed up appropriately based on the instructions on the gallon jug.[/li][li]Hand dish washing: Dawn Professional Manual Pot and Pan Detergent[/li][li]Floors: I think the bi-weekly maids use Pine-Sol, and in-between we have a Swiffer that we use with the damp pads. [/li][/ul]
Laundry:
[ul]
[li]Laundry detergent: scent-free Tide and Tide Ultra Stain Release.[/li][li]Pretreater: Zout Foam and/or the OxiClean version.[/li][/ul]
Bathroom… the maids scrub out the tub every other week, and what we clean up ourselves in between uses primarily the Clorox lemon-scented wipes or Lysol toilet cleaner.
For glass, we have a gallon jug of Zep window cleaner that we have to dilute some specified amount in a spray bottle.
I asked this in a previous thread and there was no answer… What do motels use to give their rooms that particular “motel room” smell? I like it, and would enjoy my home smelling like that.
(Sort of like “new car” smell…)
ETA: while I’m on the subject…is there a product that gives the “new car” smell?
