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Cleaning Product Recommendations

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by genuinemommy, Oct 22, 2015.

  1. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    I want to hear about what you use to clean.
    I'm willing to admit that I may not be using the best products. They work for me, so I stick with them. But tell me about yours. What do you use to clean...
    Hard water deposits on fixtures and shower doors
    Floors
    Leather furniture (clean and treat)
    Mirrors
    Oven
    Interior of fridge
    Surfaces and doors of stainless steel appliances
    Driveway grime
    Carpet stains
    Anything else that you've had trouble with and found an excellent product to help you out.
    And even more importantly... What cleaning products DO NOT work for you, and you avoid?
     
    genuinemommy, Oct 22, 2015
    #1
  2. martian

    martian Server Monkey Staff Member

    Location:
    Mars
    This would be a great thread for @Decembermagpie. I'll see if I can get her to check in.

    I know she uses some kind of homebrewed concoction on our floor. It might just be vinegar and water. It stinks to high heaven when she mops the floors but it keeps the hardwood nice and shiny.
     
    martian, Oct 22, 2015
    #2
    • Like Like x 1
  3. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    My woman keeps the house looking like it fell out of the pages of Better Homes & Gardens.

    She uses Shaklee cleaning products. I think it's a cult but she swears by 'em.

    ...

    Other thoughts:

    My flooring is 50% hardwood, so the Swiffer WetJet w/ wood cleaner is a huge time saver. Does a solid job.

    I use Leather Honey to treat my better-than-sex sectional. It's labor intensive but keep things supple.

    Either I have cheap "premium" appliances or stainless steel is a bitch to keep looking immaculate.

    Spray foam carpet stain cleaner is awesome... works on clothes, car interiors, etc. Great stuff.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2015
    Plan9, Oct 22, 2015
    #3
  4. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    The filthiest thing I have to clean is my hands, after working on my bicycles.
    Love the orange Gojo pumice hand soap.
     
    fflowley, Oct 22, 2015
    #4
  5. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I'm kind of secretly Martha Stewart.

    So, you need a few things at the minimum. From there, you can proceed.

    Vinegar
    Dawn (don't skimp on lesser products, a little goes a long way)
    Washing soda
    Baking soda
    Oxiclean (sodium percarbonate)
    Salt
    Enzyme cleaner (I use Biokleen, it's in the hippie aisle)

    Literally everything in the OP can be cleaned with Dawn in varying concentrations. Deep stain? Enzymes or percarbonate. Always spot test. Vinegar is an effective degreaser and a good fighter against mold and mildew. Washing soda is an excellent descaler if you have hard water. Baking soda and salt are effective but gentle abrasives. Salt will clean coffee stains out of coffee cups, no problem. Oxiclean is pretty much the best bleach alternative on the market.

    Also, never underestimate the power of hot water and elbow grease.
     
    snowy, Oct 22, 2015
    #5
  6. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    I don't clean often, but when I do I use stuff that you would find in a chemistry lab.

    What do you use to clean...
    Hard water deposits on fixtures and shower doors
    The previous homeowner put in a whole house water softener. But DeOx works on metal pretty well.
    Floors
    Mop with bleach and water
    Leather furniture (clean and treat)
    Amazon.com: Meguiar's G7214 Gold Class Leather Cleaner and Conditioner: Automotive
    Mirrors
    Paper towel and glass cleaner
    Oven
    Don't use it, don't clean it.
    Interior of fridge
    Comet powder and water
    Driveway grime
    Don't clean it, it isn't dirty
    Carpet stains
    Don't clean it, it isn't that dirty
     
    ASU2003, Oct 22, 2015
    #6
  7. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    I hate housework. My wife hates housework. Our house reflects this.

    Clorox Clean-Up with bleach. It might not be environmentally friendly, but it's about the only product that will actually clean our old Formica counter-tops. Caution--Be careful if wearing decent clothes, it will bleach them.

    Palmolive OXY dishwashing liquid. It holds suds a long time, and does a pretty good job on grease.

    I'd have to check the bathroom to see what cleaners we have, but that would depress me.
     
    Chris Noyb, Oct 23, 2015
    #7
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    Anything and everything that I clean is gone over by my wife. Apparently, the presence of a Y chromosome impairs my perception of cleanliness.


    Hard water ... CLR

    Floors ... ours are all hardwood, mostly just vacumn and mop

    Leather ... some leather cleaner thingy that I know nothing about

    Mirrors ... and all glass, Dawn and a squeegee

    Oven ... self cleaning, I'll never own one that isn't, again

    Fridge interior ... baking soda

    Driveway ... Mine is gravel, I shovel or rake as needed

    Carpet ... we have none in the house, most of my wife's allergies went away with the carpet
     
    Stan, Oct 23, 2015
    #8
    • Like Like x 1
  9. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    CLR is great stuff. I remember when it was relatively inexpensive.
     
    Chris Noyb, Oct 23, 2015
    #9
    • Like Like x 1
  10. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    CLR isn't always strong enough if you are a single guy you puts off cleaning... ;)
     
    ASU2003, Oct 23, 2015
    #10
    • Like Like x 1
  11. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX


    Oh yeah. I've mixed crap cleaners that weren't supposed to be mixed. I go outside for fresh air and forget why I went outside :p.
     
    Chris Noyb, Oct 27, 2015
    #11
  12. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I use both Clorox Clean-Up and Clorox Bleach Foamer (bathroom) in my house, but I wear an apron when I apply it. We have really light-colored countertops that stain easily, and the Clean-Up works very well for that. The bleach foamer is me being lazy--plus, it's a clingy product, which makes it useful for sink, toilet, and tub.
     
    snowy, Oct 27, 2015
    #12
  13. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    Hard water deposits on fixtures and shower doors - - magic erasers, steel wool, or CLR.

    Floors - - I use the antibacterial swiffer on the pergo and the tile floors

    Leather furniture (clean and treat) - - barely damp cloth to clean, leather wipes to treat

    Mirrors - - windex wipes or Spray Kleenex glass cleaner, I think it's called

    Oven - - you clean that?

    Interior of fridge - - soapy water or lysol wipes

    Surfaces and doors of stainless steel appliances - - stainless steel wipes from Pledge, sometimes a gentle sweep from the Magic Eraser if its major.

    Driveway grime - - the association does this. I've ground cat litter into oil stains then power washed with just water.

    Carpet stains - - hydrogen peroxide... They're usually cat-related

    I use peroxide and isopropyl alcohol to clean a lot of things. I will bust out the bleach for the toilets, though.
     
    Japchae, Oct 28, 2015
    #13