Housekeeping/Cleaning Products--What are a Few of Your Favorite Things?

[white pine]

I started another posting on vacs, and Pollyanna asked about the Oreck steamer. Does anyone else do steam cleaning? Also, I would like to know what do you use to clean with? Not just floors here--what works/ what doesn't.
What can you not do without?

 

[JBloggs]

"Elbow grease doesn't come in a can"
(that is the #1 product)

 

[NW Natterbug]

Old English scratch cover does just what it says. My husband loves the Swiffer, Barkeeper's Friend does not scratch, and helps on rust stains, (without the overpowering odor of the more powerful products). Everything else we use are standard products, and yes, elbow grease is number one.
(We do find it helpful to check each other's work. Saves on forgetting to replace the drinking glasses, or turning up or down the heat.....)

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

My favorite cleaning products are baking soda, vinegar, and peroxide. If you have those 3 on hand, you can generally avoid most toxic stuff and get almost any kind of stain out.
I use the baking soda for scrubbing (instead of ajax or comet) and for removing odors. I use the vinegar mixed with water for cleaning glass and cleaning floors. I also put pure lavender oil drops in a sprayer with vinegar and spray in corners where cobwebs have been; the spiders won't come back.
I mix vinegar and baking soda to clear slow drains.
The peroxide is great for getting stains out of linens, off of upholstered furniture, and carpets/rugs. Mix half and half with a liquid cleaner and it's a miracle worker. Also great to use in humidifiers to clean the air after sick guests (1 capful to a litre of water).

 

[seashanty]

these are not granola-y products ... but i admit to using.
mr clean magic erasers ... we had white stair treads, white baseboards, white doors, white trim and they were constanly getting scuffed and marked up. each season, i'd scrub and paint and within a week or two, lots of black scuff marks would appear closest to the floor, mostly from luggage being banged against them. i wore disposable gloves when using, assuming the cleaning agent in these sort of styrofoam sponges is bleach or a combo. my homemade copy did not work so well. i recommend testing the area first as they might take off old paint
tide to go pen ... this first arrived as a sample. first try was when a guest wearing white pants dropped a teaspoon of blueberry compote onto her lap. after picking off the berries, she used the pen and the stain went away. i started spot treating tiny blood, wine, berry or chocolate spots on sheets or pillow cases before stripping off the bed.

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

I love the magic erasers! I use them constantly. I have a lot of glass and hard water. White vinegar diluted with water in a spray bottle is my go to concoction. I also like the spray comet cleaner for the jacuzzis and toilets.

 

[white pine]

Thanks all!
So much for gizmo's I guess. Being raised by a Rachel Carson- like mother, & having pets, I use as little toxic material as possible. Peroxide and vinegar are always well stocked around here.
I too have found unfortunately nothing cleans like elbow grease, & getting down on my knees to pick those little cracks and corners--hate to see dirt in the corner of a base moulding. I too love a little lavender in my water.
A friend with a resort swears by the "magic eraser"; also says the Windex cleaner that hooks on the hose does a surprising job on hard to reach outside windows.
Cleaning out my in-laws heavily smoked up home , I found the swiffer with orange oil did a good job on the smokey bath ceilings, and that a solution of Cascade dishwasher detergent did a great job cutting the film on lamps, mirrors, and ceramics--much better than anything I could mix.
Again, thanks for the input!

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Thanks all!
So much for gizmo's I guess. Being raised by a Rachel Carson- like mother, & having pets, I use as little toxic material as possible. Peroxide and vinegar are always well stocked around here.
I too have found unfortunately nothing cleans like elbow grease, & getting down on my knees to pick those little cracks and corners--hate to see dirt in the corner of a base moulding. I too love a little lavender in my water.
A friend with a resort swears by the "magic eraser"; also says the Windex cleaner that hooks on the hose does a surprising job on hard to reach outside windows.
Cleaning out my in-laws heavily smoked up home , I found the swiffer with orange oil did a good job on the smokey bath ceilings, and that a solution of Cascade dishwasher detergent did a great job cutting the film on lamps, mirrors, and ceramics--much better than anything I could mix.
Again, thanks for the input!.

One thing that I forgot to include that is a, for me, a must-have in my cleaning kit. Anti-Icky-Poo. Enzyme-based solution for removing urine odor (human and pet), vomit, and other nasties. Really really works. I always have some on hand for those inevitable emergencies.

 

[Pollyanna]

Anyone using the Oreck steam cleaner? We use the Bissell steam mop and we adore it! Our tile and even wood floors look SO much better and it's so easy. No product even, just super heated steam. Hubby saw the infomercial and said that the Oreck steam cleaner looks like something he would actually enjoy using in the bathrooms and on counters. That sounded promising! Have not purchased it yet and was wondering if anyone else has.
Our staples:
dishclothes for dusting, the feather dusters jsut spread it around, white vinegar, Adolph's meat tenderizer for blood or protein based stains, lemon oil, soft scrub, magic erasers, pumice stones for our hard water deposits (ring around the tub and toilet!), unscented everything including all laundry products, swiffers for an every day pick-up, brushes for dog hair on the seating, my good ol' Dyson vacuum cleaners. We bought one of those bug picker-uppers, but the suction is not really good enough to get the big bugs you really want to get. We use a natural based pest control company too. We're in the SW and once lost a customer due to crickets in the room and we had a tarantula once in house, plus those little pesky scorpions, so we HAVE TO do pest control! We also have a special ash canister vacuum for our wood stove and that helps a lot. Super suction on that thing so have even used it for scary spiders! We also use a spray bottle of 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water and spraying that around a room gets rid of any smell left behind by perfumes, hair spray, stinky people, whatever.

 

[scrambled_eggs]

I use Shaklee Basic G to disintect all the bathroom surfaces. And the Shaklee cleaner to clean the surfaces after I let the disinfectant sit for a while. I also use b aking soda and vinegar like a lot of other people do. I love the Clorox Bleach Pen too. It is great for getting small stains out of white napkins and towels or sheets as well as tile grout. I also use the pumice stone to clean stains out of the toilet. Wear gloves when you do it and make sure the stone it wet. It does wonders to get the brown or tan colored deposits off. I love to watch the show on BBC America Called How Clean Is Your House? They use a lot of natural cleaning products in that show.