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How to make sure you’ve got the right products in your cleaning closet
Think about all the different hard surfaces in your home. Your floors might be wood, stone or vinyl; walls could be paint, wallpaper, tile, brick or stone; countertops could be butcher block, stainless steel, concrete, tile, laminate, engineered stone or natural stone – and these are all just a few of the options. So how do you decide what cleaning products to use?
The reality is that there is no one perfect answer. To get optimum cleaning results, have a variety of products in your cleaning closet in order to always have the right one for the job at hand.
Start with All-purpose Cleaners
Note that many of these products come in different formulations – regular strength or concentrate, liquid, gel or powder, spray or wipe, and more. The version you choose is a matter of personal preference.
- Abrasive all-purpose cleaners are designed for tough cleaning jobs in small areas. They come in three forms: powder, liquid and scouring pads. The liquid form is usually the gentlest.
- Non-abrasive all-purpose cleaners are available as powders that can be dissolved to the proper strength and as liquids that can be diluted or used full strength. The newest powders and liquids are concentrated products. Liquids are also available as trigger sprays, in aerosol cans or in pump-actuated bottles. Powders and liquids, mixed with water, are most often used on fairly large washable surfaces, such as floors and walls; spray versions are most often used for smaller areas.
Add Specialty Cleaners to Your Collection
Specialty cleaning products have a narrower spectrum of uses than all-purpose products. They are designed for specific surfaces, such as glass, bathroom surfaces, ovens, drains, metal, floors, carpets, furniture and upholstery, and the soils that usually collect on these surfaces. By concentrating on specific conditions, specialty products can deliver optimum performance and convenience.
Which Cleaners to Use
With so many varieties and brands to choose from, how do you know which ones are best for the surface you are cleaning?
- Read the cleaning product labels. The label will tell you what type of cleaner (all-purpose cleaner, laundry detergent, disinfectant cleaner, etc.) it is. If it is designed for a specific type(s) of surface (ceramic tile, glass, brass, chrome, etc.), it will also be listed on the label.
- Be surface-specific. Some surface manufacturers (particularly in the countertop and flooring industries) recommend a specific type or brand of cleaner for their product. Check the manufacturer’s website or the product literature to be sure.
- Consult the Hard Surface Hygiene Fact Sheet developed by The Soap and Detergent Association. It explains the purposes and proper usage of disinfecting and sanitizing products. When used properly, these products play an important role in helping to ensure that our homes are clean and our families are healthy. Download it at http://cleaning101.com/Hard_Surface_Hygiene.pdf.
Take Inventory
To get a good grasp on what should be in your cleaning closet, take a look around your home and make a list of all the different types of surfaces that need to be cleaned. Then line up the cleaning products you already own. Read the labels and put a check next to each item on the list if you have a product designed to clean it. Now ask yourself some questions.
- Are there products you are missing?
If there’s no check mark next to a surface, that means you need to expand your cleaning supplies.
- Could you get better or more convenient results if you switched to a different type of product? People have different cleaning styles. Some people prefer concentrates, while others prefer sprays or wipes. Some people want a few “do it all” products, while others prefer the optimum results that specialty cleaners provide.
- Where are your cleaning supplies stored? If you have products you never use, chances are that they aren’t in a convenient location. Consider how to rearrange your cleaning supplies so that frequently-used products are close at hand and seldom-used ones are easier to find. Out of sight tends to be out of mind. To combat that, make a list and tape it to the inside of the cupboard where the seldom-used products are stored.
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