Most of us, irrespective of how much we love or hate to clean our home, have a number of cleaning products that we regularly use and rely on. Whether they’re store bought items or things that we find in our kitchen pantry, we use them because they’re effective, and ideally, cost effective.
See whether your most trusted cleaning items feature in the list below, and if they don’t, perhaps they should!
- Eraser sponges
Available from a variety of manufacturers, eraser sponges are more powerful than they look, and can be used to help eliminate some really tough stains, such as those you might find in your bath tub, kitchen and of course, crayon or ink stains made by your little cherubs! Buff up your tennis shoes or use on vinyl and hard surfaces to get them squeaky clean; once your eraser sponge starts to shrink, you’ll need to toss it out and get a new one.
- Dryer sheets
If you didn’t already know it, dryer sheets can do so much more than make your clothes free of static: they can be added to gym bags or clothing drawers to keep them smelling fresh, they can be used to help pick up pet hair and can even get the static out of your hair!
- Scented candles/plug-ins
Sometimes, even a spotlessly clean home just doesn’t smell that fresh, and there can be nothing more soothing to the senses than a sweet smelling living environment. To make your home smell delightfully calming and welcoming at all times, try burning scented candles or oil, or simply switch on your favorite scented plug in air freshener. While these are not cleaning products as such, they can go a long way towards making your home smell clean, even if it doesn’t look it!
- Bleach
There are times when bleach is the only product you feel you can turn to for deep, sanitizing cleaning, and this is with good reason. Used in hospitals, restaurants and a wide range of other environments, bleach has sterilizing properties that make it the go to product for so many who need to get surfaces and items hygienically clean.
- White vinegar
Available in virtually every store cupboard across the country, plain white vinegar has a multitude of uses within the home, and there’s nothing better (or cheaper!) than vinegar to cut through grease and make glass sparkle like new.
- Baking soda
These little tubs or packets used for baking may look unassuming, but inside them, is the power to eliminate stains and tough odors with ease! When combined with household vinegar, baking soda forms a paste that can be used to make grout sparkle again, and even clean the greasiest, grimiest of ovens. Although in most cases the paste must be allowed to sit on the surface for a few hours before being wiped off, to be at its’ most effective (or overnight if easier and for the best results) it’s far easier than scrubbing away endlessly at stains that simply won’t disappear.
Even the best professional cleaning services have their favorite, tried and tested products, and many will have some – or all – of the items listed above in their cleaning kits.
