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7 Great Cleaning Products
As we all know, it's no easy feat to keep a home clean when messy munchkins share our living quarters! To help, we've asked our Home Management and Eco-Friendly experts to recommend a great cleaning product they've discovered. We hope you'll find something here that makes housecleaning a little bit easier, faster, safer, or less expensive.
1. Vinegar and Baking Soda
"There are few things that they can't clean either together or on their own. They are super cheap and environmentally friendly as well!" -Chris Keith of Adventures of a Thrifty Mama in a Trailer Park Homestead
Available at Walmart, $3 for 1 gal. vinegar, $2 for baking soda
2. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
"My favorite cleaning product is the Mr. Clean magic eraser. It still amazes me that it can 'erase' old scuff marks, crayon and pencil marks off of my wall and make them look like brand new. With a toddler at home, this is a great trait to have in any cleaning product. It really is like magic." -The Domestic Life Stylist
Available at Amazon.com, $3
3. Method Tub & Tile Spray Cleaner, Eucalyptus Mint
"It absolutely smells wonderful and it really works. Gone are the days of opening all the windows, wearing goggles, and heavy duty gloves. I just spray, let it sit for a couple of minutes and wipe...It works on tub and tile even when I am overwhelmed and maybe should have tackled those things much sooner. I just love it." -Pam of Momma Can
Available at Amazon.com, $44
4. Lemon Essential Oil
"I always turn to Lemon essential oil. It is a fabulous de-greaser (I have seen it remove tomato sauce from white carpet!), dusting agent and addition to wood cleaning. It is also antibacterial and a great air freshener. I really love using products that leave my home clean and me feeling good!"-Mindy McLaren of Sweet & Woodsy Blog
Available at Amazon.com, $5
5. Microfiber Cloths and Mops
"Honestly, I love micro fiber cloths. They clean my glass shower doors better than ANYTHING else I've used, hands down. A little Windex wiped with the microfiber cloths, and the shower doors look wonderful!" Carrie of My Favorite Finds
Available at Amazon.com, $5
6. Castile Soap
"I love to use castile soap, because it effectively cleans just about everything. By simply diluting a couple squirts of castile soap with water, I'm able to clean counters and toilets, or I use the mixture when I mop my floors. (I like to use the peppermint soap ... it leaves my bathrooms smelling minty fresh.) My favorite aspect of castile soap is that it's safe. Now my 3-year-old loves to help me clean bathrooms and I don't have to worry about exposing him to dangerous chemicals." -Hilary Kimes Bernstein of Accidentally Green
Available at Dr. Bronner's, $3 and up
7. Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser
"It's pretty close to natural. It uses oxalic acid, which is an ingredient found in spinach and rhubarb. I use it on my stainless steel and my ceramic cooktop, and I've used everywhere else I would use cleanser. It's bleach free and does a great job." -Kim Urig of Our Daily Green
Available at Amazon.com, $4
Looking for more tips on cleaning products? Read about all of the products our mom bloggers recommend here and here.
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10 More Household Uses for Vinegar
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COMMENTS
Julie - commented on Mar 31, 2012
I just order S20 from HSN. It removed an old chocolate stain on my carpet after it had sat for about a year. I had heard that Resolve would set it, so I covered the stain with a chair until I could find something really good to remove it. The S20 I got in the mail yesterday and put a little on and used a wet washcloth to rub it in. When I got home from school the entire stain was gone. I am waiting to see what it looks like tomorrow when it's completely dry. I am completely amazed and have a whole slew of other stains to work on. I read this would remove stains on painted walls, and I really would like to try it on this, also.
Tammie - commented on Mar 20, 2012
There are many products with formeldahyde in them...Johnson & Johnson baby shampoos and many other things made by them have it....people don't realize it because it has the clinical name listed..not the word formeldahyde...its something -15..just can't remember...I will never use their products.
Kim - commented on Jan 3, 2012
Thank you for featuring my answer! If you'd like to win an assortment of Bar Keepers Friend products, I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog! http://ourdailygreenlife.blogspot.com/2011/12/clean-green-new-year.html
Pamela - commented on Dec 30, 2011
@Lisa, I had no idea! But the same mess is also in soft-baked cookies or so my father said when he worked for Continental Bakeries. He refused to eat them. lol
Pamela - commented on Dec 30, 2011
@Kathi You need to let the whole thing soak for a good long while and get a soft scrub brush to losen the ickies. You may need to use some baking soda as well and rinse like crazy and dry the very well. If a window is available keep it open during the whole process. Pam aka Momma from Mommacan.com
Lisa - commented on Dec 30, 2011
Anyone with children in their houses should NOT be using Mr Clean Magic Erasers. It is very efficient but IS MADE WITH FORMALDEHYDE!!! I would rather have a very dirty house than clean with this product! Norwex makes a safe version of this and it works just as well. It is more expensive but worth the cost.
Kathi - commented on Dec 26, 2011
I recently moved into a new place that has track shower doors that are pretty yucky. Will vinegar clean the tracks or can you recommend something?