I've been wondering for years, why do we always have twenty different types of cleaning products in our cabinets? Why can't a 'glass cleaner' not clean a dirty tabletop or get rid of your household dust?
Well, there actually are rules for this and they do actually contain different ingredients to do different jobs, so if you want to take good care of your house and all the surfaces, you kinda do need lots of different types of cleaners.
Let me tell you why and what they all do:
All Purporse Cleaner
An all purpose cleaner can be used on all water washable surfaces, but are high on the pH level, around 9 on the scale (neutral is a pH level of 7). This means they shouldn't be used as a floor cleaner, because it can damage the floor finish.
Cleaner
A 'neutral' cleaner can be used as an actual 'all purpose' cleaner, and will be good enough for the light cleans, not the hard scrubs. So a neutral cleaner is fine to use on both water washable surfaces and floors, but won't be very effective on grimy and very greasy spots.
Window Cleaner
A window cleaner often contains alcohol or ammonia, making them a great cleaner for oily spots and it will also prevent streaks appearing on your mirrors and windows.
When these three 'standard' cleaners don't do the job, you're gonna need something harsher. A 'specialty cleaner' will come in handy, and this is where most people go crazy with all the different bottles. They actually are designed for a specific purpose, such as ovens, metals, carpets etc. So if you need to do a serious cleaning job, you will need to buy a certain type of cleaner, and most likely wear gloves while cleaning.
But of course, we are here because we want to live sustainably. We don't want to use harsh chemicals and don't want to buy seventeen different bottles to clean our houses.
One of the main things you can do, is clean your oven, toilet, drains or other parts that need a serious clean with a mix of baking soda, water and vinegar. But yes, there is a problem with the smell - especially for someone like me who HATES the smell of vinegar. Each surface will have different DIY rules and you will definitely take MORE time cleaning than usual when going for this eco-friendly option of cleaning as you might need to leave it overnight. So head on over to the internet and find the DIY recipe you need for your cleaning job!
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