Goodies You CAN Still Get:
As this thread shows, a lot of old favourites have disappeared or have become hard-to-find specialty or Web-only items. But what about those good old products that are still pretty easy to find, if you're smart enough to know about them and how well they work? Here's my list of goodies I can't do without:
- Fels-Naphtha Soap. Great for spot removal, excellent preventive for poison ivy - if you're exposed to it, wash the affected area immediately with Fels and chances are very good that you won't break out.
- Murphy's Oil Soap. Excellent for washing furniture and floors, also works in a pinch as a car wash, since it does not strip auto wax. But car use should be for emergencies when you're out of car-wash liquid, because Murphy's will build up on car paint if used too often (it's the oil).
- Ajax Cleanser. It was around before Comet, and I still like it better.
- Bon Ami. For surfaces you don't want dulled, it's great. Very eco-friendly, with no perfume or pumice.
- Future Floor Finish. You can't get Aero Wax or Klear any more, or Glo-Coat either. This is really the only hard-surface floor wax left. Not for wood floors, of course.
- Johnson's Paste Wax. Fantastic for hardwood floors, where you should not use a water-based polish like Future. You need a buffer, though.
- Palmolive Soap. Colgate has cut the bar size, but at least they're still making it. Smells good, mild, and it's inexpensive.
- Cashmere Bouquet Soap. Since the demise of Lux (I will never forgive Unilever for that), this is a very good, mild and mildly-scented bar soap for hands.
- Old English Scratch Cover. Excellent for hiding furniture scratches temporarily - how do they always show up when guests are expected in five minutes? You can do a better touch-up later, but for the moment, scratches are not noticeable.
- Old English Lemon Oil. Cleans and puts a bit of shine on furniture, without buildup. The White House staff use this on the antiques there.
- Parson's Ammonia. Yes, there are lots of discount ammonias out there, and they do work as well. I'm including this because ammonia is an overlooked product that cleans fantastically well. Use with ventilation, of course.
- Pine-Sol. You either love this one or hate it. I love it.
- O-Cel-O cellulose sponges. Something that absorbs liquid, rinses clean, saves a fortune in paper towel costs. Disinfect periodically with bleach or by microwaving. Plastic-foam sponges are nowhere near as good.
- O Cedar sponge mop heads. Replace a plastic-foam mop head with one of these, and you'll get your floors cleaner and drier, with less work.
- Brasso. Great on metal, but also shines plastic and wood finishes. You can make a dull tabletop gleam again with Brasso if you're willing to put in the time and expend the elbow grease. The solvent in Brasso can cloud some finishes and plastics, so always spot-test before going to town on something with it.
- Lime-A-Way. With the cost of designer faucets nowadays, you really don't need to be scratching away at them to remove mineral deposits.
- Zud Cleanser. Rough, scratchy stuff, but it gets rust stains off porcelain like nobody's business. Use with care, and you're fine. Actually, you often don't have to rub - sprinkle Zud onto a wet surface, wait, and often the rust stain disppears because of the chemical action.
- Cameo Stainless Cleaner. I like this better than Bar Keeper's Friend. BKF isn't bad, but Cameo polishes a bit better.
- Ajax Dishwashing Liquid. Comes in Lemon, Orange Antibacterial and Lime with Bleach Alternative formulas. I use the Lemon - don't like splashing antibacterials around indiscriminately, and the Lime smells unpleasant to me personally. Excellent value, cuts grease as well as Dawn for less money.
Anyone have others that are still relatively easy to find and do a good job?
