What do you use to clean your bathroom & kitchen with?

[autowasherfreak]

We've discussed our arsenals of laundry products, but I was curious as to what everyone uses to clean their kitchens and bathrooms.

For my kitchen I have Mean Green, Comet, Pine Sol, and bleach

For my bathroom Mean Green Bath Tub and Tile, Awesome Cleaner, Glass Cleaner, Comet, Soft Scrub, Pine Sol, and bleach

 

[hunter]

Cleaning

For kitchen cleaning, my preference is ammonia and water. I will sometimes use Bon Ami as well (no Ajax with the Ammonia!). The floors either get that or Pine Sol.

For the bath, Ajax for the fixtures, Pine Sol and water elsewhere.

 

[ronhic]

Well, we have a cleaner....

BUT, when I do it myself...

- basic toilet cleaner
- basic bathroom spray
- shower gets half strength bleach every month
- orange based cleaner for the kitchen
- 'handy andy' for the floors - which is ammonia based

 

[toggleswitch]

Typical. 3 million products to do a job. LOL

Cleanser for fixtures and walls
Floor cleaner for the throne and the floors and perhaps a wall-tile wash.
Glass cleaner for mirror, counter-tops, appliances and faucets.

I add ammonia to my glass cleaner in that I don't have a cat. (Cats "read" it as "pee here" ) It keeps the roaches out of the kitchen when used on appliances and counter-tops ("workbenches" => UK/Australia).

In the kitchen I use lye-based oven-cleaner and Dawn dissolve (Read: diluted oven-cleaner) to degrease filthy pots and pans quick and with little scrubbing. Of course soapy steel-wool (s.o.s and Brillo) pads are a must as well.

 

[dustin92]

I use glass cleaner for basically everything in the kitchen, In the bathroom I use Lysol foaming bathroom cleaner on the tub/ shower and sink, Sno bowl toilet cleaner on the toilet, and wash the floors in the bathroom and kitchen with pine sol and water, with a little bleach added. I know the pine sol and bleach sounds scary, but it cleans better than just pinesol and smells better too! I clean our church and use the same mixture on the floors there.

 

[aquarius1984]

Kitchen - Daily wipe overs with a bowl of hot water to which I add regular washing up liquid.
Maybe add a drop of bleach if I feel the need.

Kitchen Weekly - Bleach water to wipe over cupboard doors, handles, the fridge, cooker top, oven, bin and floor.

Bathroom Daily, Microfibre cloth and Tesco Value pine disinfectant. Plenty of hot water.
Some sort of Rim Block toilet cleaner remains in the loo at all times. Personal favourites are Toilet Duck Cageless Gel Syringe thingymabob or Bloo/Harpic rim blocks.

Bathroom Weekly - Tesco Value Cream cleaner or Flash bathroom to clean out the bath and shower, Quick rub over the tiles and sink with it too and rinse. Toilet gets a soaking in bleach or Toilet Duck liquid.
Floor, Either a washing with the Hoover Floormate or will occasionally get on my hands and knees with a damp cloth and neat Tesco Value Pine Disinfectant and wipe it all over with that especially behind the toilet and sink pedastals.

 

[stan]

Try going green

I have a long standing cleaning background, including managing a large Dry Cleaning plant, years ago. I finally decided to go green/natural with cleaning at home an my business. This was not an easy switch for me as I use to buy janitor strength ammonia, Comet, oven cleaner, ect. Now after moving away from all that, and finding my little arsenal of green products, I wouldn’t think of going back!
But I still use chlorine bleach on occasion.

 

[dirtybuck]

Kitchen: A bit of Joy Anti-bacterial dish soap in kitchen sink. I wipe down the counters, stove and outside of fridge with it. Microwave gets a bi-weekly "steam bath" and a good wiping out with a damp dish cloth. Sinks are cleaned with Comet and a bit of baking soda, and for stubborn stuff, an SOS pad.

Bathroom: Tub (and bathroom sink) is scrubbed out with Borax and a bit of Comet. I take the rag that I use to scrub tub/sink with a little bit of the Borax on it and wipe down the fiberglass sides of the tub. Toilet is scrubbed with a bit of Comet, and then followed up by letting "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner sit in it for about an hour (of course, Comet solution is flushed down the tubes before I put in toilet bowl cleaner). Toilet seat, tank cover and base are wiped down and followed by a Clorox Wipe.

Both kitchen and bathroom floors are mopped with solution of just a tiny bit of Joy Anti-bacterial and some Mr. Clean. I also go over them with clear water after they've dried.

 

[MikeS]

My Favorite Products

For the kitchen, I usually use dishwashing detergent (Ajax) for everyday cleaning; tougher jobs get glass cleaner--Walmart's Great Value works very well. Where necessary, either Ajax or Comet cleanser are always on hand. In the bathroom, cleanser for the toilet and glass cleaner for the counters, sink and mirrors. And after using product after product, I have found nothing works better than powdered cleanser left to soak in my acrylic tub, with a scrub brush to get out the dirt, hard water rings and soap scum. If necessary, some Comet Bathroom Cleaner works well--and if the toilet needs extra cleaning, I use The Works toilet cleaner. It's tough on dirt but gentle on my budget.

 

[bugsyjones]

Anything with lots of chemicals in it!

I mostly use the store brand all purpose cleaner with bleach for both kitchen and bath. A buck a bottle. None of that 'Green' cleaner here.

For my dinette table formica I use spic & Span spray.

Pine-Sol for floors.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I had never heard of Mean Green until worked for a small motel that used it. For $5.00 a gallon, it's good stuff. I have a spray bottle that is full strength for heavy cleaning and another bottle that's diluted for minor cleaning. A 5 gallon bottle will usually last me about 3 to 4 months.

I just bought a bottle of the Mean Green Bath, Tub, Tile cleaner it sure shined up the chrome faucets, only $2.50 for a 32 oz. bottle.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Usually Bleach

Good Ole' Liquid Chlorine Bleach and Hot water.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I haven't tried the Spic n Span spray. My Grandma Kalin swore by the Spic n Span powder.

"I know the pine sol and bleach sounds scary" I have done this just a small amount of bleach, and no problems.

The Family Dollar store up the road from me has two large bottles of Pine-Sol for $5.00, sometimes the are both the same scent and sometimes mixed scents. A single bottle of Pine-Sol at the grocery store is $2.97. I'm a Dollar Store Whore, and get most if not all my cleaning supplies at either Family Dollar or Dollar General.

 

[washerboy]

Bathroom: Pine Sol on the potty sink and floor. Ajax on the cast iron tub. I wipe down the tub aera afer every use, so a spray of bleach water on the tiles about every 3 months.

Kitchen: Dawn ultra, bleach on everyting, Pine Sol on the floors. I give the black kitchen counter tops a shot of spray on wipe off Turtle Wax about once a month.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I was curious as to how old Pine Sol was I remember my mom using it in the 70's

Wow it came out in 1929.

 

[whirlcool]

Fortunately I am spared from cleaning the bathroom and kitchen.

We use:
Kitchen: Windex spray on the counters, followed by a vinegar/water or bleach water solution if they are really dirty. If we get stains on the countertops, we just let them soak with straight bleach on them, then rinse with plain water. Lysol on the floors. Comet on the SS sinks.

Bath:
Lysol or Pine Sol on the floors. Windex on the toilet, Lysol toilet cleaner for the inside. Bon Ami on the sinks. Comet on the bathtub.

When we lived up north we used a product called "Sparkle". It was a purple colored window cleaner. It sure cleans well.

 

[autowasherfreak]

My mother worked in a tavern for over 20+ years and the only glass cleaner I remember her using was Sparkle. Sparkle would make the pinball/video games, jukebox, and TV shine like nothing else. Is Sparkle still made today, if it is I might have to get a bottle for old time sake.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Autowasherfreek

You can still get sparkle. I have seen it at Aldi, but not sure if it's the same formula it used to be.

 

[laundromat]

SPRAY-9.

The very best cleaner to use to get out ALL of the dirt,grease,grime and mildew. It will kill 99.9% of all viral germs including HIV and influenza in only 15 seconds. It has a mild,clean aroma and comes in up to 1 gallon containers.I get it at an auto parts supply store here in Hawaii but,you can go on line (www.spray9.com) and order it too.It works great on everything especially vinyl and porcelain.You just need to be careful with cleaning products like the burner controls or any appliance parts with lettering on them. It will ruin any type of decals or lettering that is glued on.

 

[maytagbear]

Hot water, cotton rags, heavy rubber gloves,

Bon Ami cleanser. Dawn concentrated dish liquid. Once in a while, real Clorox.

As needed: Hagerty's Silversmith Wash. Wenol or Simichrome.

Keeping it simple(ish) is the name of my game.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[autowasherfreak]

The other day I was loading the dishwasher and there were a couple of spaces not filled in the bottom rack so I put the burner grates from the stove in them, boy did they come out nice and shiny! I will have to remember to do that more often.

I think I saw Sparkle at the Dollar General store once.

 

[whirlcool]

You can still buy Sparkle Glass Cleaner but it seems the price has really gone up! Check the link.

The website in the link states that it does not contain ammonia. The original I remember did have ammonia, so they have reformulated it. I have found when products get reformulated they usually are not as good as the original.

$14.95 for a spray bottle of Sparkle? Geesh! I remember it was around $2.49 last time we used it.

http://www.bestcleaningproducts.com/shop/product.asp_Q_prodID_E_3756

 

[whirlcool]

Ah, this is better.

You can also buy it directly from the manufacturer. $43.00 for a case of 12. That makes it about $3.75 per bottle.
But look! Free Shipping.... What a deal!

http://www.sparklecommercial.com/pr...mmercial_and_Industrial_Sparkle_Glass_Cleaner

 

[autowasherfreak]

Allen your first link is for 3 / 33.8 oz. bottles of Sparkle Glass Cleaner for $14.95 which is about $5.00 a bottle.

 

[polkanut]

It's has to be purple to be the original Sparkle. It always reminds me of grape Kool-Aid.

 

[whirlcool]

Whoops, didn't read the fine print.
Yes, it has to be purple. I wonder if this version works as well as the old stuff did?

 

[spookiness]

baking soda, vinegar, etc.

I use baking soda for a lot these days, sinks, toilet, sometimes tub. Its cheap, does the job, and has no smell. For the tub I have quite a stockpile of Scrub Free, Clean Shower, and generic scrubbing bubbles that will take me a while to use up.

For glass and countertops, I use vinegar based window cleaner. I've used vinegar for floors too, and sometimes ammonia and/or Mr. Clean. Unless things are really gross, I try to get by with the simplest product that does the job. I find that in my old age, I really am more and more sensitive to strong fragrance and fumes.

I'm stunned at the # of Pine Sol testimonials! I've always thought that stuff makes one's house smell like a public toilet. Hate it!!

 

[jerrod6]

For the Kitchen I use Windex non ammonia spray for the counters, Palmolive dish soap or Bar keepers friend for the sink, soapy water for the stove top or Weinman stainless steel spray, Windex non ammonia for one wall of glass tiles,the Weinman spray for the another walls of stainless steel tiles(these are a pain to keep clean), the Weinman spray for the refigerator and DW, Murphys oil soap for the cabinets,warm water mixed with ammonia and borax for the floor, and Formula 409 for the inside of the microwave.

Bathrooms:
Clorox disinfecting wipes, Scrubbing bubbles for the sinks and tubs or Bar keepers friend, water mixed with ammonia and borax for the floors, Arm and Hammer Clean shower daily shower cleaner for the showers.

 

[washernoob]

keeping it simple here with good ol comet. Also use scrubbing bubbles in the shower sometimes.

 

[lordkenmore]

keeping it simple here with good ol comet.

It's amazing how much Comet can do. When I last moved, I had to make the move suddenly--the time table of the people coming in wasn't what had been expected. So, the final cleaning had to be a fast lick and promise--enough so they could at least get settled in. (That worked out, since I knew the people.) I did a good enough job that they rewarded me with a nice bottle of wine. And asked me how on earth I got the tub so clean? Answer: I used some Comet. Because it was what I had handy.

Although, I'm not committed to Comet--or any other cleaner. I tend to go with the whim of the moment. And what's priced cheap.