I love to clean. People always look at me a little crazy when I say that, but it’s true. There is nothing more satisfying than opening my doors, turning on the music, and cleaning the house! I love to clean when I’m upset, happy, or stressed! I think that having a clean home makes it easier for my family to be happy and to feel safe and rested. But to be honest, I’m a little lazy. By that I mean I hate using more effort than really is required for a task.
Over the years I have purchased and used nearly every cleaning item there is. Some are total hits and some are total duds. Here is my list of the hits:
- Vinegar. Vinegar is my favorite cleaning item simply because it works so well in so many ways. In a pinch, I’ve used watered-down vinegar (two parts water to one part vinegar) to clean counters, walls, and windows. My favorite way to use vinegar is in the washing machine to get out that moldy or I-waited-too-long-to-switch-clothes-to-the-dryer smell. About a half cup in the washer along with your favorite laundry detergent freshens up towels, washable rugs, and clothes.
- Microfiber Mitt. I use the Fuzzy Wuzzy brand from The Container Store®, but there are many varieties, and they all work about the same. You slip the mitt over your hand and dust. I love this concept because microfiber does a great job at picking up the dust (and not just spreading it around), and it’s also super simple for your kiddos. I hand the mitt to my kids, who dust the baseboards, the piano, and the door frames with ease! Nothing to refill or buy; just toss it in the washer when you’re done.
- Mold and Mildew Cleaner with Bleach. I prefer the Lysol® brand because it smells better, but even the generics work about the same. I have white counters, and they’re always getting color stains from various food and drinks. I spray this on, let it sit, and the counters turn white again. This cleaner is also a great cheat for the bathroom. You know the caulked parts of your tub that sometimes starts to get moldy after a while? One solution is to replace the caulk, but in the interim, you can use the mold and mildew cleaner to spruce things up.
- Swiffer® Sweep + Vac™. We have hard floors in the living spaces and in the kitchen. I love the Swiffer Sweep + Vac because it not only picks up the smaller things (like dog hairs) but also gets the crumbs and Cheerio-sized objects my kiddos leave on the ground. You can buy the Swiffer cloth refills or you can use a thin, microfiber cloth and just toss it in the wash when you’re done (which is what I do). As an added bonus, it’s also super easy for the kiddos to use! (See a trend forming? When possible, get your kiddos in on the fun.)
- Dyson Vacuum. The Dyson is my favorite because it has an easy-to-use wand. (That’s the part that comes out of the vacuum and lets you clean in hard-to-reach spaces.) Most vacuums have a wand or another accessory, but you have to bend down to disconnect and use it. The Dyson wand slips out of the top of the vacuum (no bending needed) for all the jobs along the way. I use the Dyson wand to get dust off my fans, to retrieve crumbs from under the stove, and to pick up spilled dog and cat food. I also use it to vacuum along the baseboards and to pick up dust behind the toilet (because who wants to reach back there?).
- Norwex® Mattress Spray. We all know about the Norwex micro-fiber cloths, but this is a hidden gem that no one talks about. This spray freshens the bed and removes organic smells and debris. I have terrible allergies, and I use this on my bed to keep pet dander at bay. It also works fabulous for the middle-of-the-night accidents that potty-training kiddos are prone to have.
- LA’s Totally Awesome. This is a de-greaser and an all-purpose spray. It costs $1 at the Dollar Tree® and works for practically everything. I use it to clean the stove, oven, counter tops, and even my Cricut® mats! It works for those random stains like permanent marker on a shirt and gets price stickers off of glass or plastic. It’s super concentrated, though, so be sure to water it down as needed for the task.
- BISSELL® SpotBot® Cleaner. You can’t have carpet, kids, and animals without some way to clean fabric. I love the SpotBot because I simply put the device down, turn it on, and walk away while the SpotBot does the work. It has a hose attachment for your couch and vehicle, and it’s super easy to fill up and clean out when the work is done.
I’m kind of a cleaning product junkie, so if you know of a great product that I didn’t mention above, please share so that I can run out to buy it right away and run it through my lazy rigorous testing.
