House Cleaning Supplies

We had a question recently on the FetLife group about what do you keep in your cleaning kit?

There are lots of different ways to store cleaning supplies...in a caddy, pail, or plastic basket. You can keep supplies specific to the room you are cleaning right in the room - like toilet brush, toilet bowl cleaner and such right in the bathroom.  Or you can have one kit that everything goes into and you cart from room too room.

I kind of do both which might sound silly, but it works for me. In the end that is all that matters, if it works good for you.

This is my basic cleaning supplies:

• 3 Vinegar solutions in spray bottles - 1) straight vinegar, 2) mixture of vinegar, distilled water, essential oils and dish soap which is my all-purpose spray, and 3) dawn dish soap, vinegar and distilled water I use in my bathroom on hard water stains in the shower so often it stays just in the bathroom.
• 1 spray bottle of peroxide
• 1 spray bottle of alcohol
• 1 shaker of baking soda
• microfiber clothes, rags, scrub brushes and tooth brushes
• magic erasers

I also have Bar Keeper's Friend, Borax and Bleach on hand, but I don't use those as often so I don't keep in my cleaning kit. I don't have oven cleaner as my oven is a self-cleaning that doesn't use oven cleaner.  

Scrub brushes and the like: I have a toothbrush for cleaning in my kitchen (that I use on the faucet and grout around the tile) that stays in my kitchen.  I have a toothbrush for the bathroom that stays in the bathroom. The toilet bowl brush stays in the bathroom too. 

Dusting: When dusting, I use a mixture of warm water and vinegar in a bowl. I soak the microfiber cloth in the bowl and then wring it out so it is damp to the touch. I have a dry microfiber cloth or  a rag to dry any wetness left behind after dusting.   

Window/Mirrors: I use straight vinegar and a microfiber cloth

Floors: When washing the kitchen floor which is linoleum, I use a mixture of a squirt of dish soap, vinegar, warm water and essential oil - usually peppermint.  For a carpet freshener - I take some baking soda in a shaker and add some essential oils to the baking soda and mix up.  I then sprinkle that across the carpet and let sit for an hour or more. 

Commercial Cleaners: I try to avoid commercial cleaners because I have asthma and have found using vinegar based homemade cleaning products does just as well for me. I grew up with my Grandmother and Mom using vinegar to clean with and so it is a clean smell to me. Like I said I have Bar Keeper's Friend, Borax and Bleach on hand. I don't use the Borax or Bleach often because my lungs don't like them.  But occasionally I find the need for them. I will even at times get disinfecting wipes and Scrubbing Bubbles because they make it easier. But for the most 90% off the time I use the items listed under the bullet points.

Think about what you are cleaning and what you need to clean it. Use google as you can find links to clean about anything you would need to clean.

Here is a link from About.com about Choosing the Right Cleaning Product