Help me keep my apartment clean.

Esh

So, while my apartment isn't really that dirty, when I do clean, it's generally using a hodge podge of whatever supplies I can find lying around. So what I need is this...

Help me put together an all-purpose house cleaning "kit". This includes sponges, gloves, brushes, and products for use in the kitchen, bathroom, and living areas. I have hard wood floors, but I have no desire to polish them. I do have linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom though. As well, there's a lot of wood trim, but it's been painted over with white paint. I have no restrictions chemical wise. I don't need the super-organic non-toxic stuff. Though, I do have two cats, so nothing that could potentially hurt them from casual contact with a surface that's been cleaned. Not that they really get into anything, but you know.

So, what would you put into a collection of cleaning supplies for your place?

bowen

How environment friendly do you want to be Esh?

Iruka

A strong dish soap, a disinfectant/tile cleaner, a wood cleaner, and a glass cleaner are kinda all you need to do most house hold cleaning tasks. Are you looking for brand specific stuff/ cleaning habit tips?

If you aren't going to polish your floors, have a good dust mop on hand at least.

Esh

bowen wrote: »

How environment friendly do you want to be Esh?

Do not care. I'd prefer stuff that wasn't tested on animals though.

Iruka wrote: »

A strong dish soap, a disinfectant/tile cleaner, a wood cleaner, and a glass cleaner are kinda all you need to do most house hold cleaning tasks. Are you looking for brand specific stuff/ cleaning habit tips?

If you aren't going to polish your floors, have a good dust mop on hand at least.

Specific brands are what I'm looking for. Like, "What would you buy if you moved into a new place and had nothing to clean with?"

GnomeTank

For treated wood or laminates, I still swear by good ole Pine Sol. They make a lemon scent one if original Pine Sol bothers you. Delute with water, go to town. If it's like, real, untreated wood, you need a real wood polish or it will warp.

For my kitchen counters, I use Lysol or Clorox wipes for daily clean up, and then Clorox kitchen spray with a sponge for weekly heavy work.

I have a flat top acrylic stove, so I need acrylic cleaner, though I don't remember the brand.

For my floors, I use a Swiffer WetJet for daily/small mess clean up, and then use the aforementioned Pine Sol diluted with hot water for more heavy clean up.

Bathrooms I use Toilet Duck bowl cleaner and Scrubbing Bubbles for anything ceramic like the tub and the sink. I use the same stuff on bathroom counters that I do in the kitchen (Lysol/Clorox wipes). I keep some LimeAway around too for hard water stains (though, since I moved back from Texas, this hasn't been an issue).

I just use streak free Windex Multi-purpose for all glass/screens in the house.

e: None of that is organic, but it's all animal safe (provided you don't pour it in their water) and none of it is tested on animals. I use it in a house with my dog and three birds, and they all run around on the floors and stuff.

GnomeTank

Oh, also, for toilets, grab a 2000 flushes or something. I hate cleaning bathrooms, so I do it as little as humanly possible without my bathroom becoming white trashville, and a toilet tab helps.

mysticjuicer

When I was cleaning newly vacated apartment units, I basically used a bucket, a scrub pad, a toothbrush, and Mean Green. If there was a stain/hardened bit of whoknowswhat that Mean Green couldn't get out, I'd use a bit of Oxyclean, or - depending on the surface - careful use of a razor scraper. And Windex for windows.

ed: Also, I'd use one scrubpad/toothbrush per "room" (kitchen, bathroom, everywhere else).

ed2: Oh yeah, and same for rubber gloves.

Elin

If you need to clean painted walls white vinegar and water will take care of anything on them without damaging the paint and you don't have to rinse them. If you have a garbage disposal I clean that by running some ice cubes through it to knock everything off the blades followed by white vinegar and baking soda. Keeps it from getting stinky. I actually use white vinegar and baking soda on all my drains, works as well as drain cleaner as long as the drain isn't completely stopped and it's a ton cheaper.

Effef

Bathrooms I use Toilet Duck bowl cleaner and Scrubbing Bubbles for anything ceramic like the tub and the sink.

Scrubbing Bubbles works hella good, but that shit is terrible for you.

I actually prefer their orange based cleaner, it works just as good as far as I can tell and isn't full of so many caustic chemicals. And it smells better.

http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/Products/Pages/soap-scum-remover.aspx

Skeith

My cleaning supplies consist of 1 sponge with a scouring pad for the kitchen sink, 1 for the bathroom sink and tub, a toilet brush (any part of the toilet not exposed to water is wiped the same as a countertop), a can of Bon Ami (both sinks, tub and toilet), a bottle of Simple Green for the stove, countertops and metal fixtures, and windex for windows and mirrors. For the floor I just have a broom and a dustpan, but I should probably look into something else. For linoleum a swiffer with the wet cloths should work just fine.

That baking soda and vinegar thing for drains is amazing btw.

bowen

If you do get a sponge, get the ones that can be sanitized in a dishwasher. Nothing beats having 1 sponge for like months at a time. I more or less use what gnometank does.

Sir Carcass

We generally use 409 and paper towels for most surface cleaning, Windex with a microfiber cloth for glass/mirrors, Pledge with an old washcloth or rag for dusting, Comet spray for bathtubs/sinks, and the Clorox toilet cleaner with disposable brushes for the toilet. We also use a Swiffer wetjet for hard floors.

supabeast

Hire a housekeeper to come in twice a month. Buy whatever she tells you to and enjoy not getting dirt under your nails.

amateurhour

Not sure if any of this is tested on animals, so you'll have to check that, but I use multi surface windex for countertops, tile, and glass. I have clorox wipes (the lemon scented ones) that I use after cooking dinner and stuff.

I keep a duster that I use for electronics and I follow behind that with the anti static wipes. I do a general cleaning weekly and I unplug/clean the cables and stuff monthly.

I have some of that powder you put down before you vacuum that gets into the carpet and makes it smell better. I also use Febreeze for that as well.

For bathrooms, I just use comet and a scrub brush, and after I shower I use that tilex or arm and hammer shower spray to keep the shower clean.

edit: we use a cast iron pan pretty much daily, but for other dishes I always have three little scrub brushes. One for the cast iron, one for other dishes that I use with dish soap, and one that I just use for our good cutlery since that can't go in the dishwasher.

Nullzone

UFYH is a great resource for cleaning knowledge too.

http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/

GnomeTank

Effef wrote: »

Bathrooms I use Toilet Duck bowl cleaner and Scrubbing Bubbles for anything ceramic like the tub and the sink.

Scrubbing Bubbles works hella good, but that shit is terrible for you.

I actually prefer their orange based cleaner, it works just as good as far as I can tell and isn't full of so many caustic chemicals. And it smells better.

http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/Products/Pages/soap-scum-remover.aspx

Most bathroom cleaning crap is terrible for you, because bathrooms are vile, disgusting places that need to be effectively rendered barren of life.

I agree though, if you can find something safer that does the job, do it. I just wear a mask and gloves when I clean the bathroom with that shit. I also only do it about once a month, and I open all the windows in my house.

Esh

Thanks for all the tips! Unfortunately, no dishwasher for keeping those sponges lasting longer. I am going to buy a nice steam mop for the kitchen and bathroom though. They need it.

bowen

You can microwave some sponges too esh, to sanitize them.

rubykavalier

Seventh Generation makes a line of affordable, surprisingly effective household cleaners that are environmentally friendly and also won't singe your nosehairs. I've used the all-purpose cleaner & the shower cleaner and have been pleased with the results of both.