Below are 5 tried and true products that I’m using for Spring cleaning this year! If you have anything you really like that is not on this list please leave a comment so we can all learn from each other. Favorite products are in no particular order.
#1) The Pumie Scouring Stick is basically like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, with three major differences. First, it gets rid of mineral deposit/mold/lime scale/rust for your toilet, bathtub, oven, and just about anything you can think of that needs heavy duty stain removal. It even gets rid of baked-on food in your metal pans. Secondly, while the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a sponge, The Pumie Scouring Stick is literally a pumice stone and can stand up to scrubbing any surface from porcelain to cement (just be careful with wood as it will scratch or cause wood to flake – you wouldn’t have a reason to use it on wood anyway). Third, The Pumie Scouring Stick is non-toxic and non-reactive. It contains no detergents, acids or added chemicals because it is 100% foamed glass. What is also nice about the foamed glass is because it’s… well… glass, The Pumie Scouring Stick doesn’t absorb water. That was a frustrating thing when I cleaned with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser – I had to constantly wring it out when I was cleaning certain areas of my home. You can learn more about foamed glass here. And you can read a very thorough safety analysis on The Pumie Scouring Stick here.
#2) The Grove Collaborative Daily Shower Cleaner is a powerful liquid in beautiful small glass bottles (I like to reuse the bottles for crafts and various household purposes). I have been a member of Grove Collaborative for about four years and their cleaning products, customer service, eco-friendly products and packaging never disappoints. Products like the Grove Collaborative Daily Shower Cleaner Orange & Rosemary Scent are staples in my cleaning caddy. They have other pleasant scents as well and they are always made with essential oils as the sole source of the scent. Start with a clean shower and spray generously on all over the shower or bath area and just leave it. The liquid formula of the cleaner will create an organic barrier that repels water and prevents bacteria from attaching to surfaces and crevices. The liquid is very concentrated so one bottle mixed with a spray bottle of water will go a long way, even with using it daily. They’ve added so many products that go beyond cleaning, like skincare, products for pets, and more. Look forward to dedicated reviews featuring more Grove Collaborative products soon!
#3) Mrs. Meyer’s Probiotic Multi-Surface Cleaning Spray is something that I wish I could buy in bulk. I feel really good about my vinegar-baking soda-lemon extract DIY cleaner, and do not mind the strong vinegar smell. But sometimes I just want to smell something pretty and aromatherapeutic. Cleaning is very therapeutic for me so why not enhance the therapeutic effects while I’m caring for my home? Mrs. Meyer’s is well-known for making cleaning products that are safe, organic, and effective while also smelling amazing. What’s special about their probiotic cleaner is that the micro-organisms in this formula goes into the deep nooks and crannies of surfaces and lives there for about seven days. These little cleaning helpers feast on any bacteria that live in those nooks and crannies or try to grow there. This is especially comforting if you have children, are pregnant, or have furry family members (aka pets).
#4) The Rubbermaid Power Scrubber is my go-to brush for every type of tedious cleaning task. It has a powerful little battery powered motor that causes the brush to spin at a very fast velocity. It really is a power tool for cleaning! No more using all of your arm power, putting your shoulders and back into scrubbing hard to reach places. It comes with one all-purpose scrubbing head and a grout scrubbing head. It has made cleaning grout lines and tight spaces, like behind the bathroom sink’s faucet and the corners of the shower floor, easy breezy. I’ve also used it to clean the baseboards all over my home. You’d be surprised how gunky the creases on baseboards get… don’t how… I haven’t figured it out yet 🙂
#5) The Weiman Oven & Grill Cleaner – sometimes you just can’t avoid cleaning with chemicals to get the job done well, and this oven cleaner is a product I’ll gladly make an exception for (sorry, chemical-free loyalists). This is an unscented, foaming formula that very effectively dissolves grease and baked-on residue in under 10 minutes. It even worked on stuff that was stuck for months in the hard to reach places of the oven! It works well on both stainless steel and porcelain, but it will likely be too harsh on aluminum and other cheaper metals. The one disadvantage to this product that I have found is that it does require some elbow grease to get certain aareas of the oven clean, but thankfully my husband does that for me if it gets to be too strenuous. I did find that the alternating combination of the motorized scrubbing brush mentioned above and a good steel wool sponge helps tremendously (hubby assistance not needed). The formula also contains a protective ingredient that helps oven racks and grill grates resist rust.