Tips for Choosing the Right Cleaning Supplies for Home or Office

Not all cleaning products are the same, and using the wrong product on a certain surface or material can mean damaging it permanently. Unfortunately most people don't understand the different cleaning supplies that are available to them and may assume that they are almost interchangeable. In turn, they not only damage surfaces with the wrong product but then may wonder why their floors or countertops just don't seem to be clean no matter how hard they scrub. Note a few tips for choosing the right cleaning supplies for home or office.

1. Bleach is for porcelain only

Bleach cleansers should be used for porcelain in the bathroom only; bleach won't clean floor grout, stainless steel sinks, and any type of granite or natural stone. It can dry laminate countertops and wood surfaces and cause them to discolor. It also doesn't remove any type of dirt from the grout between floor tiles as this is a different material than the grout used on the porcelain tiles in your bathtub, so if you use bleach on your floors and wonder why the grout lines are still grey and dull, this is because you need an actual grout cleaner for that surface.

2. Use an actual degreaser for oily surfaces

Bleach won't break up grease and oil in the kitchen and glass cleaners are too light to remove these stains without leaving a residue behind. For kitchens, you need an actual degreaser for stoves and countertops as well as backsplashes and even sinks when there is a film of oil. Degreasers contain ingredients that actually absorb the grease completely so you can clean it thoroughly. If you don't have a degreaser, try sprinkling baking soda on the spill and then wiping this away. 

3. Only use abrasive cleansers where they can be rinsed

Most cleaners rely on chemical reactions to break down dirt and soil, and then allow you to rinse them away. If cleansers don't get a surface clean, you may need to rely on an abrasive cleaner. This cleanser will use friction to pull up stuck-on grease, food particles, dirt in the shower, and the like. However, the grit they use to remove these is very difficult to sponge away since it is so thick. Only use abrasive cleansers where they can be rinsed, such as in sinks, toilets, and the bathtub. If you cannot get stubborn stains off countertops or floors, switch to a firmer cleaning brush rather than an abrasive cleaner.