Choosing the Right All Purpose Cleaner

Cleaning is already hard work. Don’t make your job two, three, or four times more difficult by choosing multiple cleaning products with different directions and uses. Simplify your cleaning routine by choosing one main product.

All purpose cleaner is appropriately named because it is designed for multiple purposes. Just spray, wipe, and move on with your life. If such convenience appeals to you, read on to learn how to choose one of these one-product wonders for your home.

Safety First

The first consideration for any product used in and around your home is safety. Even though a cleaner may be labeled “all purpose,” it might not be a safe choice. Look for cleaners that are labeled non-toxic.

Maintaining a safe home environment does nothing for your health if your little corner of the world is polluted. Focus on getting products that are free of dangerous chemicals such as phthalates, phosphates, ammonia, chlorine bleach, and petroleum distillates. These substances are harmful to the environment as well as the people in your household.

If you have young children, accidental poisoning is always a risk. Besides keeping your cleaning spray out of their reach, you should choose products that aren’t brightly colored like juice or other drinks children enjoy. This will lessen the chance your children will mistaken your spray cleaner for juice.

Falls are a significant cause of injury and disability inside the home. Choose a floor cleaning product that doesn’t leave a slick residue. Even if the product doesn’t leave your floor slippery, wet floors are always slippery and should be free from foot-traffic until they are dry.

Maximum Versatility

One of the most attractive features of an all purpose cleaner is that it is designed for many different uses. A good product will work on a variety of indoor and outdoor surfaces. Some of these versatile blends can even be used to clean select surfaces inside your car, truck, or SUV.

When you’re shopping for cleaners, be sure to look for a heavy-duty solution. Many so-called multipurpose cleaners work very well on glass but fail on other common surfaces. Read the label and only purchase the product if it can cut through grime on common home surfaces such as laminate, painted walls, and stainless steel.

Since a large portion of cleaning tasks involve sinks, toilets, and other fixtures, select a product that is effective on porcelain. To avoid the hassle of switching products while cleaning, look for a spray that can clean plastic or ceramic tiles in your bathroom or kitchen backsplash. Gentle formulations will help keep your tiles clean without caustic chemicals that can prematurely erode these delicate materials.

While multi use sprays are most commonly associated with the kitchen and bathroom, they can be used to clean surfaces in other areas. A high-quality product can remove dirt from carpets, upholstery, and electronic devices. When you find a product that works on so many surfaces, you can dramatically reduce cleaning time by spraying all surfaces in a room and then returning with a cloth or mop for a quick clean-up.

Outdoor cleaning can also be a cinch with a carefully chosen multipurpose product. Car windows, center consoles, and sticky door handles can all be freshened up with a few sprays and swipes from a cleaning cloth. Patio furniture, grills, and garden accessories such as a birdbath or statue can also be freed from grime using the same spray.

Cleaning Power

Even plain water will clean your surfaces when vigorously wiped away with a sponge or cloth. When searching for a cleansing product, you need to look for more than a pleasant color or aroma to make scrubbing more fun. You want a product that can effectively nix dirt, grease, and other everyday grime.

Since you don’t always have the time to clean up messes as they happen, look for a product that works on dried stains. Soap scum, spilled food on the stove, and stained tea or coffee cups are prime examples of dried stains. Choose a strong product that can remove these notoriously tough stains.

Just because a surface is clean doesn’t mean that it’s free of harmful bacteria. Selecting an anti-bacterial spray will help you win the war against bacterial invaders. Since many products can be used for cleaning and disinfecting, be sure to carefully follow the disinfectant instructions on the bottle for antibacterial use.

Multi-use products do not save you any time if they leave streaks or other unsightly marks that need to be polished away. Such re-polishing can easily double the time you spend cleaning and your workload. A smart strategy is to choose a streak-free formula that makes your home look as good as it is clean.

Fun Factor

The worst multi use spray is the one that sits unused in its container on your cleaning cabinet shelf. Since the whole purpose of these products is to make your life easier, make sure the product is easy to use. Find a spray bottle that’s easy to spray or pour your preferred product into an easy-to-spray bottle.

Since no one enjoys making multiple trips to the store, consider purchasing cleaner concentrates. Concentrated formulas are typically sold in large jugs to be mixed with water. Since they’re often priced a bit less per ounce, they can save you money in addition to shopping time.

Most people clean to banish unpleasant smells such as rotting food, rancid grease, or putrid pet messes. While this is a perfectly acceptable reason to clean, using a multipurpose spray with a fresh fragrance will leave your house smelling fresh and inviting. A refreshing scent can also motivate you to clean by making it a more pleasant experience.

Choosing the Best Cleaning Product

Choosing a safe, versatile, effective, and fun cleaning spray may seem to be a challenge; in reality, it is not as hard as it looks. Take a few moments to read through each section and choose which qualities are most important for your home. Once you have this carefully considered list in hand, match it with available products to find the all purpose cleaner that is best for you.