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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 5th Jul 2017 at 7:09 PM
Default Recommended items needed for keeping a house clean and functioning?
As you could guess, I am currently taking control of the house to help alleviate chores done by my parents.

I use rubber gloves, Dawn (blue Classic) and finish dishwasher tablets in dishwashing.

For laundry, due to allergies, we use All free and clear pods.

I currently have a small collection of 6 precision grade screwdrivers and plan to buy screwdrivers and special tools for maintenance of Nintendo\Sega consoles and handhelds. I have plans to convert an old dresser into an entertainment center.

Anybody have any good ideas for tools and supplies?

Personal Quote: "I like my men like my sodas: tall boys." (Zevia has both 12 and 16 oz options)

(P.S. I'm about 5' (150cm) in height and easily scared)
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 5th Jul 2017 at 8:37 PM
The Mister Clean sponge is a gift for keeping bathtubs and sinks clean. It uses no soap or detergent, but simply cleans because of the type of material it is.

Baking soda is good for scrubbing pots and toilets.

For stuck on grease and dirt on a frying or sauce pan, boil in a mix of baking soda and vinegar for a bit before cleaning with the solution.

Bottle brushes and dish brushes making cleaning up of dishes much easier than a cloth alone. Sponges fall apart, but if you really like them, you can sanitize the by sticking them in the microwave for a bit (I don't remember how long - you can google it).

White vinegar will combats fish smells and is useful in laundry, too.

Keeping a bar of fels naptha soap handy is a good first treatment for stains as they occur.

For so many things that stick around the house - use WD40.

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
Former Hamster
retired moderator
#3 Old 5th Jul 2017 at 10:30 PM
^^ Fels Naptha - I haven't bought liquid stain removers (Shout, etc.) since I bought my first bar of Fels Naptha years and years ago. It has a rather strong smell [which I happen to like, the smell, not that it's so strong, lol] so if that would bother you there is also Zote. Having used both soaps I can say that they work well.. both have removed stains that liquid stain removers didn't. And you've got the bonus that they're both cheaper than Shout and Co. AND they last a lot longer too.
Scholar
#4 Old 6th Jul 2017 at 4:36 AM
As we just moved out and had to clean the last property top to bottom, I have a bit of new knowledge that hasn't been mentioned in the usual places (like 5-minute crafts). So that place had a glass and chrome shower frame, which had gotten slimy, dirty and mostly it was the foggyness that I couldn't remove. I saw a video using Bar Keepers Friend and a non scratch scourer on the same type of foggyness. Turns out, that stuff worked a treat. The glass was crystal clear afterwards when nothing else (yes, including vinegar) worked on it. What's even better, is that Bar Keepers Friend is usable on many kinds of surfaces. Tiles, chrome, aluminium, fiberglass, marble and some others I believe. So I'd really recommend having a tin of that stuff in the cupboard.

Quote: Originally posted by VerDeTerre
Baking soda is good for scrubbing pots and toilets.


I've heard baking soda is good for so many things, but thus far it's done nothing for me. Absolutely, nothing, and I've tried it for pots, removing odors and as toilet bombs (all off the advice of 5-minute crafts). Sort of concluded that the stuff is different in Australia to what it is in the U.S, because aside from not doing anything in any situation I noticed it didn't fizz in the toilet either.


"It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled." - Mark Twain
Truth will not fear scrutiny.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 6th Jul 2017 at 3:36 PM
Oh, it won't fizz in the toilet, but it should neutralize oders. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Make sure you aren't using baking powder. For toilets, just throw some in the toilet and let it sit for a bit. Then stir it in the bowl with a toilet brush and use that mix of toilet water and baking soda to scrub the rest of the bowl. Baking soda, because it is a sodium, will also soften the water. I wonder if there's a problem with the water ph or mineral balance that makes it less effective? It's also not a bad idea to periodically scrub the bowl with some bleach and then, when done, to prop the brush on the seat and put the lid over it and to pour bleach directly over the brush to disinfect it. Let it dry before putting away.

For the pots and pans, try boiling baking soda in water first to work on the stain, then scrub. Some stains are extra tough and that's where something like the Mister Clean sponge comes in great. I've also had success using the baking soda dry on the pot and then scrubbing.

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
Test Subject
#6 Old 6th Jul 2017 at 6:30 PM
For removing burned crap and keeping my pots and pans clean, I use Barkeepers friend. It also works well to remove stains from a porcelain sink, along with comet. My house is mostly hardwood floors, I have a steam mop, works so much better than any other mop I have tried, the floors are easier to clean and look cleaner. Murphy's oil soap to make the floors shine. I make a mixture of dawn soap, water and vinegar for a cheap degreasing cleaner for stove. If you happen to get plagued by fruit flies, a old pickle jar with holes poked in the lid filled with apple cider vinegar, bit of water and some dawn soap is a cheap and easy trap, just shake it up whenever the bubbles disappear. My kitchen has tile counters, I bought a steam mop with a hand held attachment, it cleans the tile very well, and I feel like it is actually clean (it's old tile, and white..).

A lot of cleaning supplies you can buy the cheap off brand of, works the same. I am a cheap ass. Also, if you are around a Aldi, their off brand of tin foil, and zipper bags are just as good and cheaper.

These are my tips, as a semi functioning member of society.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#7 Old 11th Jul 2017 at 1:16 PM
I live in the US. Aldi doesn't exist in my locale.

Personal Quote: "I like my men like my sodas: tall boys." (Zevia has both 12 and 16 oz options)

(P.S. I'm about 5' (150cm) in height and easily scared)
Mad Poster
#8 Old 11th Jul 2017 at 1:54 PM
Quote: Originally posted by PANDAQUEEN
I live in the US. Aldi doesn't exist in my locale.
Yet. There are some Aldis in the Eastern and Midwestern parts of the US. Aldis It looks like there may be one or two in New Jersey and more in PA.

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#9 Old 11th Jul 2017 at 3:16 PM
Quote: Originally posted by VerDeTerre
Yet. There are some Aldis in the Eastern and Midwestern parts of the US. Aldis It looks like there may be one or two in New Jersey and more in PA.


I live in NW NJ. We are extremely close to the Pennsylvania border.

Personal Quote: "I like my men like my sodas: tall boys." (Zevia has both 12 and 16 oz options)

(P.S. I'm about 5' (150cm) in height and easily scared)
Mad Poster
#10 Old 11th Jul 2017 at 9:49 PM
Quote: Originally posted by PANDAQUEEN
I live in NW NJ. We are extremely close to the Pennsylvania border.
Ah! Is that near the Poconos? (Did I spell that right?)

Addicted to The Sims since 2000.
Theorist
#11 Old 7th Sep 2017 at 5:29 PM
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