Tuesday Tip!

Here it is! Today's tip! I know you all have been sitting on the edge of your seats just waiting for my next tip. I'm glad some of you have tried out some of my tips & I hope they were successful for you!

So without further ado.... Today I will be giving you "Her Royal Highness' Recommended Cleaning Arsenal"!!!

So many people ask me, "What do you use when you clean? What are your favorite products? What are your least favorites?" I've tried a lot of different products & have heard of some that I really don't want to try. Why switch if you find something that works great, right?

Dusting: name brand. Like Pledge or Endust. The generic Family Dollar stuff just doesn't compare. I also love the Pledge Dusters for picture frames, hard to reach places & electronic equipment. They're also great for getting the kids to help dust!

Bathroom: Scrubbing Bubbles hands down! It coats beautifully and those bubbles really do scrub while they sit! I also love to use a multi-purpose cleaner like Mr. Clean with Fabreeze for the floors. And any all purpose cleaner will do for the floors really, it just depends on the smell you like. For the mirrors, windows & chrome, I like to use a particular glass cleaner. Except I don't know what it's called. It's in an aerosol can & sprays on as a foam. There's a cartoon sketch of a woman on the can & right now there's a pink cap (but sometimes it's white). Anyway, this glass cleaner is streak free, which I love. But if that isn't available, Windex is really good, too. For toilet bowls I like to use Clorox or Lysol toilet bowl cleaner.

Kitchen: (counter tops) 409. I love that stuff. I have never seen anything cut through grease and gunk as easily as this stuff. I've heard there's a product called 'Awesome' found at the dollar store that is amazing, but I haven't looked for it or tried it yet. (Stoves) Scotch brite stove cleaner. If it's a glass top stove or stainless steel, Scotch brite makes an amazing product. It really does take off the stains & shines up the top so well. In two weeks I'm going to use my scotch brite pads on a regular coil stove to see how it works... I'm thinking it will have the same effect.

Floors: Dyson vacuum. I've tried the Kenmore one that is the best rating with Consumer reports, but I don't like it as much. I love that the Dyson has all attachments right there & there's no "uncoiling" of the hose in order to use it. It's easy to empty, it's easy to use, and it really DOESN'T lose suction. Really! If you have a hard wood or hard surface floors, I recommend a specialty cleaner made for these surfaces. I use a cleaner by Bona for my laminate & tile. You spray it on & wipe it up with a microfiber mop (similar to Orange Glo). It leaves a streak-free shine. I've also used a cleaner by Mowhawk that works just as well, if not better. But I would have to order that online & I don't have patience for that. I don't recommend Orange Glo.

Hardware: Pumice stone for hard water (or plumber's screen aka drywall screen -120 grit or smaller), microfiber cloths for glass (they almost have a satin-feel to them), Pampered Chef stoneware scraper, toothbrush, magic erasers, something sharp (like an awl or paper piercer), plastic bag for dirty rags, MP3 or Ipod with your favorite tunes!

Now, I know that none of these products are "green". Puh-lease don't lecture me about that. I don't like the smell of the Clorox Green Works line, nor does it disinfect. And vinegar? Don't get me started on that. I don't have a lot of time to use elbow grease when I clean. I don't care about the chemicals. I really don't. And I know some people swear by baking soda, vinegar & Magic Erasers. But I don't. And because this is my blog, I don't want to hear about how I'm killing my children slowly with all the chemicals I use or how the environment is that much worse because I refuse to go green. I simply don't care. If you like spending the time smelling vinegar (which smell makes me gag) and scrubbing away, then that's your prerogative.

If you find any products in my arsenal to be beneficial or you want more info, just ask away! And I'm sure I forgot some things but oh well.
Happy Tuesday everyone!