What to Look For
Antibacterial Cleaners
We all want to kill as many germs as we can around our home. That’s why many people opt for an antibacterial or disinfectant cleaner. These types of cleaners have become increasingly popular especially in the kitchen in an attempt to kill any harmful bacteria on surfaces where you’re cutting raw meat.
Some experts believe that using too many antibacterial cleaners could actually make bacteria more resistant resulting in a “superbug” that can thwart our attempts to kill it. For this reason, experts emphasize that a light dousing of vinegar is enough to kill kitchen bacteria.
If you do choose to use an antibacterial cleaner around food preparation areas make sure it has no pine oil. Look for one that contains bleach. Also, most antibacterial cleaners suggest leaving the cleaner on for at least 10 minutes before wiping so it can effectively kill the bacteria.
Don’t Mix
There’s no need to try and build up the cleaning power by combining different cleaners. It won’t get things any cleaner and mixing them you could end up producing harmful fumes that could cause side effects like headaches, dizziness and difficulty breathing.
Oxygen
Some products will try and convince you that a cleaner that has oxygen will perform much better. The idea is that the oxygen will cause micro bubbles which will help to loosen dirt. It’s actually a safe form of oxygen commonly known as hydrogen peroxide, which is available at any drugstore. It will oxidize bacteria and any organic media like fingerprints or grease.
Orange
Orange oil seems to be the latest trend in marketing household cleaners. These products claim that they do contribute to a more thorough cleaning, but likely the only extra you’ll get is a pleasant scent.
Smell It
It’s not a bad idea to give a cleaner a whiff before you buy it just to make sure you like the smell.
What's Out There
There are probably as many all-purpose cleaners as there are messes out there. All-purpose cleaners are just that, all-purpose, and should be able to combat the grime and grit you find all over your house, not just specific to one room. Within the all-purpose category you will find several different types, some non-abrasive, some abrasive.
Non-Abrasive Cleaners
These types of cleaners use surfactants to get the job done. Surfactants are organic chemicals that change the properties of water; helping to loosen unwanted dirt more quickly.
Concentrated Liquids
- can be used at full strength for tough jobs
- dilute with water for cleaning larger surfaces like floors
Trigger-Sprays
- convenient to use in spray form
- for cleaning smaller surface areas
Wipes
- pre-moistened and ready to use for added convenience
- more expensive
Abrasive Cleaners
Jobs that require a little more work may respond better to an abrasive cleaner. The abrasive action comes from the cleaner having small particles of minerals. While it works well on harder stains and grime, it can remove glaze or coatings on some surfaces, so they should be used with care.
Powders
- popular choice in household cleaner that’s been around for decades
- ingredients include fine particles of minerals, such as calcite, feldspar, quartz and silica
Liquids
- solid abrasive particles are suspended in a thick liquid
- contains ore surfactants and softer abrasives making it a more gentle option than powders
Antibacterials & Disinfectants
Recently, there has been a flood of cleaners that strive to rid our environments of bacteria, viruses and mildew. These products promise to disinfect and protect you from germs.
Our Tests
We found what we believe to be one of the dirtiest apartments we’ve ever seen – that belonging to young men out on their own for the first time. Their first priority, having a good time; cleaning doesn’t quite make the list. So, we knew this was a perfect site for a Shopping Bags test and as awful as it might be, we decided to help clean it with five different all-purpose cleaners.
We put the cleaners to the test on the countertop, stove and in the bathroom to get an overall picture of how they each worked.
Mr. Clean
Anti-bacterial liquid
Cost: 2.5¢ per 5 ml
Fantastik Orange
Liquid
Cost: 3.3¢ per 5 ml
VIM Oxygel
Liquid
Cost: 4.0¢ per 5 ml
Comet
Powder
Cost: 7.7¢ per 5 g
Clorox Wipes
Cost: 28¢ per 2 wipes
This dirt was a little more extreme than the average since much of it had been building up and sticking on for several days. This made a big difference in how each of our cleaners performed.
The wipes were too small to effectively clean any of the jobs, so we needed to use a lot. Given their price we think this a far too expensive way to clean. Not to mention the fact that they were quite smelly and even though they’re convenient the waste ends up in our landfills and many aren’t even biodegradable.
Each of the sprays offered similar cleaning power to the wipes but because of the degree of dirt, they required a good deal of elbow grease. For everyday dirt that you stay on top of, the sprays would be a great choice and convenient since they don’t have to be rinsed.
Simply because this dirt was left so long we found the abrasive power of Comet really cleaned things up the best.
After You Buy
Don’t Over Stock
Stick to two, maybe three, cleaners that you like. There’s no need to over stock your cupboards with endless cleaners that are basically all going to do the same thing.
Read the Label
Cleaners don’t list ingredients on their labels but they are required to indicate whether it is poisonous (seriously toxic if swallowed) or flammable. So for your own safety, respect warnings on the labels and keep cleaners out of the reach of children.
Instructions
Follow instructions on the label. Some products recommend allowing the cleaners to sit before wiping so they can soak in and take effect.
Keep It Simple
If you want to avoid spending a lot of money on all-purpose cleaners many experts agree that using household items like vinegar, baking soda and liquid soap with water will do just as good a job.
Thanks To Our Experts…
Chemistry professor Mark McLaughlin let us in on the science behind cleaners and how they get the job done. Professional cleaner Dallas Burns gave his opinions on cleaning products available and what he believes to be tried, tested and true.
It’s time to clean up, but first we have to decide which all-purpose household cleaner we want to use. With so many different products all promising to clean better than the next, we find ourselves staring at a sea of options on store shelves. We’re going to try and clear things up a bit by testing out a few different cleaners.