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Accidents happen. Wine, blood, pet urine, crayon, markers, etc. Cleaning tech seems to have evolved quite a bit. Perhaps it might be nice to have an updated thread with "what are your current favorite cleaners for different issues?
For us, Biokleen was a great addition. Thank you to whomever suggested it. It seems to work well for cat urine, which can be a real challenge (not the guest stay - we have 2 cats).
So far, Tide HE / Shout, has taken care of bed linens.
I was just recently successful removing the orange sunscreen stains from 100% white cotton sheets that had gone through the dryer before I noticed them.
I had tried several products that didn’t work, then tried spraying with peroxide and rubbing in a good amount of Fels Naptha soap before washing again with Tide free and gentle. The stains disappeared.
It was @JJD.
I use a product called Genesis 950 and OxyClean. The rest are standards like Dawn, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, ammonia, chlorine bleach. I try to not buy a lot of specialized products. I recently bought a specialized product with Thymol as a disinfectant because it’s food and pet safe.
I have always been able to get all visible stains out.
Pretty much ditto for me except Genesis 950. I’m going to google it now, I’m curious.
My favorite all time is Oxyclean for everything from laundry to vinyl siding. My screened porch gets mildew. Oxyclean is plant safe so I can use it to clean my porch and patio furniture and the rinse runoff won’t kill the grass.
Lysol spray & wipes are my go-to sanitizers.
I first came across it looking for dog related cleaners. It’s shipped concentrated and can be diluted. I’ve found that on some oily substances it’s quite good. Certain adhesives can be removed with it full strength so I don’t have to use something stronger like Goof Off.
Hello, two tools to always have in the bag is Goof Off, if you buy by the gallon, Home Depot, it will last a few years and gallon reduces expenses. It removes anything but use sparingly and test the surface but a good go to solution. Also, the Magic Sponge but buy through Amazon, pack of 50 or 100 at a ridiculous price of less than $10. This quantity and cost kills Mr Clean expense. Money saver, cleans many things. Depending on stain, i also will charge customer for cleaning, but do it my self, it depends on the severity. Heavy water saturation with a shop vac can handle many issues too. Good suggestions listed here by others. Thanks
I forgot about that. Great for removing luggage scuff marks from walls
Oxy and fragrance free laundry detergent, Murphy’s Oil Soap for woodwork, cabinets, and wood floors, hydrogen peroxide, and for baked on/gummed up grease or most adhesives, Citrasolve (the concentrate, not the diluted spray).
A few years ago, appliance repair guy told me about Mold Armor Mold & Mildew remover - bright green bottle often found in the paint prep area instead of cleaners at big box stores.
Works GREAT on black stains on refrigerator gaskets (use an old toothbrush to scrub) as well as those white plastic resin chairs. It’s double strength bleach so very strong stuff. Rinse off promptly!
My experience with these generic items was that they were not nearly as durable as the Mr. Clean brand. I’m able to get the Magic Eraser at Costco for about half the cost of Walmart but would be interested to get them even cheaper. Maybe I’m just not getting the correct ones on Amazon. Do you have a link for the ones you like?
They are absolutely essential and nearly pay for themselves, IMO. I use them for cleaning glass, my stove top, granite counters, stainless steel, bath fixtures and more. Most of the time all that’s needed is water and to polish off with a clean microfiber cloth. Other times a bit of vinegar, ammonia, dawn dish soap or other basic detergent will be added.
Oh I forgot - for those of you who provide espresso or coffee machines. Make sure to de-scale them at least every 3 months. If used daily then every month.
Citric acid works well and is very cheap. Just make sure you flush it out very well after cleaning. The best test to see if it is totally clean is to run some water through and stir in a teaspoon of baking soda. If it fizzes, then it still needs more flushing (baking soda reacts to the acidic low pH).
I agree the Amazon Magic Sponge doesn’t hold up as well as Mr. Clean, say about 75% but based on quantity, to me it’s worth it. I’ll mention coffee pots too after 13 years, the Bunn 12 cup instant hot coffee, reservoir has preheated water, and dispenses in minutes when a fresh pot of water is added lasts a great number of years. With multiple rental homes I was going through a coffee pot every year. This Bunn stands the test of time. I’m on 8 years now, they look the same as day one and you can easily clean when required. The only component to fail, maybe, is the thermistor, which you can buy a replacement at electronic store for about $1.50 and replace yourself if you’re a little handy. I’m pleased with the results. I wish I could say the same for propane grills, I go through one a year. Any advise here. Thx.
I had a propane grill for 20+ years and it was still working fine when I gave it away last year. What seems to be the problem you are having? Functionally speaking they are about as basic as an appliance can get.
I would take mine apart about once every two years. The burners were cast iron and I’d take a wire brush to the ports. The ignitors went out but I just used a lighter to light the burners. I also had to replace the hose/regulator from the burners to the propane tank once.
What’s good for blood stains when you can’t use bleach? Hydrogen peroxide doesn’t always work.
Look at Biokleen. We own it but have not used it yet - many hosts have liked it for that challenge.
One of the dirtiest jobs of the season for me, we do ours each year roughly when the weather turns and we then shift to eating inside of an evening, and this year it’s looking to be around now.
The local Chinese bazaar sells a degreasant spray for a couple of euros which works surprisingly well, after that it’s wire wool and soap and water.
JF
You have to soak the item in cold water first (which will often remove the stain without further treatment if the stain is fresh) , then pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the blood stains. If you use hot water at all before the stain is removed, it just sets the blood stain in so it never comes out.
I use white sheets in my rentals, so bleaching out is never a concern. My personal sheets/towels are various colors. Can you really put hydrogen peroxide on these without them bleaching out? I wasn’t aware of this.
I think my whitening toothpaste has peroxide in it b/c I’ve “bleached” many of my own items with use. Maybe I’m completely wrong about this!
I learned about Fels Naptha while sitting on the baseball bleachers and complaining about grass and dirt stains in my son’s white pants. A bunch of the other moms highly recommended it! I decided to try it on our white Airbnb towels. It is amazing at getting out makeup, food stains, blood, and all kinds of goo. It has saved more towels than I can count!
I have had good luck with Fels Naptha bars for blood stains on towels. You wet the fabric, rub the Fels Naptha bar over it, and use a hand scrubber to agitate. We use white microfiber sheets and Shout or Resolve pre treatetment gets blood out of those easily. Spray and agitate with a hand scrubber.