How to Choose the Right Cleaning Products for Your Home's Unique Needs

Keeping your home clean and hygienic is necessary. But with such a wide variety of cleaning products on the market, it becomes somewhat challenging to decide how to get the right products for your particular home's needs. According to Charlotte Flores, CEO of Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy, choosing the right cleaning products not only guarantees that you will be able to clean your house effectively but also impacts your family's health and could damage the different surfaces or materials used in your home. The following guide will help in the best choice of cleaning products within your household.

Consider the Surfaces and Materials in Your Home.

Some products may be required to avoid damage on the different surfaces or materials while achieving the best results. For instance, acidic cleaners etch and dull the finish of natural stone surfaces. It is better to use pH-neutral cleaners or specialty stone cleaners on surfaces like granite and marble. The same issue is present with hardwood floors, in which harsh chemicals or too much moisture can be damaging. Instead, select a cleaner designed more specifically for wood surfaces.

For example, to clean mirrors or other glass surfaces without streaking or scratching the surface, use a dedicated glass cleaner or a mixture of water and ammonia. For stainless steel appliances, you'll want to use a specialty cleaner to avoid streaking and other damage to the finish.

Prioritize Safety and Health.

Wherever possible, consider your family's and pets' safety and health. Test for products with fewer harsh chemicals and find third-party certifications from the EPA's Safer Choice UL's Ecologo, or Green Seal.

Clean with multi-purpose, non-toxic homemade cleaners like vinegar and lemon. However, these may not be suitable on all surfaces, whether natural stone or wood.

Evaluate the Cleaning Task at Hand

There are cleaners for every type of cleaning job. For overall cleaning and light spills off countertops, appliances, and tiles, an all-purpose cleaner will likely do the trick. These cleaners come in varying forms for convenience purposes: sprays, liquids, and wipes.

In case it is a bit more serious, women, mold, or mildew—use a cleaner that deals primarily with one of these problems. For heavily soiled places like bathtubs and tile floors, abrasive cleaners can prove effective without too much scrubbing due to the small particles or minerals included, which do most of the cleaning work.

Check for disinfecting properties.

For heavier traffic and outlaw locations like sinks, countertops, and bath areas, select a disinfecting cleaner. Most all-purpose cleaners have some form of disinfectant in them, but always check the label that has actual directions to kill most germs. Some may require a longer contact time on the surface to effectively disinfect.

For professional help and thorough cleaning, consider a house cleaning service to ensure every corner of your home is spotless and safe.

Consider Environmental Impact

One might reduce environmental impacts with cleaning products that are either biodegradable, sustainably packaged, or based upon natural ingredients. Many better options exist today to provide effective cleaning performance with less dire environmental impacts. 

Read Reviews and Compare Products

Research a few cleaning products in the market before you buy one. You should have considered what consumers say and trusted reviews for insights into how each is rated in terms of their effectiveness and overall user experience. Considering that, consider the scent, ease of use, and value for money.

In summary, the choice of household cleaning products will have to be based on the surfaces or material composition to be cleaned, emphasis on safety and health considerations, assessment of the nature of cleaning to be done, and search for disinfecting when necessary—and aided by these tips, as well as further researching your options, how to be sure that you're keeping your home as clean and hygienically well-maintained as possible while protecting your family's health and environment.