The Top Five Household Cleaners - Video

The next time you go to your local grocery or department store, take a look down the cleaning aisle. When you stop and think about how many different cleaning solutions are really there, you will be amazed. Most people just stick with what they know, since it can be an intimidating experience to try to find something new to clean your house. Our articles are designed to help lower that stress by pointing you in the right direction.

There are, however, a certain number of cleaners that you should have on hand at all times. These cleaners are great by themselves, as well as really good in mixtures. With them, you can clean every room in your house, and you can clean up virtually any problem or mess. All you need are these big five. They are as follows, with just a couple of important tips:

• Ammonia. This works as a good disinfectant, but when mixed with water makes an excellent glass cleaner and surface polisher. See our other articles to help find the best way to mix it all up.
• White vinegar. Look at the many valuable cleaning tips in our other articles to find how to use white vinegar. It's extremely practical in taking out stains when used properly.
• Baking soda. Use this mixed with a little water on your hard surfaces to get them clean. It works great in the refrigerator both to wipe it down, and, if you keep an open box inside, to remove odors.
• Bleach. This chemical is important because it will clean anything off and kill almost any bacteria. If you have some growing mold, bleach it. If you want to make sure something is really clean, bleach it. Just be careful with it, since it can burn your hands and permanently ruin furniture and clothing.
• Liquid dish detergent. This little item is obviously useful when cleaning dishes, but mix it with some water and rub it on almost any surface, including carpet, to wipe spots clean and disinfect at the same time.

Caution: Be careful when you mix various household cleaners together. For instance, you should never mix ammonia and bleach, as doing so gives off hazardous toxic fumes. If in doubt, make sure you read the labels on the various cleaners you are using.