A common problem faced by many homeowners, housewives, cleaners and part time maids – is which cleaning detergent to buy. There are so many different brands and different types of cleaning agents. They come in numerous varying bottle shapes, sizes and colors, enough to make your head spin. Thankfully, we demystify the shelves and shelves of cleaning detergents, right here for you!
Indeed, cleaning detergents are an essential cleaning tool. So, do not mix up different detergents. Let us teach you the right way to recognize different detergents. First up, start by knowing the 4 categories of cleaning detergents:
The 4 Types of Cleaning Detergents
- Multi Purpose Cleaners
- Floor Cleaners
- Bathroom Cleaners V.S. Kitchen Cleaners
- Furniture and Glass Cleaners
1) Multi Purpose Cleaning Detergents
These cleaning detergents can be used on almost all surfaces. These include marble, parquet, terrazzo, cement, tiles, toilet bowls, sinks and even ceramic countertops. Also, multi purpose cleaning detergents can be used on waxed and polished surfaces (eg. with linoleum). With this said, multi purpose cleaners are very popular amongst budget seekers!
How To Use Multi Purpose Cleaners
To use these cleaners effectively, always read the instructions because most of the detergents require a ratio of dilution (eg. half a pouring cup into half a bucket of water). The pouring cup is usually the cap of the container. This ratio may differ for different purposes, even for the same product itself. For example, 2 caps of detergent in 4 litres of water for floor mopping, but 3 caps to half litres of water for spray and wiping.
Next, it is good to know that some of these products are also “rinse-free”. This means that one does not necessarily need to re-wipe the surface with a clean or wet cloth after applying detergent. Whilst this helps in the cleaning and promoting anti-germ effect, MEIDE recommends re-wiping with a clean cloth for households with young children or babies to prevent accidental toxic ingestion or contamination.
What Does “Multi Purpose” Really Mean?
At this point, it is important to note that the term “multi-purpose” can be confusing. “Multi purpose” does not mean the cleaning liquid can be used for ALL surfaces and materials! It simply means it can be used for a wide range of surfaces and purpose. For the specific compatible purposes, it is prudent to always read behind or the bottom of the bottle for usage instructions.
Also, there are a handful of cleaning detergents labelled “multi purpose kitchen” or “multi purpose bathroom cleaner”. Do take note that these cleaning detergents may be slightly more restricted in terms of their usage. They may be used for different surfaces. However, these are confined to commonly encountered areas in their specified location (eg. within the bathroom). To learn more about these types of cleaners, read on!
Our recommendation:
CIF Cream Surface Cleanser (Lemon) – value for money, works wonders, and the familiar delightful whiff of lemon simply makes this choice a no-brainer!
2) Floor Cleaning Detergents
Exclusive built for the floor, these cleaning detergents are rather similar to multi-purpose cleaners. Their usage is similar – they usually require dilution as per the specific brand’s instructions, and are rinse-free. In contrast, they are not as aggressive as bathroom and kitchen cleaners, and serve their different purposes well.
These purposes include removing dirt, killing germs, degreasing the floor, and allowing quicker drying time. At this juncture, do be aware that the varying types of floor cleaning detergents may have different focuses. Those with more non-ionic substances and surfactants break down dirt and grease better. Those with more alcohol content helps in disinfecting the floor and tiles, and enhances quicker drying time.
Moreover, many floor cleaners offer a huge range of fragrances to seduce their buyers! Definitely, housewives and home owners love being spoilt for choice. The thought of their guests and visitors to their homes being impressed and wowed by the nice smell and sparkling floor, is more than sufficient to make floor cleaners a must-buy!
Our recommendation:
Fairprice Floor Cleaner – a bang for your buck, with copious volumes of liquid, a handle for easy pouring, and anti-bacterial cleaning effects. In fact, you can even choose one with a different scent such as the “Ocean Breeze” fragrance!
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3) Bathroom Cleaners V.S. Kitchen Cleaners
Buyers beware – these two confusing products require a longer explanation. These are two different categories actually. However, we lump them together because they are rather similar product types. In fact, there is much confusion as to which ones work better than the other. Many curious cleaners have also wondered about the actual differences in forums and discussions, online and offline. Fret not, for we break down the disparities and alikeness for both here:
Similarities Between Bathroom And Kitchen Cleaners
Both belong to a stronger cleansing power category of cleaners. Remember that the stronger the cleansing power, the more effective the ability to remove stains, dirt and grime. However, it also means higher chance of stains or damage to your materials and surfaces, especially if used incorrectly. The stronger the cleansing effect, the more concentrated the solution and the stronger the acids or alkaline chemicals used. As such, never forget your protective equipment like goggles, masks and gloves!
Differences Between Bathroom And Kitchen Cleaners
Even though the ingredients of both may overlap, they are essentially different products for different uses. MEIDE definitely discourages inter-changing their usage. It may seem idiot-proof, but we do have to reiterate this: use the bathroom cleaners for the toilets, and the kitchen cleaners for the kitchen!
Scientifically speaking, the reason is that cleaning product manufacturers put in eons of research and hard work to engineer these products. Therefore, bathroom and kitchen cleaners differ in their ratios of their active ingredient to the amount of surfactants. Ratios of chelating agents, and emulsifiers also change between products. Different brands of bathroom and kitchen cleaning detergents use different formulations and active acids or alkaline ingredients. Bathroom cleaning detergents tend to contain more acidic chemicals, whilst kitchen cleaning detergents tend to contain more alkaline or abrasive chemicals. To understand deeper, read on:
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Bathroom Cleaning Detergents
Buy bathroom cleaning detergents for the bathroom. Most of these products target germs and organic material. In essence, think of the dirt, dead skin, hair and other “yucky” stuff from the human body left behind in the toilet. To dissolve and wash away these unwanted substances, many bathroom cleaning detergents use acids like hydrochloric or phosphoric acids. A common chemical left in the toilet bowl is calcium carbonate (limescale), which can also be attacked by these acids and washed away.
Additionally, the bathroom also contains metal taps, tiles, and ceramic components. These may require separate cleaning detergents containing either alkali or abrasive chemicals. The purpose is to remove rust and germs from the surfaces of these washroom fixtures. Lastly, the toilet is a frequent home for mold and mildew. Read all about mold and mildew, and how to deal with mold here!
Our recommendation:
Jackie Bathroom Disinfectant & Toilet Bowl Cleaner – this is available at your nearest NTUC FairPrice. Or you could simply buy it at most household hardware stores at your neighborhood marketplace. It’s easy availability and affordable pricing is a plus. It contains inorganic acid which is really useful for killing mold, germs and your “organic waste”. Also, it can be used for various purposes like soaking, scrubbing. Lastly, it can be used for a wide range of areas like the toilet bowl, shower and sink. A really “all in one” solution for your toilet cleaning needs!
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Kitchen Cleaning Detergents
Buy kitchen cleaning detergents for the kitchen! Here, think of the oil and grease left behind after cooking your feasts for Chinese New Year Eve Dinner or Christmas Celebrations! Many kitchen cleaning detergents deploy anionic substances and alkaline soaps to help in degreasing and removing these leftover residues. Moreover, organic cleaning chemicals are contained too in kitchen cleaning detergents. They help dissolve fat and food-related wastes too. Read the back of your kitchen cleaning product for its detailed use, before buying!
Additionally, just like the bathroom, kitchens contain metal parts like the stove and sink. Due to high humidity, mold and mildew grow fervently too. Read all about mold and mildew, and how to deal with mold here!
Our recommendation:
CIF Cream Surface Cleanser (Lemon) – Again, this is value for money, and works wonders even in the kitchen. However, if you are keen for more D.I.Y. methods for kitchen cleaning, try using the Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda combined with white distilled vinegar to remove stubborn stains and destroy mold and mildew.
4) Furniture and Glass Cleaners
What is so special about the cleaning detergent specially made for furniture? Well, there are 3 objectives for furniture cleaning detergents. Firstly, the detergent has to remove certain contaminants. Secondly, the detergent has to be safe and gentle to the target material and surface. With respect to the first, it is often organic waste products, such as oil (eg. fingerprints), dead skin, hair, and bodily fluids (ew!) left on the furniture. Hence, furniture cleaning detergents tend to contain special solvents and emulsifiers to help dissolve these grime.
Referring back to the second objective, different furniture materials require different specific furniture cleaners. This is because using a wrong cleaning detergent can stain, damage or permanently spoil your furniture! Always remember that there is a fine balance between the strength of the cleaning detergent versus the protective features of the cleaning detergent (to protect the surface and material).
Lastly, many furniture cleaners, particular those targeted, contain chemicals to help polish and shine the surface to protect it further and improve it aesthetically!
Similarly, glass cleaners contain the solvents like those in furniture cleaners, to dissolve oil and fingerprints. In addition, almost all glass cleaners contain a degree of alcohol content to disinfect the surface. Thankfully, there is only one material to consider here – glass. Hence, there are less different brands and types, as compared to furniture cleaning detergents. One rather important point to note: always use appropriate glass-cleaning materials (eg. microfibre, glass wiper) to avoid scratching the glass surface during cleaning!
Our recommendation:
Magiclean Glass Cleaner. The spray nozzle makes applying the cleaning detergent convenient. Furthermore, the liquid cleans oil and dirt away readily, and leaves a fresh scent, whilst leaving no residue or scratch marks when we use it to clean our glass surfaces!
For furniture cleaners, it depends on your type of furniture. As many households harbor leather sofas nowadays, we recommend the Weiman Leather Cleaner & Conditioner. It is cheap, good, and easily available. Upon our usage of it, it cleans well and maintains a silky finish after use. It also helps protect your leather, which is a plus point!
Learnt The 4 Types of Cleaning Detergents, What’s Next?
Kudos! You have learnt the basics of the different types of cleaning detergents here with MEIDE.SG! Now that you have the knowledge of which category of cleaning detergent to buy, you are ready to start buying your cleaning detergent, and start cleaning!
Practice makes perfect. Instead of just reading our cleaning articles, why not get hands-on experience? Join us at MEIDE.SG as a helper today!
At MEIDE.SG, we offer you flexible work schedule, incredible high pay for both part timers and full timers, and many other employment benefits!
Finally, even though we have broken down the types of cleaning detergents here, many homeowners and housekeepers may not be familiar with choosing the ideal brands for their budget. Still dazed at the dozens and dozens of cleaning detergents to buy?
No worries, because you are not alone! In fact, only the most experienced housewives and cleaning experts would know the best brands to buy, and which ones are most value for money. However, if you are a lay-person just like most of us, why not leave the hard work to cleaning professionals?
Home cleaning can be fast and easy! Find your cleaners and part time maids without hassle with MEIDE today!
We hope you have learnt valuable lessons from our article on which cleaning detergents to buy from the supermarkets and hardware stores. Always remember the 4 Types of Cleaning Detergents, elaborated here at MEIDE.SG blog article. Bookmark or save this page if you need to. By doing so, you would never have the problem of being confused by so many different cleaning detergents again!