If you’re like most modern homeowners, keeping a clean house occupies a top spot on your priority list. However, no matter how meticulous you are, if you aren’t using the right products, your home might not be as clean as you think it is.
For instance, if you live in an environment where atmospheric humidity is high, your bathroom may be harboring unhealthy levels of mold and mildew unless you’re using a cleaning product designed to keep fungal infestations to a minimum. Furthermore, if you’re trying to slay heavy stains with a product that’s made for light, everyday maintenance, you could end up scrubbing for hours and still not achieving desired results. These are just two reasons why it’s important to make sure you’re using products that match the job that you want them to do.
Lysol
Lysol is the brand name of a line of household disinfectant solutions that include aerosol air purifying products, disinfecting wipes, and liquid hand soaps. Dr. Gustav Raupenstrauch introduced Lysol to the market in the year 1889 for the purpose of combating an outbreak of cholera. Lysol was again used in Spain during the 1918 flu pandemic. After helping with epidemics, Lysol found its way to the cleaning cabinets of the average American household in the 1950s. Currently, New Jersey company Reckitt Benckiser LLC distributes Lysol products.
Benzalkonium chloride is the active ingredient in most Lysol products, but the company recently rolled out a new line containing a hydrogen peroxide formula designed to give your home that same Lysol level of clean without the use of chlorides.
To help determine which Lysol cleaner is best for you, here’s a snapshot of the company’s most popular bathroom cleaning products:
- Lysol Power Bathroom Cleaner is designed to eliminate stubborn soap scum in sinks, showers, and tubs, and leave your fixtures with a high shine.
- Lysol Brand Power Foam Bathroom Cleaner slays soap scum and wages war on mold and mildew.
- Lysol Mold & Mildew Blaster is perfect for fungal infestations that warrant bringing in the big guns.
- Lysol Clean & Fresh Toilet Bowl Cleaner makes toilets sparkle while keeping germs at bay.
Lysol is sold in supermarkets, variety stores, big box stores, and online. Costs range from $2.49 for a small bottle of disinfectant spray up to $8.49 for a large bottle of Lysol Mold & Mildew Blaster.
Clorox
Clorox made its debut on the American consumer scene when five businessmen pooled their resources to create the country’s first liquid bleach factory in 1913. Their intention was to produce industrial bleach, but the company floundered until a new manager’s wife suggested creating a milder version for household use in 1916. She began handing out small samples of the product at the family’s general merchandise store and housewives quickly warmed to the idea of including Clorox in their laundry routines.
Although its name is still synonymous with household laundry bleach, Clorox currently includes bleach-free products in its line of bathroom cleaners. Here’s what Clorox has to offer those seeking a clean and germ-free bathroom environment:
- Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner is an all-purpose, bleach-free product designed to make your bathroom sparkle and shine from ceiling to floor.
- Clorox Clean Up Cleaner with Bleach whitens, brightens, and stops 99 percent of all germs in their tracks.
- Clorox Disinfecting Wipes keeps the bathroom environment pristine in between regular cleanings.
- Clorox Plus tiles Daily Shower is sprayed on the interior shower surface after every use to prevent soap scum and hard water buildup.
- Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner cleans with every flush.
Clorox products are available for sale wherever basic household supplies are sold. Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner averages $3.59 and Clorox Cleanup with Bleach generally runs around $7.89.
Pine-Sol
Pine-Sol was introduced to the American consumer in 1929 as a superior solution for cleaning heavy grease and grime, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that it became a household name. Original Pine-Sol was produced using pine oil, but glycolic acid has been the only active ingredient in all Pine-Sol products since 2016. Besides the original scent, modern Pine-Sol products come in Sunshine Meadow, Mango Mandarin Burst, Sparkling Wave, Lemon Fresh, and Lavender Clean. Pine-Sol is currently owned by Clorox and their product selection includes the following:
- Pine-Sol All Purpose Cleaner tackles stubborn bathtub rings, leaves floors clean, shiny, and softly scented, and leaves toilet bowls clean and disinfected.
- Pine-Sol Squirt ‘n Mop Multi Surface Floor Cleaner cleans and deodorizes bathroom floors without leaving a sticky residue.
Pine-Sol is found wherever household products are sold. Prices range from $3.55 for Pine-Sol Squirt ‘n Mop Multi Surface Floor Cleaner to around $8.50 for a large bottle of Pine-Sol Multi-Purpose Cleaner.
Seventh Generation
Seventh Generation is a line of natural household cleaning products that was established in 1988 in Burlington, Vermont. Its chlorine-free products are manufactured from plant-based phosphates. Here’s what Seventh Generation has to offer those seeking eco-friendly bathroom cleaning products:
- Seventh Generation Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner is an all-purpose product designed to clean and disinfect everything in the bathroom.
- Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner provides consumers with a bleach-free way to keep their toilets clean.
- Seventh Generation Natural Tub & Tile Cleaner easily dissolves stains and soap scum.
Seventh Generation products are found in natural food stores, supermarkets, and online. Prices average around $3.88 for Seventh Generation Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner to $6.35 for Seventh Generation Natural Tub & Tile Cleaner.
Scrubbing Bubbles
Scrubbing Bubbles was first introduced to the American consumer by the Dow Chemical Company in the early 1970s. Its original name was Dow Bathroom Cleaner, which was changed to Scrubbing Bubbles in 1997 when the line was purchased by S.C. Johnson. Bleach is the active ingredient in Scrubbing Bubbles cleaning products.
Here are some of the company’s most widely used items:
- Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Gel Toilet Cleaning Stamp keeps toilets fresh and clean for up to 12 days.
- Scrubbing Bubbles Bubbly Bleach Gel freshens and brightens the entire bathroom.
- Scrubbing Bubbles Power Stain Destroyer Toilet Bowl Cleaner tackles the toughest bathroom cleaning jobs with ease.
- Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foamer Aerosol makes short work of soap scum, hard water deposits, mold, and mildew.
- Scrubbing Bubbles Daily Shower Cleaner keeps showers fresh in between regularly scheduled scrubbings.
You can find Scrubbing Bubbles products in supermarkets, variety stores, and at online retailers. Prices for Scrubbing Bubbles products range from $3.85 for Scrubbing Bubbles Antibacterial Bathroom Flushable Wipes to $18.05 for a large bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles Foaming Disinfectant Bathroom Cleaner.