Soap and water works on a lot, including marble. And I have hard water without a softener.

I recently received a Norwex microfiber window cloth for glass and mirrors, which seems to be working well.

Glass shower enclosure (in the Master there is glass enclosure, porcelain floor and walls, but there is marble on the pony wall and the curb, so I htink I have to be careful not to get glass cleaner on the marble)

Learn, and teach your kids, to spray any cleaner on a cloth or paper towel rather than directly on the surface to be cleaned. This is helpful no matter what you're spraying or cleaning.

DS uses Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day on a lot of things. Can this be the cleaner that does a lot of the jobs such as all the countertops, painted surfaces, hard woodfloors, porcelain and ceramic tile and grout? What about Mr. Clean? I used to use that a lot on the tile and grout, but I wasn't sure if it was too harsh for grout, and it definately seems too harsh for marble.

What about all the chrome fixtures; pretty much all out faucets and fixtures are chrome.

Thanks for weighing in!

My daughter has operated a cleaning business for over 20 years. She still has customers that she started working for at the beginning of those 20 years. This is what she uses on 99.9% of her jobs.

An all purpose cleaner like Mr. Clean or choose from many others. This she puts into a spray bottle diluted with about 80% water. She also uses this in a bucket with about 90% water for all floors, even hardwood with a well wrung out mop. She uses a spray bathroom cleaner for showers & sinks, her favorite for work is Scrub Free because it is a very good value. A toilet bowl cleaner-gel for toilets. Ajax that says non-scratch for tough stains in showers and sinks. Windex with no ammonia. Not any other brand then Windex because others streak. A can of Endust and a rag for furniture. She also carries a can of Stainless Steel cleaner for some but not all stainless steel appliances. Some stainless appliances do better with a tiny bit of furniture polish on a rag. She also carries a spray bottle of diluted bleach for the times that she runs into mold & mildew.

That is pretty much it. I hope this helps!

Thank you. All this is very helpful.

skmom, I was wondering about using Mrs. Meyer's on the hard wood floors. I'll try that tomorrow.

Thanks Becky for responding. One thing I definately want is to only have ONE all purpose cleaner. Some people recommend Mrs. Meyer's, and I will check out Dr. Bronner's. If I settle on one, I can throw out a bunch of stuff.

As far as woodfloors, ours are over 40 years old, thick and have been refinished once by us, they are stained with poly finish; there's no manuafacturer to ask. But I know the stain and poly brand so maybe I'll look up what they recommend.

Thanks!

Sorry, I didn't understand about the floors, I thought they were new as part of your recent remodel : ) .

Since they're 40 years old and finished with poly, I'd just use a damp mop with a little water and some vinegar. Do you remember if it's oil-based or water-based poly?

The glass company that installed our shower door and mirror used this (Window Cleaner) when they did our install and it did fabulously so I got myself a can at Wal-mart.

For floors, vinegar, hot water, and a microfiber mop work well. I know some people love Bono but I've never had good experience with it.

Water based poly

I would think a broom, dry mop, and a damp mop (a bit of water, with some vinegar if you think it's necessary) are all you need for your floors.

I just finished a remodel and went a slightly different route. I do have marble counters and floors in the bathroom as well as a Toto toilet with a Sanigloss finish. I have wood floors. I wanted to use cleaning products that were safe on all my surfaces so my cleaning lady couldn't inadvertently use the wrong product and ruin something.

For my hardwood floors I bought the cleaning products sold by my floor company - Mirage. I could have gone with the Bona system but I thought why not just go with the Mirage product as they are the same price.

I got a special cleaner that is safe for marble; stone and mirrors. Therefore I don't have to worry if she sprays the mirrors with something that is bad for the marble counter. It obviously also cuts down on the number of products.

I got a special acid free toilet bowl cleaner which is safe for the Toto toilet finish as well as being safe if she hits my marble bathroom floors with it.

I also own a Bissel steam broom which I have her use to clean the marble bathroom floors. I love it and I don't need any product for that. Obviously I don't use it on my wood floors but it's also fantastic for any kind of tile flooring.

Chrome doesn't need anything special, just a good wipe down.

ETA You can eliminate many special cleaners for the tub/shower if the last person to use it every day wipes it down thoroughly. That's one of the most important things GW taught me. You never need to scrub grout if you can learn to give a minute or two each day to keep it sparkly. Then the big clean is just disinfecting (I use steam).

I use a neutral pH concentrate and mix my own for pennies. The neutral cleaner can safely be used on all your hard surfaces. You can buy a disinfectant for your toilet, or just keep it simple and buy disinfecting wipes.

Also, microfiber cloths make cleaning much easier.

For your floors, we just had our floors redone and I’ve started using Bona products, which uses a microfiber pad and spray bottle. It’s a great system because it’s always ready to go.

I got a special cleaner that is safe for marble; stone and mirrors.

Helen, May I ask what this product is?

I use a neutral pH concentrate and mix my own for pennies.

Julie, same question.

Thanks!

I use Mrs. Meyers concentrate currently, but any cleaner labeled all-purpose concentrate would be fine. In the past I’ve bought concentrates at Costco or janitorial supply houses.

I read some Don Aslett books, and that helped me to understand all cleaners fit into a few categories:

Glass cleaners (like Windex)

All-purpose (pH neutral)

Degreasers (like 409)

Disinfectants (quaternary)

Non-neutral (like bleach-based shower cleaners, for example)

Your natural stone needs the pH neutral all-purpose. You don’t need a separate cleaner for your quartz and your marble and your granite.

Disinfectants need dwell time, so I spray down bathroom surfaces and let them sit for about five minutes. Or sometimes I lie to myself and just spray and wipe immediately.

@shadowpipersallie

When I finished my remodel, I started a thread asking for specific recommendations and the stone cleaner was the one that was specifically recommended by one of the tile pros who posts a lot and has a lot of credibility with me. Given my investment in the counters, the cost for the product to clean them safely is worth it.

Stone & More by MB Stone Care

Stone & More by MB Stone Care

Non-Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Qt. by Majestic Stone Care Products

With the exception of your wood floors, here is one product you can buy by the case and keep one in each area for all surfaces except wood floors. There are others but I will caution you on some of the multi-purpose cleaners as there can be build up over time (and never use on marble). https://mbstonecare.com/mb-5-stone-more/ While you mentioned using something easily purchase at the store, this is a better bet if you are looking for one product that can be used on natural stone, ceramic, glass, etc. Your best friend in showers is ventilation (that gets used), a squeegee and a large microfiber towel (and obedient users who wipe down after each shower). Also, leave shower curtains and doors open after use. Goes a long way toward keeping these surfaces clean. No need to use the cleaning spray except once/wk. And yes, you can make your own solution of water and just a few drops of dish soap (in a qrt sprayer) for cleaning most surfaces, but beware that this can also leave a residue over time if not followed by a rinse. One issue that occurs too frequently is that someone wipes down a polished natural stone surface with a cloth that was used elsewhere and has some acidic cleaner or wax/polish on it (goodbye shine - although a professional restoration company can buff and re-polish). Harsh cleaners for regular cleaning of grout get it nice and clean AND can erode the grout causing more problems. Many cleaning services love their acidic cleaning products but these are a real culprit around natural stone. Scrub free is a perfect example (bad for some metals too).

Several years ago I switched to SafeSolutions TweetMint Enzyme cleaner. I was researching about eliminating fly larva and came upon a pdf by a commercial janitorial service that detailed how they use this cleaner for disinfection and elimination of pests. I was intrigued so I purchased their smallest size to give it a try. I have been amazed at its cleaning power. It’s my general cleaner and the only thing I will use for the most difficult jobs like mold, mildew, urine and worse - basically everything. My lab had diarrhea all over my wood flooring and jute rug. I thought I’d have to toss the large carpet. This cleaner works! It is safe, a natural biological insecticide, and a fantastic cleaner. I have moved away from all harsh chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides since starting that research. My home is virtually insect free using TweetMint and food grade Diatomaceous Earth. No more breathing chemicals.

I use it for everything except my marble countertop and general wood floor cleaning though i use it on the floor for spot cleaning. My DH does the floors and has used the Bona system for years so I don’t disrupt his routine. My marble countertop just gets Dawn and a microfiber cloth. I did test it and no etching, but dawn is easiest for me. I do use it on my polished marble vanities though. TweetMint is pH neutral. I would always test any product on a hidden section to be sure.

We also have rental properties. I do a thorough clean between renters (we see some nasty grime) and this works wonders. I had a huge cleanup last summer where the renter fried everything and there was years of grease everywhere including the wood cabinets. Looked like new when I was done. This stuff is the best cleaner I’ve ever used and I highly recommend. I purchased the 128 oz bottle of concentrate which is pricey but will last me for years and that is sharing it with my daughter’s household and my rental properties. https://www.safesolutions.com/product/tweetmint-enzyme-cleaner/

Dragonfly, I have used Scrub Free for many years (at least 10) in my shower and on my shower doors with metal trim with absolutely no harm to the grout or metal. I am not sure why you would claim otherwise but that is incorrect.

@girlnamedgalez, I said "some metals". From the manufacturer: "NOTE: Do not use on frosted glass, brass, aluminum or galvanized metal, natural marble or stone, Mexican or Terra Cotta tiles, reglazed surfaces,fabrics and carpet. Always follow manufacturer's recommendations for item on which you use Scrub Free™.

Probably one of the best cleaning product tips I ever got, I got on Houzz: Dawn dishwashing liquid. All it takes is a small amount diluted in water. It cleans windows and any glass surfaces, removes soap scum from ceramic tile and porcelain tubs/sinks; cleans my quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and it’s even great for my slate kitchen floor. On my wood floors, I use a little of distilled white vinegar, again diluted in water. Windex on chrome surfaces (and as an ant killer). Oh, and lots of microfiber towels.