9 Products That Will Make You Want to Clean
These window, countertop and floor cleaners smell so good, you'll actually look forward to the dirty work.
By Lynn Andriani
Caldrea Ginger Pomelo Countertop Cleanser
Fresh ginger nicely complements pomelo, a crisp citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. This cleanser also has grapefruit essential oil. Use it on surfaces all over the house, from wood tables to walls to porcelain sinks.
Ginger Pomelo Countertop Cleanser, $9 for 16 ounces, Caldrea through Drugstore.com
Murchison-Hume Boy's Bathroom Cleaner
Going on the assumption that boys' bathrooms always smell much worse than girls', Sydney-based Murchison-Hume created a natural but effective cleaner for the grimiest lavatory jobs. The Australian white grapefruit scent is fresh and lovely.
Boy's Bathroom Cleaner, $10 for 16.9 ounces, Alice.com
Better Life Einshine
Each product from this green company has a clever name, from Even the Kitchen Sink scrub to Oak-y Dokey wood cleaner. But it's the Einshine stainless steel polish we're most taken with: It gets the smudges off cooktops, range hoods, faucets and fixtures—and smells of lavender and chamomile.
Einshine, $7 for 16 ounces, Better Life through Drugstore.com
Photo: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Honeysuckle Countertop Spray
Good for everything from wood floors to countertops to bathroom fixtures, this might be the cleaner you use most. Thankfully, its fruity floral scent is more "relaxing spa" than "teenybopper body mist."
Honeysuckle Countertop Spray, $4 for 16 ounces, MrsMeyers.com
Photo: Mrs. Jones' Soapbox
Mrs. Jones' Soapbox Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener
You could easily mistake this apothecary jar of powdered cleaner, with its hermetic seal, for bath salts—its scent is that soothing. Jamie Jones, aka Mrs. Jones, makes it with coconut and citronella soaps.
Laundry Detergent & Fabric Softener, $25 for 75 milliliters (72 loads of laundry), Mrs. Jones' Soapbox through Etsy.com
Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds
This fir- and spruce-scented cleaner is a true multitasker: Add a few drops to a gallon of water to remove chemical sprays from fruits and vegetables, use a squirt on a sink full of dishes, pour a quarter ounce into a basin of warm water to wash your delicates, or mix 1 ounce with a 40-ounce bucket of water to mop your floors.
Sal Suds, $10 for 16 ounces, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps through Amazon.com
Ecover Grapefruit & Green Tea Dishwashing Liquid
Ecover's soap is biodegradable, and their bottles are made from plant-based plastics.
Grapefruit & Green Tea Dishwashing Liquid, $4 for 16 ounces, Ecover through Soap.com
J.R. Watkins Aloe & Green Tea Window Cleaner
This spray removes dust, dirt and fingerprints from mirrors, glass tabletops and other hard surfaces, with a refreshing scent. It's also safe for tinted windows, since its coconut base won't break down the film's plastic.
Aloe & Green Tea Window Cleaner, $4.50 for 24 ounces, JRWatkins.com
Photo: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Bathroom Cleaner
Rather than making your bathroom smell like a freshly blended bowl of pesto, this spray—which works on tile, shower doors, toilet seats, countertops, sinks and tubs—infuses the room with a cool, crisp scent that is surprisingly calming.
Basil Bathroom Cleaner, $4 for 24 ounces, MrsMeyers.com
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Spring-cleaning that won't take over your life
Published 02/17/2012
