In my home, I’m the house cleaner. Not really by choice, more because well…somebody must do it. While my three boys have chores, their definition of clean is better suited for the show “Hoarders.” There is also my wife to consider, and while she means well, her strengths mostly lie elsewhere. So that leaves me to deal with the dishes, laundry, vacuuming up the never-ending dog hair, cleaning the bathrooms, and just about everything else. Some might call me picky about how I like things done in the cleaning department (yes, loading the dishwasher is an art form). I like to simply think of myself as a hero. Thankfully, I keep the house stocked with a variety of high-quality cleaning products that are versatile and affordable. Welcome to this month’s Fabulous Four!
Best New Item: Dawn® Professional Heavy Duty Dish Soap
Whether you are at home or working in a professional kitchen, good quality dish soap is a must. Try frying an egg on a non-stick pan and see if the dishwasher cleans it. I can tell you with no hesitation that it will not. That egg white is almost magical in its ability to resist water and soap. You need to soak that skillet in a hot water with a heavy-duty soap like this one from Dawn. This powerhouse is concentrated and specially formulated to cut through the toughest grease and stuck-on food. You’ll save time and hate doing the dishes 1,000 times less.
Unsung Hero: Febreze® Air Effects Odor-Eliminating Air Freshener
Including me, there are 4 boys in my house. We have a healthy supply of smelly socks, stinky Hockey bags, and other putrid smells stemming from all sorts of reasons. The dog doesn’t help either. To fight that, I keep a couple of Febreze air fresheners on each floor, ready to eliminate the natural scent of growing boys at any moment. Febreze eliminates odors without leaving behind anything except a light fresh scent that brightens up any room… even the bathroom! Take that adolescence!
Product Most Likely to be Found in My Home: Earth Friendly Products ECOS® PRO 2X Laundry Detergent
With a family of 5, the laundry never ends. It’s Yeoman’s work. The gathering of the laundry in the various hampers leads to what feels like a Sisyphus-inspired task of bringing it to the basement to be cleaned, only to do it all again in reverse order. With this level of detergent being used, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t damaging my septic tank as well as the environment in general. This is where ECOS® comes into play. Their detergent is plant-based, non-toxic, phosphate-free, and septic-safe. On top of that, it’s dye-free and has none of the other nasty stuff that you don’t want on your skin. Most importantly, it gets the job done – our clothes have never been cleaner. Score one for Dad.
MVP: Kleenex Professional Facial Tissue Cube
This family has allergies. There always seems to be somebody sneezing or wiping a runny nose around here. That’s why it is no surprise that this month’s MVP is from Kleenex. In its 80-year history, Kleenex has become synonymous with high-quality facial tissue. Each Kleenex tissue is 2-ply, soft, and absorbent. My favorite part is that the tissue color changes from white to cream when the box is almost empty – alerting you to restock. Brilliant. Finally, nobody wants to wipe their sensitive nose with rough, sandpaper-like tissues, so choose Kleenex. Why would you choose anything other than the original and the best?
That’s it for this month’s Fabulous Four. Take my advice if you are the one doing the cleaning at home or in the office – make sure the products you use are of the highest quality. You’ll work smarter, not harder – saving you time and probably your sanity. Now excuse me while I reload the dishwasher for the fourth time today!
