These Products Can Keep Your Home Looking Brand New
From furniture polishes and glass cleaners to sponges and air fresheners, we've got a list of must-haves you need to add to your homekeeping arsenal
We’ve said it a thousand times before—keeping the home spotless and picture-perfect can be stressful. While you can always count on the trusty broom and dust pan, you’ll need various products to keep every nook and cranny shiny and clean.
Given the hundreds of products available in supermarkets today, it can be confusing to shop for essentials. Don’t worry, you don’t need to go through a long trial-and-error process! In the last installment of this year’s RL Awards, we turn the spotlight on home care products. Real Living’s editors worked with former Good Housekeeping editor-in-chief and RL contributing writer Jing Lejano in testing some of the widely used home care products and made a list of items you need to be on the lookout for. Home maintenance will surely be easier with this list:
Add these to your shopping list:
Wood Polish:Â Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner
"I thought the consistency of the product was too gooey compared to the other three, but when I spread it on, the effect was immediately evident. It produced a definitely better sheen than the other three. And yes it smelled nice, too!" — JL
Air Freshener: Glade New Easier Spray
"This is perfect for OC me. I can use when I feel like it, and its aerosol, not water. Winner! Plus, the nice scent lasts for some time." — JL
Bleach: Zonrox
"It gets rid of stains faster. A few drops on the fabric and a couple of scrubs, you're good to go!"— CC
Scrub Sponge: Scotch Brite
"Perfect consistency of both the scrub and the sponge. Keeps firm for far longer than the other two. This is the winner for me!"
All-Purpose Cleaner: Domex
"Domex can help you remove stains, dirt, and germs. As a bonus, it can leave the home smelling fresh, too." — CC
Metal Polish: Pledge
"We've always used Pledge at home and I wasn't disappointed with the metal polish. It does make pieces shine." — CC
Declogger: Gleam Liquid Sosa
"It's common to have clogged drains in the bathroom due to hair and grime. In the kitchen, food particles can cause clogs, too. Liquid Sosa gets the job done in a snap. It only took a few minutes for a clogged sink in the kitchen to work again." – CC
Glass Cleaner: Mr. Muscle
"When you have products that produce rather similar results, you evaluate using other factors... I went with the smell. If you want to have a pleasant smell [at home], then I suggest you go for Mr Muscle." — JL
Furniture Polish: A tie between Splenda and Pledge
"While I instantly had an affinity to Pledge, I was surprised to find out that Splenda featured a better sheen when wiped on furniture." — JL
"Pledge has a sweet lemon smell that's quite pleasing. It can help get rid of dust easily, too." — CC
Dishwashing Liquid: Human Nature Natural Dishwashing Liquid
"I love the smell of the product and how it can make washing dishes, pans, and pots easier. No need to squirt extra drops for bigger items as it easily removes grime." — CC
If you're still looking for options you can use at home, here are products worth a second look:
Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Automatic Spray: "The beauty of this product is that it automatically spurts out fresh fragrance in your room. The key here is to get your scents right. If you don't like the scent, you'd have to turn it off altogether."
Mr. Muscle Toilet Cleaner: "Again, when products produce rather similar results, I look to other factors. This time, I looked at the product design. Obviously, a toilet bowl cleaner needs to have a long enough neck in order to reach the bowels of the bowl. Mr Muscle to me is the winner because it has the right length of neck, and the product squirts easily." —JL
SM Bonus Furniture Polish: "Very easy to use. Produced just the right amount of shine." — JL
Vanish Liquid Fabric Stain Remover: "It can remove tough stains and it can be used on colored clothes, too." — CC
Messy Bessy Dish Cleaner: "Aside from being eco-friendly, this Messy Bessy must-have can deep clean plates and utensils as well." — CC
Mighty Mom Glass and Multi-Surface Cleaner: "It has antibacterial properties (although its ingredients were really no different from the others) and unsurprisingly it had a definitive alcohol smell. If you're the kind that likes your room smelling like a hospital, then perhaps that would do it for you." —JL
These products are available in leading supermarkets nationwide. Prices may vary. To learn more about Human Nature, visit their website. Click here to visit Messy Bessy's website.
