Targets
What you are cleaning
Start from the thing in front of you. Each target page lists the cleaning jobs we actually cover.
- BathtubThe bathing basin. Soap scum and hard water cling to porcelain, acrylic, or enamel; abrasives that look fine on old enamel can haze acrylic.
- ClothingWearable garments. Fiber content and care labels decide heat, bleach, and agitation; a method that is safe on cotton can felt wool.
- Cotton clothingCotton garments. Cotton takes many water-based stain treatments, but dyes can bleed and heat can set protein and tannin stains.
- GlassSmooth, non-porous glass surfaces in the home — windows, shower panels, and glass cookware. Methods depend on coatings and what is stuck to the glass.
- Glass stovetopA smooth glass-ceramic cooking surface. Burnt sugar and grease bake on; abrasives and metal scrapers can scratch the glass.
- Hardwood floorFinished wood planks. Standing water and steam can swell or dull the finish; grit acts like sandpaper underfoot.
- Kitchen sinkThe food-prep basin. Grease, coffee tannins, and hard water collect around the drain and faucet; leftover cleaner does not belong on a food-contact surface.
- StovetopThe cooking surface on a range. Glass, gas grates, and electric coils trap grease differently and scratch under different tools.
- Gas stovetopBurners, grates, and the pan under them. Grease and boiled-over food sit in cast iron and enamel, not on a flat sheet of glass.
- OvenThe inside of a kitchen oven. Spattered fat polymerizes on walls and racks; the door glass and the cavity are not the same job.
- Shower glassGlass shower doors and panels. Hard water, soap scum, and body oils build up quickly in a wet, poorly ventilated stall.
- Tile floorFired tile underfoot. The tile face and the grout lines are different materials; what is safe on glaze can stain or erode grout.
- ToiletThe bowl, rim jets, and seat. Mineral ring, biofilm, and under-rim soil are different jobs; never mix bleach with an acid toilet cleaner.
- UpholsteryFabric on sofas and chairs that cannot go in a washer. Wetting the padding, dye bleed, and the cleaning code on the tag all constrain the method.
- FaucetTaps and their aerators. Hard water crusts on the spout and inside the aerator screen; harsh abrasives scratch chrome and PVD finishes.
- GroutThe porous joints between tiles. Grout holds soap, minerals, and mildew in a way that glass does not, so it needs its own methods.
- RefrigeratorThe fridge box, shelves, and door seals. Spills, odors, and mold collect in gaskets; the exterior finish is a separate surface.
- WindowsInterior and exterior window glass. Dust, outdoor grime, and sprinkler spots are different soils than shower minerals; coatings and screens change the method.
- CarpetTextile floor covering. Spills sink into the pile and the pad; over-wetting and the wrong cleaner can set stains or leave odor.
- DishwasherThe tub, filter, and door gasket. Hard water, grease, and food bits clog the filter and film the interior.
- SinkA basin and its drain. Kitchen grease and bathroom toothpaste are different soils; stainless, porcelain, and composite scratch and stain differently.
- MicrowaveThe interior box and the turntable. Spattered food cooks onto the walls; the door seal and the cavity need different care.
- Washing machineThe drum, detergent drawer, and door gasket. Residue and mildew collect in the seal and the drawer more than on the drum face.
- AppliancesKitchen and laundry machines. Soil hides in different places on each one — coils, seals, filters — so a method that works on an oven does not transfer to a washer.
- FloorsWalking surfaces in the home. Finish, grout, and pile change what you can wet, scrub, or leave to dry.
- Clothing and fabricsWearable cloth, upholstery, bedding, and window fabric. Fiber, dye, and construction change what a stain treatment can do.
- FixturesTubs, toilets, taps, and sinks. They share hard water and soap film, but coatings, porcelain, and aerators need different tools.
- Stainless steelBrushed or polished stainless on appliances, sinks, and fixtures. Fingerprints and water spots show on the grain; the wrong polish or wipe direction leaves streaks and can scratch.
- Natural stoneGranite, marble, and other stone. Acids etch calcite stones; sealers and poultice methods do not apply the same way on every slab.