It sounds like a wonder product: the all purpose cleaner (or multi-purpose cleaner) that typically does away with many of the hassles associated with cleaning. No need to store five separate bottles of expensive cleaning products, when just the one will do! No need to worry if you’re using the right cleaner for the task, just spray away. But are there any limitations to an all purpose cleaner? Read on to discover more.What is an All Purpose Cleaner?A multi-purpose cleaner is designed to be used on many different surfaces and for a variety of cleaning tasks around the house. There is no ‘standard’ set of ingredients for the cleaner, but they typically can act as a disinfectant, detergent, de-greaser, and solvent.Different brands of cleaner will have a different balance of ingredients and might work better on some surfaces than others. If one brand isn’t as effective as you might like at cleaning part of your house, then try another.

Your all purpose cleaner is likely to contain powerful chemicals to get rid of dirt. Be sure to follow the directions on the label when using any cleaning product.

Additional Cleaning Supplies to Use 

Remember that your all purpose cleaner can’t do its job alone – you will still need to buy the following cleaning supplies to tackle most jobs:

• Rubber gloves

• Disposable cleaning cloths

• Face mask (for cleaning in poorly-ventilated areas)

• A 5 litre plastic bucket

• Mop

Basic Cleaning Safety for Household Cleaning Products

When using any household cleaning products for the first time, don’t forget to read the label carefully and protect yourself while handling potentially corrosive or harmful chemicals. A few quick precautions will make the cleaning hassle-free and speedy!

Using All Purpose Cleaning Products to Clean Your House

• Removing dirt and buffing up glass is easy with a multi-purpose cleaner. Just spray on the solution, then, wipe it off with a dry cloth. Make sure to rub windows thoroughly after cleaning, because any solution that isn’t removed will create smear marks on the glass.

• You can use your all purpose cleaner to get rid of marks on painted walls, but be warned most all-purpose mixtures are abrasive and could take off some of the paint, too! Be sure to test out the cleaner on a small unobtrusive patch of wall before tackling the whole surface.

• Most all purpose cleaners are not suitable for use on wooden surfaces, including wooden floors and furniture. Make sure you check the label of the product before going anywhere near your antique mahogany chairs! It looks like this magic cleaner won’t replace all of our household cleaning products just yet.

• Since glass, laminate and steel surfaces can all be cleaned effectively, all purpose cleaners are frequently used in kitchens and bathrooms.

• The majority of multi-purpose cleaners also serve as disinfectants, so they can be used to wipe down food handling areas and inside the fridge.

• Your average all purpose cleaner can also be used to mop down tiles or linoleum flooring. Simply dilute the fluid in a large bucket of hot water – remembering to follow instructions on the bottle – and mop away..