Thursday, December 10, 2009

The best cleaning wipes

Grant Cornett

Grant Cornett

Testers tried 20 different cleaning wipes. These eight -- fast working, effective, sturdy, and gently (if at all) scented -- wiped out the competition

Best Cleaning Wipes for Tile

Winner: Method Flushable
Biodegradable and lightly scented with mint and eucalyptus, these wipes "even motivated me to clean the scary spot behind the toilet," said a tester.
To Buy: www.methodhome.com.

Runner-Up: Fantastik Multi-Surface
Cleaned all surfaces, especially in the bathroom. If they were flushable, they would be perfect.
To Buy: At drugstores.

Best Cleaning Wipes for Glass

Winner: Windex Glass & Surface
One tester confessed, "I didn't realize how dirty my windows were." These wipes worked so well on her mirrors that she gave up her spray bottle for good.
To Buy: At drugstores.

Runner-Up: Hope's Perfect Glass
Lived up to the name. But very stubborn stains required some muscle.
To Buy: www.perfectglass.com for stores.

See Real Simple's Guide to The Best Sponges

Best Cleaning Wipes for Countertops

Winner: Clorox Disinfecting
High marks went to the easy pop top ("I opened it with one hand," said a tester) and the way the ridged cloths tackled spills -- even solidified cake batter -- without irritating skin or noses.
To Buy: At drugstores.

Runner-Up: Get Clean Basic H2 Organic Super Cleaning
These fast-acting, if pricey, wipes are biodegradable.
To Buy: www.shakleegetclean.com.

Best Cleaning Wipes for Wood

Winner: Murphy Soft
"Dust and dirt magnets" is how one tester described these wipes, which also received praise for their citrus scent and the shiny, residue-free finish they left in their wake.
To Buy: At drugstores.

Runner-Up: Method Wood For Good
A single wipe picked up all the dirt but wasn't as great at removing dust.
To Buy: www.methodhome.com.

More from Real Simple:
Nitty-Gritty Guide to Cleaning Household Surfaces
6 Stain-Busters That Really Work
How to Speed-Clean Your Kitchen
Easy Fixes for 8 Common Kitchen Mishaps

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From the Community…

Comments 1-10 of 17
  • CarolB's Avatar
    Posted by CarolB Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:35pm PST

    wipes are always pricey. However I know Shaklee products are truly "green products". Why not try the basic H2 cleaner. Only 2 drops per 16 oz of water makes a great class cleaner and just a 1/4 teasp. makes a cleaning product. A 16 oz bottle of H2 makes 48 gallons of super safe non-toxic cleaning. So I would say that isnt pricey. Visit my squidoo lens at http://www.squidoo.com/cleanandgreen, a lens about eliminating toxins from your own and a cost comparison between green cleaning supplies and common cleaning supplies.

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  • Rogers Starks's Avatar
    Posted by Rogers Starks Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:46pm PST

    All I have to say is seeing is beliving! Really, biodegradable and lightly scented...wow!

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  • Kimberly's Avatar
    Posted by Kimberly Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:44am PST

    These are awesome!!! I love wipes because they are quick and easy to use. The Method products are a wonderful way to go green. I love the scents they use. The house does not smell like chemicals or bleach. I have been able to find them at Target and also some wonderful starter kits at HSN.com.

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  • SHAHZAD NAQVI's Avatar
    Posted by SHAHZAD NAQVI Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:19pm PST

    The thing that I really would like to see happen but ofcourse I am talking about cleaning wipes is the absorbancy and not sticking to skin after use in small tiny globules of paper which I think is hideous to remove in washrooms even if no one is looking and personally it's really to me very annoying . irritating and the whole thing gets on my nerves and I think about it until I start doing something else and if not it just lingers and lingers and lingers.

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  • SHAHZAD NAQVI's Avatar
    Posted by SHAHZAD NAQVI Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:20pm PST

    The thing that I really would like to see happen but ofcourse I am talking about cleaning wipes is the absorbancy and not sticking to skin after use in small tiny globules of paper which I think is hideous to remove in washrooms even if no one is looking and personally it's really to me very annoying . irritating and the whole thing gets on my nerves and I think about it until I start doing something else and if not it just lingers and lingers and lingers.

    Report Abuse
  • CarolB's Avatar
    Posted by CarolB Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:32pm PST

    Hi Kimberly, so you think Method wipes are green. I looked up the ingredients and one of the ingredients is POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE which has a list of hazardous to you your health items You can read it here http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/r?dbs+hsdb:@term+@rn+1310-58-3 it is the hazardous substance data base. I wont even go on to say how hazardous it is to the environment. Anyways just wanted to point out that there are so many companies claiming to be green and in reality they are not totally truthful. Biodegradable just means it breaks down, doesnt necessarily mean it is green. For instance sytrofoam isnt biodegradable because it does not break down, or at least it takes a hundred years or so. Hated to burst your bubble, but to many people are being brainwashed by companies claiming to be green. Check out my squidoo lens http://www.squidoo.com/cleanandgreen

    :)

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  • Susan's Avatar
    Posted by Susan Sun Feb 15, 2009 7:19pm PST

    I've tried the Windex wipes (I got a free sample) and found them to be very dry. I had to use several sheets for a mirror when just one paper towel with a few squirts from the bottle of Windex worked great before. Maybe my sample was old and dried out?

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  • Habanero♥™'s Avatar
    Posted by Habanero♥™ Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:14am PST

    Thank you Carol for commenting about these hazardous wipes. I don't understand to the laziness of people. What happened with a good old rag and a bucket of soapy water. Germaphobics are making their kids sicker and sicker with all these ridiculous antiseptic supplies. Remember mommies, if your child has asthma and you used these products while carrying junior, you contributed to his illness.

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  • Denise's Avatar
    Posted by Denise Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:08pm PST

    The best cleaning wipes are free ones! I found homemade recipes for cleaning products and also some info on being an at home product tester for brand name companies. So far I have received two bottles of laundry detergent and I am very happy about that. The site I found is a blog called www(dot)realwomenrealmoneyworkfromhome(dot)blogspot(dot)com

    it is not selling anything, just free info on creative ways to save money from home

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  • Rose's Avatar
    Posted by Rose Thu Feb 19, 2009 9:19am PST

    why not just use STEAM to clean with instead of chemicals?

    I think it's called a shark steamer or something. I haven't bought it but I do plan on buying a Hahn steam cleaner for my floors. I hate all that chemical residue. Just use water!

    Whatever happened to good old fashion ELBOW GREASE!

    I personally use Simple Green (I dilute my own from the concentrate) and use paper towels for most things.)! I love being able to clean my ccounters without the chemical HEADACHE from fumes.

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Comments 1-10 of 17

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