What’s In My Cleaning Caddy?

Celebrating the workhorses of your supplies!

Today’s post explores two of my favorite cleaning supplies: Bon Ami powder cleanser, and vinegar.

These powerhouse products are my favorite for cleaning. While they aren’t used together, and they work in different areas on different jobs, they can each go a long way in helping to tackle trouble spots in the home.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission from any purchases made through the links.

What is Bon Ami? A powder cleanser that started back in the 1800s whose French name means “Good Friend”. Its claim to fame is that it doesn’t scratch * (*most surfaces if used with a soft sponge.) My grandmother uses it, my parents use it, and gosh darn it, that’s good enough for me.

It’s coming back into fashion as it is more “green” than many traditional powder cleansers. It’s still hard to find, but I’ve had luck at target, Home Depot, and Amazon. It has a baby chick on the front, a nod to the fact that baby chickens don’t yet scratch the dirt. Folksy and memorable, am I right?

Bon Ami brings porcelain sinks to a shine and really gets into the gunk around faucets. It cleans tile and showers easily. Use it on a wet sponge and rinse afterwards.

It does need to be rinsed off well to not leave a film behind, and can’t be used on glass and a few other surfaces. But man, where it can be used, this little baby acts as the workhorse of your cleaning caddy.

One other surprising area it can be used is inside your ceramic coated cookware. Burn something to the inside of your ceramic pan that won’t scrub away? Just a little Bon Ami will take the stain right off. Amazing! (as always, check your instructions for your individual pieces)

And Now….

On to white vinegar: the vintage, all-purpose, cheap, green, and safe cleaning staple.

This product cleans, disinfects, removes and prevents mold from growing. It's great for hard surfaces. Do not use on stained wood as some stain finishes or top coats can be removed or ruined.

Sanitize your sink. Wipe out your sink with vinegar on a sponge or cloth. If you want to use it for some scrubbing power instead, you can mix some baking soda for the fizzing action, but know that this negates the sanitizing properties since one is a base and one is an acid.

Cleaning plastic coated patio furniture to remove and prevent mildew. Mix with water and a little dawn for scrubbing power. Don’t do this while on a stained deck as it can cause discoloration.

Put some white vinegar in with your laundry for freshness. In fact, use it to wipe down the inside of your washer using a microfiber cloth when it needs a little extra freshening.

*Tip: I have more tips on cleaning your washing machine in my Winter Laundry Post.

Get those buckets clean!

Use it to clean out any mildew from your dehumidifier bucket. Mixed again with Dawn (seeing a pattern here?) and water, a handled scrub brush will dislodge the gunk clinging to the bottom of the container.

Use it to clean a leather couch. Mixed at a 1:1 ratio with water, a cloth dampened with this mixture will clean up your sofa easily. (Check your manufacturer's instructions in case they advise you to do something else!) This is how I keep our couch clean.

What are your favorite household uses for vinegar? Leave a comment down below and let us know!

*I am not endorsed by any manufacturers of the products pictured here, all trademarks are property of their respective owners.