The Restore Spray & Clean label says that it “safely restores the shine to kitchen, bathroom and office surfaces” using renewable plant-based surfactants (from soy, coconut, palm kernel oil or corn), plant-based solvents (orange and soy), citric acid (from corn), abundant minerals and water. It claims it’s safer for indoor air because it is free of common lung irritants. It is concentrated to handle tough kitchen grease and could be diluted in half with water.

 

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Using Restore Spray & Clean

Restore Spray & Clean has a light, pleasant citrus aroma. I tested it head-to-head with a brand-name desk and office cleaner aerosol (foaming, with an aroma that was antiseptic but still pleasant) and a well known orange-based product (strong orange aroma, of course). All performed effectively on the surfaces I compared: a laminated countertop and desktop, stainless steel, several appliances, porcelain, bathroom fixtures. The desk and office cleaner — the most chemical-laden, with ingredients that sounded kind of like the atmosphere on Neptune (isobutene, isopropyl alcohol, surfactant, sodium carbonate monohydrate and monoethanolamine), did a slightly better job than the other two on one stain: a black permanent marker streak on a white laminate counter.

To test Restore’s claim that Spray & Clean’s concentrated formulation handles “tough kitchen grease,” I sprayed it on the most daunting grease I could find, which was bacon spatters at a friend’s house. (I’m a vegetarian, so “tough” grease isn’t very common in my kitchen). Spray & Clean loosened and disbursed the spatters well enough that they could be wiped up with several passes of a damp sponge. The orange-based product frankly did better, the only measurement criteria being the number of swipes required, and the product didn’t seem to be overly loaded with chemicals. The desk and office cleaner aerosol worked best of all, but relied on its chemical-laden makeup to do the job.

Cost

Restore Spray & Clean is pricier than leading brands in this category. But cost aside, its biodegradability and less toxic nature leads me to give it the edge over the other all-purpose cleaners I tested.

Pricing:
Restore Spray & Clean	22 oz. spray bottle	$4.75
	64 oz. refill	$8.95
Brand A	32 oz. spray bottle	$2.89
Brand B	32 oz. spray bottle	$2.79
Brand C	25 oz. spray bottle	$2.89

          
                                          
                              
                              
                               

About Tom McNulty, author of Clean Like a Man

Tom McNulty is the author of Clean Like a Man — Housekeeping for Men (and the Women Who Love Them). It’s filled with dozens of tips, tricks and MANdatory advice to streamline housecleaning. Published by Random House/Three Rivers Press, available in bookstores and on Amazon.com. Visit www.cleanlikeaman.com for even more manly cleaning advice.