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• Soap

  The old standby is mild enough for personal use, but doesn’t work too well in hard water.

• Detergent

  A cleaning agent that, unlike traditional soap, works well in hard water.

• Water softener

  A powder can help with laundering in hard water. There’s also a more permanent solution.

• Water

  This is the universal solvent for cleaning.

• Chelating agent

  A "builder" that gets dissolved minerals out of the way of laundry detergent.

• Mineral scale

  That white or beige crust is coming from your tap water.

• Haitian cotton

  Cleaning this natural-look upholstery fabric is a real challenge, even for professionals.

• Oven, continuous-cleaning

  Abrasive pads and harsh cleaning agents can degrade this oven’s ability to keep itself clean.

• Surfactant

  It makes water wetter!

• Denatured alcohol

  This solvent is a capable spot cleaner on many hard surfaces.

• Quartz surface

  It's a lot more resistant to staining and damage than other stone or composite countertops. Cleanup is easy.

• Boots

  They'll last a long time with proper care.

• Bathtub

  Enamel or plastic? Know before you clean.

• Stainless steel

  Its name refers to rust and stain resistance, but it’s not stain-proof. Here’s how to deal with everyday blemishes.

• Phosphates

  Once widely used to soften water for use in washing machines, some makers have reduced use of these chemicals.

• Builders

  These additives build on the power of detergent in a number of ways.

• Answering machine

  Make quick work of cleaning this small appliance.

• Shower squeegee

  A simple, effective tool that will reduce the number of cleanings showers and tubs need.

• Hard water

  Water chemistry has an important bearing on many cleaning tasks.

• Yellowing

  It happens to both fabrics and hard flooring. Here’s how to deal with it.

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