What is Cif for? And other dumb questions

[Horispondle]

I buy up all of Home Bargains cleaning aisle every week in the hope that all the cleaning products i buy might magically club together and clean the house themselves. Hasn't happened so far so need some advice.

1. What is Cif for?
2. What is the magic eraser for?
3. What kind of bleach do I need? I want to clean the plastic bath mat, white plug and drain catcher - I've only ever bought toilet bleach - can I use that for general cleaning or do I need separate bleach?
4. Can I use zoflora for my whole kitchen on should I be using Mr Muscle and Detoll too?

I use cif on the bath, and if I've got something somewhere that needs scrubbing off. It adds a bit more elbow grease, IMO.
Magic eraser. I bought one when moving out. It removed crayon and stuff marks from my walls.
Bleaching. I'd use Milton for those jobs, but I have it in the house. Toilet bleach would probably be OK - but toilet bleach, not garlic or duck toilet cleaners, which are different.
Never used zoflora. But as I understand it, you can use it as the only kitchen cleaner.

1. I don't use cif. I think it's a general multipurpose cleaner with the bonus of being slightly abrasive (so you could use it in kitchens/bathrooms) but I don't think it's a disinfectant and I seem to remember it leaves a residue hence why I don't use it
2. For marks on walls. Also works well to clean/shine taps
3. I only use bleach down the Loo - I use normal thick bleach and leave it to soak for a while before flushing away. Have you tried your plastic bath mat in the washing machine? Depends what kind of dirt is on your plug and drain catcher as to how I would clean it but I probably wouldn't use bleach
4. I use zoflora for cleaning pretty much everything - it's a disinfectant. So I mix up a capful in a bowl of soapy water and use it to clean work tops/sinks/appliances (I also use in the bathrooms) and the floor too. I have no need for mr muscle or any other cleaner as well unless it's for something specific. So I have - zoflora for general cleaning (diluted in hot water), bleach for the loos, Polish (for the very odd occasions I dust shelves) and then specific things like limescale remover (for showers/taps)

That's harpic, not garlic

I use cif or the cheaper tesco brand for the bathroom, sink, shower and showed screen. Also for cleaning my stainless steel sink and my stainless steel cooker top. I then buff up to a shine with a squirt of wd40!

(You can make up zoflora with water in a spray bottle too if you prefer)

I'd use cif on something like a sink or bath.

On the whole though I tend just to use own brand Brillo pads on stainless steel plug holes etc, bleach to to put things like cloths in soak & for the toilet & window cleaner for everything else (work tops, sinks, Windows, washable wall surfaces etc)
I also use disinfectant to clean the kitchen floor & for emergency dog/child accidents/illness.

I use Magic Erasers for almost everything. They're great for shining taps and taking soapy scummy cloudy residue from bathroom tiles and shower doors (I hope it's not just me who has that! ). They remove stains/marks/crayons from walls and from white shoes! Anything, really.

I put neat bleach in a spray bottle and spray over tiles and grout after cleaning to make sure any marks and germs are gone, plus occasionally add a capful to a white wash.

I like Cif foam for cleaning the bath - I think it's nonsense, however, that you're supposed to spray it on then rinse. I do think it needs a scrub too (Magic Eraser again!)

Magic erasers are abrasive so I'd be wary of using them everything. The only thing I use in is the loo. I use Flash bathroom spray for cleaning the bathroom and either ecloths or an ecloth mop and very hot water or hot soapy water for other jobs.

It is unnecessary to kill every germ and hot water and soap are effective on most of them anyway.

I find cif fantastic for cleaning cupboards.

Cif is fab on stainless steel sinks - no clue what to do with Zoflora though and a bottle of bleach lasts me forever!

Magic Erasers will scratch, Cif/Jif is brilliant but just for small areas of actual dirt, no need to use it all over. You probably only need to use a tiny amount of anything. I generally rinse everything properly. You should never use bleach in the loo particularly if it's new or drains. Whatever you put down your drain ends up in our water.

I only added cif (or other generic cream cleaners) to my cleaning armoury earlier this year. I know it's very chemical heavy (compared to the method stuff I try to use for the rest of the house) but I find the lemon scent and slight abrasiveness very satisfying! Because I'm a bit sad like that.

I only actually use it to clean my stainless steel sink. It gets rid of the watermarks beautifully.

CIF is a mild abrasive cleaner, fab for things that need a bit of help and there is nothing better for stainless steel. However there is downsides, it can be too hard for some stuff, I.e it will scratch plastic and “dull” high shine plastic surfaces (baths etc). Also in recent years there have been some major environmental concerns due to the use of “micro beads” in cif.

Bleach is bleach (sodium hypochlorite) doesn’t matter what bottle it is in (one designed for toilets or not) I use bleach for everything : there is no better germ killer, it kills every known germ on the planet, and is perfect for killing mould and whitening laundry. However, bleach is NOT a cleaner (it’s a disenfectant). So I use it in a soulution of water with washing up liquid with a cloth. Never mix bleach with anything but washing up liquid (especially never with either vinegar or ammonia).

Zoflora is a non bleach based disenfectant (a not very good one), it is sold more on its scent, it comes in a million scents and is very highly scented. I personally am not the biggest fan of it, but you can use it where ever you would use a disenfectant - kitchen, bathroom, floors etc. I wouldn’t use it anywhere too close to food areas though because of its scent.

Home Bargains does a glass cloth, which is brilliant.