Said It Here

Non-toxic cleaning products to buy when moving into a new home

Buying safe cleaning supplies from scratch for multiple surfaces like glass stovetops, stainless steel, carpet, and vinyl plank floors feels overwhelming without a clear starter list. People get stuck wondering whether DIY staples like vinegar and Dawn are actually safe and effective for everything or if they risk damaging specific finishes.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Using isopropyl alcohol for glass surfaces and polishing stainless steel
  2. 2
    Diluting a disinfecting floor cleaner into a spray bottle for countertops and bathrooms
  3. 3
    Using dish soap and a sponge for shower glass and sinks
  4. 4
    Using ripped-up old towels as reusable cleaning cloths
  5. 5
    Using the cleaning ingredients separately
  6. 6
    Switching to commercial disinfectant or alternative commercial cleaners
  7. 7
    Using Sal's Suds or hypochlorous acid for specific cleaning tasks

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/CleaningTips3 people · September 2026

“Can someone please tell me why vinegar and dawn isn’t a good multipurpose cleaner?”source ↗

“But now I’m hearing that it’s NOT a good general cleaner?? If it’s effective, is there any harm I’m doing by using it?Can someone break that down for me?”source ↗

louhooboo · r/CleaningTips · 9 upvotes

“Not sure.but I'd like to know more myself.”source ↗

morTinuviel · r/CleaningTips · 1 upvotes

“I’m moving into a new place and need to buy all of my cleaning supplies from scratch. I’ll have a glass stovetop and a stainless-steel refrigerator; also carpet on the second floor and vinyl plank flooring on the first floor.”source ↗

“Pease recommend non-toxic cleaning products for the whole house, including the kitchen, stovetop, refrigerator, bathrooms, windows etc.?”source ↗

Sunny-8722 · r/CleaningTips

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised