Until I started reviewing kitchen gear five years ago, I rarely read product manuals or user guides. I’m sure that’s due in large part to my ADHD, as my brain tends to move more quickly than step-by-step instructions allow. Plus, I like to figure things out on my own, thank you very much!
But my rogue, DIY, quick-start method hasn’t always worked out in my favor. I inadvertently killed my first Dyson stick vacuum (that I saved for months to buy) because I failed to educate myself on proper filter maintenance. And I’ve owned my car for a decade and still have no clue what a couple of the buttons actually do.
While user error can make for a funny punchline, it can also get expensive. For example, it might seem silly to read the manual for a nonstick frying pan or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, but that’s where you’d learn that putting it in the dishwasher or using metal utensils can destroy or degrade the cooking surface.
In the case of cleaning products, the stakes can be even higher—especially in this era of, er, less restrictive food safety regulations.
Cleaning spray versus disinfecting spray
Before you get to the instructions on the back of a cleaning spray bottle, you need to pay close attention to what’s on the front, because not all kitchen cleaning sprays (no, not even all all-purpose cleaning sprays) are created equally.
Though they might have some very minimal, naturally occurring disinfecting properties from ingredients like vinegar or essential oils, basic cleaning sprays like Mrs. Meyer’s and Aunt Fannie’s have one job—and that is to clean the surfaces in your kitchen. And by “clean,” I mean they contain surfactants, which help to dislodge grease and gunk so you can more easily wipe away a mess.
