A Clean House Without the Elbow Grease

I love a clean house, almost as much as I love saving money and time. But, like almost everyone, I hate the work and time that's involved with cleaning. I also hate investing in household products that don't work or don't justify the expense. Sometimes I see a product and wonder if it's worth the investment. Other times I convince myself that a product is just too cheap to possibly work. To help you in your efforts to have a sparkling clean home while minimizing the amount of money and time you spend trying things that don't cut the mustard, I've compiled this list of products that are truly worth it!

· Kaboom Never Scrub Continuous Toilet Cleaning System - This costs about $10 regular retail price. I picked mine up on sale with a coupon to minimize the cost. The payback? For my $7 investment, I have a clean toilet for three whole months! I always felt like no sooner had I finished scrubbing my toilet than the mildew ring was back again! Sometimes I'd have company and not realize the ring was there until during their visit or after they left - eek! Well worry no more, my friends, this product truly delivers on its promise. It works with every flush - no blue water, no tablets. It even comes with a reminder of when you need to change the cartridge. Which leads me to another beautiful point - you only buy the unit once and then just buy refill cartridges, which are only $3 - $4. You, too, can have clean toilets forever! Visit www.kaboomkaboom.com for more details and a video demonstration.

· Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - Does it really work like magic as portrayed in the commercials? YES - it really works like magic. Those annoying black marks on walls are a thing of the past with the Magic Eraser. The bonus? This product is very inexpensive! Visit www.homemadesimple.com/sites/en_US/mrclean/products/eraser.shtml to learn about tons of other potential uses for this magical product (including buffing shoes and erasing scratches on automobiles - WOW!)

· Swiffer Sweeper - Make traditional mopping a thing of the past with the Swiffer! I love my Swiffer. I don't use the Wet Jet power unit, which can be pricey - just the wet and dry cloths along with the manual sweeper. I can't believe I used to fill up buckets of water to clean my floors. I have used my Swiffer on refinished hardwood floors, ceramic tile and linoleum. Additionally, Pledge makes a very similar product called "Grab-It" which has the same end result and cloths that are interchangeable with the Swiffer cloths (hey, it's just so much more fun to say "Swiffer," isn't it?), so buy whatever is cheapest and make floor cleaning easy. www.swiffer.com

· Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner - This calls for a rather hefty initial investment of about $25, but I've also found some hefty coupons to offset the price of the Automatic Shower Cleaner. A lot of people are skeptical about this product, and I was no exception. I waited for my sister to try it before getting one for myself. I can't say if the Automatic Shower Cleaner would really clean a disgusting shower like the one depicted in the commercial, because mine was never that bad (if your shower is that bad, you may need more help than this product can provide!), but it definitely keeps my shower clean as promised with zero effort. Visit www.automaticshowercleaner.com to learn more and also to see if coupon offers are available.

· Dyson Vacuum - OUCH! Dyson vacuums retail for $400 and up, which leads most people to think they are doing just fine with their three year old Eureka, Hoover, etc. I was no exception. I wanted a Dyson, I just didn't want to spend the money to get one. My friends who bit the bullet sang the praises of Dyson, but I still was not convinced - UNTIL we went to a Dyson-owning friend's party and my date who is seriously allergic to cats had absolutely no reaction in the house which had two resident cats. I ordered my Dyson the next day (which I was able to find on sale online for $295 shipped!), and I've never looked back. If you are still not convinced, borrow a Dyson from someone who has one and vacuum your house just ONCE with it. To add to the challenge, vacuum with it immediately after vacuuming with your three year old Eureka. The disgusting matter that accumulates in the repository will be all it takes to convince you that this vacuum is worth every penny! www.dyson.com will tell you everything you ever wondered about this vacuum.

· Oxi-Clean - The commercials weren't wrong. Although this has a claim to fame as a multi-purpose cleaner, my favorite use for Oxi-Clean is as a laundry booster. I used to use liquid bleach as a laundry additive for my whites. No longer will I ruin clothes over time with liquid bleach now that Oxi-Clean is on the case. Look for coupons and buy larger sizes to defray the cost of Oxi-Clean.

· Bissell Oxy Kic Carpet Cleaner - This cleaner has passed the tests of cat puke, blood and red wine in my house. Additionally, it starts to clean immediately without any scrubbing involved. Sometimes I go back to the stain to blot it out and have trouble finding where the stain was - it works that well. The secret is apparently the dual chambers of oxygen and liquid cleaner that don't mix until the point of treatment. Whatever the secret is doesn't matter to me, though, this stuff works better than any carpet stain remover I've ever tried, and best of all, it's effortless.

· Suavitel liquid fabric softener - Bye-bye Downy and Snuggle, Suavitel is my new favorite liquid fabric softener. It delivers the same great results with a wonderful smell to boot for about half the cost. I initially looked at Suavitel and thought it was way too cheap to work well. In this case, disregard the "you get what you pay for" motto, and just buy it! It won't make laundry easier, but it will save you money without sacrificing great results.

A toast to your sparkling clean home! By utlizing the products in this article, you may just find that you have time to enjoy living in it instead of cleaning it!