Just so you know, this post may contain affiliate links. Meaning Chemistry Cachet may receive commissions for purchases made through those links, at no cost to you. You can read my disclosure policy for more information.

I’m a chemist, and here is why you should use a cream cleaner in your routine for quick and easy cleaning.

These are my two favorite brands for effectiveness, cost, and ingredients.

Today, I am sharing why they are great to keep on hand and how to use it.

Use A Cream Cleaner In Your Routine For Quick & Easy Cleaning

There are two brands of cream cleaners I love, Mrs. Meyers Cream Cleaner (the packaging is different now by the way), and The Pink Stuff Cream Cleaner.

How To Use A Cream Cleaner In Your Routine?

Cream cleaners are incredibly versatile, thanks to their mild abrasive texture that tackles grime without scratching most surfaces. This makes them a go-to for many cleaning tasks around your home. They are affordable and effective for quick cleaning too.

You’ll find cream cleaners particularly effective for many areas of the home.

I incorporate cream cleaners with my electric scrub brush for bathroom surfaces. I also use a good sturdy sponge like a scrub daddy to do sinks or outdoor furniture. All the items I use can be found here.

Bathroom Surfaces

Their gentle scrubbing power is perfect for quickly cleaning bathtubs, sinks, showers, and tiles, effortlessly cutting through soap scum and watermarks.

Kitchen Surfaces

From stainless steel sinks (my personal favorite use) and cooktops to porcelain enamel, cream cleaners can restore shine and remove stubborn food residues and grease without harsh scratching.

Plastic Items

They work wonders on plastic outdoor furniture and children’s toys, making quick work of dirt, scuffs, and built-up grime, leaving them looking fresh.

There are so many other uses too! Many people use cream cleaners on things like garden tools, tires, and even to remove scuff marks from vinyl flooring or painted walls (always test in an inconspicuous area first when you try it on this).

Essentially, if it’s a hard, non-porous surface with grime, a cream cleaner is likely a good option!

My personal favorite uses for cleaning with a cream cleaner are sinks and bathtubs! I keep these on hands for the fastest sink cleaning and scrubbing. Not to mention, they smell SO good. The Mrs. Meyers lemon verbena has a great scent that people always ask me about when they come inside. They say wow, your house smells so good. And it is just the cleaner!

How Do Cream Cleaners Work?

Unlike liquid sprays, it has a thicker, creamy consistency, which helps it cling to surfaces and provides a bit more scrubbing power.

Here’s a little science behind how they work

Most cream cleaners contain fine abrasive particles (like calcium carbonate, also known as limestone or marble dust, or baking soda even quartz like the Pink Stuff brand) that help to gently scrub away tough stains, grime, soap scum, and burnt-on food without scratching most surfaces. The key is “mild” – these abrasives are much finer than those found in traditional scouring powders. Powdery abrasives like baking soda or calcium carbonate are great for scrubbing.

Cream cleaners contain surfactants, which help lift and emulsify dirt and grease, allowing them to be easily wiped away. You see surfactants in products like dish soap.

These cleaners also have a thickening agent to give the cleaner its characteristic creamy texture, preventing it from running off vertical surfaces and allowing for better contact time with the stain.

Other ingredients may also include agents to enhance cleaning or provide a shine.

Which one is Chemistry Cachet’s favorite?

I really love them both, and you will usually see each one in my cabinet. The Mrs. Meyers brand has fresher, more lingering scent. It is also a little thicker and has more baking soda. The Pink Stuff has a more mild scent, but it is less thick in texture. It doesn’t leave as much of residue.

Either way you go, you can’t beat the quick, easy, and affordable cleaning power of a cream cleaner!