Quick answer: A good multi-surface spray can replace several of the bottles under your sink, including separate glass cleaner, kitchen counter spray, appliance cleaner and furniture wipe. It should not replace your toilet cleaner, and it is not meant for mopping whole floors. Most Indian homes can get by with five everyday cleaners instead of ten or more.
Open the cabinet under most kitchen sinks and you will find a separate bottle for glass, one for the counter, one for the stove, one for the bathroom tiles, and often a few half-used ones nobody remembers buying. Many of them do almost the same job. Fewer products means less money spent, less plastic and fewer chemicals around the home.
Why one spray can do several jobs
Most everyday dirt in a home is a mix of dust, fingerprints, light grease and water marks. All of these are lifted by the same thing: surfactants, which loosen dirt and oil so you can wipe them away. A well-made multi-surface cleaner uses gentle, plant-based surfactants that are strong enough for daily grime but safe on most hard surfaces, and it dries without streaks so it works on glass too.
What a multi-surface spray can replace
- Glass and mirror cleaner. Windows, mirrors and glass tables. See our tips on cleaning glass without streaks.
- Kitchen counter spray. Granite, laminate and steel counters after cooking.
- Appliance cleaner. The outside of the fridge, microwave, oven door and chimney body.
- Furniture and table wipe. Dining tables, study desks and sealed wooden surfaces.
- Light bathroom cleaning. Mirrors, taps and the outside of the sink, between deeper cleans.
What it should not replace
- Toilet cleaner. The toilet bowl needs a thicker cleaner that clings to the surface and tackles stains and limescale. Read why acid toilet cleaners are not the only option.
- Floor cleaner. Floors need a cleaner that is diluted in a bucket and safe to leave on surfaces children and pets touch, without rinsing. Spraying a whole floor is slow and wasteful.
- Dishwashing liquid. Cookware and plates need a cleaner made for food contact.
- Laundry detergent. Fabrics need a cleaner made to rinse out of fibres.
Avoid using any spray on unsealed wood, natural stone that is already etched, or electronic screens unless the label says it is safe.
The simple cleaning cabinet
For most Indian homes, these five cover almost everything:
- A multi-surface and glass cleaner
- A floor cleaner
- A toilet cleaner
- A dishwashing liquid
- A laundry detergent
If you are not sure what the labels on your current bottles mean, our guide to your cleaning cabinet's secret language explains the warning symbols, and this room-by-room guide helps you switch one product at a time.
How to get the best results from a multi-surface spray
- Spray onto the surface, wait 30 to 60 seconds for greasy areas, then wipe.
- Use a microfibre cloth for streak-free glass and a separate one for the kitchen.
- Spray onto the cloth, not the surface, around switches and appliance panels.
Our five
Peels & Co makes exactly these five everyday cleaners: our Glass & Multi-Surface Cleaner, Floor Cleaner, Toilet Cleaner, Dishwashing Liquid and Laundry Liquid. All are plant-based, 100% biodegradable and independently lab tested. The Complete Home Care Kit gives you all five in one box.
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