10 Cleaning Products to Simplify Newlywed Life

Just rip the plastic around the Electrasol Power Ball Tabs, place them in your dishwasher, and turn it on. In no time, your dirty dishes will come out sparkly and squeaky clean. You can also use the liquid dishwashing detergent but that might cause more water spots to appear. Getting in the habit of turning on the dishwasher before bed, emptying it every morning, and having everyone place dirty dishes directly into the machine throughout the day will make loading as easy as hitting the on switch.

One of the worst parts about cooking at home is the clean up after your delicious meal. Those pots and pans with the caked on grease are probably the most difficult challenge. But using a Brillo steel wool pad to scrub the metal surface removes the bits and pieces like magic. It's never a bad idea to wipe up the blue residue the Brillo leaves behind with some soapy dish washing liquid and a sponge. Without steel wool, you'll have to soak and scrub your pots and pans for far more time.

Swiffer revolutionized many a home. Traditional mops were bulky and were filthy after their first run across the floor, which meant you were wiping dirt back and forth as you cleaned. Having disposable sheets that had the dirt sticking to them, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, made it possible to truly clean the floor. The dry sheets worked. But the Swiffer WetJet is even better. Now, you can spray detergent onto the floor as you wipe it. No heavy buckets. No wringing out stringy, dingy mops. No leaving mops outside to dry. One downside: Dirt does sometimes get stuck in the corners, so you should pass a dry paper towel around the edges of the room after running through with the WetJet. Still, it beats an old-fashioned mop any day.

No home should be without Pine Sol. Because of its versatility, you can use it in almost every room. Need to disinfect the floors in the bathroom or kitchen? Use Pine Sol. Need to disinfect and deodorize the toilet? Throw some Pine Sol in there. Want to freshen up your counters? Wipe them down with Pine Sol. It's cheap and cleans just about anything that is really yucky and could potentially give you diseases.

If rubbing down countertops and other similar surfaces with Pine Sol seems a little clumsy, you might consider the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. You just pull the handy wipe out of the container, wipe the surface you want to purify, and dump the wipe in the garbage. What's great about these wipes is that if you wipe with them fairly frequently, you will cut down on the amount of time you have to spend cleaning and scrubbing. They are especially great in the bathroom. Your guests might even appreciate seeing them out and using them to wipe down the counters after they finish washing their hands.

Moms everywhere will tell you that the Barkeeper's Friend, an abrasive or gel, that helps remove scratches is another must-have in the bathroom or kitchen. Although this stuff will burn your eyes out because of its strength, it really works like magic. The first time the plumber has to snake the drain of your toilet and leaves those horrible scratches, you will wipe the Barkeeper's Friend on them and watch them disappear. It will keep your matrimonial toilet from looking like the one at the gas station down the street.

Cleaning the shower has always been a time consuming and sometimes physically painful chore. You have to bend over, get on your knees, and scrub the soap scum and mildew. Thanks to the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner, you just have to press a button and the work -- at least on the shower walls -- is done for you. If done frequently, this can cut down on the time you spend actually scrubbing the grime away.

Static cling and lint can be a real problem when you dry your clothes. But fabric softener, either in a liquid form or on a sheet, can help you rid of the static cling and lint, which makes folding clothes easier. It also keeps your clothes looking better and smelling fresher with little work from you.

Anyone who has ever had trouble ironing -- left burn marks on your white shirts, couldn't get a crease out no matter what you did -- will appreciate a digital iron, such as this one by Black and Decker. You pick the kind of material that you're ironing -- cotton, polyester, etc. -- and it heats up to the right level. Fill the iron with water and press a button to remove a crease with steam or stream of water. It's simple and keeps you looking good when you get dressed.

Those particles of dust that pile on the wood furniture can be wiped away quick and easy with furniture polish. Pledge is great because it doesn't leave a waxy build up. The lemon- or orange-scented Pledge also leaves the lovely, fresh scent of clean.