Rating Disclaimer
Restore Furniture Cleaner & Protector claims it is formulated to clean, polish and protect wood and laminate surfaces. I was mostly interested in how it performed on wood, since there are a multitude of products out there that clean laminates and other hard surfaces. So, I tried Restore on my heirloom credenza, after having dusted and polished it for years with what’s probably the leading brand (“Product A” below). Restore Furniture Cleaner & Protector sprayed directly onto the surface and wiped with a clean cotton rag removed all dust, fingerprints and smudges beautifully, and left a nice luster when buffed. In other words, the difference between Restore and Product A was nil, except for Restore’s light orange-oil aroma versus the lemony smell of my usual product.
Restore’s label lists its formula as food-grade organosilicon, renewable plant-based surfactants and citrus solvents, with no toxic petroleum solvents, OSHA-listed hazardous ingredients or known carcinogens, and is not tested on animals. Product A’s label lists no ingredients.
Restore’s corporate tagline is “Restoring the planet one bottle at a time.” The big story here is that in a time when ingredient labels should be scrutinized more closely by all of us, the formulations of all Restore products consist of natural, non-toxic ingredients rather than the harsh chemicals that go into many cleaning products.
Restore’s ingenious “Refill Stations” are popping up at stores like Whole Foods, Cub and Festival Foods in Minnesota and expanding into Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Iowa. These machines read the barcode on the original container and automatically fill it with the correct amount of the desired product. It’s a win-win for the consumer, the company and the environment: shoppers get a $1 “instant coupon” to save on their refill by using the original spray bottle or plastic jug, Restore saves on distribution and packaging, used containers don’t go into landfills, and toxic substances stay out of the air and water.
Make no mistake: with price and performance being roughly equal (which they are), I’d prefer to clean the house with products that are safer for me, my loved ones and the planet.
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Tom McNulty is the author of Clean Like a Man — Housekeeping for Men (and the Women Who Love Them). It’s filled with dozens of tips, tricks and MANdatory advice to streamline housecleaning. Published by Random House/Three Rivers Press, available in bookstores and on 
