Cleaning Vocabulary
So you need to clean your apartment but can’t tell dish soap from bleach? No worries, check out the list below of cleaning vocabulary to help you find just what you are looking for to make your apartment shine.
General
| Baking soda | Jūsō | 重曹 |
| Bleach | Hyōhaku-zai | 漂白剤 |
| Carpet cleaner | Jūtan-yō senzai | じゅうたん用洗剤 |
| Chlorine bleach | Ensokei hyōhaku-zai | 塩素系漂白剤 |
| Room freshener | Hōkō-zai | 芳香剤 |
| Spot cleaner | Bubun -arai yō senzai | 部分洗い用洗剤 |
| Stain remover | Shimi-nuki -yō senzai | しみ抜き用洗剤 |
| Floor cleaner | Fukisōji-yō senzai | 拭き掃除用洗剤 |
| Floor wax | Jūka-yō wakkusu | 住家用ワックス |
| Furniture polish | Kagu no tsuya dashi | 家具の艶出し |
Laundry
| Color-safe (non-chlorine) bleach | Sansokei hyōhaku-zai | 酸素系漂白剤 |
| Detergent | Gōsei senzai | 合成洗剤 |
| Fabric softener | Jūnan shiage-zai | 柔軟仕上げ剤 |
| Laundry soap | Sentaku-yō sekken | 洗濯用石けん |
| Laundry soap, phosphorus-free | Murin sentaku-yō sekken | 無リン洗濯用石けん |
| Powder soap | Kona sekken | 粉石けん |
| Starch (use in washing machine) | Sentaku nori | 洗濯のり |
| Starch spray (for ironing) | Sentaku nori supurē | 洗濯のりスプレー |
| Washing machine cleaner | Sentaku-sō kurīnā | 洗濯槽クリーナー |
| Wool cleaner | Ūru-yō senzai | ウール用洗剤 |
Pest Control
| Mosquito repellent (incense coil) | Ka-tori senkō | 蚊取り線香 |
| Mosquito repellent (electric) | Denshi katori | 電子蚊取り |
| Moth repellent | Bōchūzai | 防虫剤 |
| Roach traps (catches with tape) | Gokiburi hoihoi | ゴキブリホイホイ |
| Roach hotels (poison, kills eggs too) | There’s no generic name, but a good name brand to try is “Combat” コンバット | |
| Ant spray | Ari no sacchū-zai | アリの殺虫剤 |
| Dani (tatami mite) killer | Dani no kujo | ダニの駆除 |
Sinks and Drains
| Bath heater cleaner | Furokama-yō senjō-zai | 風呂釜用洗浄剤 |
| Bathtub cleaner | Furo-yō senzai | 風呂用洗剤 |
| Dish soap | Shokki-yō ekitai senzai | 食器用液体洗剤 |
| Dishwasher detergent | shokki-arai -yō senzai | 食器洗い用洗剤 |
| Drain cleaner | Paipu kuīnā | パイプクリーナー |
| Sink cleaner | Nagashi-yō senzai | 流し用洗剤 |
Mold and Mildew Control
| Dehumidifying pellets | Shikke tori | 湿気取り |
| Mildew cleaner | Kabi kirā | カビキラー |
| Moisture collectors | Joshitsu-zai | 除湿剤 |
Toilets
| For toilets | Toire-yō | トイレ用 |
| Toilet cleaner | Toire-yō senzai | トイレ用洗剤 |
| Toilet cleaner, natural type | Toire-yō senzai chūsei | トイレ用洗剤中性 |
| Toilet cleaner, chlorine type | Toire-yō senzai ensokei | トイレ用洗剤塩素系 |
| Toilet cleaner, acid type | Toire-yō senzai sansei taipu | トイレ用洗剤酸性タイプ |
| Toilet cleaner, antibacterial type | Toire-yō senzai jokin senjō | トイレ用洗剤除菌洗浄 |
| Toilet plunger | Tsumari tori | つまりとり |