House cleaning. We’ve all been there. Sometimes we put cleaning off for as long as we can because there are certain things we’d rather not face like that particularly large patch of mold on the floor.
In this guide, you’ll familiarize yourself with the necessary kanji to help rid you of that dust (or skeleton) in your closet and clean your Japanese apartment.
Know your enemy
One of the problems with living in a climate like Japan’s is the constant change in weather coupled with humidity can make some horrible things grow under your futon.
That bit of salad that slipped off your plate while you were eating? It’s now home to a metropolis of mold that is plotting your overthrow and claiming your apartment for itself.
When it comes to winning this particular war, get to know your enemy and then crush it with cleaning products you can find at any drugstore in Japan. Look for the following kanji depending on what problem you need to address.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Mold | カビ | kabi |
| Dust | 埃 | hokori |
| Stain | 汚れ | yogore |
Types of cleaning products
Whether it be mold, dust, or stains, getting rid of it requires learning the right kanji to help you identify which kinds of cleaning products you can use. Even in the UK, I had friends who mistakenly used the wrong kind of cleaner which led to obvious repercussions.
Here are some of the most common kanji you should look for while choosing a cleaning product.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Kitchen cleaners | 台所用合成洗剤 | daidokoro you gousei senzai |
| Bathroom cleaners | 浴室用合成洗剤 | yokushitsu you gousei senzai |
| Glass and metal cleaners | グラス用洗剤 | gurasu you senzai |
| Drain cleaner | 排水管用洗剤 | haisuikan you senzai |
| Tile cleaner | タイル用洗剤 | tairu you senzai |
| All-purpose cleaner | 万能汚れ落とし | bannou yogore otoshi |
| Mold remover | 防黴剤/カビキラー | boukabizai/ kabikiraa |
Reading the labels for ingredients
Now that there is some light at the end of the tunnel, or at least a little bit of visible carpet under all that trash, it’s time to think about the chemicals that you’re using. In order to avoid pouring drain cleaner followed by a bleach mixture on your nice flooring, here are some need-to-know labels.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| With alcohol | アルコールあり | arukooru ari |
| Antibacterial | 抗菌剤 | koukinzai |
| Elimination of bacteria/viruses | 除菌 | jyokin |
| Disinfectants | 殺菌剤 | sakkinzai |
| Ammonia | アンモニア | Anmonia |
| Baking soda | 重炭酸ソーダ | jyutansan sooda |
| Bleach | 漂白 /ブリーチ | hyouhaku/ buriichi |
And there you go, your apartment is clean enough that, while you may not want to eat off the floor, you quite possibly could (assuming you read the kanji right and didn’t pour that drain cleaner on it by mistake).
Find any bugs pesky bugs hiding around during your cleaning that you need to rid your apartment of? That’s a story for a whole new article. Luckily, we’ve got you covered there too.
In this guide, you’ll familiarize yourself with the necessary kanji to help rid you of that dust (or skeleton) in your closet and clean your Japanese apartment.
Know your enemy
One of the problems with living in a climate like Japan’s is the constant change in weather coupled with humidity can make some horrible things grow under your futon.
That bit of salad that slipped off your plate while you were eating? It’s now home to a metropolis of mold that is plotting your overthrow and claiming your apartment for itself.
When it comes to winning this particular war, get to know your enemy and then crush it with cleaning products you can find at any drugstore in Japan. Look for the following kanji depending on what problem you need to address.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Mold | カビ | kabi |
| Dust | 埃 | hokori |
| Stain | 汚れ | yogore |
Types of cleaning products
Whether it be mold, dust, or stains, getting rid of it requires learning the right kanji to help you identify which kinds of cleaning products you can use. Even in the UK, I had friends who mistakenly used the wrong kind of cleaner which led to obvious repercussions.
Here are some of the most common kanji you should look for while choosing a cleaning product.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| Kitchen cleaners | 台所用合成洗剤 | daidokoro you gousei senzai |
| Bathroom cleaners | 浴室用合成洗剤 | yokushitsu you gousei senzai |
| Glass and metal cleaners | グラス用洗剤 | gurasu you senzai |
| Drain cleaner | 排水管用洗剤 | haisuikan you senzai |
| Tile cleaner | タイル用洗剤 | tairu you senzai |
| All-purpose cleaner | 万能汚れ落とし | bannou yogore otoshi |
| Mold remover | 防黴剤/カビキラー | boukabizai/ kabikiraa |
Reading the labels for ingredients
Now that there is some light at the end of the tunnel, or at least a little bit of visible carpet under all that trash, it’s time to think about the chemicals that you’re using. In order to avoid pouring drain cleaner followed by a bleach mixture on your nice flooring, here are some need-to-know labels.
| English | Japanese | Romaji |
| With alcohol | アルコールあり | arukooru ari |
| Antibacterial | 抗菌剤 | koukinzai |
| Elimination of bacteria/viruses | 除菌 | jyokin |
| Disinfectants | 殺菌剤 | sakkinzai |
| Ammonia | アンモニア | Anmonia |
| Baking soda | 重炭酸ソーダ | jyutansan sooda |
| Bleach | 漂白 /ブリーチ | hyouhaku/ buriichi |
And there you go, your apartment is clean enough that, while you may not want to eat off the floor, you quite possibly could (assuming you read the kanji right and didn’t pour that drain cleaner on it by mistake).
Find any bugs pesky bugs hiding around during your cleaning that you need to rid your apartment of? That’s a story for a whole new article. Luckily, we’ve got you covered there too.