We’ve all been there – standing and staring at all the products in the grocery aisle wondering which one to buy. Which one is the best? Does this also clean that? Or, now that you are living in another country, is this similar to the product I would use in my home country? Zuri Girl is here to help you take the guess work out of buying some of the most basic cleaning supplies, baking ingredients and medicines that you know and love. While this isn’t a complete list of everything that is available in Switzerland, we hope that is helps you find something similar to what you are used to…and maybe even something better!
Happy shopping!
Zuri Girl Ashley
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| Cleaning Supplies | |
| What it does | What it’s called |
| Glass cleaner | Terra Glas-Reiniger |
| Interior/exterior car cleaner | Armor-all |
| Tire shiner | Wet & Black |
| Car wax | Turtle wax |
| Dish wash detergent esp. for glass (Jet Dry) |
Spühlglanz |
| Wood cleaner (Pledge) | Pronto Holzarten Auffrischung |
| Lime scale remover | Antikal Kalkreiniger |
| Bleach (Clorox) | Javel(wasser) |
| Spray air freshener | Febreze |
| Surface cleaner (Scrubbing Bubbles) | Cillit Bang Aktivschaum |
| Surface cleaner | Pronto Multi-Flächen |
| Wood floor cleaner | Pronto Holzreiniger |
| Tile/laminate floor cleaner | Ajax |
| Stain remover -clothes (Shout, Spray n Wash) |
Vanish Fleckenentferner |
| Toilet bowl cleaner | WC Ente |
| Dishwasher salt (neutralizes lime scale) | Reosal |
| Disposable duster/mop | Swiffer |
| Wool fabric detergent | Woolite or Perwoll Wolle & Feines |
| Fabric softener (Downey) | Softlan |
| Stain remover-carpet (Resolve) | Vanish Oxi Action Power Spray |
| Color safe bleach | Ariel or Persil Universal |
| Super glue | Pattex Sekundenkleber |
| Medicine | |
| What it does | What it’s called |
| For sore/tight muscles (Icy Hot) | Dulix or Perskindol |
| Non-aspirin pain reliever | Tylenol, Ben-u-ron or Panadol |
| Children’s pain reliever | Kinder Tylenol, Ben-u-ron Syrup |
| Itch relief from bites, rashes, sunburn, eczema |
Fenistil |
| Relieves sunburn (aloe vera lotion) | Apres-Soleil Nivea |
| Contact solution | Opti-Free |
| Cold sore relief | Zovirax |
| Vaginal yeast infection (Monistat) | Canesten GYN |
| Fungal cream | Lamisil |
| Cold/flu medicine | Pretuval |
| -with vitamin C and pain reliever | NeoCitran |
| Relieves pain, inflammation or sport injuries | Voltaren |
| Helps heal severely chapped lips | Carmex |
| Relieves pressure, bloating and gas in digestive tract |
Flatulex |
| Antacid (Tums) | Riopan |
| Nasal decongestive | Rhinopront N or Otrivin |
| Treats fever, pain and congestion | Fluimucil (non/drowsy) |
| Assists with decongestion | Vicks Vapor Rub |
| Cough syrup | Tossamin (non/drowsy) |
| Soar throat relief | Mebucain F |
| Hay fever relief | Telfastin |
| Antihistamine | Antihistaminika (e.g. Aerius, Lorado, Zyrtec) |
| Helps wounds heal quicker (Neosporin) | Bepanthen or Vita-Merfen |
| Immune system boosting vitamins (Air Bourne) |
Supradyn |
| Baking and Cooking | |
| What it is | What it’s called |
| Shortening (Crisco) | Pflanzenfett/Speisefett |
| Cream of tarter | Weinstein (from a pharmacy) |
| Skim milk | Magermilch |
| Vanilla extract | Vanille aroma |
| Corn starch | Maisstärke |
| Corn meal | Polenta |
| Baking soda | Natron or Natriumbicarbonat |
| Baking powder | Backpulver |
| Brown sugar | See Girlfriend Guide article |
| Oats | Haferflöckli |
| Seasoning salt | Herbamare or Aromat |
| Worcestershire sauce | Heinz Worcestershire sauce |
| Brown rice | Naturreis |
| Yeast for fondue | Maizena |
| Maple syrup | Ahornsirup |
| Nutritious chocolate milk (Ovaltine) | Ovomaltine |
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While some items are rather easy to figure out after some searching, we hope this list is helpful! Have some additional items to share with our girlfriends? Email us!
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I have found a few others to mention:
Molasses is called “Melasse” in German and can be found hear the honey.
Baking spray is called “Backspray” and can be found near the cake mixes.
Buttermilk is called “Buttermilch”and is found near the yogurts and “to go” milk drinks.
A few more! Someone asked me about flour and here’s the lowdown:
- Dinkelmehl: spelt flour
- Butterzopfmehl: flour just for making Swiss zopf bread
- Allzweck-mehlmischung (Glutenfrei): all-purpose gluten free flour mix
- Brotbackmischung (Gluntenfrei): gluten free bread flour mix
- Ruchmehl: High ash flour
- Halbweissmehl: half white flour (although I wasn’t able to find out what the other half is…)
- Vollkornmehl: whole wheat flour
- Weissmehl: white flour
- Haushaltmehl: all-purpose white flour