Housekeeping (not to be confused with homemaking as a whole) can get stressful. There are so many things to clean and so little time to actually do it. But, having the right tools on hand for the job can take a lot of the stress out of it. Plus, it can help you to work more efficiently and effectively so you can work smarter and not harder!
In this post I’ve rounded up all the housekeeping supplies that you could possibly need in your cleaning toolkit arsenal. So you are prepared for whatever cleaning task you have to face!
Appliances/Tools
Having good appliances/tools in your cleaning kit can make all the difference in the world. A vacuum that doesn’t actually…work, will only make your life more stressful. All of these tools are designed to save you time and make your life easier, which is honestly priceless and so worth it!
- A good vacuum
- Vacuum attachments for every job
- Mop and bucket
- Broom and dustpan
- Swiffer or Re-usable Alternative
- Swiffer wet jet or Re-usable Spray Mop Alternative
- Portable spot cleaner machine
- Steam cleaner mop
Miscellaneous Essentials
These are those miscellaneous essential cleaning tools that you just gotta have to get stuff done. Okay, maybe you don’t need an apron, but if you want to wear more than your sweatpants around the house all day, it will keep you from getting your clothes messy. With so many girly options out there these days, treat yourself to something fun. A cute apron, pink cleaning gloves, etc. might seem frivolous, but they might just be that thing that motivates you to actually get down to work.
Cloths/Wipes
Who knew there were so many kinds of cleaning wipes, huh? Well, there are a lot of different types, it turns out. And while you can certainly just use old rags for your cleaning, here are some other options. They might clean a little better than old rags, but if that’s what you prefer then by-all-means! As long as the job gets done. 🙂
- All purpose cleaning cloths (preferably re-usable)
- Microfiber cloths (general)
- Stainless steel cloths
- Window cleaning cloths
- Paper towels
- Window Squeegee
- Microfiber cleaner gloves
- Delicate microfiber cleaning cloths (for silverware, electronics, etc.)
Dusters
Dust bunnies are everywhere! They sneak up in all the most unlikely spaces, especially those places that you never actually look at. These dusters are great for all purpose and some that have a bit more of a specific job. Because there are some places that need dusting that are just plain hard to get to!
- Air duster cans (or re-usable alternative like this)
- Blind duster
- Regular duster tool
- Expandable duster
- Ceiling fan duster
- Dusting mit
- Lint roller
Abrasives
Have you ever heard the saying, it takes a little elbow grease? Well, these are the tools that make that possible. Scrubbing the tough spots is never fun, but having the right tools for the job makes it a whole lot easier (and maybe even a tad more fun). There are so many options here that work great for any kind of job, but also some that make specific jobs a lot more manageable.
- All-purpose scrub brush
- Heavy duty scrub brush
- Palm scrub brush
- Old toothbrushes or small deep clean brushes
- Sponges
- Magic Erasers
- Dish wand sponges
- Toilet brush
- Scour pads
- Q-tips
- Steel wool
- Copper scouring scrubbers
Cleaners
There’s literally a cleaner for everything. And no matter where you are on the natural cleaning spectrum, you will still need to clean all these areas. There are options for everything you could need. My personal favorites are linked below, but there are tons of options out there, and lots of recipes to make your own cleaners as well.
- All purpose cleaner
- Glass cleaner
- Wood cleaner/polisher
- Oven cleaner
- Tub and tile cleaner
- Daily shower spray
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Floor cleaner
- Blue Dawn dish soap (it’s awesome for more than just dishes, by the way)
- Bleach
- Lysol/Clorox wipes
- Antibacterial cleaner
- Carpet and upholstery cleaner
- Hard water stain remover
- Iron out (if you have hard/rusty water)
- Air freshener
- Febreeze/fabric freshener spray
- Stainless Steel cleaner
- Granite cleaner
Natural Ingredients
Whether you’re going to make all your own cleaners or not, these few natural ingredients are extremely helpful when it comes to cleaning.
A note about essential oils. At the very minimum, having lemon, tea tree, and grapefruit essential oils are so helpful. I use lemon essential oil with hydrogen peroxide for our dishwasher rinse and tea tree and grapefruit essential oil in our cloth diapers all the time.
There are lots of great natural ingredients and essential oils that can be so helpful in your housekeeping. Don’t be intimidated by them, but do your research. You’ll find it’s a lot easier (and funner) than you’d expect.
- Natural Cleaner Recipes Book
- Borax
- Baking Soda
- Washing Soda
- White Vinegar
- Citric Acid
- Essential Oils (at least lemon, tea tree, and grapefruit seed extract)
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Salt
Dishes
We all have dirty dishes. It’s pretty inevitable unless you only eat from paper plates all the time. And more than likely you’ll already have most of these essentials for keeping your dishes clean, but there are a few in here that you may not have considered trying. And they might just make your dish cleaning easier and more effective.
- Dishwasher detergent
- Dishwasher rinse
- Dishwasher detergent booster (if you have hard water)
- Dishwasher machine cleaner
- Blue Dawn dish soap (it’s gotta be blue Dawn, no substitutes!)
- Hydrogen peroxide + lemon essential oil (in place of a dishwasher rinse)
- Citric acid (in place of a detergent booster for hard water)
Laundry
The never-ending battle. Coming from someone who cloth diapers, has extremely hard water, and has a husband who has a very dirty job, I can tell you that this is probably one of my worst enemies in housekeeping. But, it’s gotta be done. And having the right tools makes the job not just easier, but possible. Here are the must haves when it comes to your laundry cleaning supplies.
- Laundry detergent
- Fabric softener
- Dryer sheets
- Dryel
- Bleach pen
- Spot/stain remover
- Laundry bags
- Oxygen Bleach (like OxiClean)
- Washing machine cleaner
Get the housekeeping tools to get the job done right the First time
If you’re anything like me, then you want to save money wherever possible. And sometimes you just try to use the same thing for everything or get by cleaning something in a way that isn’t ideal just so you don’t have to buy something else.
But, here’s the thing, when it comes to housekeeping, having the right supplies can save you the stress of having to hunt down the stuff that actually works. So you can get your housekeeping done faster and have more time to spend on other things.
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