The Most Essential Cleaning Supplies That Make It Easy to Keep Your House Fresh All Summer
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Human beings have had a desire to keep themselves and their living spaces clean since the time of the cavemen, though we no longer live in caves and have traded animal fat residue for soap. The definition of “clean,” however, may fluctuate depending on who you ask. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to cleaning, but by developing a consistent routine and using the right products, you can sleep soundly each night knowing your home is a clean one. That’s why we picked the most essential cleaning products and supplies every household needs below.
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In This Article
How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Home
Everything You Need to Keep Your Household Clean
Best Cleaning Products for Your House
From microfiber cloths to spray bottles, these are the essential cleaning products and cleaning accessories you should invest in right now.
1. Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
Microfiber cleaning cloths are the secret weapon to keeping things clean. While they’re effective at cleaning a variety of surfaces like paints, glass, and stainless steel, they’re gentle enough to not leave behind streaks and/or scratches. These cloths by Amazon Basics can soak up to eight times their own weight, and can be washed and reused countless times; just throw them in with your towels on laundry day.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
2. Mrs. Meyer’s All-Purpose Cleaner Spray
The importance of a great all-purpose cleaner in your cleaning arsenal can’t be overstated; not only are these formulated for different surfaces, but they can tackle a host of different problems, like dirt, grease, and even odors. We love this all-purpose cleaner by Mrs. Meyer’s; whether you use it on your floors, countertops, or walls, just spray, wipe away the stain, and leave behind the pleasingly light citrus scent.
Be mindful that all-purpose cleaners aren’t a placeholder for other cleaners that treat specific surfaces, like glass, wood, stainless steel, and marble. You will want to take care to invest in those cleaners if you have those surfaces throughout your home.
Mrs. Meyer’s All-Purpose Cleaner
3. Broom and Dustpan Set
You know the saying: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This broom and dust pan set is perfect for streamlined, on-the-move sweeping without having to bend down and put pressure on your joints. Best of all, you can use the built-in scraper and comb to clean your broom once you’re done cleaning the floors in your living space.
Broom and Dustpan Set
4. Mr. Clean Large Reusable Latex Gloves
A good set of rubber gloves can keep your hands clean from any harsh chemicals, cleaning agents, and/or grime your skin could potentially encounter while you’re cleaning. Rubber gloves are much better at protecting your skin than the thinner latex versions, and they’ll last a lot longer too.
Mr. Clean Reusable Gloves
5. Lysol Power Bathroom Cleaner
The bathroom (specifically the shower) is the perfect breeding ground for scum, mildew, and mold, which can be particularly difficult to eliminate with just an all-purpose cleaner so you’ll need to call in the reinforcements. This bathroom cleaner from Lysol is more than enough to do the trick; in addition to powering through those stubborn contaminants, it can also destroy other cold- and flu-causing germs and bacteria. While it will leave behind a fresh scent, we recommend leaving the window open or wearing a face mask while you use it to avoid from inhaling the fumes.
Lysol Power Bathroom Cleaner
6. Shower Squeegee
In addition to having a fun sounding name, Squeegees are an incredibly practical cleaning tool that can make keeping your shower clean and scum-free much easier. This one is made from durable plastic that won’t scratch the surface of your shower (you can also use it to clean your windows, mirrors and even your car windows).
Shower Squeegee
7. Lysol Disinfectant Wipes
We recommend keeping some disinfectant wipes on hand alongside of the spray to make sure you’re staying on top of the sanitation game.
Lysol Disinfectant Wipes
8. Swedish Wholesale Swedish DishCloths
Paper towels can be costly, and wasteful. By comparison, these reusable cotton and cellulose dishcloths can wipe down a variety of surfaces with even more efficiency; these cloths can absorb 20 times their weight in liquid, while the ridges and texture grips are great for clinging to dirt. Best of all: these doesn’t need to be thrown away after wiping down a single countertop. On the contrary, you can toss these in the wash along with your other towels and continue to reuse them once they’re clean. Tables, appliances, dishes; if you can name it, these can clean it.
Swedish DishCloths
9. Shark S3501 Steam Pocket Mop
While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with an ordinary mop and bucket, a steam mop is a more efficient investment. The Shark S3501 heats up in just 30 seconds; the two washable microfiber pads lift and lock in contaminants from the floor like dust and dirt. And with a quick-release 18-foot long power cord and a soft grip handle, which makes maneuvering and storing it a no-brainer.
Shark S3501 Steam Pocket Mop
10. Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
Despite its name, baking soda has a variety of purposes, both in and out of the kitchen, that make it a must-have in any household; in addition to using it as a whitening agent (both for laundry and your teeth), you can use baking soda to get rid of foul odors, whether it’s coming from your fridge or your garbage, and as a way to clean surfaces in your kitchen. Just mix it with a little lemon juice or vinegar and water, and scrub your mixture onto the desired surface with a cleaning cloth.
Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
How Often Should You Clean Your Home?
Just as sure as the sun will rise, your living space will get dirty; no matter how big or small it is or how clean of a person you consider yourself to be. Not every living space is designed the same or has the same amount of people with the same kind of habits living there, so individual styles may vary. That said, there are some rules you can always rely on when in doubt. The biggest and most important lesson is if you identify something that needs to be picked up, thrown out or cleaned, it’s probably best to do it in the moment. While we’re not encouraging you to drive yourself insane over every dust particle, the truth is that cleaning as you go will not only prevent bigger messes from building, but it will also make it easier when you tackle your more thorough cleaning session later on.
Next, you should make sure to clean high traffic areas more frequently, such as kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms; we recommend every one to two weeks depending on the number of people in your home and how much usage those rooms get. For example, if you prefer to order takeout, you probably won’t need to clean your kitchen as frequently as someone who cooks every meal at home. If you have pets, we recommend adopting a weekly schedule. Generally speaking, the longer you wait the more time you’re giving bacteria the chance to spread.
You also want to make sure to never neglect your floors either. While they may be cleaner than your toilet bowl, they still need to be maintained. Running the vacuum and sweeping during your weekly/bi-weekly cleaning session is definitely recommended to capture things like dust, hair and food particles, but they’ll need a little more than that every so often to eliminate microscopic bacteria. This will vary whether your home has hardwood floors or carpets (big or small)
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