January 5, 2018

How to Put Together a Simple Cleaning Caddy

One of the tasks on Week 1 of The Clutter Challenge is to declutter our cleaning supplies. This is something that I am pretty passionate about so I thought a post devoted to the topic is in order.

Here’s the thing – what you put in your cleaning caddy or cleaning supply area is totally up to you BUT I am guessing you have a lot more than you need. I also KNOW that when you use supplies that are pretty and work well and are coordinated, I know that cleaning is more fun. If you love pink, look for some pink tools or a pink caddy.

Let’s pare it down to the necessities and get rid of the rest. I have supplies under the kitchen sink, in a cleaning closet, and I keep cleaning caddies in the bathrooms – you can adopt my theory – put supplies where you’ll need them and save time or you can keep things simple and put all your supplies in one place. Do what works for you and don’t overthink it!

I always recommend using DIY cleaning recipes or non-toxic brands that don’t have harmful chemicals and fragrances. If you haven’t made the switch, now is the perfect time to get rid of those harmful cleaners. I’ve linked up some of my favorites below 🙂

• cleaning caddy– I use buckets and totes – use what you love to tote and hold your tools and supplies
• microfiber cleaning cloths – they make cleaning so much easier – no lint, no streaks, just the best clean
• bar mops towels or cotton cleaning cloths – great for cleaning tasks that you don’t want to use microfiber for – I use them in the kitchen and for washing baseboards and doors.
• wand duster – if you don’t have one, you’ll find that they make dusting so much easier and quicker
• vacuum cleaner with attachments – look for one with a hepa filter
• mop – you’ll need something to wash your floors
• blind cleaner – if you have blinds, this makes cleaning them a snap
• scrub brushes – large and small (or an old toothbrush) – be ready to clean the dirt and grime
• sponges for scrubbing those tough to clean areas
• lint roller – for cleaning light fixtures, furniture, and anywhere you see dust and lint that might need a gentler touch
• garbage bags – for decluttering
• dish or castile soap – it’s amazing what you can clean with warm water and a squirt of soap
• hydrogen peroxide – for disinfecting – simply attach a sprayer
• all-purpose cleaning spray
• window + glass spray
• soft scrub and/or baking soda – I use my nightly sink scrub recipe

Here’s the area under my kitchen sink (save this for week 2) – I keep a Lazy Susan under the sink to keep things easy to access and just have often used kitchen cleaning products under the sink.

From left to right:
Aqua bar mop towels are stored in a dollar spot container
Scrub brushes in a container all by themselves
The large Lazy Susan holds basic kitchen supplies like my Nightly Sink Scrub, hydrogen peroxide with a sprayer for disinfecting, fruit and veggie spray other kitchen cleaning supplies (listed above and linked below).

If you’re looking for more cleaning caddy and supply inspiration, click on the links below….

Spring Cleaning Caddy

Dusting Cleaning Caddy

Put together a cleaning caddy for kids

The Cleaning Closet

Grab my book, Simply Clean