The Spring Cleaning Supplies Checklist You Didn’t Know You Needed
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When it comes to spring cleaning, the result is certainly worth the effort. After all, there’s nothing better than the satisfaction of a freshly tidied space that smells lovely and feels ultra-clean. But in order to be ready for spring cleaning season, we have to prepare for it! That’s why we put together a helpful spring cleaning supplies checklist. It covers all the essentials from top to bottom, along with some smart cleaning tips and handy appliances that will make finishing your chore chart a breeze. This way, you’ll be able to focus more on cleaning and less on last-minute trips to the store to buy more all-purpose spray.
Your cleaning supplies might vary depending on your household, of course. (If you have all hardwood, it’s obviously okay to skip the carpet cleaner!). Focus on the surfaces you have that might need specialty cleaning supplies, too—like stainless-steel appliances, leather furniture, natural hardwood floors, or marble countertops, for example—and be sure to purchase products that are made to safely clean those specific surfaces. After you’ve covered everything on this list, you’ll be ready to declutter your home and get to spring cleaning.
☑ Helpful Handy Tools
Nowadays, there are a lot of tools on the market that make can home cleaning easier. Whether they help take on some of the elbow grease needed in tough-to-clean areas (like electric spin scrubbers or the Bissell Little Green Upholstery Machine), or they pull double-duty to make your cleaning list a little shorter (like vacuum mops or robot vacuums), these modern-day cleaning tools are the nice-to-haves that might soon become your must-haves.
☑ Cleaning Gloves
Just because we’re deep cleaning the house doesn’t mean we have to ignore our skin health! Cleaning gloves will help keep your hands safe from any harsh chemicals you might be using, like bleach or grout cleaner. They’ll also keep that gunk and funk off your hands and fingernails. (Seriously, nobody likes cleaning their bathtub drain with their bare hands.) Reusable options are the best, since they’re thicker than disposable gloves and better for the environment, too.
☑ Home Cleaning Staples
There are some cleaning supplies that you should always have on-hand. These multi-functional products are perfect for everything from cleaning pesticides off your fruits and vegetables (baking soda), to cleaning almost every hard surface in the house (Dawn dish soap or white vinegar), to getting scuff marks off of anything you can imagine (the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser—a Jonathan favorite too!)
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☑ Buckets and Cleaning Caddies
They’re great for storing your cleaning supplies, of course, but they’re also a necessity for cleaning projects where you’ll need a handy bucket of soapy water or disinfectant close by (like mopping floors, scrubbing tubs, washing cars or windows, or pre-treating laundry stains). It’s the most inexpensive must-have that will last you years upon years if you take good care of it.
☑ Microfiber Cloths, Rags, and Dusters
Dusting is a must when it comes to cleaning your space. Dusters will help you tackle hard-to-reach corners, while microfiber cloths are fantastic at locking particles and dust into their fibers so you aren’t just sweeping the debris somewhere else. Plus, dusting cloths are washable and reusable, so you won’t be wasting your money on unnecessary single-use products. Oh, and don’t forget to grab a dusting cleaner like Pledge, too!
☑ Sponges and Scrub Brushes
It’s important to regularly change out your sponges to keep bacteria and odors from building up. Steel wool scrubbers, pumice stone, and even brush attachments will help you scrub those areas of the home that really need a good deep cleaning. Think spots that easily build up grime, like your bathtub, toilet, kitchen sink, and oven. Paying attention to the little stuff really makes a difference!
☑ Brooms, Vacuums, and Mops
We all love our fur-babies (and our kids…and styling our hair…and cooking dinner…), but we also love a clean floor. And for that, of course we need standout mops and vacuums that can tackle everyday messes. We’re firm believers that a high-quality vacuum can totally change your life (aka transform your cleaning routine). It’s step one to maintaining a clean home! Because when your floors are easy to clean, you can focus more on the things that are going to take a little more elbow grease.
☑ All-Purpose Cleaners
Of course, your spring cleaning toolkit wouldn’t be complete without the best all-purpose cleaners! It’s great to use vinegar and lemons where you can, like when making your sink smell fresh again, but cleaners like these can tackle a ton of messes on a variety of surfaces. They’ll help keep your spaces disinfected and looking shiny and new. Because they can be put to use in so many different areas of the house, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty to go around when you get started on your chores.
☑ Baskets and Bins
Listen, have you ever thought you needed less storage? No way! The hardest part of organizing is figuring out where to put all the random knickknacks you discover in the process, so make sure you have a dedicated spot where you can tuck them away. Making use of storage baskets and bins, whether you use them to round up the kids’ toys or stash your bathroom products inside to keep them tidy under the sink, is a game-changer to master decluttering.
Nontoxic Alternatives
| Instead Of… | Try… |
|---|---|
| Bleach | Hydrogen peroxide |
| Cleaners with synthetic fragrance | Fragrance-free products or ones that use natural fragrance |
| Ammonia | Distilled white vinegar |
| Antibacterial cleaners | Mild soap and water, followed by hydrogen peroxide or distilled white vinegar |
| Sodium hydroxide drain cleaners | Plunger or drain snake, followed by clogs by a mix of baking soda and distilled white vinegar to dissolve clogs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic cleaning supplies you need?
Each home and room type has different needs, but at the very least, each household should have the following cleaning supplies:
- Vacuum
- Mop
- Dish soap
- Sponges
- All-purpose cleaner
- Disinfectant
- Microfiber cloths, rags, or paper towels
- Toilet brush
- Rubber gloves
- Trash bags
What are the 7 stages of cleaning?
Mandy Schremmer
Bree Pulver O'Hagan
Bree is the Senior Digital Editor at DrewandJonathan.com. In the past, she’s worked for publications focused on home improvement and sustainable living. Bree’s Pinterest board is filled with cozy textures; vintage patterns; sculptural furniture; and moody, warm-toned colors. She has a degree concentrated in the intersection of writing and architecture, which influences her passion for exploring creative solutions to unusual home layouts and stylish renter-friendly decor. She’s a self-proclaimed pro at finding the best antique furniture in the most unlikely of places (but her cat Blue can certainly back these claims).
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