Essential Cleaning Supplies for Every Homeowner

You’ve moved into your new home and are finally getting used to your new routine. Or, maybe you’ve been in your home for a while and have already gotten used to the everyday motions of life. Cleaning your home is also an essential part of that routine, and we’ve compiled a list of essential supplies we recommend to aid you in this pivotal part of your home system.

Vacuum: Unsurprisingly, this versatile item is at the top of our list. Apart from being used on carpet and rugs, vacuums are great for clearing up dust and crumbs from hard surface flooring (hardwood, LVP, tile, etc.). Some models even offer the ability to turn off the beater bar to avoid damaging hard surfaces.

The vacuum is also essential due to many having the ability to convert into a portable handheld; swap out some attachments and you can use a vacuum to do a lot of cleaning around the house, including crevices, blinds, furniture, and even your car.

Sweeper/Broom: Great for quick-cleanup messes or larger debris your vacuum should avoid, sometimes a classic broom is simply the best choice. Especially important when cleaning up larger material like broken glass, which you won’t want to vacuum or pick up by hand.

A sweeper can do most of the same things a broom can do, but usually focus on dust and thin layers of grime and dirt. These lightweight cleaning tools are easy to use and move around with, and have a variety of types: wet, dry, with sprayer, disposable pads, or washable heads.

Mop: Particularly great for hard surface flooring, a mop allows you to get rid of stains, grease, grime, and dirt that might get stuck on your floors. These usually have easily washable mop heads that can be interchanged when cleaned.

Gloves: Whether you opt for single-use gloves when cleaning or a reusable pair that will last a while before you move onto the next, gloves are essential for cleaning when using different scrubbers and cleaners. They not only protect you from allergic reactions and skin irritation, but they will protect your skin from coming in contact with bacteria and dirt. Your nails will also thank you.

Microfiber Cloths: These gentle cloths are easy to clean, durable, and lint-free, making them the perfect cleaning companion for nearly every surface in your home. We recommend a color-coded system (all yellow cloths are used for kitchen surfaces, all blue cloths are used for bathroom surfaces, etc.) and experimenting with different varieties of weaves depending on what level of abrasiveness you’re looking for. When cleaning most surfaces, you’ll likely be working with a wet and dry method, wiping first with your solution and a wet microfiber cloth, then following up with the dry cloth to remove excess moisture and stop streaks from forming.

Sponges: These have dozens of uses throughout your home. A melamine sponge is great for scuffs, stains, and grime on walls and other surfaces. Leather, microwaves, and drinkware can all be easily cleaned with these sponges.

Non-scratch scrub sponges are safe for most surfaces in your home, allowing you to scrub without worrying about damaging dishes, counters, or other sensitive surfaces. Be sure to double check the recommended safe areas for each sponge you use; testing on a small or hidden area will help keep different materials safe from potential damage.

Cleaners: While this is not an exhaustive list, many tried and true cleaners and ingredients can be worth adding to your essentials kit, whether as a standalone cleaner, or parts of a DIY solution for different parts of your home. We recommend:

• a gentle grease-fighting dish soap (like Dawn Dish Soap)
• white vinegar (you can opt for cleaning vinegar, which is a little stronger for tougher stains)
• hydrogen peroxide
• baking soda
• a soft cleanser (like Bar Keeper’s Friend)
• laundry detergent

If you’re not one to DIY any cleaning solutions or simply have another product in mind you love, you can add it to your list here. Most surfaces can be cleaned with warm water and dish soap, with targeted cleaners being best for specific areas throughout the home.

Bucket: A bucket is the perfect item for making smaller batches of solutions, carrying essentials around, or moving dirty items to the place they need to be cleaned. It’s also a pretty good place for soaking anything that needs a bit more love, and great for anything that needs handwashing.

Disinfectants: For most people, a disinfectant isn’t absolutely necessary to keep your home clean. However, for those with allergies, kids, or pets, these can clean surfaces of bacteria and germs that stick around and can make your household sick. Follow the instructions on your disinfectant to make sure you’re using them effectively.

Dusters: Be it a dusting wand or washable dust sponge, dusters are your first line of defense for TVs, desks, tables, and vases. Shorter ones can be used on any surfaces at eye level and below, while walls, ceiling fans, and trim can be cleaned with an extendable duster.

Toilet Brush: This goes without saying, but the toilet is the last place anyone wants to deep clean. Use a toilet brush to ensure hard water lines and other grime don’t make themselves at home in your toilet bowl. Be sure to find a low-traffic time to do this; you’ll want to clean the brush and let it fully dry before putting it back in its holder, and the most recommended way to do this is by placing it between the seat and bowl.

Depending on the design of your home and the materials used throughout, some supplies or tools on this list might not be necessary for you. One piece of advice that never fails is to buy any products as the need for them comes up, or if you anticipate the need may arise. For example, if you are getting new furniture, it can be wise to preemptively get the products to care for and clean them.

What’s more, cleaning tools have come a long way—some supplies truly aren’t essential, but if they make cleaning more fun, kid friendly, or less labor-intensive, they might become more essential for you. Here are some of our less “need,” more “want” suggestions:

• Steam Cleaner: A steam cleaner works to use hot water to kill bacteria, remove trapped odors, and eliminate grime from many surfaces. Aside from removing wrinkles from fabrics, a steam cleaner is great for quickly cleaning grout, cleaning mattresses, and your upholstery. They can also be used to clean dirty nooks and crannies in your kitchen and bathroom.
• A Drill Brush Scrubber: Available both as an attachment for your regular drill power tool and as a separate full set, the drill brush scrubber can help take some of the load off of yourself when cleaning. Reducing grease dirtying up your home while saving “elbow grease” and energy for yourself, a drill brush scrubber helps you clean faster with less effort. Different attachments can be used in different areas throughout your home, from your shower walls to your dryer vent.
• Window/Shower Squeegee: Our sales managers will be the first to tell you this is actually very much essential for anyone that has a shower with glass doors. Taking time to use one of these to move excess water from the glass will reduce hard water droplets and cut down on future cleaning time and maintenance. Any windows or doors with glass designs will also appreciate this item being added to your supply list!
• Plastic and Glass Bottles: Though there are many products on the market that are well-loved and recommended by professional cleaners, for general cleaning that doesn’t require a targeted ingredient, you often don’t need anything more than dish soap, water, and some measure of white vinegar. For your specific needs, we recommend researching what is best for the surfaces in your home you’re cleaning, but if you do DIY any cleaners and want to keep them handy, spray bottles can be a necessity. This way, you’re not making a new mix for each clean. Just be sure to label each bottle with the solution’s name and usage instructions. Glass bottles will last longer than plastic, and some products, like hydrogen peroxide, might require special glass bottles to stay effective.
• Supply Caddy/Cart: Many products you have in your home will be too large for a caddy or cart, but your gloves, cloths, sponges, dusters, bags, and cleaners can all be nicely sorted into a carrier or tiered rolling cart to make moving from room to room easier. All supplies have their own place at an arm’s length, making cleaning feel less daunting because you will know where everything is rather than waste time and energy searching for the item you need to clean a mess.

Cleaning and seasonal home maintenance should be a key part of your home routine, whether it be small things that you handle as they happen, or larger projects that only occur every few months. Ultimately, experience using different products, as well as gauging how they work in your routine, will help you decide if something is or isn’t absolutely necessary for your own home. We hope this list provides all homeowners a good starting point for having everything you need to keep your home clean and healthy.