Whether you’re just getting started in a new space or looking to complete your cleaning kit, there are a few things everyone should have in their home when tackling your weekly cleaning schedule. To help, we went ahead and put together a list of the most essential cleaning tools that we believe no home should be without.
Many of these cleaning tools may be staples that you already own, but if you’re missing a few (or simply want to upgrade), we’ve included some helpful suggestions to guide you to what we believe are the best buys in housekeeping. Invest in your favorite must-haves, borrow others from family members, and slowly build a collection of house cleaning tools you can depend on, starting with the picks below.
There are a huge variety of sponges out there. It’s nice to have a classic sponge around — especially something with an abrasive side to tackle any grimy, dirty surface. But if you want to explore your alternative side, you can try out sponge cloths that bridge the gap between sponge and towel, spaghetti sponges (they don’t require soap!), a Scrub Daddy that changes texture based on water temperature, or silicone sponges that last almost forever.
I always keep a ton of white towels on hand. I picked up a couple of sets of cotton towels from Utopia, but you can find packs of these just about anywhere, even at the hardware store. They’ll always match, you’ll know when they’re dirty, and they can be easily bleached and disinfected without getting ruined. Want an eco-friendly alternative? Cut up old t-shirts.
These little tools are must-haves for keeping showers free from mold and mildew. They also work great on windows if that’s a part of your cleaning routine. To get the most life out of your squeegee, make sure you protect the blade from being damaged while you use and store it. If your squeegee is leaving streaks or just not performing as well as it once did, it may be time to replace the blade.
Whether it’s a Roomba, a Dyson, or a sturdy workhorse passed down to you, you need one of these machines to keep floors clean and allergies at bay. One of our favorite picks? The Shark Hydrovac. This cordless wonder is actually a 3-in-1 that vacuums, mops, and cleans itself, making it easy to deep clean floors and area rugs. It’s one of the most powerful cleaning systems around — or what we at AT would call a bonafide must-have.
A nice-sized bucket can do more than just stow your cleaning supplies; you can use it for mopping and a multitude of other household tasks, making it an essential for sure. You can buy one online (this collapsible bucket is a great space-saving option!), but most people just pick ’em up from their local hardware store.
Keeping spray bottles on hand is a good idea if you ever need to rinse something off with water or if you’ve been wanting to try your hand at making your own cleaners. Glass bottles will hold up to anything, and you can buy them one at a time for less than $16 or in multi-packs for a savings boost.
A sponge or cloth isn’t always going to work, so keep an all-purpose scrub brush on hand to use on tile, tubs, fixtures, and tough stains. You can use an old dish brush that you’ve retired from dish duty, or buy a heavy-duty cleaning scrubber. We love this one from OXO, and it’s only $10.
When you need something a little more refined than a scrub brush, a toothbrush is a great option. Disinfect some old toothbrushes and put them to work on grout, sink rims, and all the other nooks and crannies in your house. You can even boil old toothbrushes in water to bend their heads and make them better at getting into tough-to-reach spots. If you don’t have a spare toothbrush, you can buy a special detail cleaning brush that’ll do the same job (maybe even better!).
If you have any hard surfaces like wood, tile, cork, and linoleum, you’ll need tools to get them clean. You should check out the instructions for different types of floors before you start, but most people can get along with a broom and dustpan and/or a dust mop. If you have pets or kids, you may want to get a wet mop as well, which will give you more power to clean up after spills or scrub grime from the floor.
If you have a really small apartment and don’t make very large messes, you can trade in a big broom for a hand broom and dust pan, like this $5 set from Target’s Made by Design line.
