If you are like me and you are the CCO chief cleaning officer in charge of the cleaning services of your household then you, my friend, need a cleaning caddy! I also have some quick and easy cleaning tips for you today too!
What the heck is a cleaning caddy and why do we all need one?
Let me start by asking you what do hair stylists, makeup artists, even nail salons have in common?
This does have to do with cleaning I promise. The answer is .. They all keep their tools with them to make their jobs easier. Hair stylists walk around with their brushes and everything in a tool belt. Nail technicians wheel over a cart that has all over their supplies ready and at an arm’s distance away.
Instead of keeping your tools, which are your cleaners, cloths, sprays, all over your house, keep them all together in one spot, in a cleaning caddy. This way while you are cleaning and move from room to room or space to space, you take everything you need with you. Unless you want to add daily steps into your routine, you’ll save time from walking back and forth looking for what you need.
If you need help creating a cleaning routine that works for you, click here read the Ultimate Guide To Mastering Your Cleaning Schedule
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What do I keep in my cleaning caddy?
So I bought this caddy years ago from Target when it was back to school season. It’s meant to use as a shower caddy for college bound students! But I loved it, I knew it would work: It’s pink. It has separate sections. And it’s inexpensive!
I keep all these items in my cleaning caddy:
- All-purpose cleaner
- DIY Glass cleaner
- DIY Shower/Bath cleaner
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Disinfecting Spray
- Scrub Brush
- Toothbrush
- Sponge
- Gloves
- Baking Soda
- Alcohol spray
- Stone cleaner
- Rinsing Cup
Some of my favorite cleaners are all made by Method. I love their all-purpose cleaner in the tangerine scent and their daily granite cleaner which is in an apple scent.
I am loving the Simple Truth toilet bowl cleaner right now in bergamot mint. It smells so good for a toilet! I’m currently using the seventh generation multi-purpose disinfecting spray but the scent is a little too strong for me.
The recipes for the DIY cleaners I use are down below.
On any given day I can clean every room in the house with these items. There is no need for me to go back and forth wasting time and energy.
Where do I store my cleaning caddy?
My cleaning caddy lives in my laundry room. I have a cabinet in the laundry room that it fits in perfectly. I also keep the microfiber and bathroom cleaning cloths in the drawer above the caddy. This keeps the caddy easily accessible with all the cleaning cloths in one central location.
A quick little update on my cleaning cloths! (Updated April 26, 2018) I have started using a laundry bag to store all the towels, microfiber cloths, and mop pads. When it’s cleaning day I just grab the bag with all the cloths in it and don’t even worry about folding them or anything!
This has definitely helped save time since I don’t have to stand there and fold all the towels anymore! When they are done in the dryer I just toss them in the bag and I’m good to go!
Are these the only cleaning supplies I have in the house?
No. I do keep separate bottles of all-purpose, glass, and stone cleaner under the kitchen sink. I use these on a daily basis in the kitchen and powder room so it’s easier and more functional to have these on hand downstairs.
What are the recipes?!
Glass Cleaner: 1 cup water and 1 cup of distilled white vinegar
Shower Cleaner: 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 2-3 drops dawn dish soap
So easy right? Sometimes DIY is totally the way to go…especially if it’s cheaper!
OK so now that we have the cleaning caddy ready to go, what’s next?
Cleaning! Get on it! Haha!
But here are a few tips to help get you started on the right foot!
First, if you haven’t discovered your cleaning style, check out this post right here so you can clean the way that works for you!
Cleaning Tip #1
Start from one spot and work your way around the room in a clockwise circle.
This prevents you from having to backtrack. As a result, you know where you’ve been and where you need to go without missing anything. If you move in one fluid motion instead of scrubbing back and forth, this will also help prevent the smudging of dust.
Cleaning Tip #2
Start dusting from the top which would be anything ceiling and corners, ceiling fans, etc and then work down.
Eh don’t you hate it when you haven’t dusted in a while and all the dust coming sifting down on top of you?! What if you had just dusted a table underneath that and had to do it over again! Ah! Frustrating, right?!
So, start from the top and work your way down ensuring clean surfaces from top to bottom!
Cleaning Tip #3
Spray the shower/tub cleaner in the tub, then the toilet bowl cleaner and disinfecting spray in/on the toilet first before you start cleaning the bathroom. While you are cleaning the rest of the bathroom, the cleaners will have some time to do their thing which means less scrubbing for you!
Cleaning Tip #4
Vacuum last to pick up all the dust and any debris you wiped off of table tops and other surfaces. Don’t we all enjoy the pretty vacuum lines on the carpet!
Cleaning Tip #5
If you have any old cotton t-shirts lying around, cut them up and use them to wipe down mirrors with the glass/mirror spray…it works like a charm! Using these t-shirts as cloths also prevents any little particles left behind and a great way to reuse an older item so it doesn’t go to waste.
