The cleaning professionals at Molly Maid® have been providing house cleaning services since 1984. So, when it comes to compiling a list of cleaning supplies that will help keep your home looking its best, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you're getting ready for a thorough annual cleanup or just need to update your inventory of household cleaning products, our cleaning supply list will serve as an excellent go-to guide. After all, every job is easier when you have the proper tools.
Table of Contents:
To stay in the know, download our printable cleaning supply checklist and keep it handy when you’re ready to clean. Our comprehensive cleaning list covers a lot, so we have broken down the information for each part of your house.
Essential Cleaning Supplies for Your Floors
Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up, with our cleaning supplies checklist for your floors. You’ll need the following items:
- A vacuum with a hose attachment (to get into those hard-to-reach corners).
- A bucket with an attachment to ring your mop.
- Rags and/or chamois mop.
- Some warm water mixed with basic dishwashing soap.
This list of cleaning supplies will help you clean carpets, hardwood floors, composite flooring, tile, and linoleum. Before washing any floor, vacuum or sweep up dirt or dust.
If you have polyurethane-sealed hardwood floors, fill up a 5-gallon bucket with warm water and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap. You can use the same solution on linoleum and tile. When cleaning wood floors, make sure to use a damp mop, not one dripping with water. Too much water on a wood floor can cause it to warp. When mopping tile, be careful not to soak the grout lines in dirty water, as this can lead to discoloration.
Now, it’s time to gather your cleaning supply list for the kitchen.
Kitchen Cleaning Supply List
The average kitchen has surfaces made from different materials, including stainless steel, glass, marble, tile, natural stone, Formica, and more. This is why our kitchen cleaning supply checklist is longer than the lists for the other rooms in your house. Here’s what you’ll need to keep your kitchen looking spic-n-span.
- Scrubbing sponges
- Microfiber cloths
- All-purpose cleaner
- Oven cleaner
- Stainless steel cleaner
- Dishwashing soap
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Lemons
With this list of cleaning supplies, you’ll soon have every surface in the kitchen sparkling.
Countertop Cleaning Tips
Use an all-purpose cleaner for countertops unless they are marble, quartz, or granite. It’s best to clean stone countertops using a gentle dish detergent and warm water to avoid causing any damage to the surface.
Sink and Garbage Disposal Cleaning Tips
Stainless steel sinks can be cleaned by sprinkling baking soda and rubbing it in with a damp sponge, then spraying white vinegar. This will cause some foam to rise in your sink, but that’s a good thing. After it disappears, rinse your sink with cool water and watch it sparkle.
To freshen up your garbage disposal, add lemons to your cleaning supplies checklist! Cut a lemon in half, throw the halves into the disposal, and run the disposal with the water on for a few minutes.
Pro Tip: You can also clean your wooden cutting board with half a lemon. Just squeeze it, rub it on the board, let it sit for a bit, and rinse. For stubborn food stains, first, scrub the board thoroughly with salt. Let the salt sit for 10 minutes. Then rub ½ a lemon into the board. Rinse with hot water, then let it air dry.
Next up: our cleaning supplies checklist for the bathroom.
Bathroom Cleaning Supply List
Our list of cleaning supplies for the bathroom includes some dedicated equipment that should be reserved for bathroom duty.
- Toilet brush
- Grout and tile cleaner
- Grout brush
- All-purpose cleaner
A dedicated toilet brush is a must to keep your toilet clean and control the spread of germs. For grout, use a small brush with firm bristles. All-purpose cleaners can be used on sinks, tubs, shower walls, and other hard surfaces except granite or stone. (See kitchen tips.)
In addition to cleaning your bed linens once a week, and your mattress occasionally, you’ll need some cleaning supplies to keep your bedrooms comfy and cozy.
Essential Cleaning Supplies List for Living Areas and Bedrooms
Since your living room and bedrooms share similar surfaces and materials that require cleaning, the same cleaning supply list can be used for each.
- Glass cleaner
- Clean newspaper
- Lint roller
- Extendable duster
- Vacuum (and a mop if you have wood floors or tile)
Pro Tip: Use newspaper instead of paper towels to clean your windows and mirrors. Newspaper is absorbent, prevents streaking, and won’t leave behind any fibers or fuzzy cloth residue.
A lint roller works great on delicate surfaces, like pillows, especially if you have pets. It neatly removes pet hair, dust, stray hairs, lint, and more. And don’t forget about an extendable duster for those hard-to-reach ceiling fans and other nooks and crannies.
The above cleaning supplies checklists handle each room of an average home. However, pet owners need to work a bit harder to keep their homes clean and smelling fresh.
Cleaning Supplies for Pet Owners
This section of our cleaning supplies checklist is dedicated to all pet parents out there. You’ll want the following supplies:
- Baking soda
- Distilled white vinegar
- A vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
- Pet brush
- Lint rollers
The first item on our pet cleaning supply list, baking soda, which is known for its deodorizing power. It’s also highly touted as a natural cleaner, whitener, and stain remover. Sprinkle baking soda on pillows, rugs, drapes, and other fabrics, then vacuum to remove pet odors. Also, placing some at the bottom of a litter box can help control odors.
Next up on our cleaning supplies checklist is distilled white vinegar, an excellent disinfectant, cleaner, deodorizer, and carpet stain remover. Use a vinegar and water solution to wipe down pet beds weekly, and add it to your washing machine to clean pet blankets and toys.
The vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is indispensable for removing dirt, pet hair, and debris from carpets, rugs, and upholstery. The HEPA filter removes allergens and bacteria, improving the air quality in your home. For smaller areas, the lint roller removes stray pet hair.
A pet brush belongs on your house cleaning supply list. Regular brushing helps keep pet hair manageable and significantly reduces the amount of hair found around your home. For dogs with dense undercoats, consider a de-shedding tool.
While our furry friends make life so much richer, they can sometimes bring a few unwanted odors into our homes. Here are a few tips to ensure a fresh-smelling home:
- Immediate Cleanup: When accidents happen, act swiftly. Pet messes become harder to clean and more pungent the longer they're left untreated.
- Regular Grooming: Regularly grooming your pet can drastically reduce unpleasant smells. This includes frequent baths and brushing.
- Pet-friendly Air Fresheners: Many common air fresheners can be harmful to pets. Use pet-friendly fresheners sparingly to avoid overwhelming your home with strong fragrances.
- Clean Pet Belongings: Regularly wash pet bedding, toys, and other accessories that can harbor odors. Don't forget to clean litter boxes frequently and keep dog waste picked up in the yard.
Don’t Use Unsafe Cleaning Supplies
You’ll note that the cleansers we include on our cleaning supply checklist are typically quite mild, but effective. As professional cleaners who have seen it all, we find these mild cleansers can do big cleaning jobs when used correctly. That said, be careful when using cleaning supplies that include toxic chemicals, which can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Use caution when dealing with cleansers like bleach and ammonia, which can be deadly, when combined.
Thankfully, there are many natural and eco-friendly cleaning alternatives on the market. These cleaning products use naturally derived, nontoxic, and biodegradable ingredients, ensuring a clean home without risking the health of you, your family, your pets or the environment.
How to Store Cleaning Supplies Safely and Efficiently
Safe storage of the items on your cleaning supply checklist keeps them effective and, more importantly, protects your household:
- Designated Storage: Store your cleaning supplies together, out of reach of children and pets.
- Original Packaging: Retain cleaning products in their original packaging as much as possible. These containers are designed for safe storage and contain essential information like ingredients, directions for use, and safety measures. If you must use other containers, label them clearly.
- Safe Separation: Not all cleaning products can be safely stored together. For instance, bleach and ammonia can create toxic gasses if combined, so keep them separate.
Maintaining a Clean and Tidy Home
A clean and tidy home looks inviting and offers a healthier living environment for everyone in the family. Use our cleaning supplies checklist, and keep it handy when you clean, and you’ll be well on your way to maintaining a clean, healthy home. But sometimes life gets hectic, which puts housekeeping low on your to-do list.. When this happens, call on the cleaning professionals at your local Molly Maid!
Our team of skilled cleaning pros will have your home looking great, and help you keep it that way. Plus, all our work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise®, so your satisfaction is guaranteed. Find a Molly Maid near you, and request a free quote today!
