Minimalist Cleaning Supplies: All You Need to Keep a Spotless Home

I really don’t like clutter, especially a bunch of half empty bottles of cleaning supplies piling up ugliness in the closet. There are so many cleaning products out there and it can be overwhelming to choose from them all, especially when each one insists that it is absolutely essential in order to keep a clean house. It can be alluring even, to buy a bunch of cleaning supplies to have on hand, as if by sheer virtue of having the aesthetically pleasing assortment of spray bottles and cloths stored in cute little caddies makes your house inherently cleaner. However, as much as I like cutely designed instagram worthy closets full of every gadget and supply, I don’t have the space or the mental energy to have it all bearing down on me. There are a few cleaners that I like and that’s what I stick to, and they cover every need that I have for keeping things clean, sanitary, and orderly. People fall on both ends of the spectrum of cleaning supplies – some adhere to environmentally friendly green cleaners and frugal homemade supplies, others swear by extremely stinky powerful cleaners that kill every living thing. I have explored the various options and find myself somewhere in the middle, and I think especially when you have kids its important to find the middle ground – on the one hand you have to find things that are not harmful to your kids, and on the other hand kids will take a toll on the house and to keep it clean simply requires the big guns sometimes. Some chemical cleaners just simply do the job and I don’t have time to do a song and dance with the green cleaner while the layers of grunge and grime gird themselves for battle. 

Disclaimer: I do not get any compensation for recommending these products, there are no affiliate links in this article, and I only recommend what I have found to be superior products. 

Pledge Wood Polish OR Method Wood Cleaner

 

If you have wooden furniture in your house, I definitely recommend having a can of pledge on hand. It has a fresh lemon scent and keeps dust from gathering on surfaces. I have used it on both real wood and furniture with a wood-like veneer and I have always been happy with the results and get a sense of satisfaction using it. If you are looking for a more natural option, the Method daily wood cleaner is one that I have found to do a great job, and it has a pleasant almond aroma.

Norwex Glass Cleaning Cloth

I really recommend this product from Norwex because it is the only product I know of that you can just wet with water and wipe down glass and mirrors without any streaks or water spots. I don’t know how it works but it is so convenient. Whenever I have tried to make a window cleaner from scratch it never comes out quite streakless, but this cloth will clean the glass well. Also, you don’t need to buy any paper towels, spray bottles or window cleaners. It comes in a couple color options and has the Norwex BacLock which protects against bacteria and odor.

Norwex Envirosponge (Dish Sponge)

You can buy disposable sponges at the grocery store, but I really prefer the Norwex dish sponge. It is made of microfiber, is machine washable, and is double sided with a sturdy scrubber pad. It has the Norwex BacLock, an antimicrobial agent which keeps it fresh and from gathering bacteria.

Swiffer 360 Duster

I prefer the disposable swiffer dusters to using a rag or paper towel for dusting furniture and the tops of fans. Fan blades are the secret hiding place for dust and are often neglected due to their being out of sight, out of mind. When I am balancing precariously on a chair trying to wipe on top of the blades that I can’t see, I prefer the Swiffer duster to a rag or paper towel because there seems to be less overflow of dust and it improves my reach. Also you can throw it away when you are done, instead of having to wash the rag. The Walmart Great Value knock-off version is also pretty good, and its pieces are interchangeable with the true Swiffer, so you can go back and forth.

There is a good video review of the Swiffer 360 here.

Swiffer Mop OR Norwex Mop

 

For wood or laminate flooring, for me it is a tie between the Swiffer sweeper wet/dry mop or the Norwex mop. Both have their benefits. the Swiffer does a good job of collecting dust with the dry mop, and the wet mop gets so filthy that I have to change it a few times (probably not normal for most people but we have high traffic) and it’s nice to know I’m starting with a clean slate each time and not just stirring the floor around with dirty water. You also don’t have to worry about a floor cleaner because the pads are pre-soaked. If you buy the sheets on sale in bulk from Sam’s the price is okay-ish. The Norwex, on the other hand, is washable, so you throw it in the washing machine once you are done. You can also clean it in the sink by hand. It works well with a homemade floor cleaner, the Norwex floor cleaner, or just water. The pads are nice and wide and seem to scrub the floor better, so you put in less elbow grease than with the flimsier Swiffer mop. It probably comes down to your budget, because the Norwex mop system is a much pricier investment that will last a long time, while the stiffer is inexpensive but needs continual refills. Depending on how dirty your floors get, you may come out ahead with the Norwex after about a year due to the cost of refills.

Mr. Clean Clean Freak Spray

I absolutely love this cleaning spray. Yes it is chemically. But it works so well. It works on pretty much any surface and really attacks hard grime and grease. I use it on stainless steel, stovetop, counters, tables, cabinets, and bathrooms. It comes in a few different smells and it has an interesting spray bottle that offers a unique continuous spray action. If you buy it at Sam’s you get two spray bottles plus a refill.

Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Spray

This is a product I found on Grove and I liked that you could buy it with a matching scent of cleaning spray, hand soap and dish soap. The also sell the three pack at Sam’s. If you are cleaning before guests come over and want your house to smell notably pleasant, I recommend this spray. The only problem is I have found it is it can leave streaks on surfaces depending on what type of sponge/cloth you are using.

Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner

If you don’t want to have a nasty toilet scrubber sitting around for your toddler to get into at inopportune moments, this is a good disposable product. The cleaning head comes with cleaner in it which is activated by water. You attach the cleaning head to the cleaning wand, scrub the toilet, and then throw the dirty cleaning head away.

Dawn Dish Soap

Hands down the best dish soap, it’s also pretty versatile for using as an ingredient in homemade window cleaner or floor cleaner. Not much more to say. It comes in two options, the old fashioned dish soap or the new spray bottle setup which is pretty rad.

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

MOST EFFECTIVE CLEANING PRODUCT I have ever found. they are possibly legitimately magical. they will literally erase almost everything, from crayon to sharpie to dirt to fly poop to black mold to acrylic paint to bathtub rings. I use them on stairs, doors, baseboards, sinks, walls, couches, and basically anywhere else. The only things I haven’t been able to clean up with them are melted candle wax that had coated a textured wall, and dried nail polish.

I have found that with these products I am able to tackle just about any project or mess. I recommend purging your cabinets of everything except the basics to diminish clutter and stress. If you can think of another product you have that you count as essential, please let me know in the comments!