Among the household items that most people stock up on are cleaning supplies. Many say they possess the mentality of “it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it” when it comes to the items they use to keep the house tidy.
Because of this, a lot of households have more cleaning items than they need which, unfortunately, end up contributing to the clutter at home.
You’ll find the vacuum cleaner resting against one wall in the living room. Cleaning products are lined up on the kitchen counter as if they’re part of the snack selection for the kids. Cleaning equipment and products on display are never a pretty sight.
It goes without saying that anything that is used to tackle dirt should be hidden from plain view. Here are 14 clever ways to hack your home cleaning routine starting with smart supplies organization:
1. Edit your cleaning supplies
The fewer you have, the easier organization will be. If you have duplicates cleaning products, transfer the contents of one to the other. Also, toss out all the near empty bottles already!
As for bulky cleaning equipment that you have multiples of or you do not use often, such as vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, and spinner tools for deep cleaning, take them out of your house.
Place all the excesses and the rarely used ones in a self storage facility in your area, along with other belongings you do not need in your home. Later on, figure out what you truly want to do with them. Should you sell them or just give them away?
2. Use decorative containers
Invest in a few pretty baskets and boxes to store everything from dryer sheets to detergent pods and cleaning wipes. This is a creative way of concealing cleaning products that you do not want to hide away in the utility closet because you need them to be accessible.
3. Use matching bins if you are not keen on decorative containers
The use of complementing bins creates a sleek and organized facade for cleaning supplies that you cannot tuck away in a utility cabinet. Even if people can clearly see that these containers hold items for cleaning, they still would not be displeasing to the eyes because of the uniform appearance of the bins.
Additional Tip: Label every container for an uncluttered look. You can use sticker labels or paint a rectangle on the container using chalkboard paint to create charming labels for organization.
4. Use a facial tissue holder for cleaning wipes
If you like keeping Clorox cleaning wipes in different parts of your home, store them in a facial tissue holder instead of their original packaging. Just make sure to inform members of the family that they are not moist towelettes, or better yet, attach a small label to the tissue holder to indicate that it holds Clorox cleaning wipes.
5. Attach a tension bar to the inside of your storage cabinets.
Hang all cleaning products in bulky spray bottles on the tension bar to create more space for other items. It is important to get maximum use out of any size of space you have for storage. This way, you will be able to easily fit in more products and keep them out of sight.
6. Organize paper towels and other cleaning supplies with a hanging shoe holder.
A hanging shoe holder is a multipurpose organizing solution and it does not eat up too much space in a utility closet. You can store everything from paper towels and big bottles of cleaning agents in every pocket.
7. Place a Lazy Susan in your sink cabinet to hold different cleaners
Don’t you just hate it when you need to reach far back in a cabinet to get that specific cleaner that you need because you have several other cleaners placed in front of it? Reaching all the way back usually results in knocking down one item, which then creates a domino effect.
You can avoid this infuriating situation by using a Lazy Susan. Place the different cleaning products on it and you can easily turn it to get hold of the specific cleaner you need. Plus, you do not mess up the way you have arranged everything.
You can make your own Lazy Susan that perfectly fits your sink cabinet by purchasing the supplies from a hardware store. But, if you cannot be bothered, you can find one ready to use in your local home depot.
8. Mount a snap-lock grip organizer on the back of any storage closet you use for cleaning supplies
A snap-lock grip organizer is the perfect solution for small storage cabinets that you want to get full use out of. It will hold long-handled brooms, mops, and even vacuum attachments without taking up too much space.
9. Install hooks in your storage cabinets
Hooks are solid alternatives to a snap-lock grip organizer but you can space them strategically better so you can hang more items on the door or interior sides of your storage cabinet.
10. Hang up shelves and mesh bins in your utility closet
Mesh bins and shelves are reliable space-saving organizing solutions for a cramped utility closet because you can get more use out of the vertical space. Place them at eye level or slightly lower to quickly get rags, sponges, boxes of detergent, baking soda and small cleaning brushes.
11. Use a pegboard in the laundry room
A pegboard can usually hold as many cleaning supplies as a utility closet. Everything is on display, however, but it’s not a huge issue if the pegboard is installed in the laundry room.
You can hang up everything — from mesh container bins to shelves — on a pegboard. Likewise, you can place as many hooks as you want to hang dusters, brushes, a small pair of dustpan and broom, a full-sized broom, scrub gloves, mops, and even a handheld vacuum cleaner.
Another advantage to a pegboard as an organizing solution for cleaning supplies is that you can see everything, and it’s all within easy reach.
Make sure to clean the pegboard every once in a while to prevent it from becoming too gunky.
12. Place your bathroom cleaning products in a cutlery caddy
The different compartments of the caddy allow for even better organization, plus the fact that it has a handle makes bringing all your bathroom cleaning products from bathroom to bathroom so much easier.
13. Use beverage dispensers for cleaning products that you get in huge containers
These are more efficient and stylish organizing solutions for your laundry/home maintenance station. Line up the beverage dispensers in an accessible part of the area and transfer your liquid detergent, fabric conditioner, and other cleaning liquids into them.
It will be so much easier to get what you need and in the right amounts that you need them.
14. Use old Mason jars to collect small items
Clothespins, tennis balls (for fluffing clothes in the dryer), small sachets of cleaning products, bathroom deodorizers, and even aromatic candles should have their own containers. Otherwise, they will end up as clutter.
Gather all of your old Mason jars to store all these items as well as to make them easily accessible when you need them.
With all of these creative organizing and storage tactics, you can have a tidy and orderly home as well as facilitate a more efficient cleaning process.
Author Bio: Mohamed Samad is the Founder & CEO of Matic Services. He started the company in 2016 after a series of small start-ups within the home services sector. Prior to that, Mohamed was Vice President at Greenstone Equity Partners, where he spent 24 months building the UAE business from 2011-2013 with its founder.
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