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Here’s how to stock a cleaning caddy with products that pull double duty for quick, efficient cleaning.
How many cleaning products do you REALLY need?
There are tons of articles online that tell you how to make a cleaning caddy. But they tell you to cram your caddy full of 8 different products, or create homemade products. If you don’t have the time or patience for either, you’ll love the multi-use products in my double-duty cleaning caddy!
Why You Need a Cleaning Caddy
Not convinced you need a cleaning caddy? Here are some things that might change your mind. By the way, if you struggle with keeping your house clean, check out my tips on how to keep your house clean in 30 minutes a day.
All Cleaning Supplies in One Place
A cleaning caddy keeps all of your most important cleaning supplies in one place. As a result, you’ll know exactly where to find them when you need them. This comes in super-handy for speed-cleaning sessions before guests arrive.
Easily Clean Multiple Rooms
A cleaning caddy also makes it easier to move from room to room when cleaning. You don’t have to gather supplies before you start to clean. You also don’t have to cart an armful of products around as you clean your house.
Quickly Determine What You’re Low On
With all of your main cleaning supplies in a cleaning caddy, you can easily see which products you’re running low on. As a result, you’ll know what to replenish before you start to clean. Nothing kills cleaning motivation like suddenly realizing you’re out of a product!
Double-Duty Cleaning Caddy Supplies
Here’s what I stock in my cleaning caddy to clean my house as quickly and with as few products as possible. As a woman who works full-time, I need products that do a great job, are versatile, and are gentle on my home.
Many of the products on this list can be used to clean more than 1 type of surface. Some aren’t, though. I included them anyway because they’re still essential to safe and effective cleaning.
Remember that the information below is just a guide. You should always read product labels and test surfaces in an inconspicuous area before using cleaning products.
Cleaning Caddy
First, you’ll need an actual cleaning caddy! Galvanized buckets and cute wooden crates are popular. However, I prefer a hard plastic caddy. Here’s why:
- They have lots of space
- They’re comfortable to carry
- They easily wipe clean
- They won’t be damaged by water or leaking products
Before you choose your caddy, decide where you want to store it. Some options are under the kitchen or bathroom sink, on top of the refrigerator, or in a linen or cleaning closet. Measure the space where you’ll store your cleaning caddy before you buy. As a result, you’ll be able to choose a caddy that will fit!
All-Purpose Cleaner
Next, you’ll need an all-purpose cleaner. My favorite is Counter Safe All Purpose Cleaner from Murchison-Hume. It can be used on any hard surface that isn’t harmed by water. Plus, it smells fantastic, which is a great way to make cleaning fun.
What It’s Great For
- Kitchen counters
- Marble
- Granite
- Appliances (not great for use on stainless steel)
- Wood furniture (Test in an inconspicuous spot first)
- Doors, door frames, and window frames
- Hard plastic (Such as toys, coffee makers, etc)
- Light switches
- Door knobs
- Drawer and cabinet handles
- Remote controls
What it’s Not Great For
- Glass
- Stainless steel
- Fabric
Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Hardwood floors are one area which is worth having a special product for. Since they’re expensive to install and difficult to repair, proper maintenance is important. As a result, a hardwood floor cleaner deserves its own spot in your cleaning caddy.
Bona Professional is supposed to be the best hardwood floor cleaner on the market.
Though it won’t fit in your cleaning caddy, you’ll probably need a mop, too! This microfiber mop would be great to use on hardwood floors, because it’s gentle and traps dirt and pet hair. The microfiber mop pad is machine-washable, which makes cleanup a snap.
What it’s Great For
- Hardwood flooring
- Laminate flooring
What it’s Not Great For
- Natural stone (Bona makes a separate stone tile cleaner)
- Carpet
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner
Another double-duty product to include in your cleaning caddy is one that can treat stains on both carpet and upholstery. I like products where the bottle has its own little scrubber head to work stains out, and it can eliminate pet stains and odors, too.
What it’s Great For
- Carpet
- Rugs
- Upholstered furniture (Spot test in an inconspicuous area first)
What it’s Not Great For
- Hardwood floors
Bathroom Cleaner
An all-purpose bathroom cleaner is another great double-duty product for your cleaning caddy. There are tons of great natural options available. You can use a general bathroom cleaner throughout your bathroom, rather than having separate products for each area.
What it’s Great For
- Tub
- Shower
- Ceramic tile
- Grout
- Molded sink basins
- Outside of toilet
- Bath fixtures (Check product label before using on these surfaces)
What it’s Not Great For
- Brass
- Wood
- Natural stone (You can use Murchison-Hume’s Counter Safe All-Purpose Cleaner, above, on natural stone)
- Inside of toilet
Multi-Surface Cleaning Wipes
Multi-surface cleaning wipes are another valuable addition to a double-duty cleaning caddy. I have used Pledge Multi Surface Wipes for years because they’re versatile and they do a great job.
In truth, they could eliminate just about all of the products listed above. But since there are only 25 in a pack, I limit what I use them on to the following:
- Windows
- Mirrors
- Other glass objects (décor, etc)
- Electronics
- Stainless steel appliances
If you don’t like the idea of using the wipes, Pledge also makes a Multi Surface Spray. Use it with a microfiber cloth for best results.
What They’re Great For
- Glass
- Stainless steel
- Wood
- Granite
- Electronics
What They’re Not Great For
- Carpet
- Upholstery
- Marble
Duster
A duster is another essential for your cleaning caddy. Though it’s not really a double-duty item, it goes a long way toward making your house look clean and fresh.
The Swiffer 360 Duster has been my favorite for a long time. It has an extendable handle, so it stores easily. The disposable dusting heads are super fluffy, so they catch tons of dirt on all sides. They’re also gentle enough for delicate objects. I can generally dust my whole house 2 or 3 times using a single dusting head.
What it’s Great For
- Dusting all hard surfaces
- Lightly cleaning décor
- Dusting ceiling fans
- Dusting light fixtures
What it’s Not Great For
- Removing dust from fabric
Lint Roller
Lint rollers are perfect for dusting where a traditional duster can’t. Because of this, they’re a perfect addition to your cleaning caddy. Also, lint rollers can be used on all sorts of surfaces, which means they pull double duty and beyond.
What it’s Great For
- Removing pet hair and dust from upholstered furniture and pillows
- Getting dust off of lamp shades
- Removing dust from curtains
- Cleaning up spilled glitter or other small objects you don’t want to vacuum up
What it’s Not Great For
- Removing dust from flocked fabrics
- Removing dust from hard surfaces
Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
Microfiber cloths are ideal for cleaning surfaces that don’t require a sponge, duster, mop, or scrub brush. They’re sturdy, reusable, and great at picking up dust and hairs. Keep 5 or so at a time in your cleaning caddy. With the right cleaning products, you’ll probably be able to clean your whole house.
What They’re Great For
- Countertops
- Bathroom fixtures and hardware
- Wiping down doors, door frames, and baseboards, beyond just dusting (Think fingerprints, water spots, and other stains)
- Glass
- Mirrors
What They’re Not Great For
- Insides of toilets, sinks, and bathtubs
- Floors
Sponge
You’ll probably need a sponge in your cleaning caddy. They come in handy on surfaces that require a soapy cleaning solution, because they’re easy to rinse and wring out.
What It’s Great For
- Sinks
- Bathtubs
- Floors, in some cases
What It’s Not Great For
- Fabric, unless you’re using it for stain removal
- Dusty surfaces (The water on the sponge will mix with dust and create a dirty, sludgy film)
Scrub Brush
You’ll also want a scrub brush in your cleaning caddy. They’re great at removing hard water stains, mildew, and stuck-on gunk. Just be gentle around caulk and grout.
What It’s Great For
- Sinks
- Bathtubs and showers
- Ceramic tile, including floors
What It’s Not Great For
- Fabric
- Delicate grout
- Loosening caulk
- Wood surfaces
Rubber Gloves
Finally, your cleaning caddy should include a pair of sturdy rubber gloves. They’ll protect your skin from bacteria and cleaning chemicals. They’ll also keep your hands looking halfway decent once you’re done!
What They’re Great For
- All household cleaning scenarios
What They’re Not Great For
- Nothing, really. You probably want to wear rubber gloves whenever you’re cleaning, just to be safe.
Other Helpful Cleaning Tools
These next 2 products won’t fit inside your cleaning caddy, but they are awesome additions to your cleaning supplies. They save me lots of time and reduce the amount of mess I have to deal with.
Bissel SpotBot
The Bissel SpotBot is an automatic carpet stain-remover. You fill it with water and special cleaning solution, set it over a carpet stain, press a button, and it goes to work on the stain. I’ve had a SpotBot for over a decade, and I love it (check out my SpotBot Review if you’d like more info).
Each stain-removal cycle takes maybe 5-7 minutes. When I’m cleaning my house, I pull out the SpotBot and get it working on the stains on my carpet. When it beeps to tell me it’s done, I move it to the next stain, then go back to whatever I was cleaning. It’s like having a super-efficient friend remove carpet stains while you clean the rest of your house!
Clorox Toilet Wand
Moldy, stinky toilet wands are gross to have around. They drip, they spill, and they take forever to dry. I use a Clorox Toilet Wand with disposable brush heads to keep my toilets clean, without having to deal with a gross, dirty brush week after week.
The disposable brush heads come pre-loaded with toilet cleaning solution. Once cleaning’s done, you pop the disposable head into the trash, and stow the handle in its holder. No drippy toilet brush mess! I can clean all 3 of my toilets every week with 1 disposable brush head. However, if you’re starting with dirtier toilets, you might only be able to clean 1 or 2 of them with a single brush head.
How to Stock a Double-Duty Cleaning Caddy: Conclusion
The products inside your cleaning caddy will directly affect how quickly and effectively you clean your home. Using as many double-duty products as possible will save you time and space. Also, having the right basics on hand will ensure your cleaning caddy is well-equipped to handle any cleaning job.
Here’s a recap of everything you need to stock your double-duty cleaning caddy:
- Caddy container
- All-purpose cleaner
- Hardwood floor cleaner
- Carpet and upholstery cleaner
- Bathroom cleaner
- Multi-surface wipes
- Duster
- Lint Roller
- Microfiber cleaning cloths
- Sponge
- Scrub brush
- Rubber gloves
Want a tour of my current cleaning caddy setup? Watch the video below to see how I’ve changed it up!
Want even more helpful cleaning and organizing tips for working women? Join the ShowMe Suburban community and learn simple habits and routines to keep your home clean and organized, so you can relax away from work without feeling the stress of a messy home. Sign up below!