Mastering House Cleaning Supplies Organization
Keeping your home clean and organized is a rewarding but challenging task. One thing we tend to overlook when maintaining cleanliness is the organization of our house cleaning supplies. From my perspective, a well-organized cleaning station can make your cleaning routine more efficient and less stressful. Here’s a guide on how I store and organize my cleaning products and supplies, and I hope you can draw inspiration from it!
From Chaos to an Effective Organization of Cleaning Supplies
I struggled to find the right products to clean this or that, and more often than not, I purchased cleaning products I already had because of my chaotic setup and my inability to keep track of my inventory. Whether it was hunting down bathroom cleaning supplies or searching for a bottle of floor cleaner, the chaos was always frustrating. Here’s an unfiltered, untouched, honest picture of the hot mess I had going on in my garage.
One day, after realizing I had three bottles of the same surface cleaner, I decided it was time to change. I knew I could have a much better organization system for my cleaning supplies and products. Hunting for storage ideas for cleaning supplies left me more unenthusiastic than excited since most projects pictured pristine cleaning closets and large utility rooms. All I have to work with is two and a half industrial shelves in my garage.
But, ugly spaces lend themselves to nice quick upgrades, and I think I came up a system that has transformed the space and my cleaning routine, too!
When I decided to organize my cleaning supplies, I cleared the garage shelves. I decided to revamp it a little by covering the shelves with contact paper—the same type I used in past projects like my nightstand organization and my medicine cabinet organization. On these shelves, I also keep our backstock of paper goods such as paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, and paper plates.
One of my favorite parts of organizing any space is the opportunity to create a more uniform look. Matching bins in the same sizes not only helps in staying tidy but also makes the space visually appealing.
How to Organize Your Cleaning Supplies
As usual, whenever I organize a space, I dump all the contents in one place and start the categorization, discarding, and relocating processes. So, I laid out all the cleaning products and supplies on the garage floor and started sorting through them.
It felt rewarding to sort and discard many bins, boxes, and bottles taking up space. For years, I used a rolling cart to store my cleaning products, but that changed when I reorganized my cabinet under the kitchen sink and the laundry room.
Here are five steps to effectively organize your cleaning products and supplies. Ultimately, how you organize your products will depend on your space and cleaning habits.
1. Categorize Your Supplies
Start by categorizing your cleaning supplies. Group similar items together to make them easier to find. Here are some categories you can use:
• Disinfectants and Wipes: Keep these in one bin for quick access when sanitizing surfaces.
• Surface Cleaners: These are essential for daily cleaning tasks and should be easily accessible. In my case, this bin holds backstock, since I keep some of them under the kitchen sink.
• Laundry Boosters: Whenever possible, store these near your laundry area to streamline your laundry routine. Also backstock. I keep these in clear jars on a shelf in my laundry room.
• Miscellaneous Cleaners: For those items that don’t fit into other categories.
• Floor Cleaners: Keep these together for when it’s time to tackle the floors.
2. Utilize Clear Bins
Clear bins are fantastic for cleaning supplies, storage, and organization because they allow you to see what’s inside without rummaging through, which is exactly the challenge I was facing. I keep the bigger bottles of cleaners that don’t fit inside clear bins behind them. This way, I can still see what I have in stock, and it’s easy to grab what I need.
These are the bins I chose:
- Extra-large clear bins with handles. I wanted big, deep bins to fit large bottles but not so big so that I could accommodate several of them for each category I created. These worked out great.
- Small, clear bins with handles and lids. I chose these for the top shelf where I did not have much height to work with. They are also perfect for storing small cleaning tools and supplies such as cleaning brush attachments, duster and sweeper refills, sponges, etc.
3. Designate Storage Areas
Having designated areas for your house cleaning supplies can save you time and hassle. Here’s how I do it:
Garage Shelves
I store most of my cleaning supplies and backstock on a couple of shelves in the garage, keeping the main living areas clutter-free.
- Shelf #1: Because of space constraints on the top shelf, I opted to store small items in small bins with lids.
- Shelf #2: This is the shelf closest to my eye level. Here, I organized most of the cleaning products, placing them inside the extra-large clear bins and the bigger containers behind them.
- Shelf #3: Lastly, I left enough room on this shelf to store our paper goods, a bathroom cleaner caddy, and other products, such as large laundry detergent containers or cat litter bags.
Under the Kitchen Sink
I keep my most-used cleaners for the kitchen and living areas under the kitchen sink for easy access.
Bathroom Caddy
I keep a caddy ready to go upstairs with all my bathroom cleaning supplies. This portable solution ensures I have everything I need in one place.
4. Color Code Cleaning Cloths
To avoid cross-contamination and keep things hygienic, I use a color-coded system for my cleaning cloths:
• Blue: bathroom counters.
• Green: toilets and surrounding areas.
• Yellow: polishing furniture.
• Pink: kitchen counters.
• A separate set of blue cloths: cleaning glass and mirrors (see below).
These are the type of cleaning cloths I currently use:
Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
This pack of 12 comes with three cloths in each of the four colors mentioned above. They are soft and lint free, and the current pack I am using I purchased 2 years ago, and it’s still going strong.
Microfiber Glass cleaning cloths
These cloths are the best for cleaning glass, mirrors, and stainless steel. They work great with my favorite glass cleaner, Sprayway.
5. Store Cleaning Tools Efficiently
Smaller bins are perfect for organizing cleaning tools. I use them to store:
• Dusters
• Sweepers
• Brush and vacuum attachments
• Brillo and scrubbers
• Appliance cleaner tabs
Storage Ideas for Cleaning Supplies
Effective storage ideas for cleaning supplies can significantly improve your cleaning routine. Shelves, clear bins, and designated caddies are just a few methods for keeping supplies organized and easily accessible.
Where I Store My Bucket, Mops, Brooms, and Sweepers
For larger cleaning tools, I use a fast-track system in my garage. I hang the broom, Bona mop, and sweeper on this system near the door. The mop bucket is kept near the shelf in a small corner. It’s not as comfortable as the cleaning closet I dream about, but it works for now and it is functional.
Creating Labels for Your Cleaning Supplies
To enhance the organization of your cleaning products, it’s always a good idea to label the bins and containers so you can find your cleaning products quickly and put them back easily. Labeling bins also help you keep track of inventory. Here’s how I did it and the supplies I used.
1. Design the labels on Canva
I made simple labels on Canva. You can download my free template to create your own and change the label size and font.
2. Print on Heavy Cardstock and Cut
I like to print all of my labels on heavy cardstock to ensure durability, especially for this organization of cleaning products since the labels will be exposed to liquids, and the products will be stored in a warm garage.
3. Use Adhesive Pockets
I recently found these practical adhesive pockets in the Target bullseye playground. However, I am linking to similar adhesive pockets on Amazon. These adhesive pockets are a fantastic way to label the bins while still being able to change the labels when the need arises. It’s my new favorite way to label!
For more label ideas, read my post, Spice Drawer Organization.
Storage Ideas for Cleaning Supplies
Effective storage ideas for cleaning supplies can significantly improve your cleaning routine. Shelves, clear bins, and designated caddies are just a few methods for keeping supplies organized and easily accessible.
FAQ: Cleaning Supplies Organization
Organizing your house cleaning supplies doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With some planning and the right system in place, you can streamline your cleaning routine and keep your home looking its best.