Simple Cleaning Supplies & Strategies for a Tidy Space

A clean and organized living space is more than just aesthetically pleasing. It's a foundation for good mental health, increased productivity – both on a personal level and if you work from home – and can even boost your overall well-being.

Whether you live in an inner-city condo or have a little more space out in suburbia, the fundamental cleaning essentials and best home cleaning products generally stay the same.

Let's create a house cleaning routine that works for you, giving you a checklist for daily, weekly, or monthly jobs and simplifying your life by decluttering your space.

Read on to learn how to make every part of your home shine!

First Up: Why Do I Need Cleaning Routines?

Cleaning routines provide you and whoever shares your space with structure and organization. If you live with others, cleaning routines can also help you keep things fair or enable you to split specific responsibilities between you based on who likes doing certain jobs.

Ultimately, a cleaning routine will mean your space feels more livable—and somewhere you want to spend your time.

Having a house cleaning routine also brings the following:

• Consistency: Cleaning a little, and often, every day – or however frequently you do it – means you never fall too far behind or create a big job even if you miss one or two tidy-ups.
• Time-saving: It's incredible how much time you save in the long run if you keep on top of things rather than doing a deep clean whenever your house is a total mess.
• Improved air quality and health: Regularly dusting and vacuuming will minimize the presence of allergens and dust in your home, enhancing your health.

Your Essential Cleaning Routine Checklist

Cut and paste this section into your notes or writing app so you can share it with others and print off and use as you need. Remember to make any changes to fit your lifestyle and usual routines!

Daily Cleaning Tasks

• Wipe down surfaces, giving particular attention to areas where germs are more likely to build up and cause a risk to your health, such as kitchen worktops and tables.
• Wipe down or vacuum any “high-traffic” areas of your home.
• Wash the dishes or load up the dishwasher. Aim to have no dirty dishes out in the open for too long and ensure you keep your dishwasher in good working condition.

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

• Vacuum and mop floors.
• Dust all surfaces, including electrical devices. You can use Blow-Off for electronics or any areas you can’t reach safely.
• Clean all bathroom fixtures and surfaces in your home, including toilets, showers, baths, sinks, mirrors, and tiled surfaces.
• Complete any laundry and change your bedding.

Monthly Cleaning Tasks

• Clean your kitchen, including your cooker, oven, microwave, and fridge.
• Clean your windows.
• Double-check your store cupboards, fridge, and freezer for any expired goods.
• Declutter one room. If you don't find an item to be useful or attractive, consider if you need to keep it!

Crucial Cleaning Products for Your Home

No matter where and who you live with, always having your cleaning essentials available will make it easier to stick to your routine and keep your home clean. You could even add "Check cleaning essentials" to your checklist to ensure you never run out! Here are some more cleaning essentials to add to those you can find using the links above.

Must-Have Cleaning Tools

If you don’t invest in anything else, make sure you have these in your home:

• A duster and duster refills.
• A sturdy broom.
• A dustpan and brush.
• A good mop and bucket.

All Natural Cleaning Products

If you'd like to reduce and minimize your use of chemicals for cleaning, you have several options. The first is to look out for eco-cleaning products formulated with little or no chemicals. Another option is to use everyday products, most of which you can pick up at your local grocery store or here atThe Online Drugstore.

Suitable products for cleaning include:

• Vinegar and water, which will do a great job of cleaning windows, floors, and other surfaces.
• Baking soda, which is excellent for scrubbing surfaces, removing stains, and deodorizing.
• Essential oils, which can add subtle, pleasant scents and sometimes even give you extra cleaning power. For example, tea tree oil is known to have antibacterial properties.

Cleaning Essentials for Apartments

If you live in an apartment or smaller condo, you might have limited space to store your cleaning supplies. As such, it's worth investing in cleaning supplies that won't take up much room, such as:

• Small dusters or extendable dusters. Opt forBlow-Off if you're really tight on storage space!
• A collapsible bucket.
• A compact vacuum cleaner.

Additional Cleaning Tips and Tricks

Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you make the most of your new cleaning routines.

Declutter Regularly

Before diving into regular cleaning, spend a few minutes decluttering. Removing excess items simplifies your cleaning routine and often highlights areas that need special attention.

And once a month, undertake a “deep declutter” of a specific room and remove anything you don’t use, need, or enjoy looking at.

Use Everyday Items Where You Can

It's incredible how easy cleaning can be when you use everyday items for certain things. For example, if you need to clean grout between bathroom tiles, a toothbrush is an excellent tool for making this job quick and easy.

Clean One Room at a Time

Instead of spreading your efforts thin across multiple rooms, focus on cleaning one room from top to bottom. This concentrated approach ensures you don't miss any spots and provides a sense of accomplishment as you clean each room.

The only exception you should make is for tasks like vacuuming, which is often easier to do all at once.

Get Others Involved

Don’t become a lone martyr working towards a clean home!

Dividing tasks between family members or roommates can help you get the job done quicker, or ensure everyone does their fair share. You could even have fun with it and vote on who did the best job!

Make Cleaning Fun!

Speaking of fun, there’s no reason why cleaning can’t be!

Put some music on and have something ready to reward yourself for a job well done while you kick back and relax in your freshly cleaned and tidied space.

Enjoy All The Benefits of a Tidy Space

Following our guide and cleaning checklist will simplify your life and help you enjoy all the benefits of a decluttered, tidy home.

Remember to pick up your home cleaning and organizing essentials here at The Online Drugstore.