Apartment Knowledge: Cleaning Tools You’ll Need

Whether you’re in your first apartment or someone else used to buy the stuff to keep your place clean, here’s a shopping list of cleaning tools and products you need, for cleaning your apartment.

First, let’s tackle the items you’ll need to have in your closet or under the sink, the “tools” required to clean an apartment:

• Scrubby sponges (choose one color for surfaces, and another for dishes; don’t mix them up)
• Dish Scrubber with built-in soap holder (an alternative to the scrubby sponge for dishes)
• Mop (the self-wringing kind or a Swiffer^® is easy to use; choice can depend on your flooring)
• Bucket or small plastic tub (for mopping)
• Rubber gloves  (trust us, you’ll want to wear them for certain tasks)
• Broom  (choose the angled kind)
• Dust pan (some dustpans come with small attached hand broom; these are a nice bonus)
• Dust rag  (you could cut up an old t-shirt for this)
• Large scrub brush (you’ll need this for tubs and floors)
• Small scrub brush (you’ll need this for corners and around faucets)
• Toilet brush (some come with a decorative holder which hides the brush, a nice buy)
• Plunger (one of these might come with your apartment; store it near the toilet for emergency situations)
• Trash cans (it’s extra nice to have a foot pedal on the one in the kitchen)
• Vacuum cleaner  (warning: used vacuums can contain fleas)
• LUXURY ITEM: blind/fan cleaner

Now here are the products you’ll need to buy, and replace only as needed. You’ll find them at any grocery store, dollar store or drug store. Don’t worry: most of them last a really long time.
Also note that the brands below can be substituted with other products, including those which might be more environmentally friendly. (Use the brand name to find the right section of the cleaning aisle!)

• Paper towels
• Garbage bags
• Laundry Detergent
• Dryer sheets
• Spot removal (for laundry)
• Dish washing soap (for hand-washing dishes; choose a kind that’s easy on the skin)
• Dishwasher soap (for the machine)
• Soft-Scrub^®  (this product has a little grit in it, and cleans stubborn stains from sinks, surfaces)
• Endust^® (for dusting wooden furniture and décor)
• Tilex® mildew root penetrator (for dirty grout in the kitchen and bathroom, or any tiled room)
• Pine-Sol^® (which you add to water) or Swiffer^® products (mop product depends on your flooring)
• Bleach (you’ll need to use this with caution, but when added to warm water, can erase stains)
• Glass cleaner (like Windex^®) for mirrors and windows
• Febreze^® or air freshener (it’s nice to keep this in your bathrooms)
• Stainless polish (for stainless appliances and trash cans)
• Stove-top cleaner (if you have a glass-top stove)
• Oven cleaner
• Hand cleanser  (dish-washing soap can be harsh on skin; some are designed for double-duty)
• Lint removal roller (if you have pets, use this to pick up fur from fabric-covered furniture, linens)
• LUXURY ITEM: Shelf liner
• LUXURY ITEM: Poison Ivy Soap by Burt’s Bees^® is good to have on hand, if you love nature

Now all you need is an idea of how often you should tackling the various tasks to keep your home clean and healthy. For roommate harmony, it would be a good idea to look at these recommendations together, tweak them for your own reality, and make sure your hopes or expectations are in line with each other’s.

SEE ALSO: Free Downloadable Chore Wheel

Bathroom:
Clean your toilet (don’t forget to lift the seat) twice a week, or more often, if needed. Clean your tub and shower walls, sink areas and the floor weekly.

Kitchen:  
Clean surfaces after each meal prep. Sweep floor daily.  Clean sink at least once a week. Mop floors weekly. Deep-clean refrigerator surfaces twice a year, or immediately after a spill. Clean stainless surfaces as needed.

Dusting:
Twice a month, or sooner, if you have dust allergies.

Floors:
Vacuum any carpeting weekly, or more often if you have pets.  Mop floors at least twice a month. Having an entrance rug to scrape shoes on will cut down on the dirt.

Furnishings:
Use lint roller often if you have pets on the furniture, otherwise, as needed.

Windows & Oven:
As needed.

Have we missed anything? Maybe you have a top tip on cleaning a stubborn stain. Let us know below!

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