Organize Your Cleaning Supplies
  • Subscribe
  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Cooking
    • Best Baking Recipes
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Kitchen Tools
    • This Month’s Recipes
  • Home
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • Home Improvement
    • New Uses for Old Things
  • Style
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Shoes
    • How to Care for Clothing
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skincare
    • Makeovers
  • Life
    • Health
    • Etiquette
    • Family
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Weddings
  • Holidays
    • Gift Ideas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year’s Day
    • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Exclusive Real Simple Products
    • Digital Products
    • Reviews
    • Shop the Issue
  • News
  • Video
  • Subscribe
logout
  • Food
    • Recipes
    • Cooking
    • Best Baking Recipes
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Kitchen Tools
    • This Month’s Recipes
  • Home
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • Home Improvement
    • New Uses for Old Things
  • Style
    • Clothing
    • Accessories
    • Shoes
    • How to Care for Clothing
    • Hair
    • Makeup
    • Skincare
    • Makeovers
  • Life
    • Health
    • Etiquette
    • Family
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Weddings
  • Holidays
    • Gift Ideas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Easter
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year’s Day
    • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Exclusive Real Simple Products
    • Digital Products
    • Reviews
    • Shop the Issue
  • News
  • Video
  • TIME Health
  • Sign up for Newsletters
  • Saving and Budgeting Basics
  • Checklists
  • Weddings
  • Give the Gift of Real Simple
  • Weeknight Meal Planner
  • My Account
  • Logout
  • Sign In
  • Register
  • Contact Us
  • Customer Service

Organize Your Cleaning Supplies

David Prince
1 of 7 David Prince

Find a Storage Space

"During your precious Saturday hours, an organized, fully stocked broom closet will save you time, motivate you, and remind you what you need to do," says Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts ($20, amazon.com). If you don't have a whole closet to devote to cleaning supplies, part of a pantry, a nook under the staircase, or a corner of a room will work, too.

Advertisement
2 of 7 David Prince

Organize Your Cleaning Rags

Problem: Rags everywhere.

Solution: Don't put dirty rags back in the closet. It's too hard to distinguish between clean and dirty ones. Launder them after use. Keep small clean rags in a hanging bag so you don't have to worry about folding or stacking them. Larger towel rags can be stacked on a shelf.

3 of 7 David Prince

Store Your Vacuum Cleaner

Problem: The vacuum cleaner is bulky, and the hose is always in the way.

Solution: Position your vacuum cleaner front and center, so it's easy in, easy out. Hang the hose on a hook to free up floor space and to keep from tripping over it.

Advertisement
4 of 7 David Prince

Use a Storage Caddy

Problem: Cleaning products are in a confusing scrum on the floor of the closet.

Solution: Keep the products you use most in a handled caddy. Store the rest in a spot that is accessible but not in the way. A lazy Susan makes infrequently used items, such as polishes and waxes, easy to find when you need them.

Advertisement
5 of 7 David Prince

Use a Double-Duty Bucket

Problem: Buckets take up lots of space.

Solution: Get a bucket that nests with your cleaning-supply caddy. (Try the Container Store's caddy and bucket. Caddy, $6; bucket, $10: containerstore.com.)

Advertisement
6 of 7 David Prince

Hang Your Rubber Gloves

Problem: The insides of your rubber gloves are always damp, and they don't dry well hanging over the side of a bucket or the sink.

Solution: Glue clothespins to the inside of your broom closet or door, and clip the gloves by a fingertip to air-dry, open-side down. (If you don't want the pins permanently affixed, try 3M's removable Command Adhesive Spring Clips; $4, amazon.com.)

Advertisement
7 of 7 David Prince

Keep Brooms in Place

Problem: Brooms, mops, and other long-handled cleaning tools clutter the floor.

Solution: Mount mop and broom holders on the back of the closet door. (Try the Crawford Spring Grip; $4, acehardware.com.) They'll be out of the way and can air-dry. Even better, for ventilation, insert a screen panel on the lower half of the door.

You May Like

Home
Surprising Uses for Your Dishwasher

Read More

Real Simple Newsletters

Get tips, inspiration and special offers delivered to your inbox.
Sign up

Subscribe Today

For as little as $1 an issue!
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Real Simple Newsletters

Get tips, inspiration and special offers delivered to your inbox.
Sign up
REALSIMPLE.COM
  • Food
  • Home
  • Style
  • Life
  • Holidays
  • Shop Real Simple Products
  • Sitemap
CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Customer Service
  • Media Kit
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Your California Privacy Rights
  • Ad Choices
SUBSCRIBE
  • Subscribe to Real Simple
  • Give a Gift
  • Back Issues
  • Real Simple Digital Products
  • Email Newsletters
  • Time Inc. Careers
All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Real Simple may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Real Simple is part of the Time Inc. Food Collection and the Time Inc. Lifestyle Network. Copyright © 2018 Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. Real Simple is a registered trademark of Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.