All the Essential Cleaning Supplies: An Easy Checklist
Posted: Thursday, October 21, 2010
by Pamela Garner
http://cleaningsecretsinfo.com
Finding the right cleaning supplies is very important for any homemaker, but especially for the speed cleaner. It's tricky, because many people think that being speedy means having fewer supplies, but that's not necessarily true. If you have the correct supplies for each job you have to do, cleaning will be much quicker because you will do the job effectively.
1. An apron with pockets to store the most important tools.
2. A tote/tray with divided sections to store the cleaning agents and rest of the tools.
The Tools
1. Toothbrush for hard to reach places.
2. Scraper for hard to remove accumulations of mess.
3. Rubber gloves.
4. Cleaning cloths: the best are clean, not tattered pure cotton. An alternative is to use good quality paper towels.
5. Furniture polishing cloth: these can be found in retail stores.
6. Scrub pad/sponge.
7. Toilet brush.
8. Tile brush.
9. Feather duster: the best are ones made with real feathers.
10. Mop. Using the swifter instead of a mop may seem faster, but if you really look at the cleanliness of your floor you may regret it.
11. Bucket for mopping.
12. Whisk broom.
13. Vacuum.
14. A spare vacuum if you can afford it. Most helpful will be a smaller portable vacuum.
The Cleaning Agents
1. Heavy-duty liquid cleaner (these are often red in color) used for all spray and wipe jobs except glass. Well known products include 409, Fantastik, etc.
2. Light-duty liquid cleaner (typically blue in color) used for glass. The most common product is Windex.
3. Bleach.
4. Three Squirt bottles for the 3 cleaners above.
5. Liquid tub, shower, and tile cleaner in a squirt bottle.
6. Furniture polish in a pump-spray container.
7. Powdered cleanser (my personal favorite is Comet).
8. Floor cleaner/polish. If you have floors that won't take polish products use clear ammonia.
Additional Tips:
I suggest organizing all of your supplies in a way that suits you and then leaving them there for permanent storage when you're not cleaning. Use your tray for most supplies and your apron for things you use often that you would like to be on you at all times. This way you won't have to reorganize your supplies every time you start cleaning - this cuts down on time spent, which is what speed cleaning is all about, right? Any of these products that are used only in one location can just be kept somewhere close to that location and not within all the rest of your cleaning supplies. For example: The toilet brush can be kept in the bathroom. Repetition is a key to speed cleaning, so storing your tools and products in the same place each time (or just not moving them) will help to put the routine into your body (your "muscle memory") and cut down on your time spent each time you clean. Make sure you always refill your supplies if you're getting low at the end of a cleaning session - don't wait until you need it to fill it. That will just slow you down the next time you're cleaning. Finally, it is very important to keep all of your supplies in good condition. When your cleaning cloths are starting to wear out, replace them. Good supplies save you time because they do their job well.
Pamela Garner hates to clean. Her answer? Develop a "Speed Cleaning Secrets" system to make it as painless as possible. You can see more tips on essential cleaning supplies at her site www.cleaningsecretsinfo.com. While you are there, check out her free email minicourse on speed cleaning.
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