How To Organize Cleaning Supplies

When organizing your home, don’t forget to organize your cleaning supplies!  Here are some simple tips for creating a tidy system that makes any clean-up job a snap!  

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Does your under sink cabinet look like the cleaning aisle at your local grocery store? Bottles of cleaning sprays, foams, and aerosols crowding around your pipes and taking up valuable prime real estate?  It may be time to pull everything out, give it a good sort, and add a bit of organization so it’s easier to find exactly what you need to keep your home spick and span. 

As you probably already know, I keep a minimal supply of cleaning solutions under my kitchen sink.  I find this minimizes distraction and helps me keep the space clean and organized.

All other specialty cleaners are stored on a lightweight metal shelving rack that fits between my washing machine and my furnace in my garage.  It’s accessible enough that I can quickly grab my cleaning caddy AND it frees up my kitchen cabinets for items that are used more frequently. 

By adding a freestanding shelf, I was able to pack more storage into a sliver of garage that would otherwise be unused.  It’s been the perfect home for all the laundry and cleaning-related items that can be tough to store in a small home.

  Ikea Hyllis Shelf (painted with black spray paint)

Whether you have an entire closet, cabinet, or just a single shelf, here are some simple tips to help you organize cleaning supplies in any space:  

Use containers for holding different sized cleaning solutions

While it can be tempting to just place cleaning supplies on a shelf, containers are your friend when it comes to preventing spills and keeping your cabinets organized.  

My absolute favorite container for cleaning supplies is The Container Store’s Multi-Purpose Bins.  They come in a range of widths but are all the same height and depth.  This means that you can mix and match your cleaners to the perfect size container and still have them line up nicely on a shelf.  They are inexpensive and multi-use, which is a win-win in my book.  

Click here to see my other favorite budget organizers, all under $5!

Categorize and label your cleaning supplies

This can be done in many ways, but the goal is to create groups that make sense to you.  It could be by shape, purpose, or even by room.  

I created the following categories:

• Soaps
• Sprays
• Bleach and Vinegar
• Cleaners
• Trash Bags

And of course, I added labels to each container so that everyone in my household knows where to find and return cleaning items.  

These labels were made with my Brother P-Touch PTD600 Label Maker and White on Black Tape in the 24mm size.  I love a large, easy to see label and the black color makes for a fun pop of contrast. 

Use Command Strips to hang your broom and mop

I find uses for 3M Command products all over the house, but the Broom and Mop Grippers just might be my favorite.  They are designed to attach to a wall and securely hold a broom or mop, all without leaving a mark if you choose to remove the holder at some point.

Previously my broom and mop leaned against a wall in my garage, looking messy and prone to falling over.  I used two of the Grippers to attach my mop and broom to the side of my cleaning shelving unit.  They hang nicely to the side and are no longer a tripping hazard in my garage.

As I’ve moved further through my organizational journey, I have come to understand that having a home for everything, including brooms, is the best way to maintain organizational systems.

Think outside the box

Do you have something unconventional you need to store? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and use the space you have.  I literally had no space for a printer in my home but decided I still really needed to have one.  A wireless printer in the garage on my cleaning shelves solved my storage issue and is much less of an eyesore than if it was on a dresser or desk inside our house.

Simplify your cleaners

This can be a hard category to reduce since different cleaners can be useful in different situations!  However, I guarantee there are cleaners that you no longer use or that can be replaced by another cleaner.  

I found that I really only rely on 3-4 main cleaning solutions and then a handful of specialty cleaners.  All other cleaners were passed on to people who could use them, through our neighborhood Buy Nothing Group.  I felt good passing them on knowing they would be going to a home where they would be used, instead of taking up space in my own home.

Store everything together

Centralize your cleaning supplies by dedicating a cabinet, closet, or shelf to the sole purpose of storing all of your cleaning supplies.  This eliminates confusion or searching for a specific cleaner when an urgent clean-up situation arises.  

When everything is organized by category on a shelf, it’s really easy for me to load a cleaning caddy with exactly the products I need.  This is so much easier than having to rummage through 7 cabinets to find the Windex and the toilet bowl cleaner. 

I’m really thrilled with how my cleaning shelves turned out.  The neat rows of categorized cleaners bring me a sense of calm that makes cleaning up household messes a much more enjoyable experience.  And as an added bonus, my kids and my husband are able to find things by looking at the labels instead of asking me where things are. 🙂 

If you would like to see my cleaning shelf in action, check out this 30-second video:

@smallishhome

As requested, here’s how I organize my cleaning supplies on my garage utility shelf. #organizing #organizedhome #cleaningsupplies #cleantok

♬ Saturday – twenty one pilots

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