Housekeeping and Laundry

What cleaning supply products do I need?

Although the necessary materials can vary depending on your furniture and preferences, traditional household cleaning supplies include dish soap, an all-purpose cleanser, a bathroom cleanser, a sponge, a brush, a furniture cleanser and a duster. There are many different brands and kinds of cleaners, including scented and environmentally friendly options, so just use whatever kind works for you and your family. To clean the floor, brooms, dustpans, mops and vacuum cleaners are needed, while step stools and ladders can help you reach high places when cleaning out kitchen cabinets or reaching for cobwebs.

How do I organize my housekeeping supplies?

Because there are a slew of cleansers, brushes and accessories to store, taking the time to organize your supplies is essential. Use a storage container, basket or bin to keep bottles from spilling under the sink, or buy a cleaning caddy for grab-and-go handiness on cleaning day. To keep items from getting lost in the shuffle, buy a wall-mounted organizer to store brooms, mops, dustpans and step stools, and keep it in the garage so it’s out of high-traffic areas.

How do I make the most of my laundry room?

Laundry rooms aren’t generally noted for their spaciousness, but with some appropriate planning and clever designs, you can squeeze a hamper, clothes rack, washer and dryer into this space with room to spare. If your space is supremely small, a portable washing machine offers a miniature-sized solution to cleaning your clothes. If you have a little bit more room to spare, a stackable washer and dryer set makes great use of your vertical space.

If there’s no room for a dryer or if you simply prefer to let your clothing air-dry, a retractable clothesline can be mounted to your laundry room wall and simply retracted out of the way when not in use. A wall-mounted ironing board is also a good investment, as it allows this typically cumbersome apparatus to quickly and easily be folded up into the wall.

If space is less of an issue, you may like the convenience of having an utility sink installed in your laundry room. Now you can hand wash any delicates right then and there, soak any stains and rinse out the detergent cap. Of course, there’s much more to doing the laundry than what we’ve listed here. Be sure you have an iron or clothes steamer on hand for smoothing out any wrinkles, plus other accessories like an ironing board cover and more.