The Deep Cleaning Supplies Worth Having at Home

That Cleaning Girl · Deep Cleaning

You don't need a closet full of products to deep clean a house. Most of the work gets done with a short list of good basics. If you just read What Affects the Price of a Deep Clean?, you know that the details are what take time. The right tools make those details go faster.

Cloths and sponges

These are the workhorses of every clean, and they're worth buying in quantity. Running out of clean cloths halfway through a bathroom is how streaks happen.

• Microfiber cloths: get a big stack, at least a dozen. Use different colors for kitchen, bathroom and glass so they never cross over.
• Non-scratch scrub pads: for soap scum, stovetops and baked-on spots without scratching.
• Melamine sponges: great for scuffs on walls and baseboards, used gently.
• Old cotton socks: perfect for blinds and dusting slats one by one.
• Paper towels: for messes you want to throw away, and for vinegar wraps on faucets.

Brushes

Brushes reach places cloths can't. They don't need to be fancy, but they should be stiff enough to scrub and small enough to fit into seams, corners and grout lines.

• A grout brush or a stiff-bristle toothbrush.
• A soft-bristle toothbrush for faucets, drains and tight corners.
• A small detailing brush for window tracks and appliance seams.
• A toilet brush and a toilet-safe pumice stone for mineral rings.
• A soft scrub brush with a handle for tubs and showers.

Cleaners

A handful of cleaners covers almost every surface in a home.

• All-purpose cleaner: for counters, cabinet fronts and most hard surfaces.
• Degreasing dish soap: the unsung hero of kitchen deep cleaning, for cabinets, range hoods, stovetops and sinks.
• White vinegar: for hard water, glass and chrome. Keep it off natural stone.
• Baking soda: a gentle abrasive and deodorizer for ovens, tubs, grout and mattresses.
• Glass cleaner: for mirrors and windows, or vinegar and water if you prefer.
• Bathroom cleaner or disinfectant: for toilets and high-touch surfaces; follow the label's contact time.
• A cleaner made for your counters, if you have granite, marble or quartz.
• Oxygen bleach powder: for dingy grout and stains.

Keep each product in its original container with its label. And never mix cleaners, especially bleach with ammonia or vinegar.

If you only buy three things, make it dish soap, white vinegar and baking soda. Between them, they handle grease, hard water, soap scum, ovens, grout and odors in almost any home. Everything else on this list just makes specific jobs a little faster or easier.

Tools

• A vacuum with a crevice tool, upholstery tool and brush attachment.
• A flat microfiber mop with washable pads.
• A bucket, ideally one with two sides for clean and dirty water.
• A sturdy step stool, not a chair.
• An extendable duster for high fans and corners.
• A squeegee for shower glass.
• A plastic scraper and a razor scraper for glass cooktops.
• A caddy to carry everything room to room.

A good vacuum is the one tool worth spending a little more on. Strong suction, a decent filter and the right attachments make a bigger difference on a deep clean than any spray.

Protection

• Rubber or nitrile gloves; your hands will thank you.
• A kneeling pad for baseboards and floors.
• Old towels to protect tubs, floors and counters while you work.
• Good ventilation: open windows, run fans, use exhaust fans.

What you can skip

Cleaning aisles are full of products that promise a lot. Most homes don't need:

• A separate spray for every room in the house.
• Heavily scented products that cover smells instead of removing them.
• Harsh abrasive powders that scratch tubs and stainless steel.
• Steel wool, which damages most surfaces you'd use it on.
• Single-use disposable wipes for every job, when a microfiber cloth does it better.

Storing it all

Keep your supplies in one place, away from kids and pets. A high shelf or a cabinet with a child lock works well. Store everything in its original container with the label on. A caddy you can grab and go makes deep cleaning much easier, since you're not running back and forth to the laundry room. Keep a small kit under each bathroom sink, too: a cloth, a spray and a toothbrush for quick wipes between deep cleans.

Here in North Texas, hot garages can be rough on some cleaners, so store them indoors when you can. Summer heat can break down some products and make spray bottles leak.

Replace your supplies before they wear out. A toilet brush that's gone flat, a sponge that smells or a mop pad that no longer grabs dust all make cleaning slower. Fresh basics are a small investment that pays off every time.

A short list, used well

Good cleaning comes down to a few solid basics and knowing how to use them. Stock up once and you'll be ready for any deep clean the house throws at you. If you'd rather skip the shopping, we bring everything with us on our deep cleaning services across the south DFW area.