Introduction
Keeping your cleaning supplies organized can make cleaning your home easier and more efficient. Cluttered cabinets filled with disorganized bottles and containers can lead to frustration when you’re trying to locate the right cleaner for the job. Taking the time to properly organize your supplies helps you know exactly what you have and where to find it when needed. Here are some useful tips for organizing your cleaning cabinet and keeping it neat and tidy.
Assess What You Have
The first step in organizing your cleaning supplies is taking everything out of the cabinet and assessing what you actually use on a regular basis. This allows you to declutter and get rid of duplicates or products you don’t need.
- Make an inventory of all your cleaners, tools and accessories. Jot down how many of each item you have.
- Check expiration dates and toss anything that’s expired.
- Discard cleaning products that you don’t use often or duplicates of products.
- If unopened, donate extra items to charity or friends/family if they can use them.
- Recycle or dispose of any empty bottles or containers.
Only keep your most-used essentials and the products you feel are necessary for cleaning your home. This editing process helps pare down your collection so it’s less overwhelming to organize.
Group Like Items
The key to a neatly organized cleaning cabinet is grouping like items together. First divide your supplies into main categories:
- Surface cleaners: All-purpose cleaners, glass cleaner, stainless steel cleaner, granite cleaner, etc.
- Bathroom cleaners: Toilet bowl cleaner, shower spray, tile cleaner, etc.
- Floor cleaners: Hardwood floor cleaner, laminate floor cleaner, tile floor cleaner, etc.
- Tools: Sponges, cleaning cloths, mops, brooms, etc.
- Accessories: Extra gloves, scrub brushes, sponge holders, etc.
Then separate each category into your different brands or types of cleaners. For example, group all Method surface spray cleaners together, all Lysol wipes together, etc.
Label, Label, Label
Labeling is vital for an organized cleaning cabinet. It helps you identify what’s what at a glance.
- Use removable vinyl labels, washi tape or a permanent marker to identify the category names on the shelves or containers.
- Label the fronts of plastic bins or baskets for each category.
- Stick removable vinyl labels right on the cleaning bottles themselves to mark the name.
- Color coordinate your labels by category so green labels = surface cleaners, blue = bathroom, etc.
Purchase Organizing Tools
Investing in some simple and inexpensive organizing tools can maximize your cleaning cabinet storage.
Lazy susans
Install a lazy susan or turntable in your cabinet. They hold multiple bottles while letting you spin to find the one you need.
Risers
Use risers or shelves to create tiers for upright storage. This allows you to see all labels and avoid having items get buried.
Caddies
Plastic caddies or wire racks help divide cabinet space into sections. They keep like items together and upright.
Bins and baskets
Use open bins or baskets to corral all your tools or accessories in one spot. Just label the front.
Over-the-door storage
Install over-the-door racks or hanging shelves on the back of your cabinet door to store spray bottles upright and Accessories.
Arrange Strategically
Think about convenience when it comes to where you place certain supplies in your newly organized space.
Daily use cleaners
Keep your most frequently used cleaners on upper shelves or in easy to grab spots. Everyday kitchen and bathroom sprays should be most accessible.
Larger supplies below
Reserve bottom shelves for bulky supplies like jugs of floor cleaner, packs of wipes or boxes of trash bags.
Tools in top rack
Store cleaning cloths, brushes and gloves in the top shelf or rack for quick grabbing before you get cleaning.
Maintain the System
Once you’ve done the work of organizing your cleaning cabinet, be sure to maintain the system. These tips will help you keep chaos and clutter from creeping back in.
- Put supplies back in their designated spots after each use.
- Do a purge check every few months to look for expired or unnecessary items.
- Re-organize if things start getting messy. Don’t let it get out of control.
- When shopping for new supplies, buy only what you need and will use often.
- Check that labels are still adhered and replace any that have fallen off bottles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I reorganize my cleaning cabinet?
Ideally, give your cleaning cabinet a thorough reorganize at least twice a year. Do a purge of unneeded supplies and check that all items are in their designated spots. Quick tidy ups can be done more frequently as needed when things start getting messy.
How should I arrange my lazy susan for easiest access?
Place your most frequently used daily cleaners on the lazy susan for quickest grabbing. Heavier spray bottles can go around the edges to anchor it while lighter bottles can go towards the center. Group bottles by type or brand as you add them to the turntable.
What’s the best way to label cleaning supplies?
Removable vinyl labels work great for directly sticking on spray bottles and containers. They stay put but peel off easily to reposition. Washi tape, chalkboard labels or permanent marker on plastic bins are other good options. Just pick a consistent labeling system using one method.
Where should I store cleaning tools?
Designate a top shelf, over-the-door rack or plastic caddy for cleaning tool storage. Keep all your dusters, mops, brushes, gloves, etc. together in one area for easy access before cleaning. Having a dedicated zone just for tools will help keep them visible and within reach.
How should I arrange my cabinet shelves?
Heavy bottles and jugs should go on lower shelves while lightweight sprays can go up higher where they’re easily seen and grabbed. Daily use cleaners should also be front and center on main shelves. Label shelves to assign zones – top for tools, bottom for floors, etc.
What’s better for storage – bins or baskets?
This depends on your storage needs. Baskets are good for holding lightweight rags, microfiber cloths or scrub brushes while still allowing you to see contents. Bins with higher walls keep small items contained and are great for organizing accessories. Use bins for sturdy upright storage and baskets where visibility of contents is helpful.
Conclusion
Learning how to organize your cleaning cabinet effectively saves you time and frustration when tackling cleaning tasks. By decluttering, categorizing your supplies, installing organizing tools and maintaining the system, you can create an efficient and tidy cabinet for all your cleaning gear. Implementing these simple organization tips helps you keep your home clean and makes your janitorial supplies easily accessible and ready to use.