Even if you focus on nothing but natural cleaning products, chances are you will have at least a few harsher cleaners in your home that need to be treated with greater care. The powerful cleaners may be great at keeping your counters and floors clean, but where and how you keep them also plays a part in your life, especially if you have children or pets at home.
Contain in Clear Bins
Once you’ve found a good spot, whether in a utility closet, a laundry room cabinet or a shelving unit, you should group your cleaning supplies in containers. Doing this will keep your items organised and help you avoid leaks and spills onto various surfaces. Narrow and sturdy acrylic bins are an excellent choice for keeping things on hand but separated by type. If you prefer using an opaque container, you should add a label to the front of each one to show what goes in there, so you won’t have to rummage inside.
Bypass any baskets made of natural materials, metal or fabric. These materials will only make things harder to clean if a leap happens. If using wire shelving to store your cleaning supplies, consider using a liner first to help the bins stay flat.
Use the Back of a Door
If you don’t have a lot of supplies, you can place them on the back of a door in an organiser. Use the sections to sort products by type and add clip-on labels to show what goes inside. Pegboards with hooks may also hold small dusters and rags. You can do the same with a shoe organiser with slots; ensure it’s not made from fabric.
Mount Brooms and Mops
If you’re using a utility closet or some built-in shelves and have some wall space or door space available, you may consider using broom grippers to hang the handles of your mops, brooms, dustpans and so forth. Any cleaning equipment with a thin enough handle can fit on a gripper, staying off the floor. If the handles have a hole, you can use S hooks to loop the tool onto a wire shelving unit instead.
Tote Items in a Caddy
Products you use daily or weekly must be easy to reach and haul around your home. You can use a caddy to take your supplies around the place while corralling your cleaners. Cleaning supplies can conveniently be stored alongside the rest of the products, such as under the kitchen sink. Cabinets under the kitchen sink are the preferred option and a popular place to store your cleaning supplies, but you must ensure the caddy doesn’t lean against any pipes. Avoid storing flammable items there, especially if you have children or pets. Make sure you have child-proof locks on the doors if that’s the case.
Adding a Dumbwaiter
For a substitute for caddies and containers, try using a dumbwaiter to store your cleaning supplies. Many bottles out there are round, making it possible to use a turntable if you want to get the most out of this particular storage approach. They will come in various sizes, making it possible to grab a dumbwaiter that works for your specific needs with a bit of a spin. You can use one of your daily products instead of lugging the whole caddy around. Line up a handful of those on a shelf, and you can categorise your cleaning products by type. Use a divided dumbwaiter for smaller products, such as your scrub brushes.