Create a Cleaning Caddy So You Actually Clean!

If you take a few minutes to create a cleaning caddy, your supplies are organized and ready to go when you need them!

{Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read disclosure here.}

One area of home management where I struggle is cleaning. I tend to focus more on tidying up our living spaces while the deep cleaning often goes by the wayside. Time is limited, so the deep cleaning usually doesn’t happen as often as I’d like.

When I was recently organizing and decluttering underneath my kitchen sink (where I store most of our cleaning supplies), I decided it was time to get my cleaning supplies under control.

Here’s what it looked like before.

I’ve seen lots of organized spaces on Pinterest that included a cleaning caddy, so I decided to create my own. Not only does it keep our cleaning supplies organized underneath the kitchen sink, but my most important cleaning supplies are corralled and ready to go when I need them quickly! It’s a win-win!

CREATE YOUR OWN CLEANING CADDY

What you’ll need:

This list is specific to my cleaning caddy, but you will customize based on your most used and favorite cleaning supplies. I tend to use some homemade cleaners, although certainly not everything.

Caddy

My cute metal caddy is from my local Home Goods store. I was smitten the moment I laid eyes on it. I got it for $12 since it had a super small spot where paint had chipped off (it never hurts to ask for a discount when something is slightly damaged). It’s a little heavier than I’d prefer, but since I love the look, I’m totally okay with it! 🙂

Most dollar stores or big box retailers carry a plastic version that is affordable and easy to transport from room to room. Just make sure you double-check that your cleaner bottles will fit! This one from Target or something like this one from Amazon would work perfectly.

Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

I have been using my homemade all-purpose cleaner for a while now. It works well (this should not be used on marble or granite) and is really cheap to make! Since the two ingredients are water and white vinegar, I can make it up really quickly any time I run out and it’s one less thing to add to my grocery store list.

Homemade Disinfectant

While the vinegar in my all-purpose cleaner works great at killing most germs, molds, mildews, and bacteria, it is not a registered disinfectant with the EPA and may not kill everything. Because of this, I like using my homemade disinfectant when I want to make sure a surface has been completed disinfected (ex. sick kids, when cleaning cutting boards, etc.). It’s another really thrifty cleaner!

Homemade Glass Cleaner

This homemade glass cleaner works great on mirrors, windows, and faucets. I have not had a single problem with it streaking, which is my pet peeve when it comes to glass cleaners. It’s a winner in my book!

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Since I don’t use any homemade cleaners for my toilet bowls, I snag these at Target or use coupons at CVS or the grocery store.

Homemade Tub & Tile Cleaner

This homemade tub & tile cleaner works really well in my bathrooms or other porcelain areas. For the best results, squirt it on and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. It will cut through the soap scum when I’m bad and forget to wipe down my shower.

Bar Keepers Friend

My homemade tub & tile cleaner works great, but sometimes I’m in a hurry and go straight for the Bar Keepers Friend. I sprinkle some powder on the surface and then create a paste with a wet rag. It works great on soap scum, but also does a great job removing black marks on my porcelain sinks. I love this stuff and had to include it in my cleaning caddy!

Scrub brush

I keep a couple of old toothbrushes and a scrub brush from the Dollar Tree in my caddy as well. I don’t spend much money on these, but they come in handy when I’m dealing with really dirty areas that require some elbow grease.

Magic Eraser

I don’t know who invented Magic Erasers, but they were genius! I use these to clean all sorts of surfaces, so I make sure to keep one in my cleaning caddy. If you have little ones, they work great on walls!

Since I store my rubber gloves, duster, microfiber cloths, and paper towels in a nearby location, I don’t keep them in the caddy itself. I throw those items in the caddy as I know I’ll need them, depending on the area I’m cleaning.

And just so you know, I do keep other cleaners and cleaning supplies on hand, but these are the ones that I use often enough to keep in my cleaning caddy. I use dusting spray, homemade wood floor cleaner, carpet cleaner, etc. on occasion, so I just store them in a coordinating bin under the sink and grab them as needed.

I love the look of an organized and tidy cleaning caddy, but it also helps me to actually clean! Now that I can grab everything I need very quickly, I have no excuses!

If you need any other cleaning related tips or inspiration, you can check out some of these posts: