I love a clean home! But like many, my cleaning supplies were far from minimalist. Often, I would purchase a new cleaning product only to come home and find products I needed to use first. Having a different product to clean each area added to the clutter and confusion about what I had run out of and what I still had enough of. There was nothing simple, safe or even practical about my cleaning routine or the products I used.
Once I became a parent, I started reading the labels on products we bought more carefully. As a mom to these four littles, I try to avoid chemicals in their life when possible.
Although many of my current cleaning items are zero waste, yours don’t have to be. This article is not about telling you what to use — just sharing what I use and how I’ve simplified it.
If you’re currently deep in de-owning your stuff and feeling overwhelmed, I don’t recommend friends take on the project of making a bunch of new cleaning products. Start simple and find a system of less that works for you. When we make things too complicated, starting too far ahead from where we’re currently at, the change may be unsustainable.
Over the past six years, these are the products I’ve simplified to in cleaning my home. (Affiliate links included. Learn more.)
House Cleaning Tools:
Microfiber cloth, spray bottle, stainless steel scrubber, wooden dish brush, an old toothbrush, microfiber floor mop, broom, dustpan and a vacuum.
Microfiber cloths
I puchased my microfiber cloths years ago but there are better alternatives. (See update below). If you haven’t tried microfiber cloths, the basic idea is that the microscopic fibers in the cloth pick up much more dirt, bacteria, and germs than a regular cloth. Microfiber has more surface area and the smaller fibers can get into crevices too small for other materials. The spaces between the splits of the cloth collect the dirt and dust rather than just push it around.
Investing in microfiber cloths enabled me to stop using paper towels six years ago!
*Update* Microfiber cloths are made from petrochemicals and the problem is, they are made from a nonrenewable resource and do not biodegrade. And only those made from polypropylene are recyclable. There are better alternatives like these bamboo cloths.
Spray bottle
I use these spray bottles (pictured above) for my all purpose cleaning solution (1 part vinegar, 1 part water and 20ish drops of orange essential oil). Then I have this glass spray bottle for hydrogen peroxide. You can also attach some spare spray nozzles to an empty soy sauce bottle!
Stainless steel scrubber
Love these stainless steel scrubbers! (pictured above). It has lasted me over a year and I use it almost every day on my pots and pans.
Dish brush
I use this natural wood scrub brush for my dishes. (pictured above). The bristles are made from plant fibers and it easily scrubs away food particles.
Floor mop
The microfiber mop that I purchased 6 years ago is still going strong. I have two microfiber cloths that I wash weekly.
Dustpan
We purchased this metal dust pan a couple years ago. I love it. No more plastic parts to break.
House Cleaning Agents:
Castile soap, vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
Castile soap
Castile soap is an all-natural vegetable oil-based soap. This is one of my go-to cleaners. It’s a natural soap gentle enough to wash your hair, face, and dog but also able to clean floors and bathrooms. My favorite is Dr. Bronner’s Eucalyptus soap.
White Vinegar
Baking Soda
Hydrogen peroxide
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved hydrogen peroxide as a sanitizer. I use it (the 3% solution) to sanitize counters, bathrooms, and even my wooden cutting board to kill salmonella and other bacteria that vinegar does not. You can also use it to kill mildew and mold, and whiten your laundry.
By Area:
Floors: we sweep with our horsehair broom and mop with a diluted solution of castile soap on our wood and tile floors.
Windows and mirrors: My younger children leave all kinds of grime on the windows so I usually wipe with a wet cloth and then with a dry microfiber cloth. No chemicals needed.
Bathroom: I clean with my all purpose vinegar solution and then occasionally spray with hydrogen peroxide.
Un-washable messes: We use old clothing turned rags to clean up things like glue or car grease.
Dishwasher: We use our dishwasher and like the Seventh Generation powder soap that comes in a recyclable box.
Do you have favorite minimalist cleaning supplies? I’d love to hear them in the comments!
*Note: This article contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission on anything you purchase at no extra cost to you. All money generated by these links supports the cost of maintaining our website! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!
Zoe,
Love your blog. I would also add a pumice stone for removing toilet stains or even iron stains on the tub. It gentle takes off what the stainless steel scrubber can’t. Also, I save my clementine, manderine, or tangerine peels in a gallon jar and fill it with vinegar. After about two or three weeks (the longer the stronger), this infusion can be used instead of plain vinegar with orange essential oil. It’s cheaper, smells great, and reuses something I would throw away.
Great suggestions, Carolina! I have used the pumice stone and orange peels for the vinegar too! Both were useful! Thanks for reading and commenting!
I live in a moderately hard water area, have to use Lysol bowl cleaner and another cleaner for the shower. I use white vinegar for the floors and a micro fiber dust cloth.
Do you dilute the peroxide with water?
Hi, Holly. No, I do not dilute the 3% Hydrogen peroxide. I use it mostly in my kitchen and bathroom as a disinfectant.
Hi Zoë, I am also looking into simplifying my cleaning routine and recognize a lot of what you are saying! Just one comment on the microfiber cloth, as easy as they are to use… they do shed microscopic pieces of plastic ( polyester) every time they are washed, and these tiny pieces of plastic end up in our environment, causing harm. Using cloths made of bamboo is a really good and more environmentally friendly alternative. Kind Regards.
Thanks for the suggestion Lisa! I will look into the bamboo cloth. These cleaning solutions are what many zero wasters use. Zerowastehome.com and goingzerowaste.com are a couple of my favorites and excellent resources. (If you haven’t visited them already). Thanks for reading and commenting!
I like to use lemon juice for cleaning ,with a lemon tree in the garden it’s a good way of using up some of the surplus fruit.
Bicarbonate of soda is another favourite of mine. I like to make my own air fresheners with a spray bottle some distilled water and a few drops of lavender oil.
Wonderful post, Zoe! I enjoyed it so much. I have almost completely reduced down to 2 bottles of cleaners. I use a mixture of Dawn dishwashing liquid and white vinegar (equal parts) for nearly everything…showers, bathtub, toilets, sinks, countertops, stove, etc. For windows, mirrors, and glass I use this: 24 ounces of water, 1/2 cup of peroxide, 1/2 cup of alcohol, 2 tsp. of Dawn, 2 tsp. of vinegar. I love it…it works wonderfully. I also use this on our shower doors, and it makes them shine so nice. I use a pumice stone for toilets and ceramic surfaces. The only other cleanser I use now is comet, and that is only occasionally. I liked your suggestion about using baking soda instead. I will have to try that…I would love to eliminate the need for comet, due to the chemicals. I love how minimalism makes all of life so much simpler and easier to navigate. My family and I have been on quite the journey over the past few years, and it has enriched our lives in so many wonderful ways! God bless you!
Thank you for reading and sharing what is working for you, Cheryl! So happy to hear this journey has been enriching your life!
I love the fact that you keep your cleaning supplies simple! I use a steam mop on my floors. It has washable pads and uses plain ol’ water. I am working on switching to vinegar (my family does not like the smell), in the meantime, I am using an all purpose cleaner for just about everything.
Thanks for sharing Cheryl!
Great suggestions. How much peroxide do you add to your vinegar, water, and essential oils spray bottle mix?
Hi, Jennifer! I do not mix peroxide and vinegar — they are separate. One cleaning solution is the vinegar, water, and essential oil and in a different spray bottle, I have the peroxide. Hope this helps! Thank you!
What do you use for laundry?
Hi Carol,
For my laundry, I’ve been using Seventh Generation powder that comes in a box — and sometimes also try out locally made detergents.
Thanks for stopping by!