6 Minimalist Cleaning Supplies You Need (That Don’t Include Baking Soda)

Looking to simplify your cleaning routine with bare essential cleaning products? Here are the top 6 cleaning supplies you really need for a clean and germ-free home.

Take a walk down the shopping aisle and you’ll be sure to find so many cleaning products it can make your head spin.

Bathroom cleaner, oven cleaner, window cleaner, what do you choose and what cleaning products do you really need? It’s not only confusing choosing the right products but it is downright expensive.

Don’t get me wrong I love a good store-bought cleaner because they make cleaning fast and easy but what a lot of people don’t realise is that some of these cleaners can also act as pollutants and are really toxic to the environment especially if you have pets and kids.

The cleaning supplies I’ll share with you are the bare essentials you need and you need not worry about them not working because they get the job done!

Top 6 minimalist cleaning supplies you need for your entire home

1. E- Cloth

This is my favourite cleaning cloth by far! The E-Cloth is by far the best investment you can make in your home and you need one for every room in your house. If this is your first time hearing about the E-Cloth it is a polishing and microfibre cloth that cleans everything from mirrors to microwave ovens with just water.

The E-Cloth is a well-made microfibre cloth that comes in a pair. If you don’t have access to an E-Cloth, a good-quality microfiber cloth will work just as well.

If you are looking to use fewer cleaning products, the E-Cloth/ microfiber cloth is one to buy. I talk more about in this post

2. Dish Soap

Many people don’t actually realise that dish soap is such a multi-purpose product that can be used for practically everything. I actually learned this from a professional cleaner on Instagram.

Instead of buying a bunch of cleaners with more chemicals, your dish soap can do the job 10x better. I love it, especially in the bathtub. Just squirt a little bit in, wash with a sponge or brush and watch the gunk melt away.

3. Bleach

Okay, I know this is a much harsher ingredient but having bleach on hand is needed especially for stains that are harder to lift. I’ll be one to be honest about the fact that natural ingredients might not be able to do the job that bleach would.

There is a time and place for it though (saving this post for my husband who drenches the bath in bleach all in the name of cleaning) I use bleach mostly for toilet bowls and set stains.

4. Vinegar

This is by far my favourite product to buy in the house. Can we begin to talk about how versatile vinegar is? I always have 2 large kegs on hand just because I go through it really quickly. From cleaning the kitchen to bathrooms to laundry, Vinegar has a myriad of uses. Sometimes, I’ll infuse it with lemon peels, clementines or herbs to give it a different scent. See how I do that in this video.

5. Elbow Grease

Some people might argue this but Elbow Grease simply had to make my list because it’s excellent for cleaning the oven.

I know it’s not an eco friendly cleaner but I chose it because I wrote this article specifically for those who do want a few products that work but also don’t want to spend too much time cleaning.

You can choose between the multipurpose Elbow Grease or the Elbow Grease oven cleaner.

In your minimal product arsenal, you need a product that can de-grease very quickly and that’s why this made the list.

6. Sponge

The last product you need in your cleaning arsenal is a sponge. I know sponges are notorious for harbouring a lot of bacteria but they do such a great job of cleaning spots around the house, from the bathroom to the kitchen.

In order to clean your sponges and get rid of bacteria, wet the sponge and pop it in the microwave for about two minutes, let it cool and leave it out to dry.

{Read: 50+ Must-Have Cleaning Products For A Spotless New Apartment}

How To Use The Minimal Cleaning Supplies

Less is truly more when it comes to cleaning. So is it really possible to not need more than 6 cleaning supplies? Absolutely! Here are some ideas for cleaning your home with the cleaning supplies I listed.

Windows:

To clean windows, simply soak the E-Cloth in water and clean, spending a little more time on set stains and using the polishing cloth to wipe it. What you’ll get is streak-free shine without the chemicals. If you want to clean the window even better, soak the waffle part of the E-Cloth in a mixture of vinegar and water.

Kitchen Counter:

To clean kitchen counters, simply make a half and half mix of vinegar and water and wipe down your surfaces. This not only disinfects the surface but makes the air smell fresh once the strong vinegar scent is gone.

Remember to check the type of material your surfaces are before using vinegar as it can stain surfaces like marble.

Floors:

To clean the floors, simply use a tiny amount of dish soap in your mop bucket. When you are done cleaning, replace the water in the mop bucket with clean water and wipe down again.

This simple cleaning solution will clean just about any kind of floor, yes even wood floors.

Bathroom and Toilet

To clean your bathroom and toilet effectively, all you really need is dish soap and some vinegar.

Squirt some bleach into the toilet bowl, leave to set for a while, and wash with your toilet brush. To clean the exterior part of the toilet, make a simple solution of vinegar and water and wipe down the surface with your dedicated microfibre cloths or E-Cloth.

You can clean the rest of the bathroom with dish soap and vinegar, rinsing thoroughly with water as you go. The vinegar dish soap mix is really effective at removing hard water stains on taps, shower screens, and more.

To clean your tub, squirt some dish soap inside the bath, scrub down and rinse.

Bedroom

To clean and dust surfaces in the bedroom, lightly damp your E-Cloth or microfiber towels and clean gently.

Those are, in my opinion, the only products you really need to clean your entire house. Anything else will make your cleaning routine easier and quicker but you risk introducing even more toxins into the environment.

At the end of the day, it’s about what you are willing to gamble. I’ll be really honest and tell you that I use some of these products as I am often really strapped for time but if you want to simplify the cleaning products you have and are not entirely sure where to start, I hope these six products help you maintain a space thatis clean and always feels like home.

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