If it’s true that a clean home leads to a clear mind, then these homekeeping tools will absolutely change your life by making it so much easier to keep things fresh and tidy.
It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a cleaning tool addict. I love the simplicity and the functionality of having exactly the right tool for a job and it’s endlessly delightful to me when I find something that just works. I thought it would be fun to create sort of a master list of the tools I love that have made keeping my home fresh and tidy so much simpler. Of course, the dream is to have a house that cleans itself and stays tidy without any effort at all, and these tools make that almost seem possible. 🙂 Furthermore, I love that these tools are all simple, affordable, and available to all, making it possible for us all to elevate our everyday lives just a little bit by brightening up the environments we live in.
My Favourite, Most Functional Homekeeping Tools
A Feather Duster | My number one all-time favorite cleaning tool is a good quality feather duster that can pick up dust and hold onto it until you shake it outside. They’re old-school and they work. The bonus is that you don’t need to move everything off your shelves and table because a feather duster is gentle enough that you can just run it over everything without knocking anything over.
Waterhog Mats | I love these because they’re basically indestructible, they absorb water and remove dirt and debris from shoes as you walk over them, and you’ll never need to replace them. They never get worn-out around the edges and they look fresh and new for years and years. Just the best you can get, in my opinion. You can read my full review of these mats here for more about why I love them so much.
Pumice on a Stick | These are often sold in large packs and are marketed as toilet bowl cleaners because they’re so good at removing rust stains from toilet bowls without harming the porcelain, but they’re good for so much more. You’ll want to have one in every room because they work as a sweater stone, they remove rust stains in sinks and tubs, and they even get those stubborn stains off the burner covers on your gas stove.
Scented Candles | I always say that a house that smells clean, feels clean. If you’re taking care of how your house looks, but not how it smells, then you’re really missing out on one of the best parts of feeling like you have a fresh and tidy house. I love the ritual of lighting a candle right before I do a few simple cleaning tasks to give my cleaning time a little boost. There are endless numbers of great scented candles out there to choose from, but this one I’ve linked to is one of my favorites throughout the whole winter season.
Washable Rugs | Game changer. These aren’t really a cleaning tool, but I just can’t leave them out because they really allow you to easily and affordably keep large sections of your house so much fresher. I shared my process for washing these rugs in this post here.
Linen Spray | This is such an important all-purpose tool for freshening fabrics of all kinds around your home, whether they’re clothing items, bedding, or part of your home decor. If you’re still washing your favorite sweaters after just an hour or two of wear, investing in a good linen spray to freshen them up before hanging them to air out will save you time in the laundry room and make your favorite clothes last longer.
Dust Buster or Inexpensive Handheld Vacuum Cleaner | Emphasis on the inexpensive part here. I have this one and I’m not afraid to abuse it because it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. The result? I actually use it on all kinds of things around the house, inside and out (as long as it’s dry). I’ve had mine for almost two years now and it’s still going strong. Vacuum technology has come a long way in the last few years and even reasonably-priced models can be really great.
Clothing Steamer | I love ironing, but it’s so great not to have to pull out the ironing board just to steam out a few wrinkles on a dress. So easy to use on bedding and curtains too.
Sweater Comb/Cashmere Comb | Such an efficient little tool for keeping cashmere/fine-knit sweaters and scarves pill-free.
Fabric Shaver | When you need a little more power to shave away pills and extra fuzz from fabrics and sweaters. This one is just fun to use.
Clear Glass Spray Bottles | Fill them with your favorite cleaners or any cleaner that you’d like to try and leave them out so you can grab them easily. No need to worry about tacky labels and packaging because these glass spray bottles actually add to the beautiful, clean look of your home instead of just being brightly-colored clutter.
Microfibre Polishing Cloths | We take these with us to every shoot and use them around the house daily as well. They remove fingerprints or smudges from glass, stainless steel, or any kind of shiny surface with just water and they’re just ideal cleaning cloths for almost anything. They just work. Black is actually the best color for these because they’ll stay looking brand new no matter what you use them on.
Baking Soda | OK, I don’t think we can really count this as a cleaning tool, but I just seem to find more uses for it almost every day. This stuff can do everything and it’s definitely worthwhile to have a big jar of it that you keep on hand for all your cleaning needs. You can find a big list of some of my favorite baking soda uses here: Things You Can Easily Clean With Baking Soda
Do you use any of these same tools? What would you add to this list that everyone should know about?
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.