How Many Cleaning Products Do You Really Need?

You are cleaning the kitchen, and feel overwhelmed.

After a root through the cleaning cupboard, you realize you are low on all-purpose cleaner.

You take a breath. This is no big deal. You pop to the shops to pick up something and then…

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OPTIONS?

I’m just trying to get my house clean, not manage a cleaning inventory.

And the more I look, the more overwhelming the options become and get me thinking:

Do I need this seasonally scented spray? 

How is this product new AND improved? 

Do I need 20 different products to keep my home clean?

The answer is no. No, I (and you) do not.

After seven moves in ten years, I have found myself returning to this core product list to get my home feeling fresh again.

My Minimal Cleaning Product List 

These products do 90% of the cleaning in our home:

White Vinegar (6%+): Cheap, effective, smell fades.

Dish Soap: Any decent one works. I’m not brand-loyal.

Water: Tap is fine

Essential Oils: To mix up scents, not for cleaning

Odor-Ban  No Rinse Floor Cleaner: Cleans, deodorizes, and doesn’t require a rinse

Baking Soda: great at deodorizing carpets and soaking up greasy spills

Where I’m Not Ideological

My goal is to eventually have a low-waste cleaning cupboard, but for now, these less green options are working for us. These are mostly occasional extras.

Clorox Wand: (used daily) This one bothers me the most, but I think it still works better than a traditional brush

Carpet Shampoo: to go with the carpet cleaner (a worthy investment for us)

OdorBan Disinfectant: I wanted a pet friendly one to use on the litter tray and the area it is kept in

Disinfectant Spray: When anyone has been sick and I need to quickly disinfect

Pine-Sol: bought on a whim, I love the smell, used mostly for seasonal cleans

Paper Towels: these are used sparingly, mostly for the really icky jobs we don’t want to use fabric cleaning cloths for

What Changed When I Minimalized

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My favorite thing about using a core group of products is that I am so much less overwhelmed. I no longer stand in the cleaning aisle wondering if I’m missing something.

There is less clutter, so I don’t have to fish through a sea of products to get the right one.There is no panic when I am low on one bottle (usually, I just make it right up).

I have one DIY all purpose cleaning spray that works on most hard surfaces in my home.

For everything else, I have the basic products to deal with the problem if it arises.

And worse case scenario, I remind myself that I’m fortunate I can easily get a hold of anything I need.

The Best Way to Keep a House Smelling Fresh

While cleaning is necessary, my favorite thing to do to manage odors is: 

• Air – open the window and let some natural air circulate. Works better than linen sprays!
• Laundry – fabrics trap scent, so keeping on top washing the linens and clothes regularly helps

Invitation

You don’t need another new cleaning product. You need a system you understand. For me, that’s a small group of flexible, multi-use products, and the confidence to know they’re enough.

If you’re ready to clear the chemical clutter and see the core products I rely on every day, I’ve put together a guide for you.

You can [download my D.I.Y. Cleaning Recipes here] when you sign up for my monthly newsletter, where I’ll send you a monthly field report on my own experiments in sustainable living, along with the tips I’m using to keep my chaos-hearth magical.

Consider it the foundational manual for your own domestic sanctuary.

Because a magical home isn’t built on products; it’s built on the rhythm of the person running it.

Wishing you all the cozy magic,

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