Cleaning isn't everyone's favorite chore, but we've found products that make it a little easier.
Our editors and reporters shared their favorite products for cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, and floors.
Some of our favorites include self-draining vacuums, reusable dish towels, and a cat litter bucket.
DeliverIt Reviews regularly test vacuums, all-purpose sprays, mops, and more. That's not to say we don't consider cleaning a constant chore, especially with kids and pets running around.
Over the years, we've found methods to speed up the process or reduce the amount of time we spend scrubbing and dusting. Here are the products we use daily (or weekly, depending on how neat we are) to keep our homes clean.
1. A set of tiny, stretchy dusters
I quickly learned that I needed to have cleaning supplies on hand if I wanted to keep my spaces clean. I have one of these little stretchy dusters in every house room. I also have one in my office and one in my car. It's easy to scrub everything when I'm on the phone or stuck in traffic. (Yes, I've done it.) When the microfiber heads get too dusty, I take them off and throw them in the washer.
Buy: A set of tiny, stretchy dusters
2. An easy way to de-mist furniture
I frequently recommend this almost magical tool for cleaning pet hair. The roller has two parts separated by a piece of plastic and a compartment for collected hair in the back. When you vigorously roll the ChomChom back and forth over furniture, cat trees, and pet beds, the static electricity helps attract the hair. It works surprisingly well on my velvet chair, cat bed/fur magnet.
Buy: An easy way to de-mist furniture
3. An alternative to paper towels
When Insider Reviews senior writer Jenny McGrath recommended these reusable tea towels, I was eager to try them. I've typically taken a wasteful approach to clean kitchen counters and appliances with paper towels, but these tea towels are far superior. They are more durable, clean, and can be put in the washing machine. Recently, I used them to clean the inside of my car. I love that they don't leave any fibers behind and have a smoother surface than microfiber, making them easier to rinse.
Buy: An alternative to paper towels
4. A simple way to clean your shower
A squeegee makes cleaning the glass doors in my shower quick (and fun!). Seeing the water stains and soap scum slide away is satisfying.
Buy: A simple way to clean your shower
5. A step stool that stores
I store one of these step stools under my kitchen sink and pull it out whenever I need to reach something I can't reach. It's great for dusting the tops of cabinets and shelves.
6. A duster for hard-to-reach places
These reusable dusters from OXO are great for reaching and dusting all the hard-to-reach places in your home, and they can be washed to be reused for years. I bought them after reading our guide to the best duster.
Buy: A duster for hard-to-reach places
7. A place for the litter scoop
I stumbled across this litter scoop holder on Amazon a few months ago, and I wish I had thought to buy it years ago. Litter scoopers get gross pretty quickly, and this holder catches all the litter that falls out of them, so it doesn't end up on your floor. Maintaining and cleaning the area around my cats' litter box makes it much easier.
Buy: A place for the litter scoop
8. An odor-resistant litter bucket
I wouldn't say I like scooping litter, and while the Litter Genie doesn't do that task for me, it makes me cringe a lot less. The Litter Genie works the same way as a diaper genie: you scoop the litter into the bucket, then pull a lever to drop the waste into an odor-resistant bag. I love that it holds several weeks' worth of waste, so I don't have to take out the trash every time I scoop the litter.
Buy: An odor-resistant litter bucket
9. A dishwasher you don't have to install
I don't think I could have handled the pandemic without our portable dishwasher. When my husband and I suddenly found ourselves in our house (without a dishwasher) for every meal in March 2020, we felt like we were always washing dishes, and our sink was always full. I finally put my foot down and bought a portable dishwasher. It works almost exactly like a standard dishwasher, except that it plugs into the sink and dumps it in. The time it has saved us is well worth the cost, and we have had it for only two years.
Buy: A dishwasher you don't have to install
10. A handheld vacuum cleaner for quick cleaning
I hate vacuuming upright, and my robot vacuum doesn't always get to every nook and cranny. I use my handheld vacuum almost daily, especially for cat hair, litter box spillage, and bugs that scare me. It has an extendable nozzle that gets into the tiniest spaces and a small upholstery brush that can be rotated to remove hair from the couch.
Buy: A handheld vacuum cleaner for quick cleaning
11. A powerful vacuum cleaner
My colleagues and I can wax lyrical about the benefits of a vacuum cleaner with excellent suction power, which is why Dyson is the gold standard. My ten-year-old Dyson vacuum cleaner is still going strong after all these years!
Buy: A powerful vacuum cleaner
12. Affordable Rust Remover
This inexpensive powder is amazing for cleaning and removing rust from stainless steel cookware, sinks, fixtures, etc. I have used it many times to restore a sparkling finish to my kitchen sink.
13. A self-vacuuming robot
If robot vacuums didn't exist, I would never clean my floors. They make cleaning floors super simple. I've tested dozens of models, and I think the Roomba i3+ is the best. It has a self-draining base, so I don't have to empty the trash can daily. Instead, I replace the disposable bag every two months or so. It's as easy as pie!
