How to Safely Store Cleaning Supplies

Even if you stock natural cleaning products, chances are you still have at least a few harsh cleaners in your home and they should be treated with care. Powerful household cleaners do a good job of keeping counters and floors clean but where and how you store them is important, especially if you have little ones or furry friends in your home. Plus, knowing where they are at all times and making them easily accessible may motivate you to clean more often. Follow these tips on how and where to organize cleaning supplies.

 

Where Should You Store Cleaning Supplies?

How you store cleaning products can be a matter of organizational preference, but where you store them is a safety concern. It’s important to always read the label on any bottle for specific warnings or instructions. Across the board, cleaning supplies should be stored in a cool, dry area with good ventilation. You’ll want to keep bottles away from anything hot or potentially flammable. They should never be kept where pets or kids can grab them. If you have small kids or animals at home, keep cleaning supplies off the floor or behind closed doors. Add child safety locks to cabinets within reach. Avoid placing products on high shelves to prevent falls.

Ideally, most, if not all, of your cleaning supplies should be stored in the same location. This adheres to the organization method of keeping “like with like” which simply makes it easier to find and return what you need on a regular basis. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, bathroom cleaners are best kept in or near the bathrooms. Similarly, dishwasher and laundry machine cleaners should be kept in close proximity to the appliances.

 

Overall, the products you don’t use frequently, such as specialty cleaners, backstock supplies, and larger tools such as mops and brooms, should be stored together where they can comfortably fit. For both these items and everyday essentials, check out the following organizing tips to keep cleaning supplies tidy.

 

Cleaning Supply Storage Ideas

1. Contain in Clear Bins

Once you’ve found a spot, whether a utility closet, laundry room cabinets, or a shelving unit in the basement, group cleaning supplies in containers. Doing so keeps items organized and avoids leaks and spills onto other surfaces. Narrow, sturdy acrylic bins are a smart choice so that you can line up cleaners by category and quickly see which one you need at the moment. If you prefer an opaque container, add a label to the front of each to indicate if the bin holds furniture polish, glass cleaner, or carpet stain removers. 

Bypass baskets made of fabric, natural materials, or metal. In the event of a leak, these materials make the container difficult to clean. If you’re using wire shelving to store cleaning supplies, consider placing a liner down first to help bins sit flat.

 

2. Use the Back of a Door

If you don’t have a large stash of supplies, a simple back-of-the-door organizer might be all you need. Use each section to sort products by type and add a clip-on label to indicate their purpose. Pegboard with hooks can hold rags and small dusters. As a budget-friendly option, try a shoe organizer with slots (refraining from fabric) to fit bottles and small hand tools.

 

3. Mount Brooms and Mops

If you’re using a utility closet or built-in shelves and have door or wall space available, consider using adhesive broom grippers to hang the handles of not just brooms, but also mops, long-handled dustpans, and dry or wet Swiffers. Essentially, any piece of cleaning equipment that has a thin handle can fit a gripper and, therefore, be kept off the floor. Want an even easier alternative? If the handle has a hole, use inexpensive S hooks to loop the tool onto a wire shelving unit.

 

4. Tote Items in a Caddy

Products that you use daily or weekly should be the easiest to grab and haul around the house. Evoke college dorm memories of carting your shower supplies to the bathroom with a caddy to corral your cleaners. It can be stored alongside the rest of your products or it can live in an even more convenient space, such as under the kitchen sink. While cabinets under the sink are a generally safe and popular place to store cleaning supplies, ensure that the caddy (or anything for that matter) doesn’t lean against pipes or the garbage disposal. Avoid storing anything flammable here as well, and if you have small kids pr pets, use child-proof locks on the doors.

 

5. Add a Lazy Susan

As a substitute for containers or caddies, try a trusty lazy Susan to store those cleaning products. Many bottles are round, which maximizes the space of a turntable so you’ll get the most out of this storage solution. They come in a variety of sizes and make it as easy as possible to grab what you need with a little spin. Use one for your daily products in lieu of a caddy. Or line up a handful on a shelf and categorize the cleaning products by type like you would with containers. Use a divided lazy Susan for smaller products, such as scrub brushes.

 

 

Sources:

• All photos used in this blogpost are sourced from the internet, and the rights belong to their respective owners
• M. Cornetta, How to Safely Store Cleaning Supplies, Better Homes & Gardens (2023).