Clean houses sell faster than dustry, musty ones. Buyers love a property that looks like the professional cleaning crew just left.

I know that deep cleaning is hard work. Keeping the essential tools and equipment at hand makes the tasks easier, faster, and more thorough.   

I compiled this list of must-haves list based on my own experience and the advice I’ve learned from professionals and other neat-freaks.

Caddy 

An equipment caddy is like your purse. Get one you like to look at, and stock it with your favorite cleaning solutions. Keep it clean, organized, and handy.

Some people like to store a caddy on each floor of the home, or in each bathroom.

Microfiber cloths 

Who isn’t a fan?! These miracle cloths are so effective at capturing and holding dust and dirt that they make harsh cleaning products unnecessary for many of your ordinary cleaning jobs. 
 
For wiping down doors and trim, give me a bucket of plain water and a microfiber cloth, and let the games begin! Easy.

For oversized microfiber cloths at the best price, look in the automotive section of big box stores, or order from Amazon. You'll find them in sizes like 31 by 24 inches, and 24 by 16 inches. Because they are extra absorbent, they're perfect for drying chores like toweling off shower walls or going behind a mop on a wet floor.

Rags 

Practice recycling. Disposable paper towels are temptingly easy but can get expensive quickly.  Did you know that paper towels can actually scratch some surfaces, like Plexiglas and other plastics? And paper towels are no friend of the environment. 

Got orphan socks? Cut them in half lengthwise, and use them for cleaning. They’re soft, absorbent, and reusable. Old T-shirts, cloth diapers, and worn-down towels can be part of your caddy supplies. 
 
Before I toss an old shirt or sheet, I'll cut it into large squares to use as disposable cleaning rags. I use these cloths rags for spot cleaning a carpet, sopping up gooey spills, and tackling jobs like wiping down porch railings or the undersides of a greasy range hood. Recycling feels good!

Plastic Buckets

My preference is a roomy one for floor mopping jobs, plus a couple of smaller ones to soak items or dilute solutions. Spray cleaners can build up after a time, so once in a while a cleaning with clear water, rinsing as you go, calls for a handled bucket. 

          I like equipment that I can wash and disinfect, 
like my little dustpan and broom, and an old toothbrush.  

Brooms

Many homeowners have tossed their brooms in favor of Swiffer-style sweepers, but nothing matches what a broom can do for shoe mold in corners, edges of carpeted rooms, exterior doors and steps, and other places where most vacuum cleaners won’t pick up.

Soft, synthetic bristle brooms are easier to use and grab dust better than stiff brooms. But for garage floors, driveways and sidewalks, a stiff push broom is best.

A broom's kissing cousin is the dust broom, and a dustpan. They're a necessity unless you're sweeping debris under a rug, and I know you wouldn't! Well, maybe if your Realtor is knocking at the door with clients in tow. 

Mops

A mop’s essential for a thorough cleaning on washable flooring. A large-headed wet mop with a swivel base and removable microcloth takes care of maintenance cleaning. For deeper cleaning, use a traditional sponge mop, one with a sturdy replaceable head that will squeeze out excess water and lets you rinse floors as well as wash. The more money you spend, the better the mop. Read the reviews and pick your weapon.

Brushes

They’re indispensable for embedded dirt, textured surfaces, and hard to reach places. I prefer a brush or a cloth to a sponge, which starts out looking all perky and then gets stinky if you don’t disinfect it regularly and then dry it quickly.

I like Oxo brushes because they are designed well and last a long time. Use an old toothbrush or the freebee you get from your dentist if you use an electric toothbrush. A toothbrush is perfect for getting into those tough spots like sink drains and around window locks.
This little, long-handled, low-tech carpet sweeper 
could be your answer to those short notice 
showings when your carpets need a quick once over.    

Magic Erasers

Like any addict, I make sure I never run out of these. They are the only approach for some otherwise unsolvable cleaning problems.

We’re talking glass shower doors, fiberglass shower stalls, stoves, porcelain and stainless sinks, and stains on vinyl and laminates. The post I wrote about how Magic Erasers work their magic is one of my most popular posts. 

Vacuum Cleaner

Nothing sexy about it, but people have love/hate relationships with their vacuums. I love my Rainbow. I’ll never go back to using a vacuum that blows air over dirt and then out its exhaust. My Rainbow is a little heavy and a little awkward, but I don’t care. It makes the whole house smell great because I can scent the water that cleans the air.
 
A vac is your most important tool. If you’re in an unfulfilling relationship with yours, now’s a good time to invest in your future. Whether you prefer an upright or a canister type, I urge you to spend a little more money and get one that you can stay married to for a long time.

Or does your present vac just need a thorough overhaul and cleaning?

It's not a vacuum cleaner, but it's the ancestor of vacs -- the humble, old school, non-electric carpet sweeper. It could be included on this dirty dozen tool list as #13. Compact, lightweight, inexpensive, quiet, it will perform your hurry-up-tidy-ups between regular vacuuming dates. 

Long Handled Duster

A microfiber duster on an extendable handle is the way to handle ceilings and walls on a maintenance schedule. Swooshing over these surfaces regularly gets rid of dust and cobwebs before they become visible.

The telescoping handle is your friend if you have high ceilings. Use your handled duster for ceiling fans because they are a magnet for whatever is in the air. Knock the dust down before you vacuum the floor.

My favorite scents. If you've read my home staging eBook, you know that I like to avoid 
strong chemical scents, and prefer essential oils for adding
fragrance to a room. 

Plastic Watering Can

A real time-saver. If you have to use caustic solutions, like Lime-A-Way or CLR, to clean shower walls and doors, use a small plastic watering can with a spout to rinse them away. Tuck it away in the vanity.

Nitrile Gloves

Protect your hands and your health. Slip on some pretty gloves for all your wet cleaning tasks. Even pure water dries your skin, and cleaning solutions include chemicals that are absorbed by your skin. If you won't drink it, don't put it on your skin.     

A cleaner can't have too many pairs of gloves. I have other glove collections
for painting and gardening. This is the watering can I use for rinsing shower walls.   

Depending on your home, you’ll have favorite tools to add to this list --  a steamer, roller to remove pet hair, carpet shampooer, robot cleaner, hand-held rechargeable vac, pumice stone, special dry mop, a squeegee, your favorite dance music. What do you do to make the most of your housecleaning time?  

Get the look, get the book

Getting your home to shine is one of the most important ways you stage your home. When a person buys a home, she envisions herself starting fresh, and moving up in the world. Cleanliness is part of that picture, part of what sells homes. You can't clean your home on the market too much, but you deserve the tools that let you do a better job, faster and easier. 
 
If you're staging a home, whether for yourself or others, you'll benefit from my home staging eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast for Top Dollar.