Tackle Your Broom Closet in Time for Spring Cleaning

The snow and ice will soon give way to the cool breezes and budding trees of spring. Once the daytime temperatures rise to comfortable levels, many of us get the urge to open the windows and accomplish some spring cleaning!

What do you do, though, when your cleaning supplies are scattered hither and yon across your home? The best solution for this problem is to establish a place for all of your cleaning supplies and to keep them in that one spot. This can save you money, as you won’t need to buy items in duplicate and triplicate to keep in the kitchen as well as in each bathroom.

If you have a small closet that is going largely unused, you can transform it into a broom closet. If not, you can put aside a section of your laundry room, garage, or the landing at the top of your basement steps. Here are some suggestions on optimizing this space:

If you have little ones, it’s imperative that you keep your chemical cleaning supplies (bleach, ammonia, detergents, etc.) high up, out of their reach. A shelf that is well above their heads is one way to help keep them safe. Another defense is to put a lock on the door to the closet or room where the cleaning supplies are being kept. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive; a simple hook-and-eye latch can go along way in slowing down curious little climbers.

It might seem to make sense to store large, clunky items like the vacuum cleaner toward the back of the closet, but consider that you will need to be able to maneuver it in and out frequently. This is one reason why you may want to keep your vacuum close to the entrance of the closet. Even if it’s in the way of other items, it’s easier to roll it out of the way when you need to than it is to climb over other items to pull the heavy vacuum out over them.

Do you hesitate to keep all of your supplies in a centralized location because you will then have to transport items all over the house? A caddy or cart will make going from room to room easier. You can also wear an apron that has lots of pockets; fill them with rags, glass cleaner and all-purpose cleaner while you go through the house cleaning each room. Then when you’re done, simply put them back where you got them.