11 products everyone needs in their cleaning cupboard for a quick and effective spring reset, according to cleaning experts

As Ideal Home’s Editor for all things cleaning and organisation, it’s safe to say that I spend a lot of my time cleaning - especially in spring. But a workman (or woman!) is only as good as her tools, which is why it wouldn’t be fair of me to gatekeep the products that will transform the way you spring clean your home.

Yes, if you’ve already clocked the exact date you should start spring cleaning and are currently stressing over the many tasks on your to-do list, you’ll be happy to know that it doesn’t have to be as anxiety-inducing as you may think. Spring cleaning can be fun, and there are so many spring cleaning hacks that’ll make the process easier. One of them is having the right tools at your disposal.

That’s why, with the help of my professional cleaners, cleaning experts, and my cleaning-obsessed colleagues, I’ve pooled together the 11 must-have products that everyone needs when spring cleaning a home.

1. Cleaning cloths and sponges

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be as long-winded or as complicated as it may seem. Sometimes, simply getting rid of dust in your home is the best first step - and you’ll need some cleaning cloths and sponges for that. So, it’s best to stock up.

Laura Harnett, founder of eco cleaning brand, Seep, is particularly fond of bamboo cloths, especially as an alternative to microfibre cloths or paper towels. She says, ‘Don’t spend a fortune on paper towel to clean with. It is wasteful for a deep clean as you could end up going through rolls and rolls.’

However, some people prefer to have a few different types of cleaning cloths and sponges available during a spring clean. Personally, I always prefer damp dusting over dry dusting and Ideal Home’s Deputy Digital Editor, Rebecca Knight, swears by the Minky Anti-Bacterial Bathroom Pad from Amazon when cleaning her bathroom.

She says, ‘I prefer them over the standard Minky pads, they make cleaning so fast; you use one side for the scrubbing and then the fluffy side to dry and polish things up at the end. The results are always impressive. I also like to have an extra Mcloth (available on Amazon in a pack of 9)on its own for polishing up my glass coffee table and any other shiny surfaces; it's honestly the best cloth I've ever used.’

2. A cleaning caddy

Last year, I bought the Joseph Joseph CupboardStore Easy-Access Wheeled Storage Caddy for my spring cleaning efforts - and I have to say that it completely transformed (and streamlined) the whole process. In fact, it now takes me half the time to get the job done. And I’m not the only one who thinks investing in one of these products is worthwhile.

Cleaning expert Joyce French at HomeHow.co.uk, says, ‘Having all your supplies in a handheld caddy will make it much easier to move from room to room as you clean. You won’t need to keep running back and forth to fetch cloths and cleaning products, and as everything’s in one place, you won’t be searching through your cupboards for cloths and bottles.’

Just make sure you declutter your cleaning products to remove any out-of-date or unwanted items before filling up your cleaning caddy, and be tactical with the options you choose for each stage of the cleaning process. If you want to clean the upstairs of your house first, only fill it with the products you’ll need for the upstairs rather than overload yourself at once.

If you can, choose a caddy that can then be stashed under the sink or in your utility room so you can keep your cleaning cupboard organised at all times and simply pull out the caddy when you need it. You don't have to spend a fortune on one, either. This Addis Utility Cleaning Caddy from Dunelm is just £6.

3. A mattress vacuum

Spring is the perfect time to clean a mattress, especially if you struggle with hay fever and want to keep your home pollen-free during the height of allergy season. But one product that’s transformed the way I spring clean my home recently is my mattress vacuum. Yes, a vacuum designed specifically for mattresses!

You may be wondering whether you actually need a vacuum mattress, but our Ideal Home reviewer Zoë Phillimore, converted me when she had nothing but good things to say about the Lakeland Mattress Vacuum with UV. In fact, she said, ‘I found the Lakeland mattress vacuum a breeze to use, easy enough to store away and overall just frustration-free.’

Of course, if you don’t want to splash the cash on a new mattress vacuum, you could also use one of the best vacuums for the job instead (my personal favourite is the Dyson Gen5detect, which comes with a whole range of tools and attachments to make vacuuming a mattress quick and easy). You’ll also need some bicarbonate of soda to do this.

Laura says, ‘Sprinkle it on the surface of your mattress and leave it there for a few hours while you tackle other cleaning tasks, and it will absorb all odours. Simply vacuum it up when it has had time to work its magic, leaving the mattress refreshed and clean.’

4. White vinegar

There are so many things that you can clean with white vinegar, which is why I always have at least one spare bottle of the stuff in my home. That normally ramps up to two or three bottles during my spring cleaning adventures as I find it works wonders when cleaning so many different things.

This is echoed by Laura, who says, ‘White vinegar is a cheap and effective anti-bacterial cleaner and should form the basis of your cleaning supplies. Stock up ahead of your Spring clean as it will outperform many chemical cleaners and is better for you and your home. It will remove black mould and stop it from coming back as it kills the mould spores, unlike bleach which is what a lot of people turn to first.’

Of course, it’s important to choose the right vinegar for cleaning and avoid the things you should never clean with white vinegar, but aside from that, this product (when diluted with water) can be used to clean everything from your washing machine to your mirrors.

And if you don’t like the smell of white vinegar, I’d suggest opting for a scented version (my favourite is the Miniml Eco White Vinegar Cleaning Sorrento Lemon Scented from Amazon as it smells so lovely) or adding a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil into the mix - quite literally.

5. A steam cleaner

At Ideal Home we always try to avoid chemicals where we can - which is why we’d encourage everyone to add one of the best steam cleaners to their spring cleaning arsenal.

These steam cleaners come in so many different forms, from handheld options that’ll help you deep-clean your oven - in fact, our Senior Digital Editor, Jenny McFarlane, recently used the Bissell Steam Shot Handheld Steamer from Currys to do just that - to larger cleaners that can help you clean your floors. So, you can find one that suits your spring cleaning requirements.

Cleaning expert Joyce loves a steam cleaner, too. She says, ‘The combination or multipurpose steam cleaner is the perfect tool for tackling some of the home’s most tricky-to-clean surfaces. A steam cleaner mop that comes with a handheld tool and attachments can be used on bathroom tiles and shower screens, curtains, sofas and mattresses as well as floors.’

She adds, ‘The pressurised steam helps to lift stubborn dirt and sanitises surfaces without the need for scrubbing, saving you time and effort. It also reduces your reliance on strong chemical cleaners, making it better for your health and the environment.’

6. A grout cleaner

When was the last time you cleaned your grout? I’m the worst at keeping on top of this cleaning task, which is why I always make sure to add this job to my spring cleaning checklist so I give it a proper, deep clean at least once a year. However, I appreciate that cleaning grout with ingrained dirt and grime can be difficult, so you need a helping hand.

Personally, I find an electronic scrubbing brush like the SonicScrubber Household Cleaning Brush from Amazon works wonders when coupled with a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, but Ideal Home’s Managing Editor, Thea Babington-Stitt, swears by the Grunge Buster brush.

She says, ‘The Grunge Buster (available from Amazon for under £10) is a game-changer for me when it comes to grout. The ergonomic handle makes it so much easier to scrub, so you don't feel as much pressure on your wrist and it's altogether a much easier experience than any other manual tool I've tried.’

And if you have any lingering stains that you just can’t get rid of after cleaning your grout, I’d suggest using a grout pen like this Twin Pack Grout Pen from B&Q to really freshen up your bathroom or kitchen.

7. Lemons

Sometimes the products that will transform the way you spring clean your home can be found in the supermarket, and this is the case for lemons. After all, this citrus fruit is the ideal cleaning companion - especially if you want to clean an oven quickly or clean a microwave.

Laura explains, ‘Lemons are another eco-friendly essential to stock up on. They can be used to clean the microwave by adding some lemon halves to a jug of water and microwaving it to boiling point to remove food residue and smells.’

She adds, ‘They will remove stains from a chopping board and when rubbed on chrome taps, plug holes or shower head they bring up a fantastic shine. Half a cut lemon in the fridge also refreshes it and creates a fresh smell.’

But if you’ve forgotten to stock up on lemons during your weekly shop or don’t have space in your fruit bowl for a few extras, you can also use lemon essential oil - like this Nikura Lemon (Steam Distilled) Essential Oil from Amazon - for a similar effect as essential oils are great for cleaning, too.

8. A squeegee

I test a lot of cleaning hacks and cleaning products, but in my eyes, you can’t go wrong with the humble squeegee. This spring cleaning essential is typically regarded as one of the best window cleaning tools, but it can also be used elsewhere around the house - alongside my favourite tool of all, the Karcher WV 2 Plus Handheld Window Vacuum Cleaner from Argos (which is like a souped-up squeegee).

This is echoed by Joyce, who says, ‘A squeegee is another simple but effective tool to pop in your spring-cleaning toolkit. It’s especially useful if you don’t own a steam cleaner as it can be used to clean bathroom tiles, kitchen splashbacks, oven doors and some hobs, as well as mirrors and windows.'

And if you live in a home with pets and regularly struggle to vacuum pet hair, you’ll be happy to know that Joyce says, ‘The rubberised end of a squeegee is also useful for removing hair and pet dander from sofas and armchairs.’

Don’t throw your squeegee away when you’ve completed your spring cleaning, though. You can use it throughout the year when you tackle the five cleaning tasks you can complete while you’re in the shower (waiting for your hair conditioner to work its magic!).

9. A mop

Although you should clean your hard flooring regularly, spring is the perfect time to give it the deep-clean it desperately needs - especially after a long and wet winter. Because of this, a new mop is the perfect spring cleaning accessory.

Recently, I had the pleasure of testing some of the best mops on the market, and I’ve since found so many uses for them outside of cleaning floors. In fact, I’ve started using a mop to clean my windows, clean my walls and even clean my car! And as long as you choose a mop with a washable mop head, you can re-use it time and time again - no matter whether that’s during your spring cleaning or everyday cleaning adventures.

But if you don’t like the idea of using a traditional mop, you could make the most of the many vacuum mops that are now making their way out of the woodwork. For messy families, I think the Dyson WashG1 wet floor cleaner is a game-changer.

10. Storage baskets

In my eyes, decluttering and spring cleaning go hand in hand, as you might as well tick some things off your decluttering checklist while you’re in the midst of cleaning. And storage baskets aren’t just products that will transform the way you declutter your home - they’ll also transform the way you spring clean your home.

By having some storage baskets on-hand while spring cleaning, you can not only move items out of the way when you have your cleaning cloths to hand, but you can also give them a more permanent home to stop more clutter building up on shelves and sideboards.

This is echoed by Becca Stern, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Mustard Made, who says, ‘If you’re looking for ways to spring clean to get neat and organised, opt for a set of baskets! Perfect for storing all of your little bits and bobs, by opting for a colourful basket, you can add a splash of vibrant colour whilst keeping your space clutter-free.’

So, stock up on some baskets and choose the best decluttering method that works for you and your home for a successful spring clean. Personally, I have a few of these Sage Green Bobble Storage Baskets from Next spread across my house as I can't get enough of them!

11. Air purifier

It may seem a little unconventional, but I won’t ever spring clean my home without an air purifier on-hand at all times. And while it’s not technically a cleaning product, one of the best air purifiers can certainly aid the cleaning of your house - especially as an air purifier can prevent the build-up of dust.

Yes, it’s also worth running an air purifier when you’re spring cleaning your home, as many cleaning tasks (like vacuuming) can actually agitate and spread dust and other particles, which will then make their way into the air. These don't have to be ugly, either.

In fact, the Dupray Bloom Air Purifier from Amazon that our editor, Jenny, tested recently can double up as either a side table or a plant pot!

If you don’t use an air purifier to capture these dust particles, they’ll simply fall back down onto your other surfaces. Just make sure you know which type of air purifier is best for you before buying one, as there are so many different air purifiers on the market.

FAQs

How do you spring clean your house fast?

If you want to spring clean your home as quickly as possible, it’s important to have a plan of action. It may be that you follow a ready-made spring cleaning checklist, or it may be that you create your own to-do list of chores.

Having a plan means that you’ll be able to clean in the most efficient order - for example, tackling one room at a time instead of moving from one room to the next.

It’s also important to have the right spring cleaning products at your disposal, ideally in a caddy so you can carry it around your house with you.

What is the 20 minute rule in cleaning?

The 20-minute cleaning rule essentially means that you clean in chunks of 20-minute intervals before taking a break - normally for around 10 minutes. You then start cleaning for another 20-minute chunk.

Breaking your cleaning session down into smaller sections can make it more manageable for those who don’t enjoy cleaning or those who have larger homes that take longer to clean. It can also stop people from getting overwhelmed when they’re cleaning.

So, are there any other essential spring cleaning products you think we should add to this list? Let us know in the comments!