As a cleaning expert, if you asked me to tell you the one thing I know about cleaning that you don’t it would be this: The tools used for the job — from vacuums and mops to rags and sponges — are more important than cleaning agents themselves.
Of course, there are so many cleaning tools on the market, and it can be tricky to know what you actually need versus what is gimmicky junk that will go unused, collecting dust and taking up space.
I spend a lot of time testing and using cleaning tools, and these are things I stock in my home and that I recommend to the people in my life when they ask (and boy, do they ever ask!). These tools make cleaning easier and more effective, and while you probably won’t need all of them, it’s worth considering if they deserve a place in your home.
Microfiber cloths
If you’re looking for a miracle product that will make cleaning easier and more effective, look no further: Microfiber cloths are the miracle you seek. From the bathroom to the kitchen and everywhere in between, switching to microfiber cloths will truly change the way you clean.
All-purpose microfiber cloths are just that — all-purpose — but microfiber comes in different gauges, and ultra-fine microfiber is ideal for cleaning delicate items like TVs, cell phones, tablets and computer screens, and glass, including eyeglasses and sunglasses.
Microfiber cloths are so effective because they pick up dirt and other particles better than cotton rags or sponges, making short work of grabbing dirt, dust, stuck- or baked-on food, soap scum, etc.
Sponges for different jobs
Every home will have a basic kitchen sponge, but there are plenty of other sponges worth stocking in your cleaning arsenal.
A classic two-sided scrub sponge is an essential for household chores, from washing the dishes to cleaning the refrigerator.
In addition to your everyday sponge, keep some heavy-duty scrub sponges on hand for tougher jobs like cleaning the oven that call for more scouring power.
When you need scouring power for cleaning scratch-prone surfaces like plastic or stainless steel, the Dobie Pad, a nonabrasive scrub sponge, is what you want.
Multi-function sponges — like the super-popular Scrub Daddy that changes texture from soft to abrasive when exposed to different water temperatures — can perform many jobs from quick cleanup to deep cleaning.
From scuffs on the walls to stubborn stains like sriracha in the refrigerator, melamine foam sponges like the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser work like, well, magic. Stock a set in the home and use them to clean everything from soap scum to sneakers.
Microfiber isn't just for rags: Microfiber sponges can be used for everything from quick cleanup jobs to deep cleaning, and can be laundered and reused over and over again.
While they're not absolutely necessary, chain-mail scrubbers bring a bit of medieval flair to scrubbing out cast-iron cookware, making it easier to clean without compromising the layer of seasoning that is so crucial to keeping it nonstick.
Scrub brushes
Scrub brushes allow you to introduce what’s called “mechanical action” to cleaning and are used in concert with cleaning agents to penetrate and lift away dirt, grime, bacteria and buildup.
If you want to add some power to your cleaning efforts, upgrade from manual scrub brushes to a set of scrub brushes that attach to a power drill.
Scrub brushes help to scour away buildup and allow you to get into tight corners and spaces where bacteria form. Investing in a set in different sizes and shapes means you'll always have the right scrub brush on hand.
Cleaning tools with extendable handles, like a long-handled scrub brush, take the frustration out of cleaning hard-to-reach spaces.
A toilet brush is an essential tool for cleaning a toilet. Choose one with a holder so there's a place to store it when it's not in use.
Specialty scrub brushes exist for a great many cleaning jobs, including cleaning water bottles. Households that have a lot of water bottles in different sizes and shapes will benefit from investing in an inexpensive bottle brush set that contains brushes in multiple sizes.
Squeegees
While most often associated with windshields, squeegees are tools that have loads of household cleaning uses.
An essential tool for keeping glass shower doors clean and for wicking water off tile walls to keep bacteria like mold, mildew and Serratia marcescens from forming, squeegees have loads of other uses. Squeegees can be used on windows, windshields, glass-topped furniture and more, leaving them streak- and spot-free after cleaning.
This clever sweeper takes the traditional squeegee design and flips it — literally. We tried and loved this inexpensive, easy-to-use and -store tool.
Dusters, brooms and dustpans
Keeping the home free of dust can be frustrating, but these tools make quick work of dusting.
Pet hair and dander is a major contributor to the accumulation of dust in the home. A rubber broom is a smart choice for removing pet hair from all types of flooring.
When it comes to dusting, put down the sprays and the rags and invest in microfiber dusters. The microfibers grab onto dust, making microfiber dusting tools the best choice for the job.
Telescoping dusters — long-handled tools that allow you to clean hard-to-reach spots like the tops of cabinets or baseboards without having to climb a ladder or bend down — are one of the most useful cleaning tools you can buy.
In homes with hardwood or laminate flooring, a broom is the ideal tool for regular, daily cleaning. Brooms can also be turned into telescoping cleaning tools by securing a dry or damp microfiber cloth over the bristles with a rubber band.
If your floor care needs don't merit a stand-up broom and dustpan set, a small dustpan and whisk broom set is worth investing in for quickly sweeping up small messes that don't call for a vacuum.
Mops
Cleaning hard flooring like tile, natural stone, laminate, vinyl or hardwood typically calls for a combination of brooms, mops and vacuums. These are some of the best tools for dry, damp and wet mopping.
Our top pick in a review of mops, the O-Cedar EasyWring Microfiber Spin Mop combines a hands-free wringing bucket with a lightweight, triangular mop head that’s perfect for both mopping and spot-scrubbing on any surface.
The Submarine is Dyson's first foray into attaching a mop to its cult-favorite cordless vacuums, adding a wet element to an already powerful cleaning machine. It isn't perfect, occasionally leaving streaks behind during our early testing, and it's not compatible with Dyson's previous cordless vacs.
Electric mops are a souped-up version of the traditional spin mop. They are cordless, lending them the convenience of grab-and-go mops and cordless vacuum cleaners, but because they are battery operated, they do most of the manual labor of pushing and pulling a mop for you.
Vacuums
Like mops, a vacuum is an essential floor care tool. Vacuums can also be used to clean upholstered furniture and mattresses, the interior of your car and even hard-to-reach places like window casings, and take those jobs into account when selecting the right type of vacuum — upright, canister, stick or robot — for your home and cleaning needs.
Our pick for best upright vacuum, the Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away NV501 — with its great cleaning power and maneuverability — was a standout in all of our testing.
For those who prefer canister vacuums, the Miele Classic C1 Turbo Team is powerful, maneuverable and built to last. Its six suction speeds and great tool loadout make it great, even pleasant to use, for hard floors, low carpets and rugs, upholstery and dusting.
With impressive power and the ability to tackle cleaning tasks on surfaces ranging from high-pile carpet to hard floors, the Dyson V11 Animal is the most capable cordless stick vacuum we tested.
The Black+Decker Dustbuster is the easiest to use, charge and empty of all the handheld vacuums we tested, with a large-capacity canister and convenient built-in attachments that make it versatile enough for any small cleanup.
This is the best robot vacuum you can buy right now, with simpler mapping, more cleaning power and smarter features than anything else we tested.