What’s in my kit?

“What’s In My kit?”

My cleaning kit consists of the items I take on every clean.  I’ll post my green clean caddy contents in a later post. Here are the regular cleaning products and materials I use on a daily basis:

Caddy – Some say a cleaning apron is better, but I definitely like my caddy. The caddy is great because you can store all your items in one place, it’s light enough to carry around, and once you establish your routine, it keeps you organized and focused. I have separate caddies for my regular cleans and my green cleans. You want a caddy that’s big enough to hold at least 3 spray bottles, a can of Pledge, 5-6 rags, 4 sponges, 2 slim bottles a toothbrush, a scrub brush and a cup.

I got mine from (gasp!) Target. I couldn’t find an exact link on the Target site. Cost: approximately $10. Here’s a similar one: http://www.organize.com/utility-caddy-large-blue.html

Bucket – standard 2.5 gallon variety pail with a handle. Cost: approximately $10. My bucket carries my knee pads to and from the clean. I use it during the clean when I mop floors. Here’s one similar to mine: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=bucket

Knee Pads – I wear knee pads when I clean because I am often on my hands and knees, cleaning your toilet or scrubbing your floor or bath tub. I found a pretty sturdy pair at Lowe’s for about $15. They are mar-free, which means I don’t leave additional marks as I’m cleaning the ones already on your floor. The Lowe’s site was down, so I do not have a link to the knee pads.

Spray bottles – I use 3 spray bottles in my kit. They are for bleach solution, Lysol solution, and Windex. Cost: approximately $3 each.  http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xkd/R-100670277/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Bleach solution – I buy inexpensive bleach and cut it with tap water. About a 1:1 ratio.

Lysol solution – I use Lysol 4 – in- 1 original scent.  I cut it with tap water using about 2:1 Lysol to water.

Windex – I use the brand name product, uncut. I put it in a spray bottle because the bottle fits in my kit better and gives an overall more organized impression than a lot of mismatched bottles.

Rags – I use 100% cotton rags. Rags can be used over and over, unlike paper towels. I wash my rags after each use so they’re fresh for the next clean. I get my rags by going to Volunteers of America (www.voa.org) and buying T-shirts off the rack. Then I cut them into about 6”x8” sizes. I can get several rags from each T-shirt. They end up costing about 10 cents each.

The Ultimate Cloth – I carry 2-3 “ultimate” cloths (aka lint free cloths) in my kit. This is a name brand cloth which I use when finishing in the bathroom and kitchen. Once I’ve cleaned and rinsed a surface, I dry it with the Ultimate Cloth. As long as the cloth is clean, there are never any streaks. I especially love the Ultimate Cloth when cleaning black appliances because they can be very difficult to clean to a streak-free shine. They are expensive, about $5 each, but worth it. http://ultimatecloth.com/onlineStore.html

Sponges – I use O-Cel-O scrubber sponges for general cleaning. They’re more expensive than general purpose sponges, but they last at least twice as long as other I’ve tried. I prefer the packs that have one blue and one purple or yellow sponge. Blue if for bathroom, the other color is for kitchen and everything else. Sponges can be disinfected by running them through the dishwasher. Cost: about $3 per 2 pack. http://www.shop3m.com/70071418670.html?WT.mc_ev=clickthrough&WT.mc_id=shop3m-AtoZ-O-Cel-O-Sponge-Scrubber

I also carry a “Magic Eraser” type sponge, which I use to get old enamel tubs white again. They’re also great for rubbing scuffs off walls. The product wears fairly easily so I use it sparingly. I have found that store brands work just as well as the name brand. You can find them for about $4 for a 4 pack. Here’s some info on eraser sponges from Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine_foam

Fur sponge – If any of your customers have pets, having a fur sponge is essential. They’re around $5-10 each but last forever and work better than anything else. The fur sponge is one of my secret weapons. http://www.achooallergy.com/pet-hair-lifter.asp

Pledge – I use Pledge for dusting. It smells amazing and does a great job. On green cleans, I use my Tea Tree Oil solution.

Zud – Zud is another one of my secret weapons. It smells wonderful and cleans well. It is especially useful on metal fixtures that tarnish. One of my cleans has brass bathroom faucets and one has a copper shower drain. Zud makes them both look amazing. It’s not as harsh as other metal cleaners and can actually be used the same way as Soft Scrub in kitchen and bathroom sinks or in toilets. About $5. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1340418&CAWELAID=109327330

Soft Scrub with Bleach – the best product for cleaning sinks, toilets and tubs. I add water to mine to make it a little easier to use. About $4.

Cup – plastic, about 16oz. I use a cup to rinse spots in the shower that are hard to reach with the shower head.

Toothbrush – I recycle my old toothbrushes after disinfecting them. They are great for scrubbing all kinds of smaller areas.

Dry Mop – My dry mop is an O Cedar. The mop head is great for grabbing on to dust bunnies and pet hair, which often get blown around by other mops. Mop is about $12, refills about $5. http://www.ocedar.com/main.taf?erube_fh=ocedar&ocedar.submit.getProductDetails=1&ocedar.productid=31

Wet Mop – I use a Libman “Wonder Mop” for dry mopping. The microfiber mop head is removable and washable. I swap out mop heads from job to job. Mop is about $12, refills about $5. http://www.libman.com/products.aspx#/Mopping/1m/0/

Vacuum Cleaner – I use a Riccar Supralite. It weighs eight pounds and does a great job. It has a head lamp, which Oreck vacuums don’t tend to have. I have to be able to see what I’m cleaning. New, Riccars retail for as much as $500.  I lucked out and got a great deal on a pre-owned one for about $125.  http://www.riccar.com/products/8-pound/?prod=RSL1A

So for under $300 I was able to get my business up and running. Questions? Shoot me an email or give me a call!