Whenever I'm about to clean one of the rooms in my apartment, I tend to arm myself with just a cloth and the right cleaning supplies. I mean, what else do I really need to get the job done? I'm going to be annoying and go ahead and answer my own question because I recently learned that while cloths are okay as a universal cleaner, they aren’t ideal for getting rid of dirt quickly and for getting in those itty bitty crevices. For the most part — and depending on what you're cleaning — cloths will just move dust and dirt around your surfaces.
So, this revelation caused me to do a deep dive into the world of cleaning tools, and let me tell you: I am completely amazed at just how many different ones there are. There’s a tool for literally everything. Whether you're struggling to clean your blinds or your bathtub is looking a little grimy, those tricky jobs that a cloth or sponge alone just can’t handle will now be so much easier to tackle. Especially if you are planning on spring cleaning soon.
I've listed nine cleaning tools just below that shoppers are obsessed with — I mean, it's not hard to see why. They'll help you cut the time you spend cleaning down by half, plus, they won’t take up loads of room in your home, because I know how precious storage space can be for anyone with a tiny home.
These 9 cleaning tools are total game changers
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I couldn't not start with this viral TikTok cleaning tool. I mean, why break a sweat scrubbing manually, when there’s an electric brush out there that will do a much better job? As well as being fab for cleaning floors, it’s also extendable, so you can reach the top of cabinets and shower heads without having to stretch — perfect if you’re a shortie like me. I've seen people use it for cleaning their bathroom tiles, cleaning their bathtubs and so much more. It's pretty versatile, to say the least.
The Real Homes team has been absolutely loving this blind cleaner, which has been all over TikTok. The handles are sturdy and are better than just a cloth alone since you don’t have to touch all the dust and dirt with your hands. Oh, and the three arms can clean slats at the same time, saving you a lot of energy. If you have blinds in your home, this is a no-brainer. You can also lightly wet it to remove stains from your blinds. Just buy it!
This is a great natural option, and the fact it’s eco-friendly is a major bonus. The handle is 100% natural bamboo, while the bristles are made from sisal, which is compostable. With this, you can clean cast-iron skillets and pans and it won’t scratch or wear them down. You can also use it to scrub discolored tiles, dirty floors, grimy dishes, or really anything else.
I spotted this on TikTok and thought it was a way better idea for cleaning your toilet than just a normal brush. I actually always find toilet brushes a bit gross — you just don’t want those kinds of germs sitting around in your bathroom. With this, you simply pop the end of the brush off into your trash can once you’re done with it. The hexagon shape gets into the gross untouched bits easily, too.
Honestly, who has time to be lying down on the kitchen floor and shimmying a cloth around underneath their cabinets? I know I don't, but it does gross me out when I think about how dirty it must get under there. Well, this bendy brush is thin enough to slider under anything in your kitchen, and it's long enough that it will pick up all the dust. It comes with two heads and they can be washed so that you can use them over and over again.
I don’t really put much thought into unclogging my sink or drains — if it gets blocks or starts to get smelly, I tend to hand my partner the drain cleaner and back away slowly from the situation. For those of you braver than me, these handy bendy cleaners can be smoothly slotted into different-sized drains, and at 25 inches it will get in there deep. Essentially, it will turn a gross job that might take a few minutes, into a (still gross) job that will take a few seconds.
I love adorable cleaning supplies (my dustpan and brush are actually elephant shaped) — they just make the whole process a lot less boring, IMO. If you have cutlery with stuck-on food that just won’t budge, this little bear clamps down on them. You can switch between the brush or the scourer depending on what you need, and it can even clip onto your sink when you’re done for bonus decor.
Those little gaps that have been building up dirt aren’t going to clean themselves, no matter how much you wish they would. This cleaning brush tool comes with two different size heads, so you can mix and match depending on just how small the space is that you're trying to clean. It's pretty versatile, whether you put it to work scouring your stovetop, cleaning bathroom grout, scrubbing your shower doors, or something else.
Do you have vases, water bottles, and kettles with annoying marks that are just a nightmare to clean? This clever tool means you'll come armed with three different sizes of brushes (including one like those that get stuff out of your teeth). It can be flipped around easily while you’re cleaning, to get the bristles sitting in just the right places.
How we chose these cleaning tools
These cleaning tools were handpicked by a member of the Real Homes team. We've made sure that all of the cleaning tools we featured in this guide have great reviews from shoppers, and that people say they actually work. Better than that, we've even had hands-on testing with some of them, including the innovative blind cleaner. Also, when making our choices we made sure to include a range of products, from cleaning tools that are versatile to ones that are electric and also handheld tools that are specifically for one job (cute cutlery cleaner, we're talking about you!).
Rest assured our experts sifted through the good and the bad and these cleaning tools came out on top.