Cleaning Closet That Actually Works

Cleaning is one of those things that’s hard to start even when all the gear is right there, staring at you. But when grabbing the vacuum from the cleaning cabinet causes an avalanche of random junk? Motivation plummets to zero.

When we moved into our apartment, we renovated a tall cabinet with mirrored sliding doors for the entryway. One end became our cleaning closet, and honestly, it’s one of our most practical decisions.

Why the entryway? It turns out to be the perfect place for a cleaning closet. It’s always accessible, yet it doesn’t take up precious real estate in spaces where people hang out, like the living room or kitchen. Out of sight, yet always within reach.

When planning our cleaning closet, we had five key criteria:
1. The Dyson stick vacuum had to fit with charging station and all.
2. Everything needed to be visible and easy to grab.
3. Damp cloths should have space to air dry.
4. Toxic stuff must be out of kids’ reach.
5. The broom and long-handled dustpan needed to fit in, too.

Getting the Dyson to fit was our starting point. That meant two things:
• We needed an electrical outlet inside the cabinet.
• We needed enough vertical space to easily dock and remove the vacuum.

The outlet was added by an electrician during our renovation. Saving enough space for the vacuum, on the other hand, meant we couldn’t have shelves in the lower half of the cabinet. Everything else, bottles, cloths, sponges, had to hang on the opposite wall.

Enter IKEA Skådis, our pegboard hero. With its mix-and-match accessories, mini shelves, hooks, baskets, even clips, it’s perfect for organizing cleaning supplies. We use it for spray bottles, vacuum parts, microfiber cloths, you name it.

On the top shelf, we store spare parts and rarely used supplies. The Ikea Bekväm spice rack transofmed into bottle rack and when our collection started growing, we added a hanging basket under the shelf for a bit more storage.

In the end, the cleaning closet turned out to be super easy to manage. Sure, it doesn’t hold everything, but let’s be real, how much cleaning gear does a home actually need? With just a handful of thoughtfully chosen supplies, we’re able to tackle every dusty corner of the apartment. I’ll be sharing exactly what we keep in there in a follow-up post because spoiler: it’s less than you think, but more than enough.

And one more thing worth shouting from the rooftops:
A stick vacuum takes up so much less space than a traditional one. If you live in a small home, or have kids who think messes are a lifestyle, ditch the old corded beast and get yourself a sleek cordless. It’s so much easier to just grab and go. Once you make the switch, there’s no turning back.

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