Freshening up the house with a good cleaning is almost a ritual at spring time. This week Spring has officially sprung and as I start to see the snow disappear and the first blades of grass appear, I too start feeling a need for change. I always look forward to opening the windows and airing the staleness out of the house that seems to gather in the corners of the rooms during the winter months.

Giving the house a good overall cleaning is a great way to move forward with Spring and makes me feel less guilty when I start spending more time outdoors. With all the coupons for cleaning supplies out right now, it makes me feel like it’s a good time to restock the cleaning items I may be running low on. I feel that one of the most important steps to have a successful round of spring cleaning is to be organized.

Some people keep cleaning supplies all over the house. Friends of mine keep a supply stocked in the kitchen and each bathroom. I prefer to keep all of my cleaning supplies in one location, in a portable container and something like Clorox Wipes in the kitchen and bathrooms to clean when you need something quick. This keeps my kids out of my supplies and I don’t have to worry about little ones getting into something they shouldn’t.

I hate running from room to room when I am cleaning. I usually leave to get something I need and then end up distracted by other things I need to do as I pass them along the way. I find myself feeling scattered and as if I never complete the job I started. So to keep things on track I like to have everything that I need on hand in one location (my cleaning bucket) in order to complete the job quickly.

There are a few items that I think are essential to my cleaning bucket. Keeping the core items together that I need to clean helps to keep me on task and saves me time.

My list of essentials for the cleaning bucket.

A bathroom cleaner – something with a sanitizer to disinfect the bathroom.
Multi – Surface Cleaner – This way I can clean all the counter tops in the house easily.
Toilet Cleaner– I prefer something with bleach.
Windex – To easily clean windows and mirrors.
Toilet Brush
Pumice Stone– To help scrub stains in the toilet bowl.
Hand Scrub brush
Magic Eraser – I love this for cleaning walls.
Old tooth brush – Great for cleaning in small spaces.
Micro Fiber Cloths or Paper Towels
Rubber Gloves – Save your hands from the harsh chemicals.

This is my current list of must have to clean the house. Although I am looking for more natural substitutions that clean just as well. What are your favorite cleaning supplies?