I have now lived on my own for about 3 years and have become obsessed with keeping my space clean. During that time I have experimented and found the absolute essential cleaning supplies for anyone’s first apartment.
I have rounded up all of my ride or die essential cleaning products so that your apartment will always be super clean!
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This post is all about the cleaning products that you should have in your apartment and the essential cleaning supplies that you absolutely need to get for your first apartment.
General Essential Cleaning Supplies
These are my favorite cleaning products that I use in basically every single room of my apartment.
First, having a mop is essential for anyone to have a clean apartment. I use my mop in my bathroom, the living room, and the kitchen. Even if most of your apartment is carpet, a good mop is soooo important. To go with your mop, you need a good floor cleaner. My go to has always been the tried and true Fabuloso, however I recently switched over to Aunt Fannie’s floor cleaner for a more natural option.
Next, a vacuum is the most essential cleaning supply I could recommend for anyone getting their first apartment. I use mine for EVERYTHING!! Instead of sweeping, I vacuum the entire apartment in minutes!
An all-purpose cleaner spray and some microfiber clothes are perfect for cleaning everyday messes. Just a few sprays of cleaner and the clothes will do the rest of the work. Plus they are reusable to you aren’t wasting a bunch of paper.
Finally, you can never go wrong with magic erasers. The name literally says it all! These take spots off of the walls and cabinets like it’s nothing. Just wet them a tiny bit and wipe away.
Kitchen Cleaning Supplies
I have always loved cooking which means I spend a ton of time in the kitchen. As you can imagine, that means that there are also a lot of messes that need to be cleaned up.
I have recently been put on to garbage disposal cleaner. I have always used lemon and ice which sharpens the blades and leaves it smelling fresh. But I recently discovered garbage disposal cleaning pods that bubble and deodorize.
Dish soap and sponges are essential for any kitchen. However, if you prefer to throw everything in the dishwasher, detergent will be helpful for that. Personally, I feel like a dishwasher is more of a sanitizer and it’s best to hand wash dishes. But to each their own 🙂
Finally, a heavy duty degreaser is a really great addition for extra tough messes that the all-purpose cleaner struggles to clean. This may not be necessary but I like to have it as backup!
Essential Bathroom Products
The bathroom is one of the dirtiest places in your college apartment (for many obvious reasons). As a major clean freak, I have paid special attention to cleaning the bathroom and figuring out the best ways to do it.
Lysol has some of the best toilet cleaner which doubles as a grout cleaner (thank you TikTok for the hack!!) and any basic scrubbing brush will get the job done!
I used to love this shower cleaner from Walmart for only $1, but haven’t been able to find it in months. So I have switched to using a foaming shower spray that I scrub with sponges.
I use the all purpose cleaner to wipe down counters and toilet base/seat with microfiber clothes. Glass cleaner to wipe down the mirrors. Then I finish off the cleaning job by mopping the floor.
Laundry Cleaning Essentials
Laundry is something that I dread so I try to keep it easy. I have found a few products that I love and will always use.
I have always used spray n wash on stains as a pretreatment before washing. I will spray it on the stain as soon as I possibly can and let it sit for a little while. Then I will give a few more sprays before I drop it in the wash.
I use OxyClean White Revive for my sheets and comforter to keep them staying white. Every week I drop some in the wash with the detergent and wash normal. Once a month I add some to hot water and soak the sheets and duvet cover for at least an hour before I was as normal.
Fabric softener is a given, in my opinion. I am obsessed with laundry scents and love when fabric smells good long after being washed. So I am very generous in using softener lol.
Finally, these color catchers are extremely useful if you are lazy and hate laundry like me. These allow you to wash all your loads together without having to worry about any colors bleeding and ruining your other clothes!
I would love to hear what some of your favorite cleaning products are! Clearly, I am a little obsessed with having a clean home, so I am always looking for the best new products!
This post was all about essential cleaning supplies for your first apartment as a college student.
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- The Best Weekly Apartment Cleaning Schedule For A Spotless Home
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- 17 College Apartment Bathroom Organization & Storage Hacks
