15 Products & Tools To Make Cleaning Less of a Chore

There are so many reasons to love Swedish dishcloths! They are a great alternative to paper towels and are quick drying, so they are less likely to harbor bacteria that can make them stinky. We use them for quickly wiping down the kitchen counters, wiping up crumbs off the dining table, and even washing dishes. They can be popped into the dishwasher for cleaning and are so much cuter than a boring sponge!

We're kind of obsessed these microfiber dusting mitts. These can be used dry to pick up dust, pet hair, and small crumbs or dampened to scrub up a sticky spot without needing to use a cleaning spray. We also know from real-world experience that kid-sized hands can use these to make a dusting chore a little easier!

Leftover food stuck on a nonstick pan: not cute. These citrus pan scrapers from Sur La Table: so cute! These are great little tools for keeping by the sink to make quick work of the dinner pots and pans. You can clean them in the dishwasher, so there's no need to work out how to clean the cleaning supplies!

Moms who are trying to save a bit of money or just avoid cleaning sprays with lots of unfamiliar ingredients can make an easy homemade cleaning spray with diluted vinegar (we throw some orange peels in ours for a citrus smell). Pour it into this reusable glass spray bottle and use a Swedish dish cloth for a super green way to quickly wipe down counters, sinks, and other sticky spaces.

Pets are completely delightful. Pet hair on the couch, chairs, or quilts isn't quite so enjoyable. This handy tool is a reusable way to quickly pick up pet hair from soft surfaces, which is a great way to keep things clean between vacuuming sessions, and is easy for kids and adults to use.

The iRobot Roomba i3 is definitely a bit of a cleaning investment at around $500, but we love that it not only helps keep floors clean but it also is self-emptying, so it really is a "set it and forget it" household helper! This is another great option for keeping pet hair and crumbs under control.

Whether the goal is to clean the bathroom or to keep one kid from spreading their 48th cold of the year to everyone else in the house, this spray is kind of magic! This helps clean hard surfaces and prevents mold from forming in the corners of the steamy shower!

Here's the deal: these glass cleaning wipes can take a bathroom mirror from looking like Jackson Pollock was painting with toothpaste on it to sparkling clean and streak-free in about two minutes, with no cleaning spray required! Simply wet it, give the mirror a good wipe down, and move on with the rest of the day!

We've all probably had that moment when we realize that something smells funky in the kitchen but we aren't sure what. If it isn't a bad potato (Why do those smell so bad?), it might be the garbage disposal. These garbage disposal tablets are an easy way to freshen that part of the kitchen up, with no scrubbing required!

There is something that can feel a little old-fashioned about wearing cleaning gloves (maybe it reminds us of a '50s sitcom mom?) but these gloves are great for both protecting our hands and helping scrub dishes without having to use a stinky sponge. They get cleaned in the dishwasher, so they're easy to keep germ-free!

Laundry is a relentless part of life, but having a good drying rack makes it at least about 3% easier. We like this one because it is collapsible and can be used for both things that need to be laid flat (like sweaters) or hang-drying muliple items. It can even be used outside on sunny days for quicker drying times!

Sometimes we only have 10 minutes to clean and sometimes we want to hit a couple of rooms. This storage tote with a handle is great for both storing under a sink to keep cleaning supplies tidy or for grabbing it and taking it room to room while we clean. Once we get going, it can be helpful to have all the supplies we need right at hand!

One of the hills we are fully prepared to die on is that everyone who lives in a home should be responsible for keeping the place clean. Well, except for babies. We'll give them a break, their only job is to be squishy and cute. But for everyone else, they should be part of the solution!

One way to make sure everyone is sharing the cleaning load is to dedicate some time on a daily or weekly basis to doing a cleaning spree. Set a timer (we like this sleek cube one from Amazon) and everyone has to clean until the timer goes off. It is kind of amazing how much progress can be made when everyone pitches in, even if it is just for 10 or 15 minutes a night!

We love bacon. Like, a lot. Bacon is delicious. Cleaning up the grease after cooking bacon (or other fried or foods that release grease) can be gross, so we're curious to try this new product that hardens grease so it can get thrown away in the trash without making a big mess! It also makes the pan easier to clean, which is a nice bonus!

This lightweight microfiber mop is terrific for doing a quick floor cleanup for those days when the dust bunnies are threatening to take over or there are too many toast crumbs on the floor! We like this one because it can go right from tile to hardwood floors and the pads are washable and reusable.