Cleaning Tools That Do the Work for You

About Nicole Pajer

Nicole Pajer is a Los Angeles-based freelance published in The New York Times, Woman's Day, AARP, Parade, Wired, Glamour, People and more.

Cleaning is something that we all have to do but most of us don’t always enjoy doing it. It can be especially daunting if you have to open up cupboards, collect a bunch of different tools and sponges and put your muscles to the test while you scrub and brush away. The good news? There are many products on the market today that are specifically designed to tackle a task that most of us would rather not do – clean!

From gadgets that help you get your toilet bowl sparkling to vacuums that sweep and mop all in one, here are 10 cleaning tools that help make cleaning a breeze.

1. Robot Vacuums

If it seems like you always have a need to vacuum, you’re not imagining things. Dust accumulates fast and between people and pets in a household, the floor can get dirty fast. But whipping out a heavy vacuum, lugging it across the room and plugging it into an outlet can be a hassle to do multiple times a week. That’s where a robot vacuum comes in handy.

You can turn your robot vacuum on and put it to work for you. These little gadgets come with charging stations and are outfitted with sensors that help them cruise around your room without running into furniture. It’s a great way to fight dirt, dust, and grime on the floor without having to put in the work.

2. Electric Scrubbers

Cleaning your shower and bathtub can require a ton of elbow grease. Fortunately, there are products out there designed to help you get your bathroom sparkly clean without you walking away with tired muscles. Electric scrubbers have bristles at the end, like a regular cleaning brush. But unlike a conventional cleaning brush, they have a motor inside that rotates them around. Thus, you can hold them in place and let the brush do the scrubbing work for you. Some also come with different brush attachments so you can use one that is more abrasive for caked on grime and a softer one for areas like marble tile shower flooring that you don’t want to scratch.

3. Vacuum-Mops

Getting your floors fully clean can involve so many tools - a broom and dustpan or a vacuum and then a mop. And having to fill up a bucket with soap and water and then wring the mop out in between each use can be exhausting. Vacuum-mop combos help you to cut down on all the steps with a tool that can clear debris off the floor and then help you to mop up any lingering residue all in one. These tools are either cordless or wired and can be set into vacuum mode, and then you can flip a switch and use them to mop as well. They really do make cleaning more of a breeze.

4. High-Tech Air Purifiers

Pollen, dust, pet dander, mold, dust mites… these are just a few of the many unwanted things that can be floating around in the air in your home or settling onto your surfaces. Look for air filters that say they’re HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air), meaning it has the ability to trap up to 99.97% of these particles inside its filters (depending on the model and brand). These can help to keep your air a little cleaner and can be a great tool to capture airborne dust that stirs up when you vacuum or dust off countertops.

5. Cordless Handheld Vacuums

Nobody feels inspired to vacuum when it requires unravelling a long cord from the base of the vacuum cleaner, then finding an outlet to plug it into and hoping that you have enough slack to let you finish the room that you’re in. Then once you finish one room you have to repeat the whole process again. Sound exhausting? It is. Nowadays, you can buy cordless vacuums that you can charge and then use without the cord. And they are a game-changer. Some of the heavier ones have a longer charging life, while lighter ones that are great for little spot vacuuming here and there may need to be charged more. But there are all sorts of models to choose from.

6. Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaners

Is there any cleaning task worse than cleaning the toilet? The good news is companies are making products now that involve a whole lot less gloving up and scrubbing on your end to get the job done. You can purchase tablets that you drop into the toilet tank that dissolve and can be flushed away, specialty sponges that you can load up with solutions that don’t require much scrubbing, and even entire automatic toilet bowl cleaning systems.

7. Appliance cleaning pellets

Your dishwasher cleans your dishes and your washing machine cleans your clothes. But did you know that you’re supposed to occasionally give those appliances their own clean? Those machines build up residue and if you don’t clear it out from time to time, it can reduce their effectiveness. And when was the last time you cleaned your garbage disposal? That can get a little nasty too.

You can get in there with sponges and products but there are much easier ways. Do a quick web search for terms like “dishwashing cleaning pellets,” “garbage disposal cleaning pellets,” and “washing machine cleaner,” and you’ll find dissolvable tablets or powders that you can put inside of these appliances that can clean them when you run them. Make sure to follow the directions on the product’s packaging and look up the best way to clean your appliance in your owner’s manual to make this most effective.

8. A microwave cleaner

Gone are the days of having to wrestle dried-on spaghetti or cheese explosions. Now there products that can help you clean your microwave with ease. Try a microwave steam-cleaner—like the viral “Angry Mama”—with water and vinegar. Then you rev up your microwave for several minutes and wipe away softened grime. People who have put her to the test swear that Angry Mama is far more effective than a dishtowel and soap. Note: One user mentioned you can get the same effect by filling up a glass measuring cup with the same solution and hitting go on the microwave but having an angry mother steaming in your microwave is way more fun!

9. A shower squeegee

You’ve likely seen these in the sales aisles of your favorite convenience stores and the answer is yes, they are worth it. And cleaning experts note that you should squeegee your shower after every use. Why? Because they can help to reduce mold and mildew growth, which can be costly and tricky to remove if enough builds up. They can also prevent water spots and soap scum buildup, which will make shower cleaning days way easier with less grime to remove. Get one you can leave on your shower shelf or one that can suction right to the glass, so you have it handy whenever you need it.

10. Pet Hair Removal Brushes

Do you sweep and sweep and sweep but still seem to have pet fur all over your home? This can especially be the case in warmer months when our pets tend to shed even more. A great way to get ahead of pet fur buildup is to regularly groom your pet’s coat. There are many pet hair removal brushes and electric tools on the market today that you can rake through your pet’s fur that will help to catch loose fur before it lands on the floor or gets all over your couch cushions (which pet owners note can be incredibly hard to clean). And if you need to tackle pet fur on your furniture or floor, there are tools that can help with that as well.