THE ULTIMATE CLEANING CLOSET

This is how to set up the ultimate cleaning closet. I have never been more in love. I have created my happy place. Only lovers of all things organizing and natural cleaning understand. In this post, I am sharing with you all of my favorite cleaning tools. In addition to that, I am sharing my full range of DIY homemade affordable natural cleaning product recipes. Click here for FREE printables/downloads of these recipes! (Also, stay tuned to the end as I will be giving away my spray bottle labels for FREE!)

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Alright, let’s start with those recipes. And, after the recipes, I will get into where you can find all of these products (including the BEST spray bottles I’ve ever found). Then, you can set up this ultimate cleaning closet for yourself!

If you want to see the video tour of my ultimate cleaning closet, click here!

And, if you want to see the video on exactly how I mix my affordable and natural homemade cleaning products, click here!

Affordable and Natural Cleaning Product Recipes for Your Ultimate Cleaning Closet

Why make your own cleaning products? One, you can save a LOT of money making your own products. Two, it is much safer for you and your family to use natural ingredients rather than chemicals. And, three, they are so easy to make and often more effective than expensive brands! There is no better way to start setting up your ultimate cleaning closet than to create the ultimate affordable homemade natural cleaning products. Let’s start with my all-purpose cleaner which can tackle, pretty much, any surface:

Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner

I clean my bathroom surfaces (before disinfecting, which is the next recipe), kitchen surfaces (after degreasing, which is the following recipe), appliances like the microwave and refrigerator, and I even dust with this solution. This recipe yields about 17 oz.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp borax
• 1/2 tsp washing soda
• 1 tsp liquid castile soap or dish soap
• 2 cups warm, distilled water
• 15 drops any citrus essential oil (i.e. orange, lemon, bergamot, etc.) or the peel of any citrus (just the colored outer layer, not the pith) (omit the citrus for unsealed stone surfaces)

Materials

• Glass spray bottle and/or microfiber mop with refillable sprayer attachment
• Funnel
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Microfiber cleaning cloths (I have one for dusting and another for all other surfaces) OR rags or paper towels for bathroom surfaces

Instructions

1. Measure out the distilled water and heat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.
2. Place funnel into the spout of your container (with the sprayer removed from your spray bottle or lid removed from your mop solution container).
3. Place all ingredients into the container in the order listed above (you can remove the funnel before dispensing your essential oils or peels into the container).
4. Remove the funnel and replace with the sprayer or lid.
5. Give the bottle a shake.
6. Spray a mist over the surface.
7. Polish clean with microfiber cleaning cloth or mop pad.

Notes

The solution only needs to be warm when initially mixing it together into your containers. It will remain diluted thereafter. Pouring the ingredients into the container in the order listed above helps to ensure that the water rinses the previous ingredients out of the funnel and into your container.

A microfiber mop with refillable sprayer is great for all floor types for everyday cleaning. I use a squeeze sponge floor mop for extra dirty floors and follow with the microfiber mop for polishing.

Homemade Disinfectant

I use this solution to disinfect my bathroom after cleaning. I also use it to disinfect my kitchen after handling raw meat and seafood. It is also excellent for disinfecting handles, switches, and remote controls to prevent the spread of viruses. This recipe yields about 14 oz.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol
• 1 1/4 cups distilled water
• 15 drops tea tree/melaleuca essential oil and/or citrus essential oil (i.e. orange, lemon, bergamot, etc.) or the peel of any citrus (just the colored outer layer, not the pith) (omit the citrus for unsealed stone surfaces)

Materials

• Glass spray bottle
• Funnel
• Measuring cups
• Microfiber cleaning cloth OR rags or paper towels for bathroom surfaces

Instuctions

1. Place funnel into the spout of your container with the sprayer removed.
2. Place all ingredients into the container in the order listed above (you can remove the funnel before dispensing your essential oils or peels into the container).
3. Remove the funnel and replace with the sprayer.
4. Give the bottle a shake.
5. Spray generously over the surface.
6. Let the solution sit for between 4-10 minutes.
7. Polish clean with microfiber cleaning cloth.

Notes

In order for a disinfectant to actually do its job at killing illness-causing bacteria and viruses, it must be generously sprayed onto the area and allowed to sit for several minutes before wiping the surface dry.

Homemade Degreaser / Soap Scum Remover

Yes, you read that heading correctly. The same solution I use for degreasing the kitchen stove and rangehood is also excellent for removing soap scum. This recipe yields about 16 oz.

Ingredients

• 1 cup liquid castile soap or dish soap
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 15 drops tea tree/melaleuca essential oil (for the soap scum remover solution)

Materials

• Glass spray bottle and/or squeeze bottle
• Funnel
• Measuring cups
• Scrub sponge and/or iron handle scrub brush
• Squeegee for shower and tub surfaces OR rags or paper towels for greasy surfaces
• Microfiber cleaning cloth

Instructions

1. Place funnel into the spout of your container (with the sprayer removed from your spray bottle or lid removed from your squeeze bottle).
2. Place all ingredients into the container in the order listed above, except the essential oil for the degreaser solution (you can remove the funnel before dispensing your essential oils into the container for the soap scum remover solution).
3. Remove the funnel and replace with the sprayer or lid.
4. Give the bottle a shake.
5. Spray generously over the surfaces or squeeze onto shower and tub walls.
6. Let the solution sit for up to 15 minutes depending on how much grease or soap scum needs to be broken down.
7. Scrub your kitchen surfaces with a scrub sponge and your shower with your iron handle scrub brush, wetting the surface with warm water as needed.
8. Rinse the surface with warm water until grease or soap scum and soap residue are removed using wet paper towels or rags for your kitchen surfaces or the showerhead for your shower and tub surfaces.
9. Polish dry with a microfiber cleaning cloth. You may use a squeegee to remove excess water from your shower and tub surfaces.

Notes

You only need the tea tree/melaleuca essential oil for the soap scum remover and not the degreaser. Tea tree/melaleuca essential oil is excellent for killing and preventing mold and mildew growth.

If you don’t have the best spray bottle to handle this thick solution (my favorite spray bottle is noted in the following section), you can re-purpose a body wash or shampoo bottle to squeeze the solution over your shower and tub.

To degrease my kitchen, I typically just spray my stove, rangehood, and backsplash after cooking a splatter-ful meal and before washing the dishes. Because I clean these surfaces often, the degreasing solution doesn’t have to sit for very long.

Please note that you don’t want to use microfiber cloths to sop up grease. Always use rags or paper towels as the grease can get trapped in the super absorbent microfiber fibers and ruin their absorbency and overall effectiveness at cleaning and polishing surfaces.

To clean my shower, once a week I spray the solution all over my shower walls and floor before I take a shower. I go about my business taking care of all of the things for 15 minutes. Then, I turn on the shower head to allow it to come to temperature and start to steam and loosen the solution and scum that has begun to break down. Finally, I hop in and scrub everything down with my iron handle brush before giving it a good rinse and continuing on with my shower.

This solution works so well as a soap scum remover because the soap helps the solution to stick and allow the vinegar to do its work. However, to boost the power of this cleaning solution for extra dirty jobs, you can heat the vinegar separately on the stove or in the microwave until hot (not too hot to where you can’t safely close your container without causing it to expand). Then, you will add your soap and essential oils to your container. Give it a good shake and spray your surfaces immediately.

Homemade Glass Cleaner

To be honest, the disinfecting solution I use above is actually pretty excellent for cleaning glass. However, this recipe does save even more on the pennies. Since, it’s just as effective, why not save the money, honey?! This recipe yields about 16 oz.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 cups distilled water
• 10 drops any citrus essential oil (i.e. orange, lemon, bergamot, etc.) or the peel of any citrus (just the colored outer layer, not the pith)

Materials

• Glass spray bottle
• Funnel
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Glass & electronic microfiber cleaning cloth

Instuctions

1. Place funnel into the spout of your container with the sprayer removed.
2. Place all ingredients into the container in the order listed above (you can remove the funnel before dispensing your essential oils or peels into the container).
3. Remove the funnel and replace with the sprayer.
4. Give the bottle a shake.
5. Spray a mist over the glass, mirror, or electronic device surface.
6. Polish clean with glass and optical microfiber cleaning cloth.

Notes

This glass cleaning solution is meant for indoor surfaces. It can be used for outdoor window surfaces too but only for maintenance after they have been properly deep-cleaned with the appropriate outdoor cleaning solution.

You want to make sure you use a microfiber cleaning cloth made for glass and electronic surfaces so that you do not scratch these surfaces. These are designed to not grip onto large particles of dirt and to polish these fine surfaces.

Homemade Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I love a toilet bowl cleaner that sticks to the bowl when you squirt it under the rim. And that is just what this recipe does! You can tell it is really grabbing on and letting the solution do its work to break down grime and kill bacteria. This recipe yields about 12 oz.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup liquid castile soap or dish soap
• 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide
• 1/2 cup distilled water
• 15 drops tea tree/melaleuca essential oil

Materials

• Squeeze bottle
• Funnel
• Measuring cups
• Toilet brush

Instructions

1. Place funnel into the spout of your container with the lid removed.
2. Place all ingredients into the container in the order listed above (you can remove the funnel before dispensing your essential oil into the container).
3. Remove the funnel and replace with the lid.
4. Give the bottle a generous shake to allow all contents to distribute evenly.
5. Squirt under the toilet rim.
6. Let sit for 10-15 minutes
7. Scrub with a toilet brush.

Notes

You may be wondering why you would need to use distilled water when mixing this solution when you are squirting it into toilet water anyway. It is because hydrogen peroxide can react with unfiltered contents in tap water while stored reducing its efficacy. If your solution is causing your squeeze bottle to expand, there is no need to worry. Just open the lid to release the pressure before giving it a shake before use.

A pro cleaning tip is to actually “plunge” your toilet before you squirt this solution into the rim. Using your plunger to “push” down the water lowers the water level allowing the solution to sit and stick on more of the toilet bowl surface area as it drips down from the rim to the water level. Remember, you want to let the disinfecting powers of the tea tree/melaleuca to do its work so the longer it sits, the better.

Lastly, after you finish scrubbing the bowl with your toilet brush, let the brush drip dry into the toilet by holding the handle down with the toilet seat.

All of these DIY natural and affordable homemade cleaning solutions are in printable/downloadable form here. You don’t even have to print them! You can just save them in your phone like I do! Now, let’s get into where you can get all these goods to create your cleaning products and cleaning closet at home!

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Setting Up Your Own Ultimate Cleaning Closet with the Best Cleaning Tools

Let’s get organized! Organizing is my favorite! I had this weird nook and I took full advantage of it and turned it into cleaning tool central – the ultimate cleaning closet. You can do the same with a coat closet, a pantry wall, a corner in your garage, any small space or corner can contain all that you need to keep your home sparkling. Let’s start with my favorite cleaning tools and then we will put it all together with my favorite organizing solutions.

Awesome and Affordable Cleaning Tools for Your Ultimate Cleaning Closet

Here are all my cleaning tools in my ultimate cleaning closet, why I love them, and even how I maintain them to keep them lasting longer … because I love saving money!

Vacuum

The Shark Rocket Zero M Ultra Light Corded Stick Vacuum Blue ZS352 is so perfect for getting under all my furniture. Yes, mid-century modern furniture does stand a bit further off the ground, but because this is a stick vacuum, it can get under lower pieces of furniture too. I have pet birds and their feathers can get everywhere. It’s nice to not have to break my back to get those little feathers out from under the couch. Also, I’m allergic to dust mites so I like to make sure I get every bit of dust off the ground so that I don’t stir it up from underneath furniture and cause a sneeze attack, or rashes, or itchy eyes (yes, they will happen all at once).

Since I love this vacuum so much, to keep it lasting as long as possible and to keep it working efficiently, I clean the hair out of the brush roll and handwash the filters thoroughly every two weeks. My trick to getting the filters super dry, super quickly after handwashing is to spin them in my mini-washing machine. I know, this looks like a kid’s toy. I’ll share more on my new laundry routine in my tiny studio in another post. You can also get your filters to dry quickly by doing the same in a standard washing machine or using the no heat/air dry cycle on your dryer.

Scrub Mop

For deep-cleaning floors, this super affordable Squeeze Sponge Floor Mop – Made By Design™ from Target does the job. To keep the sponge head in tip top shape, you don’t want to use the squeezing mechanism until the sponge is thoroughly soaked with hot water, otherwise, you might cause the dry sponge head to tear.

To clean my floors, I simply add a drop of dish soap or castile soap to the mop head and soak and squeeze the sponge head a few times. I mop my floors in sections while rinsing and squeezing the mop head with hot water in between sections. To scrub anything that might be a little more stubborn, I simply flip the mop head as it has a scrubber strip on the other side. After cleaning my floors, I rinse the mop head with hot water and squeeze it out several times. I then leave the mop head suspended over the sink overnight and replace the mop into my cleaning closet in the morning. What is also great about this mop is you can get a sponge refill which helps reduce waste and funds so you don’t have to purchase a whole new mop assembly.

Microfiber Mop

To polish my floors after deep-cleaning and for everyday cleaning to dry mop and remove residual dust after vacuuming, this other super affordable Refillable Spray Mop – Made By Design™ from Target is great. At first, I couldn’t figure out how to pull the refillable cleaning solution container out, but you simply yank with all your might. At least I know my solution won’t be leaking because it sits really tight in there. The microfiber mop head is durable, and the sprayer is so convenient.

If you have a lot of floors, OR if you need to have a microfiber mop head on hand while washing the other, OR if you want to reserve one head for dry mopping and the other for damp mopping, this mop also has a microfiber mop refill available. To prevent your microfiber mop head from losing its cleaning and absorbency efficacy, be sure to wash only with laundry detergent and to not use commercial fabric softeners. I have a whole range of natural and affordable DIY homemade laundry products here.

My only complaint about these mops is that their storage loops at the top are very weak and break easily. However, I have found the best cleaning tool hooks ever which I will share in the following section covering how I organize all these tools in my cleaning closet.

Broom & Dustpan

Since I tend to pull out the vacuum to “sweep”, I only needed a small broom and dustpan for my kitchen and any small spills. This Mini Hand Broom and Dust Pan Set – Made By Design™ from Target is fantastic especially because of an unexpected feature. These “teeth” at the top of the dustpan keep the broom free of debris. I mean, to have a built-in cleaning feature for your cleaning tool … it’s genius! What more could you ask for in a broom and dustpan!

Squeegee

For wet jobs and for serious glass cleaning, this Squeegee – Made By Design™ from Target is excellent. I’ve been through a few squeegees and there was always something wrong that would cause it to fall apart. The squeegee strip would fall out or the handle would break. This squeegee is solid. I could see me using it for a long time. I use it after cleaning the shower to get all the water down the drain. That way, I can double check that I have cleaned the corners of the shower floor. I also use it to squeegee the car windows after a car wash and before polishing with glass cleaner and a glass and electronic microfiber cleaning cloth.

Iron Handle Scrub Brush

For scrubbing the shower and other tough messes, this Iron Handle Scrub Brush – Made By Design™ from Target is my favorite. The bristles are excellent. They haven’t bent in quite yet like similar scrub brushes you can find at dollar stores. It is also solid like the squeegee, so I don’t expect the handle to break.

Cleaning Cloths

Good quality microfiber cleaning cloths are absolutely essential for thoroughly gripping dirt, absorbing liquid, and cleaning everything to a nice polished shine. I purchased the Maker’s Clean Small Space Kit when they first launched their line so I have the original colors. This just goes to show you how long they have lasted.

The kit comes with two general purpose cloths. I reserve one general-purpose cloth (blue) for dusting and the other (purple) for everything else. The green glass and electronics cleaning cloth is used for just that. The only thing that’s different about the small space kit now is that the orange cloth I have is replaced with the Maker’s Mini which is great for cleaning on the go. This orange cloth is the doubled-side utility cloth (now in a grey color) which is great for all things buffing, polishing (I use it for polishing my stainless-steel microwave and espresso machine), and dusting. Lastly, to my surprise, I didn’t think I would use the grey waffle weave cloth very much, but I use it ALL THE TIME. It is so extremely absorbent. I dry dishes and sop up water when I go crazy scrubbing something and get water everywhere.

These cloths are absolutely excellent. I highly recommend them (and, no, I am not sponsored). And, remember, do not use fabric softener when laundering your microfiber cloths, otherwise, you will ruin their absorbency. The same goes for all towels in general. Also, don’t dry them on high heat as you may ruin the fibers that way as well.

Detailing Brush Set

For getting into the details, this detailing brush set from Amazon has everything you need. Yes, it is meant for detailing cars, but I like to use the boar hair brushes to dust tight places and clean small parts of appliances. My carved room divider has lots of details that can collect dust but these brushes make quick work of it rather than struggling with a rag to try get into the nooks and crannies or using a large duster that will only take care of the outer most surface layers.

They are also great for getting into the seams of my rattan coffee table. Brushing in conjunction with vacuuming helps to grab all the little trapped bits out. I recently deep-cleaned the small parts of my humidifier with these brushes. They are also great for cleaning appliances that suck in and exhaust air like a fan, air conditioner, space heater, and air purifier. For the toothbrush-looking tools, the nylon brush is great for scrubbing super tight corners like where the toilet meets the tile. And the metal brushes are great for cleaning steel surfaces like the burners on my gas stove.

Steel Wool

To clean stainless steel cookware and the bottom of my enameled cast iron skillet, I use this steel wool from Amazon. I have actually never used steel wool until this year as I only started using cast iron in recent months. It’s really the only thing that can get all the burnt stuff off the enamel. I haven’t burned anything on my burner pans but, if I do, I trust this will do great work. Accidental burns in my stainless-steel pot have come up easily because of this steel wool as well. I’ll share more about my favorite dish cleaning tools when I share my kitchen organization.

Scrub Sponges

Since scrub sponges are known to harbor bacteria when used for cleaning dishes, I no longer use them for that purpose. However, I do have one reserved for the stove. I like these natural non-scratch scrub sponges from Amazon. I also use them for a deep clean inside kitchen drawers, cabinets and the microwave. To store the current one I’m using, I have a sink organizer which I will share when I share my kitchen organization. These here are my back-up which are stored in a caddy which I will share in the next section.

Spray Bottles

I think this is what you all have been waiting for … the BEST SPRAY BOTTLES EVER. I was frustrated with my previous spray bottles which could not handle the viscosity of dish soap and which were so inconsistent in spraying. These Aozita brand glass spray bottles from Amazon are top notch. For one thing, they have measurements on the side. And another thing, the best thing, is the sprayer nozzle!

My degreaser/soap scum remover is viscous, and this nozzle handles it like a boss spraying my stove and shower surfaces so evenly. You can also turn the nozzle to shoot a stream or shut it off, so it doesn’t spray at all (a good safety feature for littles ones). A bonus is that they come with funnels to make refilling them super easy. They also come with black sticker labels that have the look of chalkboard, but I made my own labels from vinyl using my Cricut machine. I am giving away a set of these labels for FREE! Keep reading to find out how you can win them.

Squirt Bottles

I actually re-purposed body wash and foam bath bottles from Bath & Body Works Aromotherapy Body Care Line to contain my toilet bowl cleaner (and also my soap scum remover until I found those excellent spray bottles). Since a squirt bottle needs to be plastic in order to “squirt”, and since I try to limit plastic to benefit the environment, I highly suggest you re-purpose empty bottles in your home. Honestly, these body washes were all gifts. So, next time you receive a product you don’t normally use, the bottle just might be what you need to create some cleaning products. Anything that has a lid with some kind of flip-top opening will do. You will just want to make sure the lid seals well. Also, you will want the lid opening to allow you to squirt the solution into the toilet in a steady stream. If you already have a toilet bowl cleaner bottle, there is no better way to re-purpose it than with this recipe.

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Awesome and Affordable Organizing Solutions for Your Ultimate Cleaning Closet

This section includes everything I used to set up and organize my ultimate cleaning closet.

The Closet

You definitely don’t have to purchase a cabinet like I did. You can easily create your ultimate cleaning closet or cleaning corner in an existing closet, pantry, or in your garage. I purchased my Closetmaid storage cabinet from the Home Depot because it was the perfect size for this weird nook in my kitchen AND I needed a place to store my cleaning tools.

Cloth Hooks

I actually stumbled across these bag clips at At Home stores (others have ordered a very similar set of clips from Amazon here; if you don’t need all of them for cleaning cloths, you can have the rest on hand to use as actual bag clips!) It immediately dawned on me that these clips would be excellent for hanging up my microfiber cleaning cloths on the door of my ultimate cleaning closet. I don’t know about you, but I don’t wash my cleaning cloths every time I use them (unless I get them extremely dirty in one use between laundering them). Between uses until I launder them, I like to let them dry. I simply attached the bag clips to the cabinet door using E6000 glue. I used packing tape (painter’s tape is better if you have that on hand) to hold the clips in place for 24 hours until the glue cured. After the glue cures, you can hang up your cleaning cloths. For a damage-free version of this clip, you can utilize these Command hooks found here.

Cleaning Tool Hooks

I actually purchased these self-adhesive wall-mounted broom holders from Amazon when I simply needed one to hang up my daughter’s painting easel when not in use. I was shocked at how well it stuck to the brick wall in our place! (I’ll share a tour of my place in another post.) Meanwhile, the loop on my mop broke when I hung it on a door hook, and, since these holders came in a pack of six, I had a perfect purpose for the rest of them in my ultimate cleaning closet. These things are not budging either. We have removed and replaced the cleaning tools in and out of them multiple times and they show no signs of un-sticking from the closet wall. Also, they hold the tools tight, so I don’t have to worry about the tools falling or slipping out.

Caddy

No ultimate cleaning closet is complete without a cleaning caddy. I purchased this caddy from a Goodwill. But you can also find it at Walmart. Walmart has the best price as it is double the price on Amazon. If you want your cleaning products to coordinate (hey, I’m not laughing at you … I am a nerd like that too), you can purchase this Dual-compartment Cleaning Caddy – Made By Design™ from Target which is the same line all of the Target cleaning tools (I have listed above) are from which is Made By Design™.

In my caddy, I contain my vacuum attachments, the funnels that came with my spray bottles, my detailing brush set, sponges, steel wool, extra microfiber mop head, and furniture markers. I didn’t list the furniture markers as a cleaning tool as they aren’t technically a cleaning tool but I think it’s convenient to keep these next to you when you are dusting so you can fill in nicks and scratches on your furniture. You can find them at dollar stores or just raid your kids’ markers for tones that match your furniture (and a sharpie will work great for black furniture).

I like to find you good deals and ways to earn cash back, so be sure to take advantage of TopCashBack by clicking here. That way, not only will you gather your needs for your affordable ultimate cleaning closet, but you will also earn cash back at the same time! All you have to due is search each retailer on the TopCashBack site, and then TopCashBack will redirect you to the retailer’s site where they will track your points once you check out. They earn a commission when you use their site and they share that commission with you!

Lazy Susan

This is the lazy susan I use to contain my glass spray bottles here. It’s the perfect size and the rubberized bottom keeps the bottles from sliding around. It’s also super easy to clean. I spilled my toilet bowl cleaner without realizing it. It had dried up and created rings around the bottoms of the glass spray bottles. It cleaned up super easily though and was just like new again. Highly recommended and so inexpensive!

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How to Enter the Giveaway!

Are you excited to organize your cleaning tools in your ultimate cleaning closet and make your own homemade affordable natural cleaning products? Don’t forget to get your recipes here so that you always have them on hand whether you print them out or refer to them in your phone or other devices. And, don’t forget you can win these spray bottle labels for yourself! So many have shown interest in these spray bottles since my post that I figured I should give away my custom labels. Even if you don’t purchase the same spray bottles, I can still make custom labels for any bottles you may have on hand. I like to be eco-friendly, so I encourage you to use what you have. All you have to do to enter is:

1. Click this link to get access to my freebie library including these recipes.
2. You will then follow the prompts until you obtain your password.
3. Once you receive the last email with the subject line “Terry Elisabeth’s Freebie Library: Access Confirmed,” you will reply with this note saying, “I want to enter the giveaway”.

I have to limit the giveaway to the amount of vinyl I can cut, so be sure to enter right away! Have fun setting up your own ultimate cleaning closet!

Don’t forget, you can watch the full video tour here and how I mix together my affordable and natural homemade cleaning products here!

Happy Organizing!