Avoid These Mistakes When Storing Your Cleaning Supplies

Photo: Yulia Prizova (Shutterstock)

Over the years, you’ve probably accumulated quite a few cleaning supplies. And whether you prefer using one or two multi-purpose products, or have a variety of sprays and detergents for specific rooms or surfaces, storing them properly and safely will make your life easier. Here’s what not to do.

Avoid these cleaning supply storage mistakes

Having to spend time cleaning is bad enough, so we’re not suggesting dedicating hours to reorganizing everything, but taking a few easy steps to avoid these mistakes will be helpful in the long run:

Housing them somewhere accessible to children and/or pets

Store your cleaning products somewhere that’s out-of-reach for little kids and pets like dogs and cats. This may mean moving them from under the sink to higher ground (but not somewhere so high that you’ll struggle to reach them). It’s less of an issue if you only use natural substances like vinegar and baking soda, but you still don’t want to deal with that mess.

Keeping products you no longer use or are almost empty

At a certain point, there’s still a tiny bit of liquid left at the bottom of spray bottles, but not enough to make it up the tube and out the nozzle. When you get there, pour the remaining cleaner onto a cloth to use the last bit of it up, and stop letting that nearly empty bottle take up valuable storage real estate.

The same goes for super-old products, or those that you bought but didn’t like and never actually use.

Ignoring storage recommendations on the label

Don’t forget that you’re handling and storing chemicals: This isn’t a time to ignore safety warnings and recommendations on the product labels. Certain household cleaners are dangerous when mixed, so don’t store them together or next to each other, in case of spillage.

It’s also not a good idea to keep your cleaning products anywhere where they could be exposed to extreme temperatures, moisture, or anything flammable. Ideally, you’ll want to find a spot that’s cool, dry, and well-ventilated.

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