The essential cleaning kit for a small apartment

Floors

A lightweight vacuum or flat mop with dry and wet pads.

Wiping

Microfibre cloths, colour-coded for kitchen, bathroom and general use.

Bathroom

Bathroom cleaner, soft brush, squeegee.

Kitchen

Degreaser, non-scratch sponge.

Toilet

Toilet brush and cleaner.

Protection

Rubber gloves and a bucket.

Skip

Single-use gadgets that only do one job, and bundles of products with overlapping uses.

Start with tools, not products

A small kit of good tools beats a cupboard of specialist products. Microfibre cloths wipe most surfaces with water alone. A flat mop with washable pads or a robot vacuum handles floors. A handheld vacuum or a stick vacuum reaches corners, and a squeegee keeps the bath and window dry. A stiff brush and a soft sponge cover scrubbing. Invest in a few of each, and wash cloths regularly so they do not spread odours.

The products you actually need

A neutral all-purpose detergent, a bathroom cleaner, a mould remover, a kitchen degreaser, a toilet cleaner, a glass cleaner and a bag of sodium bicarbonate cover most needs. Buy small sizes at first. Keep the products out of reach of children and pets, and never mix them. Store them in one caddy, so that you can carry them to the room you are cleaning, and so that you can see what is running low.

Storage in a small flat

Storage space is the main limit. Use a caddy under the bathroom sink for bathroom supplies and another under the kitchen sink for kitchen supplies. Hang a mop on a wall hook. Keep a handheld vacuum on a charging stand near the entrance. Put cloths in a labelled container by the washing machine, ready to be washed. A kit you can reach in ten seconds gets used. A kit buried in a high cupboard does not.

Adding to the kit over time

Add items when a real need appears. A descaling product when limescale shows on taps. A drain cleaner when the drain slows. A squeegee when water spots on the glass. Avoid buying the newest gadget for a problem you do not have. If you find that a task keeps taking too much time, ask whether the tool is wrong, or whether a professional would be quicker, such as a bathroom deep clean or the air conditioner.

A starter kit list

Four microfibre cloths, one sponge, a soft brush and a stiff brush, a flat mop and spare pads, a handheld vacuum or a stick vacuum, a squeegee, rubber gloves, a bucket, a neutral all-purpose cleaner, a bathroom cleaner, a mould remover, a kitchen degreaser, a toilet cleaner, a glass cleaner and a small caddy. This costs little and covers nearly every task in a small flat.

Quick answers

How many cloths do I need? At least four, so that you can wash one set while using another. How often should I replace sponges? Every month or two. Do I need a steam cleaner? Not for routine cleaning. Is a robot vacuum useful? Yes, if you keep the floor clear. Where should I store the kit? Where you use it, in small caddies.

Budget and where to buy

A full starter kit can be bought for a few thousand yen at a 100-yen shop and a home centre. Buy cloths, sponges and brushes cheaply, and spend a little more on the items you use most, such as a vacuum or a flat mop. Choose refills for sprays. Compare unit prices on the label, because large bottles are not always cheaper. Replace tired sponges and cloths regularly, since worn tools clean poorly and hold odours. Check the kit twice a year: replace worn items, top up what is low and remove what you never use, so the kit stays small and useful.

Start small, then add what you actually use

Begin with the basics you will use every week and add specialist items only when a real problem appears. A kit that fits in one cupboard gets used; a kit that needs a room does not. Re-check it each season, replace worn sponges and cloths, and keep a short list of what ran out so the next shop is quick.