Cleaning Caddy Starter List: 8 Supplies Our Stain Guides Use

How we picked the eight

Most HomeWise how-tos open with a short "What you'll need" list. On November 9, 2026 there were 94 of these lists, and 27 sat on cleaning and stain how-tos. We counted how many of those 27 name each supply, treating close variants as one (clear and grease-cutting dish soap count as dish soap; soft brushes and soft toothbrushes count as soft-bristle brushes).

• Baking soda: 11 of 27 lists, from grease on carpet and grout to ink and red wine on marble.
• Dish soap: 11 of 27, mostly grease, ink and food stains. Our gravy, cranberry sauce and tree sap guides use it too.
• Microfiber cloths: 9 of 27, mostly glass, stainless steel, grout and wood.
• White cotton cloths: 6 of 27, for blotting ink, coffee, blood, pet stains and sauce.
• Soft-bristle brushes: 6 of 27, plus 2 grout guides that name a grout brush.
• Plastic or silicone scrapers: 6 of 27, mainly for wax, nail polish and grease on glass.
• Oxygen bleach or an oxygen-based stain remover: 6 of 27.
• Spray bottle: only 2 of 27 lists, but the text of 15 of our 47 cleaning how-tos calls for one.
• White vinegar: 4 of 27. It stays out of the box because it is an acid that needs care (see the safety rules).

The counts cover the lists, not every product named in the steps. A how-to for leather, suede or marble also needs a product made for that surface, so read the guide for your job first.

What each supply does and what to check when buying

• Baking soda. Arm & Hammer calls it a mild abrasive for fiberglass, porcelain, acrylic, ceramic and cultured marble, and says not to use it on stone resin or wood. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) suggests a baking soda and water paste for stubborn stains on stainless steel. Check: the label should say baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Washing soda is sodium carbonate, a different product.
• Dish soap. ACI says the surfactants in hand dishwashing liquid lift dirt and cut grease. For a carpet spot, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) mixes 1/4 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent into 1 cup of lukewarm water and says never to make it stronger. Check: a hand dishwashing liquid. CRI says not to use automatic dishwasher detergent on carpet, since many contain bleaching agents, or laundry detergent, which may contain optical brighteners. Our ink and blood-on-a-couch guides ask for a clear soap.
• Microfiber cloths. The New Jersey Department of Health lists them as washable and quicker to dry than cotton, and says to wash them apart from other laundry without bleach or fabric softener, whose oils clog the fibers. Check: machine-washable cloths; a mixed-color pack lets you keep colors for different areas, as the department suggests.
• White cotton cloths. CRI says to blot spills with a dry, white absorbent cloth, working from the edges toward the center, and to pretest any solution for color transfer to the cloth. White makes that transfer easy to see. Check: plain white cotton with no print.
• Soft-bristle brush. ACI recommends a soft bristle brush for grout and uses a soft brush on some fabric stains. On carpet, CRI says to work gently and not rub. Check: soft bristles and a head small enough for seams.
• Plastic scraper. Lift solids before adding liquid: ACI says to scrape off surface wax with a dull knife, and CRI says to scrape up semi-solids gently with a rounded spoon. Check: a plastic or silicone blade. Our guides for nail polish on a wood table, Le Creuset and glass name a plastic or silicone scraper.
• Oxygen bleach powder. ACI says oxygen (color-safe) bleaches are gentler and work safely on all washable fabrics. OxiClean says to test its Versatile Stain Remover on an inconspicuous area first and not to use it on wool, silk, leather or dry-clean-only fabric. Check: the label should say oxygen or color-safe bleach, not chlorine bleach.
• Spray bottle. ACI says to keep cleaning products in their original containers and never to reuse an empty cleaning-product container for any other purpose, so buy a new bottle for water or a dish soap solution. CRI recommends a mist-type sprayer for rinsing carpet so you do not overwet it. Check: an adjustable nozzle with a mist setting.

Never mix these: safety rules for your caddy

• Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia. The Washington State Department of Health says this makes toxic chloramine gases. Ammonia is in some glass and window cleaners and in urine, so the department says to take care with bleach on litter boxes, diaper pails and toilet bowls.
• Never mix chlorine bleach with an acid. The same department says this gives off chlorine gas and names vinegar and some glass and window cleaners as acids. Bleach also reacts with some oven cleaners and with hydrogen peroxide.
• ACI says never to mix chlorine bleach, or any product containing it, with ammonia, ammonia-based products or acidic products. CDC says never to mix household bleach with any other cleaners or disinfectants, because the vapors may be very dangerous to breathe.
• The basics are not exempt: ACI says not to mix dishwashing detergent with other cleaning products, because irritating or potentially toxic fumes could result.
• Read and follow each label. When you use bleach indoors, CDC says to make sure the room is well ventilated and to check whether you need gloves or eye protection.
• Store products in their original containers with the label intact, away from food and out of reach of young children and pets, as ACI advises.
• If someone breathes in fumes from mixed products, ACI says to read the label for emergency information and, if it is unclear, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 if the person is unconscious, not breathing or having a seizure.

Where white vinegar fits: keep it away from bleach, and never use it on marble, limestone or travertine, which the Natural Stone Institute warns against. Our marble guides use a pH-neutral stone cleaner instead.