What cleaning supplies do you actually need?
On CleanGig the cleaner brings their own equipment and products — that is what a client is paying for. This is the kit that covers almost every residential job in Adelaide, what each thing is for, and roughly how much of it you get through.
Start with the colour code
Four colours of cloth, each for one job. It exists for a single reason: a cloth that wiped a toilet must never touch a kitchen bench. It is also the cheapest way to look like a professional rather than someone with a bucket.
Red
Toilets, urinals and washroom floors
Highest contamination risk. A red cloth never leaves the bathroom.
Blue
General surfaces, glass, mirrors, dusting
Low risk. Living areas, bedrooms, windows.
Green
Kitchen and anywhere food is prepared
Keeps bathroom bacteria away from where people eat.
Yellow
Bathroom basins, tiles, showers — everything but the toilet
Separates the sink you wash your hands in from the toilet you don't.
Cloths and pads
The single biggest difference between a clean that looks good and one that looks streaky. Buy more than you think — you cannot rewash mid-job.
Microfibre cloths, colour coded
EssentialGeneral-purpose microfibre, in red, blue, green and yellow.
Colour coding stops cross-contamination and is instantly recognisable to a client who has worked in hospitality or aged care.
How much: 8–12 per average 3 bedroom house. Carry 24+ so you never reuse a dirty cloth on the next job.
Waffle-weave glass cloth
EssentialA flat, tightly woven microfibre made for glass.
A general microfibre leaves lint and streaks on glass. This is the one product that most obviously separates a beginner from a professional.
How much: 2–3 per job. Use dry after the wet cloth.
Non-scratch scourer pads
EssentialWhite or blue nylon pads.
Green scourers scratch stainless steel, glass cooktops and acrylic baths — the kind of damage that becomes an insurance claim.
How much: 1–2 per week.
Flat mop pads, washable
EssentialVelcro-backed microfibre pads for a flat mop.
A fresh pad per area beats a bucket of increasingly dirty water. Cheaper over time than disposables.
How much: 2–4 per job, more for a deep clean.
Products, by surface
Five products cover almost everything. Resist buying one bottle per surface — it costs more, weighs more and slows you down.
Multipurpose spray (neutral pH)
EssentialConcentrate you dilute yourself.
Benches, doors, skirting, switches, most surfaces. Neutral pH means it will not damage timber, stone or vinyl. Concentrate costs a fraction of ready-to-use and you are not paying to ship water.
How much: About 50–100ml diluted per house.
Bathroom cleaner (acidic)
EssentialAn acidic cleaner for soap scum and limescale.
Adelaide water is hard, so limescale on shower screens and taps is the standard complaint. A neutral cleaner will not shift it. Never mix with bleach.
How much: One 750ml bottle per 8–10 bathrooms.
Degreaser
EssentialAlkaline cleaner for cooking grease.
Range hoods, splashbacks, stovetops. Grease needs alkaline; multipurpose will just smear it.
How much: One bottle per 10–15 kitchens.
Glass cleaner
EssentialAmmonia-free glass and mirror cleaner.
Windows, mirrors, glass cooktops. Ammonia-free so it is safe on tinted windows and screens.
How much: One bottle per 10 jobs.
Disinfectant
EssentialA hospital-grade or TGA-listed disinfectant.
Toilets, bins, door handles, light switches. Clients ask about this specifically since 2020. Check the contact time on the label — most need to sit for several minutes to actually work.
How much: One bottle per 10–15 jobs.
Floor cleaner (neutral pH)
EssentialConcentrate suited to timber, vinyl and tile.
The wrong pH strips the finish off timber and vinyl, which is expensive and obvious.
How much: About 30ml per bucket.
Oven cleaner (caustic)
Add laterHeavy-duty caustic gel or spray.
Only for end of lease and deep cleans. Requires gloves, eye protection and ventilation — this is the most dangerous product you will carry.
How much: One can per 3–4 ovens.
Stainless steel polish
Add laterOil-based polish or spray.
Fingerprints on a fridge are the first thing a client notices when they walk in. Small effort, large impression.
How much: One bottle per 20+ jobs.
Equipment
The one-off spend. Buy the vacuum properly and skimp elsewhere — it is the tool you will use on every single job.
Vacuum with HEPA filter and attachments
EssentialBarrel or upright, with a crevice tool and a soft brush head.
HEPA matters for clients with asthma and allergies, and it is worth saying so on your profile. The attachments are what let you do skirting, tracks and upholstery.
Flat mop and bucket
EssentialMicrofibre flat mop with a wringer bucket.
Faster than a string mop, leaves less water behind, and floors dry in minutes rather than half an hour.
Caddy or tote
EssentialA carry tray for bottles and cloths.
Saves walking back to the car. Over a week it is genuinely an hour of your life.
Window squeegee
Essential25–35cm blade with a handle.
The only way to do a large window without streaks. Replace the rubber when it starts skipping.
Detail and grout brushes
EssentialA stiff narrow brush and an old toothbrush.
Grout lines, tap bases, window tracks, plugholes. The places an inspector checks first.
Extendable duster
EssentialMicrofibre head on a telescopic pole.
Ceiling fans, cornices, cobwebs — without a ladder, which is where cleaners get hurt.
Gloves, spray bottles, bin liners
EssentialNitrile gloves, labelled trigger bottles, bags.
Label every bottle with what is in it. It is a work health and safety requirement, not just tidiness.
Step stool
Add laterTwo-step, non-slip.
Top of cupboards and light fittings. Never a chair — a fall is a claim on your insurance and weeks off work.
What to take to each job
Regular clean
Multipurpose, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, disinfectant, floor cleaner. 8–12 cloths, 2 mop pads, vacuum, flat mop, caddy.
Deep clean
Everything above, plus degreaser, detail brushes, extendable duster, squeegee, step stool. Double the cloths.
End of lease
Everything in a deep clean, plus oven cleaner, scrapers, extra mop pads and a camera for before-and-after photos.
Airbnb turnover
Regular clean kit, plus spare linen if you supply it, restocking consumables and a camera for the photo report.
Safety Data Sheets
Under Australian work health and safety rules, anyone using hazardous chemicals at work should have the Safety Data Sheet for each one and keep containers labelled. Download the SDS from the manufacturer's site when you buy a product and keep them together — on your phone is fine. If a client or their insurer ever asks what you used on a damaged surface, this is the answer.
Never mix bleach with anything
Bleach with an acidic bathroom cleaner produces chlorine gas, and bleach with ammonia produces chloramine. Both send people to hospital, and it happens in bathrooms because that is where the two bottles live. One product at a time, rinse in between.
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