This Random Budget Buy Is My New Fave Cleaning Tool

Now that it's been a little more than a year-and-a-half since I started working remotely, I've started to notice a few things at home. Like the dust in random corners of our apartment. And, of course, the ways in which our space gets cluttered so easily. Plus, eating meals at home means so, so many dishes. I've also developed a love of organizing and re-organizing our closet and dresser (and my desk and the kitchen ... you get it).

With a renewed energy towards cleaning my space, I've naturally been more curious about what tools I can use. It's not like our place is spotless — some days, I'm over it — but this is certainly the most laser-focused I've ever gotten about tidying up.

During a recent visit to Daiso, the Japanese store filled to the brim with budget-friendly buys, I came across a few items that piqued my interest. And now I've got a new favorite cleaning tool: a slim, soft-bristled, angled brush that gets those hard-to-reach corners.

I first put the brush to the test by cleaning the thin space between our bathroom faucet and the sink wall. It worked like a charm. Normally, I try to use a cleaning wipe back there, but this was way easier. Then, I used it to clean the grout in the bathtub walls — also super useful. And finally, my favorite use: Deep cleaning the tray of our dish drying rack. You know those slats that are in the tray to hold the rack? They are so clean now.

I've always used a sponge to wipe them down but my new method was much more effective and quick. I used the brush on its own with water, but then got the idea to wrap it in a Lysol wipe. That truly did the trick.

While it's not currently listed on Daiso's website, I did find some alternatives. This ultra-slim cleaning brush goes for $10.99 and this tile and grout scrub brush is $4. Reviewers of the latter said that the bristles are on the rougher side — but that might be just what you need.

One customer wrote: "This is the only brush that I've been able to find that's skinny enough to get those tight spaces to actually clean my bathroom faucet from yucky mineral deposits." Ew, but also — amazing.

A colleague of mine shared that she also often uses toothbrushes she gets from the dentist for this purpose. I'm used to larger brushes, but this is truly changing my routine. What I love about the brush is also how it's long and angled, making it great for tougher spots.

Just a reminder that you never know what you might find at budget-friendly shops. Anyway, I have to go clean something now.