Cleaning products are often so unattractive that they seem un-designed, as if the only thought given to their form involved slapping a new sticker onto the same old unconsidered plastic piece that's been in production since 1982. There are exceptions, however, and these high-quality tools stand out for being well thought out and beautiful to behold.
- Dustpan and Broom: Manufactured at a small factory in Gnosjo, Sweden, this metal dustpan is a gorgeous shade of fire engine red. The handheld broom that comes with it was handmade by the Iris Group, a Swedish organization that employs visually impaired people. The set is available at the Cooper Hewitt Gift Shop for $52.
- TubTrugs: Designed for gardeners, these plastic buckets are hard-working pieces that are also great for laundry, organizing, or recycling. They come various colors, sizes, and prices, and they're lightweight and flexible but remarkably strong.
- Modern Brooms: Designed by Stefano Giovannoni for Magis, the candy-colored bristles make these brooms unique. They're currently on sale at Nova 68 for $69.
- Vipp Pedal Bin: Vipp's pedal trash bins are handmade in Denmark. The company has a record of high-quality manufacturing that dates back to their founding in 1939. Prices are steep, but their products are built to last many, many years. You can find Vipp pedal bins at the Conran Shop for $250.
- Vipp Toilet Brush: We believe in spending a little more for something that will last, but $200 for a toilet brush seems pretty ridiculous. However, if we were ever to rethink the toilet brush as an investment piece, we'd probably put our money on Vipp's smart engineering and high-quality materials. DWR advertises this as "The last toilet brush you’ll ever buy." For that price, it better be.
- Iris Hantverk Table Brush: Iris Hantverk is a Swedish company that crafts cleaning tools from natural materials like wood and horsehair. This table brush is a sort of mini broom and dustpan used for sweeping crumbs from a tabletop. It's currently on sale at Design Within Reach for $35.
- Muji Broom: Japanese retailer Muji is a really good resource for well-designed, affordable cleaning supplies. This is their hand broom ($6.95), but you can find equally attractive dustbins, mops, trash cans, and recycling bins in their online store.
- Muji Lint Roller: Our problem with lint rollers is the fact that thy get so sticky and disgusting when they're sitting in a drawer. This $7 roller from Muji solves the dilemma by providing a sleek plastic sheath to protect the roller while it's not being used.
- Caldrea Ostrich Brush: We've found Ostrich feather dusters to be the best at attracting, holding, and shaking out dirt. This one from Caldrea is a really beautiful design with white feathers and a pear wood handle, priced at $60.
- Top Waste Management System: Available from Vessel for $99 per bin, this system is color coded to simplify the sorting process for recyclables. Bins can be mounted to the wall or locked together in a line.
Add your favorite easy-on-the-eyes cleaning tools in the comments below.
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Those brooms are expensive, but they NEVER die. We have one that my husband purchased several years ago (before I met him in 2005) and it is as good as new. Most brooms will breakdown if you lean the broom against the wall with the bristles resting on the floor -- usually the bristles bend or fall off. The bristles on the broom are incredibly tough.
It's a lot of money for a broom, but it's a very well designed, long-lasting tool.
I am a total sucker for well designed materials and packaging. I so wish I could justify the cost of the Vipp trash can and toilet brush; maybe in a few years.
Beautiful cleaning supplies are under rated. I searched for ever for a brown attractive garbage can to match the decor of my home. I ended up with one I loved from simple human.
Love the red dustpan, but leaving out the Loder series by IKEA was a giant mistake in my opinion, particularly since the broom/dustpan combo is less than $10.
I've been using them since they came out and they work great and are attractive and non-obtrusive enough that I normally just leave them in the hallway next to the coat tree. There's no reason to spend big bucks on utilitarian objects when IKEA and Muji are both manufacturing quality design for so much less.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30181476
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60175582
Who wants a toilet brush that lasts forever? I want one I can sterilize, not cast in bronze.
i specifically looked for an attractive broom for my kitchen (i have no storage space and knew it'd be out in the open) and ended up with the casabella bamboo & aluminum one. and it looks great! still hunting for the perfect dustpan. i want a grey or black metal one, but it needs to have a straight lip - they cheap ones from the hardware stores look nice, but they tend to get bent out of shape easily and makes them pretty useless.
I love that pretty red dustpan. Metal dustpans function better than plastic ones because they can be made thinner (therefore picking up more dirt). My mom has been using the same old yellow dustpan for as long as I can remember and she refuses to part with it. It's pretty beat up looking, but works great.
These ARE all so beautiful.