The key is to be realistic about how fast you’ll actually use something. “A lower price per ounce won’t save you money if half of the product sits in your cabinet until it loses effectiveness,” Zapata says.
Here are five products Zapata recommends buying at Costco, plus one you may want to put back on the shelf.
Microfiber Towels
At the top of Zapata’s Costco shopping list? Microfiber towels, her No. 1 recommendation for buying in bulk. “I go through them constantly when cleaning,” she says. Zapata avoids using the same towel throughout an entire house, and a big pack makes it easy to grab a fresh one between wiping the bathroom baseboards and dusting the nursery shelves.
“Microfiber towels are reusable, they work for so many different surfaces, and buying a large pack means you’re less likely to reuse one that really should already be in the laundry,” she says.
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Dawn Dish Soap
Dawn isn’t just for washing dishes. The kitchen sink staple cuts through grease and everyday grime buildup, and Zapata puts it to work on sinks, tubs, and even countertops. Its versatility makes it a smart bulk buy, and since a little goes a long way, you’ll be stocked for months to come.
There’s one catch: “You have to remember that it is soap,” Zapata says. “So if you’re using it on something like a countertop, you don’t want to scrub the surface and then just walk away. You need to rinse that soap off or you can leave residue behind.”
Sponges
Stocking up on sponges — whether Scotch-Brite, Scrub Daddy, or both — allows you to assign them to specific areas. “I think people underestimate how helpful it is to have designated sponges for different areas of the home,” Zapata says. “The sponge you use to clean your bathroom sink should not be the same sponge you use in your kitchen sink.”
Her setup includes one sponge for the tub or shower, another for the bathroom sink, one for the kitchen sink, another for the countertops, and one dedicated to messier jobs like cleaning the oven.
Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner With Bleach
You can’t beat the versatility of Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner With Bleach, especially when Costco conveniently sells it with a full spray bottle and a large refill. “If one product can safely handle the sink, tub, shower, outside of the toilet, and inside of the toilet bowl, you don’t need a separate cleaner for every single one of those areas or even a dedicated toilet bowl cleaner,” Zapata says.
Two cautions apply: Be mindful of delicate surfaces (do not use it on any type of stone) and follow the label’s instructions. Since it contains bleach, never mix it with vinegar, ammonia, or other cleaning products.
Paper Towels
Always running out of paper towels? If you have storage space, buying them in bulk is an easy solution. Even with a microfiber-heavy routine, Zapata keeps paper towels around for jobs that depend on disposability, like cleaning the toilet or wiping up heavy oven grease.
What Not To Buy at Costco: Liquid Bleach
Unless you blow through bottles of bleach regularly, put Costco’s multipack back on the shelf. “A lot of people don’t realize that bleach expires and does not stay at full strength forever,” Zapata says. “It gradually breaks down over time, so eventually it can become too weak for disinfecting or sanitizing the way the product label originally intended.”
