If motivation is all you need to start your spring cleaning, this do-it-yourself caddy is so cute and functional that you’ll want to use it right away!

It may be made from a simple wooden wine crate, but it is equipped with so many extras that it will let you carry (in the most organized way) everything you need to make each room sparkle. When not in use, it can be stored in a lower cabinet and it will keep all your cleaning products in one place.

I actually made two “models”:

The “basic model” has four swivel casters, a steel handle, and an internal wooden “pocket” to store smaller items such as sponges, brushes etc.

The “supercharged model” has all the above plus some additional features on the back side: an exterior hook to hang gloves or a dust cloth and a kitchen paper towel holder:

Take a closer look at everything that makes these cleaning caddies so cute and functional:

1. Ergonomic size and shape

Crates make perfect storage containers; Because of their rectangular shape, they allow for more straight-sided containers to be placed side by side, thus maximizing the storage space inside a cupboard. Their boxy interior keeps all containers, bottles, canisters and sprays in a straight position, neatly organized. Crates also have tall sides, so the items inside will not fall out of the caddy when moving it around. In addition to all that, they are made from wood which is a nice and durable material, good-looking and eco-friendly!

2. A holder for the kitchen paper roll!

The paper roll holder is attached on the external side of the caddy to leave room for more cleaning products in the interior. It is strategically placed, not on the side of the crate, but on the back, opposite from the handle, so that when the caddy is stored in a lower cabinet it does not take away storage space from the front of the cabinet – which is the only reachable part of a cabinet. After all, this kitchen paper roll is needed only when the crate is in use around the house.

The kitchen paper holder is made from plumbing materials, very easy to assemble. You will find instructions further down.

3. A designated space for smaller items

The cutest addition of this cleaning caddy is the inside wooden pocket that is placed high enough to provide easy access and convenient storage for the smaller items that we often lose. As you’ll see on the instructions, it is the easiest part to assemble.

Because of its openings on the bottom and the sides, a damp brush or sponge or a soap can dry nicely, when stored there. It’s also where I would keep an old toothbrush that I often use for detailed cleaning.

4. A hook!

Another convenient feature of this caddy is the external hook. It’s such a handy spot to hang a dust cloth, gloves or maybe a longer brush, plus it doesn’t take away any space as it is placed outside of the caddy, next to the kitchen paper roll. It’s also a good place to hang a wet item that needs to dry while in storage, such as a sponge cloth.

5. And a handle!

I will not lie. I initially added the handle only to make my caddy look prettier, and it surely does! But this heavy-use steel handle is more than nice looking. It actually helps when pulling out the caddy from the under-the-sink cabinet where it is stored.

6. Swivel Casters

This is the most functional accessory of this cleaning caddy; Most of my cleaning supplies were kept in the under-the-kitchen-sink cabinet. The cleaning products that were in the back were always out of reach and the lack of light in the cabinet made it difficult to see what I had. Now, the caddy rolls out of the cabinet and I have easy access to what I need.

In addition, when this cleaning caddy is in use around the house, it is a lot easier to push it than carrying it, as we do with traditional caddies, which, by the way, are heavy when they’re loaded with all the cleaning products.

Here, the swivel casters in action!

I made two cleaning caddies ~ one that will be stored in the kitchen, under the sink to serve the kitchen, the family room, living room and dining room. The other one will be stored in the master bathroom to serve the bedrooms.

How-to

I’m so excited to show you how they’re made. Are you ready to roll?

Both my caddies are simple wood wine crates. You can find them for free at the liquor stores, or sometimes you will be asked to pay a small premium for them, as they’re quite popular. You can also buy brand new ones at the craft store.

The crates I found came with a cord handle which I removed and replaced with a heavy-use steel chest handle. I covered the old holes with the new handle and a little wood filler. To attach a handle on the crate, simply drill holes and use flat end machine screws and nuts to keep the handle in place. The two top machine screws need to be longer than the bottom ones, you will see why in just a minute.

Next, attach the inside pocket which is actually a $1 wooden small crate from the craft store.

To attach it inside the large crate, insert the longer machine screws through the top opening of the small crate and secure with the nuts. These machine screws need to be longer as they extend further out to hold the small crate.

To place the swivel casters, simply drill holes and and secure in place with machine screws and nuts. The machine screws need to be just the right length, not too long, to allow the swivel casters to move around.

Here is what it looks from the inside.

To make the kitchen paper holder, I used the following parts, found at the plumbing section of the hardware store: * 1/2″ Floor Flange * 1/2″ 90º Elbow * 1/2″ x 8″ Nipple * 1/2″ x 1½” Nipple.