Stylist Secrets | Elsie's Home Survival Kit

Of course you're going to have a closet full of bathroom cleaner, furniture polish, and refills for your swiffer.  But we think every girl (or boy) should have a kit in the linen closet with all the basics necessary to keep the house looking pretty or to make a small repair on the fly.    We've put in the time, done all the research, made all the mistakes, and have gathered the MVPs of  household upkeep right here.  

We think this canvas tote is the perfect size to hold and organize all your tools and tricks.  

Murphy's Oil Soap for cleaning wood 

BriWax for neutralizing scratches or dings in your furniture

A spray bottle with a really nice all purpose cleaner made of 50% vinegar, 50% water and 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil (we like this one)   and a spray bottle with witch hazel (for smoothing wrinkles in linens)

E-cloths.  These microfiber cloths are great for dusting, kitchen countertops,  glass and mirrors, any kind of surface that needs a streak free clean.  They're amazing, and a great substitute for paper towels.  

Magic Eraser Sheets for cleaning marks on floors, baseboards, marker marks on walls, that sort of thing.  

Walrus Oil for keeping your cutting boards, salad bowls and other wood kitchen products nice and fresh.  

A bottle of soda water and a small jar of salt for lifting stains in a hurry. Read this tip that we've used for years.  Works every time.  

A Leatherman Wingman  has wire snips, screwdrivers, a ruler, little scissors, a box cutter, pliers, and several other tools all in one compact folding tool.  

A Stubby Claw Hammer for small hanging projects or repairs.  You're not going to build a house with this hammer, but it will come in mighty handy around the house.  

Wood shims for leveling furniture

This little tape measure/level combo.  

Our favorite picture hanging kit

Some really nice garden shears

Some really nice scissors

Natural Beeswax for fixing sticky drawers or sliding doors

Museum Putty for securing fragile things in place on your shelves, or adding to corners of art to keep it straight.  

Painter's tape for marking walls (it won't take your paint off).  And if you have to move your dining table for whatever reason, hang a few strips of painter's tape from your chandelier so you won't walk into it.