One of the main benefits of a small space is that there’s less to clean and maintain. On the flip side, even the slightest mess is highly visible. Having the right tools makes dealing with messes, laundry day, and home improvement projects that much easier.

Wall-mounted drying rack

If you don’t have space to store a compact folding rack, a wall-mounted option can fit most of a small load of laundry. We like the Polder Wall-Mount 24-Inch Accordion Drying Rack, which takes up almost no space when folded but gives you 12¼ feet of drying space when expanded. If you get clever with your drying configurations and use some hangers on the sides, you can fit a full load of wet laundry on it. There’s a 22-pound weight limit, but we were able to load it past that without it showing signs of distress. The Polder also comes with all the hardware you need to install it, including drywall anchors.

We like the Polder’s plastic-over-steel design more than all-steel designs, such as that of the Aero-W, because it’s much more affordable—the Polder costs about a third of the price. If you have a larger household and could use the extra line space and weight capacity, an all-metal version is worth looking into.

Laundry clips

For delicates and smaller items, we like the Ipow Laundry Clips. Available in a 12-pack, they fit over a shower rod and are ideal for hanging delicates and baby clothes, or for stringing towels or jeans between a pair. They’re more versatile than clips mounted together on a single hanger—they can accommodate even larger items like sheets or towels. We found the Ipow clips easier to use and even more convenient than our former pick, the Whitmor Clip and Drip Add-On Hangers.

Vacuum-sealing storage bags

Vacuum bags can compress bulky jackets and bedding to a fraction of their size. After researching 18 and testing three, we decided that the SpaceSaver Vacuum Storage Bags are the best available. They shrank better than the rest, did so faster, and held their seal longer. The jumbo bags we tested (30 by 40 inches) could comfortably hold a queen-size comforter or a few pillows. When filled with fluffy bedding, pillows, and clothes, the SpaceSaver bags compressed by just over 60 percent, which was more than others we tried, but not quite living up to the advertised 75 to 80 percent compression. Wirecutter senior staff writer Jackie Reeve used these bags for a cross-country move, and though they worked relatively well, some of the bags lost their seal. She recommends storing your compressed bags in a plastic bin; almost all vacuum bags will eventually lose their seal, and this can help items stay compressed longer.

Storage bins

The Iris Weathertight Totes are the best way to store seasonal clothes, winter gear, camping stuff, or whatever else might need to get tucked away in a closet. They’re available in more sizes (12) than any other bins we’ve tested, and they come in options shallow enough to fit under a bed, if that’s what you need. They seal tightly with a foam gasket in the lid and four to six latches around the edge (most bins include two). The Iris bins’ straight sides also make them easier to fill than those with sloped walls. You can buy these totes in lots of different stores, too.

Step stool

Our pick Xtend + Climb SL2Hlight Slim, sleek, and sturdy This well-designed step stool can safely hold up to 225 pounds. It looks great if you need to store it in plain sight, and it comes at a better price than other ladders. Buying Options $54 * from Amazon *At the time of publishing, the price was $60 .

The Xtend + Climb SL2Hlight step ladder combines function, safety, and style better than any other one we found. With a slimmer size than our normal top-pick step stool, the SL2Hlight is small enough to fit in most closets, but it looks good enough that you could store it in the open if need be.

The SL2Hlight can safely hold up to 225 pounds, and the top step is 20 inches high. It opens and closes easily and has a safety bar, which is handy for carrying it around or bracing yourself while on the top step. In testing, we found that it has a solid feel with no loose or wobbly parts—unlike another stool we tried, the Hailo Mini Comfort, which lacked a safety bar and had slightly wobbly treads. The SL2Hlight also has nonslip rubber feet. For storage, it folds down to a thin 2 inches thick—perfect for hanging on the back of a door or sliding between the fridge and the wall. If you’re looking for something more utilitarian, we recommend the Gorilla 2-Step Aluminum Step Stool Ladder.

Cordless vacuum

With less floor area to vacuum in a small apartment, you can get away with using a cordless vacuum without worrying it will run out of battery. The Dyson V7 Motorhead has as much cleaning power as a great plug-in. Cordless vacs are also a wonderful fit for small apartments because they don’t get hung up on corners, as plug-in vacuums can, and they take up less storage space. After 125 hours of researching and testing cordless vacuums, we’ve found no other models that come close to matching the cleaning performance of the V7. It will pick up dust and pet hair that you didn’t know was hiding in your carpets, and it will work faster on bare floors than competitors can. It converts into a hand vac, as well. The V7 also comes with a wall-mountable charging dock that lets you take advantage of vertical storage. It’s expensive, but it’s built to thrive in a small space.

Robot vacuum

If you have furry pets or live in a bigger city with air pollution, the iRobot Roomba 614 is essential maintenance, constantly working in the background to reduce day-to-day dust and pet hair. It’s relatively unobtrusive, and has a durable, repairable design that will last for years in the right hands. The Roomba 675 has the same cleaning capacity, and is also Wi-Fi enabled, so it can be controlled from an app or with Alexa voice commands. Apartments are the ideal environment for a robot vacuum since their single-story layouts and small areas are easy to navigate, but even so, some robot vacs we tested needed constant monitoring to keep them on track. These iRobot Roombas have fewer issues getting stuck or quitting cleaning mid-session, so you’ll spend less time untangling and monitoring it and more time enjoying a clean home.

Toolkit

We like the Anvil Homeowner’s Tool Set, which has everything you need for minor home repairs and fits in a compact box that you can tuck away in a closet. In our review of toolkits, we found that the Anvil set provided the necessary items without any useless filler inflating the tool count—and the price—which was a common flaw we saw in competitors’ kits. Beyond a hammer, tape measure, utility knife, screwdriver, and hex wrenches—as well as adequate versions of other tools we consider essential—the Anvil kit also had one of the best adjustable wrenches we found in any kit.

Also great MegaPro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Driver 211R2C36RD Screwdriver upgrade This manual screwdriver combines smooth ratcheting action with excellent bit storage and a uniquely comfortable handle to make it the most well-rounded, capable tool of its kind. Buying Options $25 * from Amazon *At the time of publishing, the price was $27 .

Since the screwdriver is the most-often-used tool in a kit, we recommend upgrading to the MegaPro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Driver 211R2C36RD or the rebranded (but otherwise identical) Channellock 131-CB 13-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver, both of which we reviewed in our best screwdriver guide. We also think anyone would benefit from the über-tiny Stanley PowerLock 33-115 Pocket Tape Measure. It’s a mini version of our pick for the best tape measure, and its diminutive size makes it a great kitchen-drawer tool. It can measure up to 10 feet, and the blade is coated in a durable Mylar polymer that withstands wear and tear. It’s also small enough to fit in a pocket, so it’s a good grab-and-go item for when you’re shopping for furniture.