well, you know me--I always come up w/ a "make it yourself out of wood" solution for situations like these.

Know a reasonably decent carpenter? Have him make you a tall open-topped box on wheels. The best solution would be two big wheels on one side, and legs on the other, so you can tip is slightly when you pull it behind you..

It should have sides tall enough that all those long-handled tools won't stick out at an angle too much (also, the narrower it is, the less likely the brooms will stick out at a weird angle and whack you in the head). You want the tall items to stick almost straight up (install skinny PVC pipes to slide them into, maybe?).

You can put two big cup hooks on the outside to hang the dustpan and whisk broom on, and then you can grab those easily when the cart is in the closet. You can also put hooks on the INSIDE for something like the short lambswool duster; that'll keep it in one place.

If you wanted to, you could find one of those caddies that you like to hold the microfiber cloth, and other small items, and size the cars so that the caddy will sit down into the top. And leave a little slot to one side to hold the brooms, etc. (don't let that broom-holding area get too big). Stuff could sit under the caddy, too.

Or if you could get creative, have him make the cart w/ a small broom compartment on one side, and shelves on the other (have him put a lip on the front of the shelf to hold stuff from falling off, and be sure the wheels go on the OTHER side).

Or, find a car that doesn't have the broom storage you want, and simply attach PVC pipe to one end (put a cap on the bottom of each length of pipe.

In the new house I will have a corner I left open in the Laundry Room to put a cleaning cart.

Compliments on your foresight! I wish I had room for a cart. I think one of the garden carts might work well for you. Is there a local place you could actually go see them, rather than ordering online? Maybe even bring in your arsenal of tall things and try them out, to see if the cart would work the way you think it would.

Some days I wish I had a whole utility closet, that could hold all sorts of supplies neatly. Cleaning, wrapping, glue, small tool kit, and the cart would wheel in there nicely too ...

talley sue: Yes, I always appreciate your ideas. DH has good woodworking skills and is willing to build anything I design, including furniture. So am I ever the lucky one! I'm working from your design.

minet: Here in this big city I have not found a garden cart. I will look again at the big, ritzy neighborhoods' nurseries who are more likely to have that. They do get more fancy items in during the fall for Christmas giving. It's a drive, but you're right--I need to see them in person. I might not--probably won't-- find exactly what I want, but I can steal their best ideas and adapt them for DH to build mine or modify it. (And yes, I've waited a lifetime to build a house with what I truly need in it. I value my storage areas far more than the "pretty" things that seem so important to everyone else. I gave up all that; I sure hope I chose well.)

My biggest stumper is still this: how do I keep my lightweight stick-vac from falling down without leaning it against the walls or furniture? Can't figure out how the cart would handle that. Any ideas?

pinktoes, i thought of you when I was in a store this weekend that had an umbrella stand--I looked at it, and thought of your brooms, etc., in it. And I had visions of them sticking out an annoying angles bcs the umbrella stand was both too short and too wide.

I think you definitely want to experiment w/ some trash cans, umbrella stands, etc., bcs you also don't want it to be too annoying to lift them out--too tall would be a pain.

Hmmmmm, visualize a golf bag on a cart......that would take care of the brooms, mops, etc. Now for a place to put rags, bottles, and stuff.... Rolls around really well, not too big......hmmmmmmmm.

Barbara

talleysue: you're exactly right about lifting them out; I'm no giant. And I own one of those pretty, sub-functioning umbrella stands that lets everything flop about like a wide mouthed vase with only a few stems in it.

bsofford: yes, and it needs dividers, I think. I don't golf; I thought all the clubs just banged around in there together.

I'm letting my mind chew on input now. The "take it all in" phase of the creative process. I'm no artist, so I must work in the medium of arranging my cleaning tools and the like...

Most golf bags have at least two dividers across the top to keep the clubs from banging around inside.

Barbara

ooh, the golf bag! Certainly that *idea,* even if a golf bag itself doesn't work.

I wonder if you could get a golf-bag frame, and have DH make you a box, w/ shelves on the outside of it?

The handle itself might stick out too far.

also, golf bags are mounted in the frame at an angle, not up and down--they don't tilt to roll.

But that's a great inspiration.

How about this: Make a cart like talley sue suggested, but instead of a tall box with four sides, have a tall box with only three sides, set onto a tray base with a 4-inch lip all the way around. The back of the box will have one of those spring-loaded clip hangers for the various brooms/mops: they will stay upright and you can just snap them in and out as needed. You can add a hanger for the stick vac and for dusters, as well, and nail or screw on a small towel bar or spring-clamp to hold rags. And then the rest of the tray bottom could be used to hold a bucket or bottles of cleaner.

amandan: I can see this. The "box" is open on the back, I think. I was in the garage this morning and spied our hand truck (the dolley used for moving things. I thought about how sturdy it is, heavy metal. And I realized that it would support the weight of my stick-vac when I'm using it and just temporarily prop it up against the cart. Especially once I add a fairly heavy wooden box to it.

The hand truck has a metal foot that I think protrudes enough to support the wooden box on. I have to think the design through before I mention it to DH. Things usually go more smoothly that way.

Lots of good ideas here. Have you checked into getting an apron for one of those plastic containers on wheels? Just an idea to play around with while you develop the concept. I like amandan's idea of a three sided box that tilts to roll with clips to hold mops and a "floor space" to place a bucket.

http://www.janilink.com/catalognew/product_info.php?products_id=115&osCsid=18c866576d80f67155d180e81d32d7ca

Here is a link that might be useful: Caddy Apron for Mop Container

bud_wi: wow! thanks. It's like the bucket pals I've bought for gardener friends. Also, that site has some janitor's carts I hadn't seen elsewhere, so I bookmarked it to mine for ideas. The link is below if anyone's curious.

The other thing I'm mulling over is how to protect my walls from dings and marks while I'm moving around the room with a broom or mop and need a place to lean it temporarily (without walking back over to my new cart, once I have it). I realize I need little cushioned tophats for my brooms and mops. Well, I know that just sounds insane so I won't say anymore about it. Except that I'm looking at kids socks to rubberband around my handle tops. Golf club head covers are just too big. I also need to be able to cut holes in the covers. I hang my tools and they have leather shoelaces threaded through a hole DH drills in the top.

I am starting to sound a little goofy. It's good to have a place where I can get problem-solving help without having to see everyone's big laughing faces! Thanks, all!

Here is a link that might be useful: janitor's carts

I thought you had said you did not like those janitor carts. It would have been the first thing I would have suggested. We use those in restaurants. They are lightweight and hold just about everything. You can whip around a big dining room and clean as you go doing everything in one area at a time rather than running around doing mirrors and then running around to go grab the grease cleaner and then....... Being plastic they are easy to keep clean and don't make any noise or leave marks or damage, if they bang into furniture or walls. You can hang tools and brooms from the notches on the side.

As longtime posters here already know, I often suggest going to a restaurant supply house to find useful or oddball items not sold in stores as a solution to a household dilemma.

Regarding broom handles leaving marks on your walls, just spray the ends with some clear poly coat and they won't leave paint marks anymore. This solution won't be as bulky as the other options you suggested. You could also coat them with liquid latex but that is much more expensive.

Another suggestion to consider; Instead of drilling holes through the broom handles and using a leather shoelace loop to hang them, just drill a hole in the top and screw in a *screw hook*. You can then hang them by using only one hand without fumbling with the shoelace to get it over a nail or hook on the wall or what ever you hang them on. Its the 'little things' like that, that make housework less frustrating. I put screw hooks in all my brooms and dusters and hang them for storeage.

You can even get them vinyl coated if you are worried about the screw hooks leaving marks on you walls. Or spray then with clear coat.

If you don't like the pointy part of the hook exposed so much take a pliers and squeeze it shut. They also sell ones that are already closed but I don't know what they are called. They look like an *O* on a stick with threaded screw tip. The are harder to find in the stores.

http://www.larsonhardware.com/prod/screw-hook-round-ceiling.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Example of Screw Hook

here's an interesting cart--not TOO utilitarian.

More center space for tall tools than you probably need, but pockets along two sides for smaller stuff.

You could maybe even set stuff on the upper and lower grids, like a shelf, in the areas where the brooms are not.

talleysue: thanks, I printed it out. I ordered a really inexpensive one someone steered me toward, but it's not here yet. Can't believe it'll hold up for the $11. or $12. but it's something to study. I like the one you linked me to and it looks very sturdy.

Looks like this will take awhile to work out. I have time, though. It's really for use in the new house and we haven't even broken ground yet!

I'm glad you saw this one--I got really excited about it for you. It just looks so compartmentalized.

and that grid is just like the sword storage I'm inventing for DS. (though watch--I'd try to put a little lip around the edge of the grid--I can't leave well-enough alone)