1.
cleaning tools; cleaning supplies
Equipment and implements used for cleaning, such as brooms, mops, dustpans, and buckets.
掃除用具をしまう。
To put away the cleaning tools.
掃除用具は廊下のロッカーに入れてある。
The cleaning supplies are in the hallway locker.
学校では生徒が自分たちで掃除用具を使って教室を掃除する。
At school, students use cleaning tools to clean the classroom themselves.
A compound of 掃除 (cleaning) + 用具 (tools/equipment). In Japanese schools, students are responsible for daily classroom cleaning, so 掃除用具 and the 掃除用具入れ (cleaning supply cabinet) are familiar fixtures.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 掃除用具入れ: cleaning supply cabinet
- 掃除用具を揃える: to gather cleaning supplies
- 掃除用具を片付ける: to tidy up the cleaning tools
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 清掃用品: cleaning products — slightly more formal and broader, including chemical cleaners
- 掃除道具: cleaning tools — a near-synonym using 道具 instead of 用具; both are interchangeable in everyday use