Clean the Supermarket Item Categories — All Departments

Department Overview

Clean the Supermarket! divides its 1,000+ products into distinct supermarket departments, each mapped to specific aisles on the store map. Knowing category boundaries prevents the most common sorting mistake: placing a product in the visually closest aisle rather than its true home. This guide lists every major category with representative examples and cross-links to aisle numbers.

All Item Categories

Category	Example Products	Sorting Notes
Produce	Apples, bananas, lettuce, tomatoes	Fresh items; often near store entrance
Dairy	Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter	Refrigerated section; check label sizes
Bakery	Bread, bagels, croissants, muffins	Distinct packaging from snacks aisle
Snacks	Chips, crackers, cookies, candy	Many similar SKUs—read flavor text
Beverages	Soda, juice, water, energy drinks	Watch bottle vs can variants
Hygiene	Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant	Personal care, not household cleaners
Household	Detergent, sponges, trash bags, bleach	Cleaning supplies separate from hygiene
Frozen	Ice cream, frozen pizza, frozen vegetables	Freezer aisle; cold-zone routing
Canned Goods	Soup, beans, tuna, canned vegetables	Metal cans grouped by type
General Merchandise	Batteries, light bulbs, pet food, misc.	Catch-all for non-grocery items

Produce and Dairy

Produce items are typically the first department new players encounter. Fruits and vegetables have distinctive 3D models, making them easier to identify than boxed goods. Dairy sits in refrigerated aisles—milk cartons, cheese blocks, and yogurt cups share similar white packaging, so check the product name before placing. Batch carry produce and dairy separately; mixing them in your stack wastes time when you reach the wrong temperature zone.

Bakery, Snacks, and Beverages

These three categories cause the most confusion because packaging overlaps visually. Bakery bread loaves must not land in the snacks aisle with crackers. Beverage bottles look similar across soda, juice, and water lines—read the label text on the product model. The Item Lookup tool filters by department when you cannot tell at a glance. For speed techniques, read How to Sort Faster.

Hygiene vs Household

Personal hygiene products (soap, shampoo, toothpaste) belong in the hygiene aisle, while cleaning supplies (detergent, bleach, sponges) go to household. Both use bottle-shaped models in similar colors. The department label on the product UI—visible when you pick up an item—settles most disputes. If two players disagree in multiplayer, check the lookup tool rather than guessing.

Frozen and Canned Goods

Frozen items require walking to the freezer section, often the farthest zone from the entrance. Plan frozen runs after upgrading movement speed—see Upgrade Order. Canned goods stack in pantry-style aisles with metal cylinder models. Soup cans and vegetable cans look alike; flavor and brand text on the label is the differentiator.

General Merchandise

The general merchandise category catches batteries, pet supplies, light bulbs, and other non-food items that do not fit standard grocery departments. These appear less frequently in early game but become more common as aisles stretch in the stretching shelf endgame. Do not default to general merchandise when unsure—search the lookup tool first.

Category-Based Routing Strategy

Efficient players sort one category per trip rather than chasing individual items across the store. Start at the messiest department, collect all loose products of that type, and make a single delivery run to the correct aisle. This batch approach scales especially well when carry capacity upgrades let you hold four or more items. Pair category routing with the Departments map guide and the Getting Started walkthrough for your first organized cleanup session.