Even though prices continue to go up, I have felt like I am always spending more money than I should be on cleaners for the house. The kitchen is the one place that I am always cleaning because it is the most used room in the house! Couponing has allowed me to spend less money on the cleaners, but I started looking for even more ways to save money, along with getting some of the chemicals out of our home (which I never thought much about until I had young ones in the house, it’s amazing how young kids can change your perception!)
Glass Stove Tops
By accident and experimentation I found a great use for that leftover Baking Soda from the fridge. Glass Stove Top cleaners are Expensive!, and you don’t see coupons for specialty cleaners often.
Making your homemade stove top cleaner is as easy as adding water to that left over baking soda (instead of throwing it out!) and create a paste with it. Spread it out on the stove top with the back of the spoon and let it sit for about 5-10 mins, or longer if you have some burnt on items that have been there awhile. Take a washcloth and start scrubbing away, then just rinse and continue to wash it off to get it all clean. The first time I did this on our stove top I got stains off that the commercial cleaners couldn’t get off, and some of the stains were on the stove when we moved in the house!
I have also done this in the oven recently instead of using the oven cleaner sprays and it works in the oven too!
Stainless Steel Appliances
Who doesn’t like those nice stainless steel appliances? Who had second thoughts about a month after they got them and had kid hand prints (and your own) to clean off of them everyday? I am one of those that love the look, but again the stainless steel cleaners can be expensive, and just one more thing that I have to buy.
A great (and cheap) way to clean that stainless steel? Get a nice soft microfiber towel and get about 1/4 of one corner wet. Use a little elbow grease and wipe your stainless steel appliances with the wet corner making sure to follow the grain of the stainless steel. Then use the dry side to dry it off, also following the grain of the stainless steel.
Dishwasher
Couponing has allowed me to get dish washing detergents a lot cheaper, and even free sometimes. However, I’m always looking for ways to save more money and still get the same results. How about a homemade dish washing detergent? Reader Amy shared her recipe with us, you can read the rest of her blog post with some additional tips on this and possible changes to work with your particular water, but below is the basic recipe.
1 Bar Castile Soap Grated (the finer the better)
2 Cups Washing Soda
1/2 Kosher Salt
3 T Citric Acid
Mix all of the above together and store in an airtight container. Start with about 1/2 Tablespoon of the mix in your dishwasher and adjust as needed to get the best results with your dishwasher and water.
And want to save on that JetDry? Add a little vinegar to your JetDry dispenser for a streak free shine.
Do you use any non-cleaner items to keep your kitchen clean?