We have to clean our homes. There is no getting around it. Not only is it good for your health, but living in a clean house can make you feel better.
Of course, this can come at a cost as most cleaning products cost a lot of money! I’ve got some easy things you can do to save money on household cleaners.
Whether you like natural products or opt for the convenience of those you can find in the store, there are ways you can save money on everything you need to clean your house from top to bottom.
Other helpful posts:
- The One Touch Rule for Keeping Clutter Away
- How to Keep Your House Clean Enough
- 15 Habits of People Who Have a Clean Home
SAVE MONEY ON CLEANING PRODUCTS
Ditch the Glass Cleaner
There is no need to pick up a bottle of the blue window cleaner. In fact, you don’t need to use it at all. Instead, use microfiber cloths. Wet one and scrub the mirror. Then, use a dry one to wipe it dry and buff away the streaks.
While this method works in most cases, you may have times where you need a little more cleaning power. If this happens, skip the store brand and make it yourself for pennies. You’ll want to try a simple all natural window cleaner recipe to polish your mirrors and windows to a streak-free finish.
Avoid specialty products
If you look at the shelves in your local store, you will find cleaners made for stainless steel, granite, tile, wood and more. You do not need an individual product for each one. Instead, opt for a multi-purpose cleaner which can clean several surfaces (make sure yours is listed on the product to avoid damage).
Also see: Why I started using oxygen bleach to clean around the house
Use the store brands
You might have a coupon to use on that name brand product, but many times, the store brand will cost even less than it’s name brand counterpart even after you use your coupon. What most people do not realize is that store brands are usually the big name brands, just with a different label.
Take a minute and compare the ingredients. You may be surprised that you’ve been paying so much more than you needed to.
Pair coupons with sales
If you watch drugstore deals, you can usually find great deals. When you combine store coupons, with manufacturer’s coupons and special offers, you can pay little to nothing for your products. Watch Walgreens and CVS for some of the best deals.
Make your own
You can skip the store entirely and make cleaners yourself. Here are some you might want to check out:
Use Vinegar
It is amazing what this inexpensive product can do. You can make cleaning products and know that it isn’t only safe for the environment, it is safe for your family.
Scouring Cleanser: Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup of liquid detergent. Then, mix in enough vinegar to give it a creamy texture. Use it to scrub just about anything.
Clean the Dishwasher: Once a month, pour a cup of distilled vinegar into your dishwasher and run a cycle. Doing this will remove soap buildup and odors.
Shower Cleaner: Spray the shower down with full strength vinegar to remove hard water deposits and to remove grime, mildew and soap scum. Just rinse with plain water after allowing it to soak.
Germ Killer: Spray doorknobs and other items with full strength vinegar and wipe them down.
Glass Cleaner: 1 Tbs Vinegar, 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water. Mix in this proportion to make a streak-free glass cleaner that is MUCH safer than the blue stuff you buy in the store.
Stainless Steel Cleaner: Mix 1 part vinegar to one part water. Spray and wipe down your stainless steel appliances. Use little olive oil on a dry, lint-free cloth and polish until it shines.
Don’t use paper towels
Forget the paper towels. Instead, use reusable items such as microfiber cloths and washable mop covers. We even recycle our newspapers and use them to polish windows and glass. (Hint – wipe horizontally one side and vertically on the other to find any streaks that might appear).
Make your dryer softener sheets
Purchase inexpensive washcloths at places like your local Dollar Store. Soak them in your favorite fabric softener for around five minutes. Wring out the excess liquid and let them air dry.
Toss one into the dryer and reuse a few times and then repeat. It’s a simple way to remove static cling from your clothes without the added cost of dryer sheets.
Try lemon
Lemon is a natural bleaching agent. If you have white items with stains, squeeze lemon onto it, let it sit in the sun and allow mother nature work on removing the stain.
If you clean with vinegar, a little squeeze of lemon in the bottle can cut down on the heavy odor vinegar can leave behind.
