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Creatively
Frugal Cleaning
What are your favorite products and strategies for keeping
your home clean frugally?
"Plain white vinegar is a natural disinfectant.
So I use it mixed with water (1/2 & 1/2) for cleaning my
countertops, stove, breadboards, cutting boards, sinks and toilets.
The vinegar also absorbs odors and the 'vinegary' smell dissipates
quickly." ~ Suzie
"I use the book 'Clean House,
Clean Planet' by Karen Logan to make my own cleaning products.
Easy on the skin, checkbook and the environment!" ~ Dawn
"A couple of years ago, my husband and I went through some very lean
times. I had to get very creative. Most of the solutions I came up with
worked so well, I kept them! Here are some of them:
*Cleaning windows and mirrors
- Use 50% solution of white vinegar and water. Wipe with newspaper pages.
* Doing the Laundry*
- I buy the cheapest powder I can find. Some people
don't like the powder because it doesn't all dissolve, and then sticks to
your clothes. I have found that if you pour it through a sieve, the sieve
will catch all of the hard clumps that do not dissolve. When I want to use
liquid detergent, I take a cheap bar of bath soap, cut it into small pieces,
and put it in approx 2 qts of water. It takes a couple of days, but it will
dissolve into a substance that resembles pudding. I put between 1/2 and 3/4
cup into my laundry. For dryer
sheets, I buy a jug of the cheap fabric softener and pour 1tbsp onto an old
washcloth and place that in the dryer with my clothes.
*Cleaning the bathroom
- I use Comet, or the generic equivalent (as
long as it contains bleach).
*Cleaning the kitchen
- I use either Comet or baking soda to scrub the sink and the counters. I
use ammonia to clean the floors. For the table, refrigerator, and all other
jobs, I make up a weak solution of Pine Sol or bleach water.
Hope these help somebody else." ~ Cindy
"...I have an easy idea that works just great. I am
not one who enjoys cleaning my home so frugally that it is unpleasant
or difficult. For example, I don't like to clean my
house with just vinegar. I can't stand the smell and my husband is
offended also. I found that my local Dollar General store
sells a 19.6 oz. can of foaming disinfectant Bathroom Cleaner for only
$1. I purchased it 18 months ago, clean 3 bathrooms about every
2 weeks and the can is just now getting to empty. I clean the
sinks, countertops, toilets, bathtubs, built-in fixtures, and small
floor areas with it. I like the smell, it works really great
cleaning, and I don't think you can clean for much more
frugally than this! So I would offer the suggestion that
your readers just go to their local dollar store and get their
cleaning supplies there. I have found lots of products there for only
$1 or $2 that work just as well as the high priced name brands sold in
my local grocery store. You just don't have to use a smelly
alternative like vinegar to get your house clean..." ~
Dorothy
"This is not exactly a 'cleaning' tip but I have a frugal
way to freshen up any closet. I use the free samples of perfume
that come in the mail, open them up and tuck them into my coat
closet. With 3 children and a husband, the shoes, coats, and
sweatshirts are plentiful. They only last about 3 or 4 days
but there are plenty of replacements in the 'junk mail' or
department store statement. Collect them and then make sure to
use fresh ones when company is coming! " ~ Maryellen
"I find the best way to save on cleaning supplies is to
clean often, before things get very dirty. Many things, from
clothing to kitchen appliances can be cleaned with plain warm water
-- if they aren't allowed to get extremely dirty in the first place.
For the toughest of crud, I use a mixture of one part rubbing
alcohol and one part ammonia. Mix in a spray bottle, spray on
generously, let sit for a bit if possible, then wipe off. This is
strong and smells awful so use it when you can open the windows and
turn a fan on for fresh air. I first used this on a kitchen range
hood that had been
collecting grease for over 20 years, and it works like a charm. For
everyday cleaning, you can either dilute it with water or use it
very sparingly.
Baking soda is the classic for inexpensive and nature- friendly
cleaning. Sprinkle it on the damp surface and wipe off, scrubbing as
needed -- cleans coffee pots, frying pans, counter tops, sinks,
bathtubs, kitchen and bath faucets, vehicles, etc.
Many cleaning jobs can be done with ordinary dish washing liquid.
Use full strength on stains and tough jobs such as shirt collars and
whitewall tires. Use a squirt in a pan of water for easier jobs,
such as hand-washing lingerie and mopping vinyl flooring." ~
Coleen
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"We have four cats and lots of allergies so I am very careful
concerning chemical usages in my home. I have found a wonderful
product that is environmentally safe, pet safe and people safe: Shaklee's
Basic-H, a concentrated organic, non-polluting cleaner. Yes, it
is initially expensive, but I have been using a 32 oz. bottle for over
a year now and I still have 1/4th of the bottle left. You dilute it
with water for a variety of cleaning jobs. It can be used for pots and
pans, dishes, windows/mirrors, floors, woolens/ nylons/fine fabrics,
kitchen counter cleaning - the list is endless.
I have learned so much from your emails, I am glad to be able to share
something with others." ~ Ann
"I have found white vinegar and hot
water to be the best cleaning agent. I keep white vinegar in
a spray bottle in the kitchen. Spray it on whatever you want
cleaned and follow up with a cloth wrung in hot water. I clean
the bird cage this way daily. Additionally, greasy pans and
pots clean up fast if you spray them with white vinegar and then
sprinkle baking soda on top. Let that combination do its work
and then add water later and scrub." ~ Alene
"In
reference to your request for cleaning tips and tidbits, I use the
following:
Toilet : Vinegar with a drop of eucalyptus oil.
I have a bottle of vinegar with a few drops of oil I keep in my
bathroom cupboard.
Dishwasher Rinse : Vinegar
Dishwashing by hand : Pure soap – I use Sunlight
brand
Clothes rinse/softener : Vinegar
Floor Cleaner : 50ml Cloudy Ammonia, 50ml Vinegar,
120gm Bi-carbonate of Soda (baking soda) into 4 Liters of water.
I use about ˝ to 1 cup in a bucket of water.
I haven’t had any problems using the above, and the results are
good.
" ~ Kathryn
"I clean the outsides of our windows with dishsoap and
water. Squirt some dishsoap into a bucket and add water. Take a
sponge and wipe the windows down. Then take a squeegie (like you
clean the car windows with) and pull the rubber side over
the windows. They come out sparkling." ~ LK
"I have found the best way to clean windows. I have tried
everything there every was to no avail; I always ended up with
streaks. Now I just add a tablespoon of corn starch to a
gallon of water. I apply to the window with a white rag
and dry with a paper towel. No streaks! Of course
I have learned to change the rag and water as soon as soiled.
Works really good for me." ~ Jean
"I love microfiber clothes which require only water,
no chemicals at all, to scrub effectively.
After use I just toss in the next load of laundry.
I do use baking soda, vinegar and ammonia (not
mixed) in assorted applications.
A good feather duster is a must.
Airing the place out, even just one room at a time
in winter, is most refreshing." ~ Anna Marie
"I have not bought window
cleaner in years, I make my own! I keep refilling a
spray bottle of a store-bought cleaner! Here's how:
mix 4 ounces of non-sudsing ammonia with 4 ounces of rubbing
alcohol into a spray bottle. Then add 12 ounces of tap
water and then for kicks, add one or two drops of blue food
coloring! No one will ever know that it is home made
and by re-using a Brand bottle, it won't get confused for
anything else under the cabinet." ~ Maryellen
Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share
his or her ideas!
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