I save money a number of different ways by keeping a clean house. This may seem like "too much work" to some people or you may say it "takes too long", however I have not found that to be the case. True, I am a SAHM, but I do have other activities that keep me busy throughout the day, such as running a farm, and being a home schooling teaching mom.
I find that I can clean our home in about 45 minutes a day. My children also take part in cleaning; as each is responsible for their own room and bathroom. They share laundry and kitchen chores.
We don't buy fancy cleaners or air fresheners. We do a lot of our cleaning with lemon juice and salt, vinegar, baking soda, some bleach, and soap and water.
For an air freshener, we usually burn a candle or use a match. I will go through the typical home, room by room, and point out the ways that keeping it clean is saving us money.
Weekly (or more often if we use the fireplace), I wipe down the light bulbs with a damp rag, while the light bulbs are cold. Dusty lights do not put out as much light, which makes a person unnecessarily use a higher watt bulb, or turn on more lights than necessary. I also clean the globes on the ceiling light fixtures every month or more often. It only takes a couple of minutes for nice bright results.
I hit the windows once a week on the inside with a vinegar and water solution. The outside I get about once a month. I do have newer windows and I can get the outside from the inside. This allows more light into the house, keeping the lights off.
I wipe down the TV screen and electronics every few days. This keeps dirt and dust from collecting on them and making them last longer.
Once a day, I take a rag damp with vinegar water or bleach water (diluted) and wipe surfaces down to help prevent the passing on of germs. These surfaces include the remote controls, telephones, door and cabinet knobs. It only takes me about 5 minutes to do the entire house.
I don't like clutter in the house. I have been in houses where it is cold, and I see that they have boxes and stuff stacked up over the heat registers. I make sure ours are uncovered while the A/C or heat are on. I also make sure that clutter or shoes do not block doorways. This ensures that doors can be completely shut. I keep our closet doors closed so that we are not paying to heat or cool the inside of the closet.
Twice a year, I rotate and flip the mattresses and then vacuum them. This extends the life of the mattress. If you have a larger/heavier person in your home, you would probably want to flip and rotate them more often.
I wash the curtains every few months and rehang them in the opposite window. This allows them to sun fade more evenly and be replaced less often. I just throw them in with the regular laundry and line dry.
I run through the cabinets and pantry weekly, and rotate foods according to the dates on them. I do the same with the refrigerator. This prevents food waste and spoilage. Why spend money buying food to rot away? That's gross.
When I do dishes, either in the dishwasher or the sink, I add several tablespoons of bleach or vinegar. This helps to kill germs and prevent colds from being passed on.
I regularly clean the coils of the refrigerator and freezer, so that the motor doesn't have to work so hard and overheat.
My trash is emptied daily, and my wastebasket is washed out at least once a week with soapy water to prevent it from smelling bad. This also helps to not attract bugs and other creatures into the house. (Anything that is a food item, I try to feed to the chickens or dog to cut down on feed costs.)
I make sure wet towels are hung up to dry and not sitting around to mildew. This increases the life of the towels. Often you will find our bathroom windows open about 1/2 inch at both the top and bottom for air circulation.
I also keep our coupons organized in a bin in the office. We have a special file for warranty information. That keeps us from paying for repair calls that we may not need to.
Why does my brother have 4 snow shovels? Because he keeps forgetting where he left them. Ours are hung on nails in the garage and barn. Our hoses are kept rolled up to prevent them from being run over, mowed over, frozen or chewed up by a dog.
When we buy motor oil, or wiper fluid, it ALWAYS goes on the same shelf in the garage. If it isn't there, we know we are out. We are not buying more when there is a case of it laying all spread out in the barn, basement and garage.
Tools need to be put back where they belong so they are not lost and needlessly replaced, or allowed to get rusty and broken. Make sure everything has its own home, and gets returned to it.
Keeping tools picked up also prevents someone from having an accident, such a stepping on a pitchfork. Above all, stay organized. Always keep items in the same spot. That way you are not buying what you don't need.
Declutter! Turn unwanted items into cash. Sell them; get them out of the way. If it's trash, then put it out with the trash. Otherwise, you are basically storing garbage, paying yourself to heat and cool it, and to clean around it. Also, you can donate items and get a receipt for your taxes.
By Mom-from-Missouri
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Sounds good except for feeding the dog left overs! You are not saving money as it will result in sickness in the long run. Buy a good quality dog food and stick with it for a healthier canine companion!
Considering the dog was dumped on us, I'd say he is lucky to get any food. He also gets regular dog food as well. When he was dummped, we took him to the pound. But they were going to put him down, so we brought him back home. Yes he gets his shots and vet visits also.
As for kids, I started mine with keeping their rooms clean when they were little, with just a small area.
When they help dust, I make it interesting-by hiding quarters. If they don't dust it all, they don't find all the money. If they find it, they get to keep it.
Yesterday, while I was in the middle of my 'good weekly clean', my daughter walked in and said "Shall we get the bus to Bristol ,Mum?"
Down went the sweeper. Down went the polish. Ten minutes later off we went. What will she remember when I'm dead - the laughs we had or the dust under the bed? If that makes me a scruff so be it! Either way , I'm 69, too old to change but to each her own. Thumbs up.
Marg from England.
My very first post. I know this is an older article. I do many of these things too. mom-from-missouri you are not alone. I keep my home immaculate but full of love. Once you start a cleaning routine and stick to it your tasks will go faster since you have practiced it so many times. It's just like anything else you practice you will get faster and better each time you do it. I have many hobbies. I am a bookworm, artist, music lover, gardener and love to decorate. I spend lots of quality time with my loved ones. My home is part of my family and I want to show her tons of love. Keeping her clean and well maintained is how I do that.
