This page contains the following solutions.
Tips for saving money on cleaning products as suggested by the ThriftyFun community. Feel free to post your ideas below.
By Anita
With baking soda, you can clean your whole bathroom, from scrubbing the toilet to the tub.
I don't buy any cleaners anymore, and it is a big savings.
By karen morton
ThriftyFun has a section dedicated to Cleaning Recipes. You can find it here:
By vickie guy
By Michele from Landisville, PA
By Doris
The reason I am so thrilled with this new one is: with the smaller hand held ones - you must fill, heat the steam, let cool off, refill again & heat: all this very time consuming.
By Gorius
By Louise B.
Our biggest savings on cleaning supplies was repairing the dryer ourselves. We live in a rural area and just to get a repair person in our door is $90. It took us 3 hours as we have not skills, but replaced the drive belt for about $20.
By Empty Nester
By Cindy
By Jess
In a spray bottle:
Bug Spray: Water in spray bottle with about 5 -10 drops of peppermint essential oil. You can put some on cotton balls and tuck in the corner of your cabinets if you have the need.
Hydrogen peroxide cleans well too all by itself.
By Susan
Second there is this stuff called Ka-Boom that cleans the back of the toilet and boy does it work. I get it over at Wal-mart.
Go to the Dollar store for cleaning products. There is this one thing I will buy that I think Windex or Pledge makes it is a wipe that cleans everything and they are cool. I take one or two in my daughter's room and clean her windows, TV and stand and sometimes doors and light switches all with this one cloth. cool
Vinegar Kills Bacteria, Mold and Germs
Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board, and in your bathroom, and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don't even rinse, but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.
Laundry Soap
These ingredients might seem pricey at first, but when you buy a medium box of both the borax and washing soda and maybe three bars of Fels Naptha then you realize that that Fels Naptha par grates to be about three cups. You realize that for what you might pay for a gallon of brand name detergent, you just bought 18 gallons of laundry soap!
Mix all three ingredients together. Add glycerin and water. Bring to a boil, stirring now and then to dissolve the Grated Soap; Might need to whisk it.
Use 1/2 - 3/4 cup per load depending on how dirty. Best when used with cold or warm water.
Fabric softener The liquid stuff can build up in the washer hoses and eventually clog it. The dryer sheets will actually make your dryer work less efficiently by gumming up the lint screen. It can also make your towels and kitchen cloths less absorbent!
Instead, I add just a ball of aluminum foil. About an arms' span wadded up is all you need and it lasts a LONG time. I've used the same one all last winter and off and on this summer. Otherwise I hang everything out.
Lemon Oil Duster
Most commercial lemon oil is not all natural, but may contain petroleum distillates. Contact herbalists for pure sources of lemon oil. Traditionally, lemon oil has been used for furniture because it is so lubricating and antiseptic.
Dishes
I buy my Palmolive dish liquid at Family Dollar where it's the cheapest around. I get the concentrated and put it into a pump. 6 pumps is a LOT LESS than if you just squirt, and plenty for a sink of water.
Also, do you dishes in this order and you can do your days dishes in one sink full of water!
Need Scouring Powder?
Mix in equal parts baking soda and washing soda (found in the washing aisle with the borax).
Dip your damp cloth or sponge and scrub away!
Good All-Purpose Cleaner
Fill a bowl or small bucket with very warm water, add a few drops (literally) of concentrated dish soap... i like to add a few drops of tea tree oil. You don't even need to rinse.
Microwave
A good way to clean the microwave (i do this every week!) slice a fresh lemon into a small bowl of water. Pop into the Microwave and hit your beverage button. Let sit maybe 5 or 10 minutes after it's done without opening. Then open it up, and just wipe the stuff out! It smells fresh afterward!
You can then use the water for your general cleaner!
I admit it. This is a hobby of mine. I love this kind of thing. As a matter of fact, my search for such recipes led me to Thriftyfun.com!
I hope I've helped!
By Sarah Leach
Do you have any more advice to share? Feel free to post it below.
I don't spend money on toilet cleaners. I just use Ajax or Comet, whichever I have. Sprinkle it around above the water line, then use the toilet brush to scrub, getting up under the rim too. You'll be surprised how well it works for less than $1.00 per can, as opposed to the "specialized" toilet bowl cleaners! I told a lady in the supermarket that's what I do, and she thanked me for the hint and left the Lysol on the shelf and got Comet instead,
I have always been one of those people that cannot manage money, I would get it and spend it as fast as I could. Being a single mom with five kids and running a licensed day care at home, I learned a lot of things!
To save on dish soap, fill a spray bottle one-quarter full of soap and top it off with water, give the mixture a good shake to mix well, and close the bottle. Spraying this on dishes cuts grease and saves a little money.
I was using up the last of a bottle of dish soap, but the last bit was stuck on the bottom of the bottle. I added water and used a bit, then thought about how nice it was to have diluted dish soap on hand.
I clean houses as my second job. I drape a cleaning rag over each product I use. One rag for all the wood polishing, a separate rag draped over the glass cleaner I use for the windows, mirrors, and chrome faucets.
Make cleaning sprays for many uses from 4 spray pump bottles, simple household products, and water. Take a few drops of Dawn dishwashing liquid, add water and shake. Spray bathroom mirrors, wipe with dry cloth.
Baby wipes are an easy and convenient way to clean surfaces are the house. Using baby wipes for cleaning a good way to clean small areas that just need quick wipe down.
Using simple household products you can make your own cleaners with fewer ingredients and often at a lower cost than buying commercial products. This is a page about making your own cleaning products.
