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cspp04

Frugal Cleaning

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by , 02-21-2009 at 07:55 PM (985 Views)
I know we all have our own ways of keeping our cleaning product bill low. I'm guessing many of us do this by making our own cleaning supplies, or at least using fewer cleaners. My frugal cleaning experience began when I realized that the commercial cleaners were causing my son to exhibit signs of sickness. Now I have a few tips to share with those of you who are looking for ways to cut the cleaning supply bill, or are looking for "safer" ways to keep your home clean.

1. Rubbing Alcohol gives your chrome showroom condition shine! Just a splash of rubbing alcohol on a dry cloth goes a long way. I use it to shine the faucet and taps in the kitchen and bathroom. The rubbing alcohol evaporates so there is no rinsing required.
2. Vinegar is a good all-purpose cleaner. A cupful in a bucket of hot water will clean your floors, or can be used for washing walls, furniture, nicknacks. I add a splash of vinegar to my dish water to cut through grease.
3. Use half of what the recommended amount of soap is for dishwashing and clothes washing. A little soap goes a long way.
4. Once per month, run your clothes through a wash cycle without any detergent. Fabric traps soap residue. You'd be surprised how much soap comes out of your clothes, even once per month.
5. Use your dishcloths and dish towels until they are rags and then use them as rags. If you only use it for cleaning, who cares what it looks like? The longer we use things, the longer we keep them out of landfills.
6. Mixing baking soda with enough water to make a paste and then adding a drop of dish detergent is a good porcelain cleaner for your bathroom. You can scrub your sink, toilet, and tub with that mix. Rinse well.

These are just a few of my tips. There are always many more that come to mind later. I'll add them as I think of them. But I'd also like to hear yours. Why not leave a comment so that we can all share our frugal cleaning tips?

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Comments

  1. Debbie-cat's Avatar
    Great tips! Thanks for sharing. I am just learning about homemade detergents and cleaners and this helps alot!
  2. jonesies's Avatar
    Great ideas! Here's my favorite homemade jewelry cleaner recipe:

    1 tablespoon salt
    1 tablespoon baking soda
    1 tablespoon dish soap
    1 cup water

    A. Heat water in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes.
    B. Pour hot water into bowl. Place salt, soda, and dishwashing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry in bowl and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth. Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time.
    C. You can place a cut piece of tin foil on the bottom of the bowl to make removing the jewelry easier if you wish. You may want to wear rubber gloves, the solution is quite drying.
    D. I threw out my store bought jewelry cleaner, but kept the basket and brush. I use those along with this solution now.
    Updated 02-21-2009 at 09:46 PM by jonesies
  3. cspp04's Avatar
    I like the jewelry cleaner! Can this be used with silver and gold? or just gold?
  4. jonesies's Avatar
    According to wire-sculpture.com, "this works well for gold-filled, brass, german (nickel) silver, and sterling silver. I have even cleaned jewelry with freshwater pearls, shell cameos and mother of pearl with no problem.".

    It's great stuff. I clean my wedding rings, rubies, etc with it all the time.
    Updated 02-22-2009 at 10:24 AM by jonesies
  5. bookworm mom's Avatar
    I love the thought of saving money on those expensive cleaners but also how it helps our environment not to mention the toxins on our skin when we are using them. I love to get ideas for different types of non-commerical cleaners. Thanks for the tip!
    Updated 02-22-2009 at 10:56 AM by bookworm mom