few questions

**schellie69** · 10-10-2005, 09:57 AM

Okay i have a few questions

1. can you water down your fabic softner (l buy the cheapest i can find at walmart)

2. I do not have the space to stock up on pantry items what are some other ways to save on groceries

3. Can you water down cleaning products and if so do they work just as well. I have to be carefull what i buy my son has astma, I can not use ammonia.

4. also i have pump for kids shampoo what kind of shampoo can you refil it with does it have to be a special kind or will any kind work

Thank you for any help
Pam

**PrairieRose** · 10-10-2005, 12:41 PM

Pam, I use Downy (I'm a downy snob....

) and I do water it down immensely, like 4 to 1. You can also use vinegar in the rinse and it does the same job and leaves no smell.

About saving on groceries, you can shop the sales, making your menu from the loss leaders and what's on sale or was on sale last week and keep enough of the staples to not have to run to the store too often. That's where the money gets crazy at the store are the frequent trips for bread, etc.. .

As far as watering down cleaning products I make my own and save $$$'s by doing so. I clean my toilets with bleach and everything else is homemade and cleans as good as or better than the store bought. There's a forum here with all kinds of homemade cleaners. They'd be better for your ds's asthma than store bought. You could just be sure not to use the ones with ammonia.

I don't know a thing about the shampoo pump, sorry. Hope this helps a bit.

**shelsmiles** · 10-10-2005, 01:08 PM

The shampoo pumps can be refilled with any shampoo that is watered down. The same goes for the antibacterial hand soap pumps.

Yes, you can water down Fabric softener or just use less. You can also make your own dryer sheets. Dilute fabric softener at a ratio of 5 parts water to one part softener. Soak cut up sponges in mixture and store in sealed container. When drying clothes, remove sponge from solution, wring so that it is not sopping wet, add to dryer. I air dry mosst clothes so I generally do not use these, but have in the past.

Saving on groceries: use your sales flyers and price book. Also, search out frugal and satisfying recipes that your family enjoys. Buy a freezer. Investigate options for expanding storage space for pantry items. I stored canned goods under my beds in flats boxes and under my baby's crib as well at one time. Try using less by half when it comes to dish soap, shampoo and the like. Cut back by half when it comes to cheese and other expensive ingredients.

Baking soda, borax, vinegar, bleach and hot water are all I use to clean. Well, some scrubby pads too.

**Mom23boys** · 10-10-2005, 01:56 PM

1. can you water down your fabic softner (l buy the cheapest i can find at walmart)yes, you can or you can just use less than recommended.

2. I do not have the space to stock up on pantry items what are some other ways to save on groceries ditto to what Lisa said.

3. Can you water down cleaning products and if so do they work just as well. I have to be carefull what i buy my son has astma, I can not use ammonia. I am not sure. I use vinegar and bleach for most of my cleaning. These are already cheap products.

4. also i have pump for kids shampoo what kind of shampoo can you refil it with does it have to be a special kind or will any kind work Any type of shampoo will work. I also use the same hand pump for liquid soap and can refill it with what was on sale, generic or name brand.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 10-10-2005, 03:19 PM

Just because you don't have a pantry doesn't mean you can stock up on good deals! If you have room under your or your kid's beds, you can store food there. If you hav e alaundry room or shelves above a washer, put canned goods there. Do you have extra dishes you never, ever use? Donate them to the thrift store and use the space for a pantry. If you have an entertainment center that has unused areas, fill them up with cake mixes, chili, etc. you get the idea! Get creative and you CAN find a place for stuff!

I have a pump dispenser that foams fromPampered Chef for my hand soap. I just use a squeeze of dish soap and add the water I need. It works great!

As for cleaners, I use vinegar and water for lots of things. Just get a spray bottle (the dollar store usually has them) and fill it 50-50 with water and vinegar. It works just as well as Windex and is loads cheaper. There is another advantage to this: if you get food stamps, you can buy vinegar with them. Any "regular" cleaner would have to be purchased with cash.