Saving money is always a great idea, but can you save money without cutting any of your cleaning power? Here are some tips that help you a lot when cleaning in daily life
Use Mild Dish Soap Or Plain Water
Many areas of your home can be kept clean by using mild dish soap and plain water. Dish soap can be used as a laundry stain remover, a window cleaner, a surface spray, a carpet stain remover, fruit and veggie wash, and to clean most surfaces in your home.
We often turn to specialty cleaners for each different surface in our home, but dish soap is a great mild alternative that won’t damage most surfaces and manages to remove a lot of dirt and grime.
Switch To Fluorescent Lightbulbs
As your light bulbs need to be replaced, switch from normal incandescent bulbs to fluorescent light bulbs. The bulbs will cost a little more in the short run, but they last up to 10 times longer and use 2/3 less energy to provide the same light. You save money on your energy bill and your household budget by buying bulbs less frequently.
Buying just a few at a time to replace burned-out incandescent bulbs is easy to do and will make a big impact over a year.
Maintain the Clean Daily
Doing a little bit of daily maintenance will reduce the need for tougher cleansers to clean your home. Most stains can be removed with water, dish soap, or laundry soap if they are treated quickly. Spills that are wiped up right away rarely need many cleansers to be cleaned. Make it a point to clean and maintain your home daily, and you’ll find much less of a need for special cleaners and expensive solutions.
Use a Store Brand
e get stuck on the brands we know and trust a lot, but sometimes there’s a store brand of the same cleaner that may work just as well for a fraction of the cost. As an example, the store brand of the household eraser was forty percent less expensive than the name brand, and they are virtually identical. Look for store brands and compare ingredients. More and more store brands clean just as well as more expensive name brands.
Use Coupons and Buy Items on Sale
A tightened household budget can really benefit from some careful shopping and coupon usage. Manufacturer’s websites often have coupons to entice buyers to try their product. Grocery stores and drug store alike print coupons in their sale papers. Look for sales on items you normally use and buy extra if the price is right.
Store Cleaning Supplies Properly
Improperly stored cleaning supplies can turn into a mess. Make sure your supplies aren’t exposed to extremes in temperature or light. Keeping supplies from spilling and mixing is also a major concern. Cleaning supplies should also be stored away from areas where pets or small children might come into contact with them.
Simplify Your Supplies
There’s a cleaner for everything and if you get them all your cleaning cupboard would be overflowing. The truth is that a lot of cleaners can pull double duty. If you really want to save on your household budget, pick all-purpose and multi-purpose cleaners. Save specialty cleaners for really tough jobs, and only if your others don’t work well. You may be surprised by how little you really need to keep your home clean.
Choose Reusable Cloths and Mops
Disposable items are handy, but they can quickly eat up a household budget. To save money, pick items that can be reused. Microfiber cloths are a great choice for cleaning, dusting, and scrubbing. Instead of disposable mopping pads, pick a reusable mop and take care of it. Choosing reusable items can save a lot of money.
Make Your Own Cleaners
There are a lot of ingredients around your home that can be used to make great cleaners at a fraction of the cost. Vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner. Baking soda is gentle enough to use as a mild abrasive in many areas of your home. Lemons have a natural bleaching ability. You know that almost things around your house, your garden,… also can be the best homemade cleaning ingredient. So, making your own cleaners can be a great way to cut cleaning costs.
Control Clutter
Controlling clutter is a major part of keeping a house clean. Removing unwanted and unnecessary items from your home means you have less to clean. The added benefit is that clutter can be turned into extra cash through yard sales. Getting rid of items that aren’t need will cut your cleaning time and expenses drastically.
Don’t Run the Washing Machine Unless It’s Full
If you want to cut down your electricity bills, you can simply try to be more efficient when using your cleaning appliances. When you start running a fully loaded washing machine, you save not only money on electricity, but also save on your water bill. The same applies when you run your dishwasher. Another way to save on electricity while cleaning is to run your appliances during the night when the consumption rate is cheaper.
Don’t Throw Away Expired Cleaning Products
People are creatures of habit. We are used to throwing away expired foods, so naturally, when we do the same with our home cleaning products. However, this isn’t always necessary. Unlike food, detergents can be used even after their expiration date. This is especially true if you have stored the cleaning products properly – in a dry environment, out of sunlight, and at room temperature). So, next time you see an expired floor cleaner or laundry detergent – keep them and use them, instead of buying new ones. This way, you will definitely cut your home-cleaning expenses, and save yourself a walk to the store.
Stop Buying Unnecessary Home Cleaning Tools
Nowadays you can easily buy all kinds of housekeeping tools and gadgets online or in the nearest supermarket. However, the Happy House Cleaning experts believe 90% of them are just a waste of your hard-earned money. Actually, all you need to keep your home clean are high-quality products and only a few simple tools. Forget about buying single-purpose gadgets that you will use once or twice (or, let’s face it – probably never!). Instead of buying specialized towels and cloths, re-purpose old cotton and wool clothes to use as rags. The ordinary dish sponge is as efficient as any other sponge if you need to scrub off some built-up dirt. Your old toothbrush is also an excellent tool you can use to clean hard-to-reach places. So, when you are in the home and garden section of the store, stick to the basic tried and tested items – this will save you a lot of money over time.
