I really need to cut my grocery budget. One area where I always seem to spend more is in cleaning supplies. They are expensive, even with coupons. I was reading this list of all the cleaning uses for vinegar. I am curious how many of you clean with vinegar and baking soda? If so, what have your results been?
Any tips on cleaning on the cheap would be appreciated.
9 comments:
I don't use vinegar - but have narrowed my cleaners down to five that can be purchased very inexpensively with rebates and coupons.
Ajax: for stainless sinks/toilets (39 cents at Walgreens on sale)
Orange Fantastik: for counters/tubs/ and bathroom sinks (usually not more than $1.50 a bottle on sale at Walgreens - one bottle lasts us a long time)
Pledge: dusting ($1-$1.50 on sale)
Windex: windows and mirrors ($1.50 on sale at Walgreens - again, a bottle lasts us a looong time)
Floor Cleaner: 1 tsp. baby shampoo and fill spray bottle with water; works great for our laminate wood floors
Amy at momadvice.com has a great article on making your own cleaners.
Wendi,
I am in the process of switching over to natural, or at least non-toxic cleaners and have found so much great info on-line!
I saw a tip on WFMW the other day and tried it for cleaning the microwave: putting a bowl of water and vinegar and putting on high for a few minutes. The steam loosens the grease. I tried it--and it worked great. Then I used the vinegar water to clean the fridge and counters.
Thank you for sharing this link! I LOVE using vinegar and always appreciate finding new uses!
His,
Mrs. U
Wendi,
Just realized I never got back to you on the Iowa thing. We live about an hour and a half from the two towns you mentioned. But I had a great-aunt who used to live in Pocahontas, which is quite near P. What a small world!
I looked at the list that you linked to and boy was I surprised to see all the ways to clean with vinegar! I guess it's time to re-evaluate what I have been using and how much it cost. Thanks for getting me to think.
You can google any homemade cleaning solution you want, and find lots of recipes.
I make homemade shower spray, detergent, all purpose cleaner, and window cleaner.
I got all of the recipes that way, and am pleased with the results.
With living overseas, I have been annoyed at how much my cleaning supplies have been costing. I made the switch a while back to using homemade cleaning products, when I realized it was costing almost $5 for a small bottle of starch!
I now make my own ironing starch, floor cleaner, and use vinegar as a substitute to fabric softener. These are small changes, but they've helped our budget! :)
Starch Recipe: http://das-leben-der-lundquisten.blogspot.com/2007/03/homemade-starch-recipe.html
Enjoy!
I forgot to mention that I do use vinegar to replace the "Jet Dry" in the dishwasher - it does the same thing by making your dishes sparkle and is MUCH cheaper!
I haven't used vinegar except as fabric softener, but I do use rubbing alcohol, it makes my sink fixtures sparkle and sanitizes them.
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