20 unusual ways to save money: Ditch the expensive cleaning supplies
Filed under: Home
Over the years, we've bought into the idea that we need a whole arsenal of expensive cleaning supplies in order to keep our homes spotless but it ain't necessarily so. In fact, many of the products we add to our grocery lists every week are just plain unnecessary, not to mention hard on our wallets. With that in mind, here are some of the worst money wasters and the cheaper (and often more environmentally friendly) alternatives.
Glass cleaner and paper towels - in my humble opinion - and I've been washing windows for a good many years - there's nothing like a generous pour of vinegar in a pail of hot water to get the job done. Then wipe dry with old tea towels. Hey, if tea towels are good enough for your glass ware, they can certainly handle windows. If you don't have any old tea towels, pick up a few at the dollar store for a buck each. Try a spray bottle containing water and vinegar for smaller jobs like mirrors. For more on cleaning with vinegar, check out How To Clean Windows with Vinegar and Vinegar Tips.
Disposable dusters and mop cloths - Use once then add to the landfill doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I use a piece of an old tea towel for dusting and I'm a card carrying member of the bucket and mop brigade. It may take a little more muscle and time but I consider it time well spent. If you have one of those Swiffer mops - those ads snared me too! - consider buying a couple of washable micro fiber cloths to replace the throw-aways. These will pick up the dust and debris from your kitchen floor just as well as the disposable cloths and you can get them for $1 a piece at the dollar store.
Pop-up cleaning wipes - Hmmm. How long does it really take to spray a bit of furniture polish or other cleaner on a cloth? To me, these pre-moistened wipes are a pure waste of money.
Reusable cleaning cloths (J-cloths) - Um, if we're going to wash and reuse a cloth, why not just go with a piece of an old T-shirt, a tea towel or a micro fibre cloth, and of which will last far longer?
Fabric softener - Instead of spending all that money on dryer sheets or liquid fabric softener, pop three or four dryer balls in with your wet clothes. Most detergents have a nice scent to them already and who ever said that our clothes had to smell lilac fresh anyway? I've been using dryer balls for a few months now and I haven't noticed that my towels are any less soft than before. Dryer balls last about two years before you have to replace them.
Liquid toilet bowl cleaners - I confess. I've been using a liquid toilet bowl cleaner for years. When I ran out of same one cleaning day recently, I reached for my can of Comet powdered cleanser. The label says that you can use Comet to clean toilets as well as sinks and tubs, so I sprinkled some in the bowl and gave it a try. It did the job admirably, even removing a long-standing stain under the rim with just a little extra elbow grease. Even the toilet brush is looking cleaner. Bonus! I can buy a can of Comet for $1 at the dollar store but the fancy toilet bowl cleaners cost more than twice that. No more special toilet cleaners for me!
Flushable toilet bowl brushes - Convenient? Yes. Necessary? Not by a long shot. Save your money.
Marlene Alexander is a freelance writer and dollar store diva. She writes tips and ideas on decorating using only items from the dollar store.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
12-17-2008 @ 8:24AM
Simzee said...
This is my THIRD try at blogging walletpop. Walletpop censors.
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12-17-2008 @ 8:43AM
Hal McClintock said...
use under arm deoderant for crotch itch
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12-17-2008 @ 9:39AM
Eddy said...
For jock itch... remember, it's really athletes foot... sooo use athletes foot cream! And keep it away by "washing down and dressing up." Socks first keep the underwear from spreading it around to...
Got one of those neat Swiffer dusters? Replacement pads can get expensive... go to a fabric store and get a yard of the cheapest fleece you can buy. Cut it to the same size as the pads and when it's dirty... shake it out and toss it in the wash! Been using the same ones for over a year now. Still works fine.
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12-17-2008 @ 1:45PM
MOM said...
These are great tips. I own a cleaning service and we are always using great ideas like the vinegar on the windows and mirrors. Cleaning floors it works just as well. Not on hardwood though. A small amount of floor/furniture polish works best on those. Do not over polish or the surface becomes very slippery. A client of ours has stainless steel she says its never been cleaner since we took over the cleaning. I told her I don't use the expensive stainless steel cleaner she buys I just use vinegar and water. It is cleaner and safer for the enviroment she has pets and the lick the lower part of her appliances stove, refrigerator and dishwasher we don't want them ingesting that expensive stainless steel cleaner. It is harmful to them.
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12-18-2008 @ 10:51AM
Martha said...
The filthy microwave.
Fill a large bowl with 3/4 water and 1/4 white vinegar. (Don't agonize over getting the ratio just right. Eyeball it.) Put in micro for 5 minutes and wipe the micro clean with paper towls or any type of dish towel.
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12-18-2008 @ 10:40AM
Renee said...
My family always used old t shirts and vinegar for windows and floors. Comet has always been my choice for sinks, toilets, and tubs. It is also great for stainless steel as well. Ask anyone that has worked for McDonald's how they make the stainless shine, it isn't stainless steel cleaner.
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12-18-2008 @ 11:13AM
Jean Butala said...
Vinegar and baking soda clears slow or clogged drains
efferdent tablets clean microwave ovens in 5 minutes
dawn dish soap is a great spot cleaner for microsuede furniture
wd40 on blade of snow blower prevents snow from sticking
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12-18-2008 @ 1:27PM
Donna said...
More on the drain cleaner - dump 1/2 cup baking soda down drain, then 1/2 cup vinegar. If you can't get all the baking soda down at the same time, pour a little, then a little vinegar. Wait 15 minutes, repeat. It works great and it's very entertaining for the cats - all that fizzing and gurgling. I believe you're supposed to pour hot water down after the drain is clear.
How does efferdent clean a microwave?
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12-18-2008 @ 1:11PM
David Hall said...
I'm puzzled, one tip says use dryer balls instead of fabric softeners. WHat are dryer balls?
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1-01-2009 @ 11:19PM
Karen said...
You can buy dryer balls at WalMart. They are literally plastic (or rubber?) balls the size of tennis balls that are supposed to fluff the clothes as they dry. I didn't notice any difference in how long it took to dry my clothes, so I didn't replace them when I lost them in a move. I don't use fabric softeners, so I can't comment on that aspect.
12-18-2008 @ 2:15PM
eileen said...
Ditto. What are dryer balls?
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12-18-2008 @ 1:31PM
Jamie said...
Rather than using rags /wipes/paper towels on glass surfaces, use newspaper with your vinegar/water solution. Newspaper eliminates streaks & smears and then can be thrown into the paper recycling bin when finished.
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12-18-2008 @ 2:16PM
Eileen said...
My cat jumped into a pan of car oil and was covered with oil. My vet said shampoo with Dawn dish detergent was the safest and best way to treat Max. It worked!!!
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12-19-2008 @ 2:40AM
Kit said...
Reviews on the dryer balls
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B000BOBM8O/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
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12-18-2008 @ 8:42PM
geneaol said...
Re: Dryer Balls
they are about the size of a tennis ball, heavier rubber and have pointy things sticking out on them. We have 3 in the dryer. they kinda beat the stuff in the dryer as it rotates.
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12-19-2008 @ 12:55AM
joe poor said...
If jock itch or athletes foot is the problem there is no faster cure than vinegar.
It will burn like a blow torch for a few seconds but it will clear it up in less than a day.
If you are prone to ear infections from wax build up or swimmers ear, forget expensive drops.
mix rubbing alcohol and vinegar 50/50 and it will be gone in less than a day.
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12-19-2008 @ 6:18AM
Sandi said...
Baking Soda works on the toilet too and is less likely to scratch.
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12-19-2008 @ 12:58PM
Jessica said...
I noticed not a single thing was mentioned about hanging your clothes to dry on a clothesline. Sunshine and fresh air are free, electricity is not.
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12-19-2008 @ 3:22PM
BusyMomof4 said...
If you have tennis balls laying around they do the trick just as well as the Dryer Balls-per Martha Stewart. I tried it they do work.
Also for the toilet - baking soda w/a little bit of salt for stubborn stains.
Peroxide works for the ears as well & some stains on clothes (i.e blood).
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12-19-2008 @ 11:43PM
norma0523 said...
I find that dry crystal dishwasher detergent (I use Cascade) is the best cleaner for oil and grease. A cup in a gallon of hot water cleans spots out of clothes, acrylic bathtubs, jets in whirlpool tubs and even car grease and oil spills in the garage and concrete. Fill up your sinks with hot water and let sit for 15 minutes...even the scratches in the sink will be clean. I use it on stainless steel too.
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