Frugal Cleaning
Are you hosting the Thanksgiving dinner? The family Christmas party? A New Years party for friends? Or maybe just having a few friends over during the holiday? There are so many preparations to make, but the one that seems just hover over you like a cloud (of dust that is) is cleaning the house.
Few of us actually enjoy cleaning, and the cost of all those cleaning products just adds insult to injury. I am here to to tell you don’t do it! No, not the cleaning, that needs to be done, but don’t spend a fortune on a bunch of different products for every task. A few basic, and cheap, ingredients are all you need to make the house shine before your friends and family arrive.
White Vinegar - Vinegar is an extremely versatile and powerful cleaning agent. A cup of vinegar in a gallon of water is a wonderful floor cleaner. It is also great for washing down walls and other painted surfaces. Vinegar also takes care of mineral deposits from water. It can be used to clean the coffee pot, the bathroom, and the dishwasher. Use it on your windows. Use it as a substitute for fabric softener in the laundry. Wipe down the bathroom surfaces, and even clean the toilet with vinegar. Its uses for cleaning are almost with out limit. Find more ideas at Vinegar: (Almost) the Only Cleaner You’ll Ever Need.
Baking Soda - A paste of baking soda and water is good for scrubbing your counters, stove top and sinks. If you need a little more muscle to it add some salt. The salt will act as a mild abrasive. It can also be used to clean floor, but you will have to rinse after mopping. Baking soda can get the black scuff marks off the floor, and remove coffee and tea stains from surfaces.
Borax - This a great alternative to bleach. Use it for cleaning and deodorizing. Use it in the laundry. Bleach itself is cheap, but can be harsh. If you want the power of bleach, but not the chemical and the smell, Borax is wonderful. And it will not bleach out your colors.
If you are hosting any holiday gatherings this season, a thorough cleaning of the house is probably something that you want to do. Spending a lot on cleaning products is not something you have to do. Use basic and natural cleaning products to make the house shine, and spend your money on more interesting things, like the food and wine.
November 11th, 2007 at 1:05 am
I love baking soda and vinegar! I use them in laundry all the time. If you use vinegar instead of liquid fabric softener you get the same resuls with out all the chemicals.
November 21st, 2007 at 6:50 am
[…] Builder was useful and relevant since I have a 3 year old to entertain on a dime also. This post Frugal Cleaning on Unclaimed Money was helpful yesterday when I went to Target to get some new cleaning supplies […]
February 11th, 2008 at 7:06 am
[…] products. Cleaning with simple items like vinegar and baking soda can save you a lot of money. (see Frugal Cleaning) If you prefer to buy cleansers, generics often work just as well. Whether you choose to buy […]