Frugal Tips For Saving Money On Cleaning Supplies (2024)

When it comes to cleaning and your hard earned money the last place you want to be spending it is on endless amounts of expensive cleaning supplies. The costs of cleaning products can add up quickly and if you are living on a budget who wants to be dishing out their hard earned dollars to keep the germs at bay.Learn how to keep your house clean while saving money on cleaning supplies.

Have you ever thought about how crazy it is that grocery stores have 1 whole aisle devoted to just cleaning products? As you cruise down the aisle you will see neatly packaged products boasting “trusted” brand this “environmentally friendly” that “natural,”fast acting”.Companies spend millions of dollars on advertising to get their consumers to spend their hard earned money on things they don’t really need.

There is acleaning product for just about everything imaginable. Is it necessary? I say absolutely not. First of all many of these products are filled with harmful chemicals and can be toxic to both your children and your animals and second, you can make your own at a fraction of the cost.

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Table of Contents

9 Simple Ingredients To Make Your Own Cleaning Products (I bet you have 5 already)

1. Vinegar

Because vinegar (the clear kind) is so acidic, it can fight against bacteria and other nasties you don’t want living in your home. It can dissolve away soap scum, remove the orange ring left by hard water, and disolve glue left behind by stickers.

2. Water

Just some good ole high-quality H20!-Just like the movie Waterboy from 1998.

3. Dawn dish soap

As it says “tough on grease”

4. Hydrogen peroxide

Because it’s non-toxic, hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning places that store food and dishes.

5. Baking soda

Not only is baking soda a natural odor absorbor it acts as a cleaning agent because it is a mild alkali and can cause dirt and grease to dissolve easily in water for effective removal.

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6. Essential oils

Definitely not necessary if you are on a tight budget but I love the extra boost of disinfecting properties that comes with the delightful smell of essential oils. A few of my favorite oils for cleaning, include: lemon, tea tree, peppermint, lavender, and orange

My favorite trustworthy and affordable essential oil brands for cleaning are AuraCacia, and NOW, Both of these brands can be found online.

7. Lemon juice

Lemons contain antibacterial properties which aid in fighting unwanted germs and bacteria in the home. Plus, citrus provides an amazing fresh scent to homemade cleaners.

8. Castile Soap

Castile soap is a concentrated vegetable-based soap made of ingredients you can actually pronounce. This soap is gentle on the skin and effective in the fight against dirt, grease, and unwanted germs. Dr. Bronner’s is a very popular brand of castile soap.

9. Spray Bottles

If you don’t already have some spray bottles around your house you are going to want to get a couple to make these all natural cleaners.

I have 2 options

• You can use glass Perrier water bottles repurposed with a spray nozzle from a windex bottle.

•You can purchase ready to go bottles (these are my favorite)

The reason I suggest glass is because essential oils can deteriorate plastic bottles over time.

My Holy Grail for saving money on cleaning supplies:

My absolute best friend when it comes to cleaning is vinegar. Vinegar can be used to clean just about everything imaginable.

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How to Make Homemade All-Purpose Surface Cleaners to Save Money On Cleaning Supplies

A surface cleaner serves as an all purpose cleaner for many surfaces such as counters, kitchen and bathroom cupboards, inside the fridge/freezer, carpet accidents, and some appliances.

When using any surface cleaner it’s important to know what ingredients should or shouldn’t be used on various surfaces.Vinegar works very well for cleaning multiple surfaces.

However, do NOT use a vinegar-based cleaner on marble or granite surfaces because it can slowly etch away at the stone.

Castile soap cleaner is safe to use on any surface (always test cleaners in a small area first before applying to a greater surface area), including granite and marble.

Castile Soap Surface Cleaner

  • 2 cups distilled water

Mix together in a spray bottle.

Vinegar Surface Cleaner

  • 2 cup distilled water
  • 1 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 1 teaspon Dawn Dish detergent

Mix together in a spray bottle.

Window Cleaner

Need to clean windows and mirrors? Don’t spend money on pricey brand name products, try this instead.

  • 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon of Dawn Dish Detergent

Mix together in a spray bottle.

Bonus tip: When cleaning your windows use newspaper it works way better than using paper towels

Drain Cleaner, Drain Freshener

When life gives you lemons, cut them up and toss them down the disposal while grinding to help neutralize odors. If you need a stronger odor fighteradd a few ice cubes into the disposalonce or twice a week and grind until the ice is broken down helping to dislodge food particles left in the blades.

Drain Clog Remover

Dump in 1 c. baking soda. Let that sit for a few minutes. Then, pour 1 c. vinegar (you’ll see lots of foaming as the vinegar interacts with baking soda) Let this sit for about 15 min and then pour down 1c boiling water down on top of the baking soda. For stubborn clogs, you may need to repeat.

Toilet bowl cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda in the toilet bowl to get it sparkling clean. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then throw down a cup of vinegar and flush.

Bathroom Freshener

No one wants a stinky bathroom. Keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean by adding several drops of your favorite essential oil on the cardboard section of your toilet paper towel roll.

DIY wipes

If you enjoy having the convenience of a multi-purpose cleaning wipe at a fraction of the cost. Why not make your own? I love making my own cleaning wipes with safe and natural products that I can trust. The whole process takes less than 3 minutes.

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BONUS TIPS: Save You Money Day in and Day out

Reduce, reuse, repurpose– not only does it help to save the environment, it saves you tons money too!

Frugal Tips For The Kitchen

• Run your dishwasher at bedtime. I called my power company and learned that off-peak hours were after between 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.

• Use grocery store bags to line garbage cans rather than buying plastic bags.

• Cut up old t-shirts and so that you never have to buy cleaning cloths or paper towels.

• Keep your kitchen sponges fresh and germ-free by zapping in the microwave

• Dilute your dish detergent to stretch it further

• To prevent fingermarks on your stainless steel fridge, wipe the entire thing with a thin coating of olive oil.

Here is a fabulous money saving tip provided by Parhelia Finance

“Spend some time every month reviewing your subscriptions/recurring expenses and try to stop any that you think you don’t really need or aren’t worth the price.”

Money Saving Tips In The Bathroom

• Fill a 20-ounce soda bottle with water and thendrop it into your water tank mid-flush. The tank will fill up as normal but will be holding 20 ounces less water. Most bowls are designed to be larger than needed for domestic use, so this little trick can save gallons of water a month without any change in lifestyle.

• Install a low-flow shower head – or at least an adjustable one – and stop dumping water down the drain.

• In your children’s bathroom squeeze a toilet paper roll into an oval shape. It doesn’t roll out so easily causing less waste

• Ditch the shower gel and use bar soap which is better for the environment as well as your wallet.

• Use newspaper as opposed to paper towels to clean your bathroom mirrors.

Frugal Laundry Tips

• Skip the hot water and use cold to wash all of your clothes

• Use a tablespoon of white vinegar as fabric conditioner

• Use 1/2 the amount of laundry detergent

• Outside air free, line dry clothes whenever possible

• If you haveproblems with static cling in the winter, add a ball of aluminum foil to thedryer

Final Thoughts

By following these money-saving tips you will lessen the burden on your wallets and save money for the more important things in life.

I love being able to pad my Emergency Fund and retirement accounts rather than pouring my money down the drain. I know many people who are using several of these great ideas to save money for their children. What are you doing to save money each day?

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Frugal Tips For Saving Money On Cleaning Supplies (2024)

FAQs

Frugal Tips For Saving Money On Cleaning Supplies? ›

How much should you budget for household cleaning supplies? This number will vary from person to person and family to family, but an average American family of four can expect to pay at least $680 a year for cleaning products. You can add $57 a month to your grocery budget or make a separate line for cleaning supplies.

How much should you spend on cleaning supplies per month? ›

How much should you budget for household cleaning supplies? This number will vary from person to person and family to family, but an average American family of four can expect to pay at least $680 a year for cleaning products. You can add $57 a month to your grocery budget or make a separate line for cleaning supplies.

How to use less cleaning products? ›

Start over with a Deep Clean

The best way to reduce the cost of your cleaning supplies is to get ahead of your regular housework. Cleaning little and often will help you to use less product, as you'll need to remove less grime and dirt each time you clean.

Is it cheaper to make your own cleaning supplies? ›

Cost savings: One of the most obvious benefits of making your own cleaning products is the cost savings. Homemade products are typically much cheaper than store-bought options, especially if you already have the ingredients on hand.

How much does the average person spend on cleaning supplies? ›

Without you knowing it, the cleaning products that you have one by one added on the budget has cost you a lot. According to surveys, an average American family spends $40 – $50 every month when purchasing house cleaning supplies. And this is increasing every year!

How much do families spend on cleaning supplies? ›

Average Spending: According to various consumer surveys and studies, the average American household spends around $30 to $40 per month on cleaning supplies and products.

What is a reasonable cleaning schedule? ›

“For example, on Monday clean the kitchen, Tuesday pick a few bedrooms, Wednesday clean the living room, Thursday clean a bathroom and Friday clean a room that you haven't covered yet to break it up,” says Peterson. “This will allow you to make a schedule to make the tasks seem less overwhelming.”

What is the best homemade disinfectant? ›

The best natural disinfectants include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, hot water, and some essential oils. Evidence suggests that in some cases, many of these natural disinfectants can be as effective at killing germs as chemical cleaners like bleach.

How much should you clean before cleaners come? ›

The most important thing you can do is make sure the dishes are washed or loaded into the dishwasher before your cleaning professional arrives. Make sure to put away any leftovers, put things like bread and pasta boxes in the pantry, and clear away any food scraps before the cleaner comes.

How often should you replace cleaning supplies? ›

'Store-bought cleaning supplies do have expiration dates and improper storage, which can cause them to be less effective. Typically, you will not have to change store-bought cleaning supplies often, an expiration date can be anywhere from 6 months to two years, so always check the labels.

What is the most efficient way to clean? ›

Work top to bottom, left to right

She says the easiest way to tackle any room is to clean from top to bottom, working in sections left to right. “If you walk into a room and follow that order, starting from the left and going in a circle, you won't miss anything.”

How do I not spend so much time cleaning? ›

Plan Things Out. The best way to motivate yourself to keep things clean is to set up a schedule. Have a day and time on which you'll clean the bathroom, or reorganize your clothes, or vacuum, or go pick up groceries. Don't deviate from that time unless you absolutely have to.

What is the best way to carry cleaning supplies? ›

Cleaning supply caddies are organizational bins that are divided into multiple pockets. Spray bottles, sponges, brushes, and other ready-to-grab supplies are placed within their own segment. Moreover, cleaning caddies are a great way to carry your most used supplies with you as you clean.

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