I am cheap.  But I think I already mentioned that.  I don’t mind spending money on good stuff.  But it bugs me to spend money on things that I know I can get cheaper.   I am also lazy.  I refuse to spend hours clipping coupons and running from sale to sale.  I like to find long term ways of saving money.  Here are a few of my tricks for cutting your cleaning budget.

1.  Flour Sack Towels instead of Paper Towels.   The flour sack towels are reusable and very durable.  They cost about $5 for a 5 pack at Walmart and I know I have had some of mine for at least 2 years.

2.  Vinegar and Water as a Floor Cleaner.  We have Pergo wood floors.  Well, not technically Pergo, but whatever Menard’s calls their brand.  Alot of store-bought cleaners leave a hazy film on the surface; you can feel it with your feet.   n the specialty wood floor cleaners are expensive.  On the advice of Great Grandma Bluegrass, (BAGD’s grandma) I started cleaning my floors with a mixture of vinegar and water (3 parts water, 1 part vinegar).  I mix it in a spray bottle, squirt and rub with a flour sack towel.  Works great!  And very cheap.  A gallon of vinegar is about $2 and will last months.  This also works as a window cleaner.

3.  Baking Soda to clean your kitchen sink.  We have a stainless steel sink.  Its very durable, I am sure.  But in our old house we had a porcelain one, so I got in the habit of scrubbing it with baking soda, rather than anything abrasive.   So, I still clean our stainless steel sink the same way.  Just sprinkle some baking soda in the sink, add enough water to make a paste, scrub and rinse.    Very safe and very cheap.  Baking soda is usually under $.50 for a box, which would last at least 6 cleanings.

4.  Boiling water to clear out your drains.  A plumber told us this trick.  Every once in a while, boil a couple giant pots of water, then pour them down your drain/garbage disposal. This will help melt any fats and greases which are clogging your drain.  This is preventative maintenance; it will not help with an already blocked drain.  On a related note, to get rid of garbage disposal smells, send a few citrus peels down there and grind ‘em up.

5.  Hydrogen Peroxide as a carpet spot remover.  This is also a trick from Great grandma Bluegrass.  I have not used it much, because my kids don’t tend to make “spots.”  When we have accidents they are doozies.  Plus we have a lot of hardwood in the house.  But,  she says that if you blot the spot with a white rag (to prevent color bleed) dipped in hydrogen peroxide, it will come right up.  I saw her do it at her Christmas party when one of the great grandkids dripped cherry pie filling on the carpet.  It worked.

I have made other homemade cleaners using recipes from like this.   They work and are non-toxic.  I usually stay away from using ammonia, just because it scares me.  And, of course…NEVER mix ammonia and bleach; the fumes are toxic.   I did find that ammonia was one of the few things that would soak baked-on crud off the stove burners, but I still don’t like keeping it in the house.   I do use a combination of baking soda and borax to scrub my shower and toilets and a liquid “all-purpose cleaner” made from water, lemon juice, borax and dish soap for the counter tops.  BAGD is a good sport about these things, he is 100% on board with the flour sack towels, “all purpose cleaner” spray and vinegar water.  He is not comfortable scrubbing the toilets with borax.  He does a good share of the cleaning around here, so I do keep a few store-bought things on hand, to make it easier for him.

I hope you find these tips useful.  Being cheap is not so bad.