Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Clean Up and Save - Regular Household Products Offer Effective Cleaning Solutions

There's no need to stock up on pricey store-bought cleaning products to really clean up at home. Many of the items we usually keep on hand in our kitchens or laundry rooms can serve multiple purposes and help with an assortment of tasks. Being resourceful with these products is a great way to save cash (and cut down on trips to the store for specialty purchases).

My mom was a big fan of baking soda. Not only is its slightly abrasive action ideal for scrubbing floors and counter tops (as well as whitening teeth, when used on gentle occasion), but it also possesses odor-absorbing properties. Sprinkle some on the carpet when it's time to vacuum, or mix a little in with your kitty litter. Baking soda actually neutralizes odors and doesn't just mask them like perfumed cleaning agents do.

Vinegar is a terrific substance for cleaning hard chemical residue from your stainless sink or tea kettle. If you live in an area that has hard water, this is truly helpful! You can even set out a cup of vinegar to absorb odor from cigarettes if there is a smoker in your house. Vinegar (the pure white variety, not balsamic) can be poured into a bathtub to help cut down on discoloration and remove soap residue. Be sure to put the drain plug down and let the vinegar sit for an hour or so. It works great as a glass cleaner as well, and can also be mixed with a little water to run through your coffee maker (this cleans out build up from the grounds and will actually improve the flavor in your coffee). Be sure to run a rinse of clean water through the coffee maker after running the vinegar; that way you won't end up with any bitter vinegar taste in your first pot.

Your common household bleach has many cleaning and disinfecting uses. It can eliminate germs and bacteria, as well as mold and mildew (making it especially useful in bathrooms). Put some in a small spray bottles, mix with water and keep on hand to spray on doorknobs and appliance handles, as well as on counter tops for a quick clean up. This is such a helpful and such a low-priced product! There are 'scented' bleaches out now, but those really aren't necessary. Regular traditional bleach has a pleasantly clean scent and, honestly, no amount of fragrant additives are going to make any bleach smell like a 'spring meadow' or 'fresh mountain.'

Inexpensive cleaning scrubs like the old standbys Clorox or Borax are must-haves in any home as well. Borax is typically a laundry additive, but it can also help deodorize your trash cans and is a good cleaner for walls; mix with a little warm water and sponge down the surface of your walls. Then just rinse with warm water and dry. Clorox can be used for the same purpose, and it's always affordable. We use this product often in our home to clean bathroom counter tops and scrub the floors. It helps remove crayon marks from vinyl flooring, too. I personally like the light green tint in Clorox; it makes it easy to see if you've left any residue behind so you can be sure to rinse and wipe away any of the cleaning substance.

For another money-saving tip (moving on to some more high-tech modern solutions) look at ways to consolidate your household bills. When you have technology services like a home phone landline, internet and satellite TV, there are providers, or provider partnerships, that offer the option to "bundle" your home communication services. That means you can get multiple technology services under one plan with one convenient monthly bill. This helps to clean up your bill-paying process!

There are many fun and frugal ways to save money and clean up your household budget with some resourceful at-home planning.

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