How to Save Money on House Cleaning Supplies

One reliable way to save money on cleaning products is to clip coupons. In stores that take double coupons, or often sell products under buy one get one free promotions, you can occasionally walk away with free cleaning supplies. Still, this is not my preferred way to save money on cleaning. Here are my tips to saving money on house cleaning and supplies.

Use vinegar as a cleaning solution. Vinegar works great as an all-purpose cleaner. When mixed 50-50 with water, vinegar will disinfect and deodorize your home. If you have the way vinegar smells, do not worry, the smell fades rather quickly.

Use hydrogen peroxide as a cleaning solution. If you ever wondered what makes Oxy-clean and similar products work so well, it is the addition of hydrogen peroxide to the cleaning agent. You can use hydrogen peroxide to clean any protein based stain, on carpets, grout, in laundry, and to deodorize and disinfect your home. It is not recommended on floors, as it will strip your finish.

Bonus: Use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide together. You spray both our vinegar solution and your hydrogen peroxide solution of tough stains and areas that need deep cleaning. Do not mix them in the same bottle; just spray the solution from each bottle on the dirt.

Use Lemon Juice to clean with. If you have soap scum and hard water deposits, you can use fresh lemons to eliminate the problems. I first found out about the cleaning power of lemons when I saw my father in law use one to clean a pan after cooking fish. It cut the smell immediately, and left no traces of grease in the pan. It worked better than a scouring pad. For tough stains, sprinkle baking soda on the lemon and scrub with that. Lemon juice mixed with water also makes a great deodorizer, and when mixed with olive oil, polishes wood furniture nicely.

Cheaper cleaning rags: Stop using paper towels and sponges to clean. Instead, get two buckets, one for clean rags and one for used rags. Cut up old t-shirts and old towels and keep them in your clean bucket until needed. In addition to recycled cleaning rags, you can purchase micro fiber cleaning cloths at the dollar store. (You can clean your home with Micro fiber cleaning cloths and water alone. Often, cleaning solutions are not needed) When your dirty bucket is full, wash your cloths and start over again. Instead of purchasing Swifter refills you can attach your rags, especially your microfiber cloth for great results.