Saving money on cleaning products

CLEANING WITHOUT BLOWING THE BUDGET


The following are basic things that we have tried and work well. We save money and don't come in contact with harmful chemicals. Safe for our family, safe for the environment and we reduce waste by reducing our carbon footprint.

White Vinegar

Spray bottle and white vinegar.

A gallon of white vinegar costs less than $2.00

#1. Use full strength to clean the grease off stove top and disinfect any area you would use commercial chemicals (like commodes, bathroom fixtures, etc)

#2. Spray on ants that invade your home. Spray around areas where they are prone to enter your home.

#3. Dilute with warm water and spray lightly and mop wood/laminate flooring and tiles. It leaves everything clean and shinny, while it disinfects.

#4. Diluted with water will clean and shine bathroom mirrors and remove toothpaste from every surface.

#5. If out of alcohol to clean a cut, use vinegar, it will kill germs and disinfect just as well by changing the PH in which bacteria thrives.

#6. A couple of drops in the ear will relieve "swimmer's ear", stop and ear infection (we have used this successfully for years) by changing the PH that bacteria/germs need to "cling" to. (we have not had an ear infection in years and our kids have not needed to use antibiotics)

#7. Use to clean car and house windows, remove hand oils and grease from steering wheels, shine chrome wheels and faucets.

#8. Marinate meat and poultry in your favorite mixture and add a little vinegar to tenderize meats and keep them juicier while cooking. It also shortens cooking time.

#9. Use in rinse cycle in your washing machine to brighten up dull dark clothes.

#10. Use white distilled vinegar to remove deposits from the inside of your coffee machine.

#11. Add a few drops when boiling eggs to keep them from cracking.

#12. Hard water stains can be removed by rinsing with white vinegar (shower glass doors, car hoods, etc).

#13. It makes a wonderful low-fat, low-calorie dressing by mixing (to taste) some white vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic/onion powder and cilantro. Yummy!!!

There are many more and as time goes by we find more and more uses for white distilled vinegar.

BAKING SODA

I can't imagine anything more versatile that baking soda, it is widely used in cooking and baking, but cleaning is just one discovery after another as we go through life and make bigger messes.

#1. Remove persistent odors from garbage pail, refrigerators, freezer, pet and human odors in carpet, etc by either placing a small container in these areas or spraying liberally over carpet and vacuuming after 10/15 minutes.

#2. Add to solution in shampooer to remove both pet and human odors.

#3. Add to laundry detergent to soften water, use less detergent, brighten clothes and remove stains in colors.

#4. Add to hot water wash when doing white loads to remove gray from socks and perspiration stains from clothing (yellowing).

#5. Make a paste with water and easily wipe away scuff marks from linoleum without ruining the shine.

#6. Add to water bucket (dissolve completely) when mopping tile floors.

#7. Throw over fire (on wood, upholstery or stove fire) to put it out.

#8. Soaking dirty underwear, cloth diapers, badly stain clothes in baking soda and then washing will remove most persistent stains and odors.

#9. Nasty smells in stainless steel water bottles are gone after letting a solution of baking soda and water sit a while in the container.

#10. Soak gold/silver jewelery NOT PEARLS in a tin foil container filled with hot water, salt and baking soda. It will remove tarnish and leave the jewelry sparkling.

#11. Run your dishwasher with baking soda in the bottom to clean it, add it to the bottom while doing a full load to use less detergent and avoid "etching" on glasses caused by hard water.

#12. Clean and shine without scratching your bathtub, tiles, and fixtures.

#13. Use it to brush your teeth and whiten your teeth. Gargle with a mixture to eliminate bad breath.

#14. One teaspoon dissolved in water will reduce stomach acid. My grand-uncle used it after every meal to avoid/reduce heartburn.

#15. Make a paste with water and apply directly to insect bites/poison ivy, etc.

#16. Add to your bath water to soften hard water and enjoy a bath that is good for your skin.

#17. Pour into your kitchen sink drain and let it sit for 10 minutes, then pour boiling hot water and it will remove that nasty smell that comes from the pipes, will dissolve gunk in the pipes as well.

#18 Baking soda and vinegar make for a great volcano effect for kid's science project but it also dissolves grease in kitchen pipes. (Regular maintenance makes this easier, I suggest once a week)

#19. Silverware sparkles after rubbing with baking soda (rinse and dry afterwards).

#20. Dissolve baking soda in warm water and let it sit in smelly plastic containers for about 15 minutes. The smell will be gone and most stains will come out.

PEACE to you and yours.