Frugal Cleaning Tips

After this post I am hoping that you will be inspired to toss out all your toxic, expensive cleaners and replace them with all natural, frugal versions. I know that I am one who hates to clean with stinky cleaners that make me feel like I should be wearing a gas mask to use them or burn my skin and eyes. I especially hate to use things with bleach. The smell alone is enough to make me gag. You should have seen me when I was pregnant.

Here are the items that I feel should be in everyone's cleaning bucket...

Baking soda
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Spray bottle
Old rags
Stainless Steel Scrubber

What can you do with the above items?

Toilet cleaner - Vinegar works well for this along with a stainless steel scrubber and toilet brush.

Stopped up drain- Check out Laura's post here on how to clean out a clogged drain with vinegar, baking soda, an old rag, and boiling water. I used to do something like this. It really does work.

Mirrors - Vinegar in a spray bottle. It smells odd at first, but the smell goes away once it dries.

Soap scum - I use some baking soda with a scrubbing sponge or old rag. It works really well.

Stainless steal cleaner - The same as soap scum. I have been able to get really old stains off of my stainless steel sink this way.

Counter tops - You can use a combination of vinegar (or lemon juice) and baking soda to clean between grout on tile counters (and floors). You can run some vinegar on counter tops to cut through grime.

Fabric softener - Vinegar wins again. Put some in the rinse cycle. I use a fabric softener ball that opens in the rinse cycle so I don't have to remember to add it. I promise your cloths will not smell like vinegar at all.

Deodorizer - Baking soda is a wonderful frugal deodorizer for many areas of your home, not just the fridge. Don't forget about homemade deodorant.

Carpet Spills - Pour baking soda on spills and allow it to soak up the liquid. You then vacuum up the mess. This is also a great way to get smells out of carpet. I once used it to get the smell of vomit out of my carpet. I let it sit most of the day and then vacuumed, no more smell.

Laundry Detergent Booster - Add baking soda to your laundry to help remove stains.

Furniture Cleaner - I usually dust with a clean, damp rag. You can then go over your wood furniture with a small amount of olive oil. Make sure to test it in a small area first to make sure it will not stain.

Clean Produce - Sprinkle baking soda onto your produce and use a clean rag to help scrub off chemicals and finger prints.

And so much more! To check out all the ways you can use baking soda check out the Arm and Hammer Site here.

You can always buy generic, but to make Arm and Hammer cheaper you can get coupons here.