How to save big money on cleaning supplies
Does your stash of cleaning supplies look something like this?
That’s a photo of our cupboard, which contained the following cleaning supplies: Resolve, Lysol disinfectant, regular size 409 (and a jumbo 409 refill bottle, not pictured), Oxiclean Miracle Foam, CLR, Windex, Lysol Mildew Remover, Mr. Clean, Simple Green, Clorox Wipes, and Barkeeper’s Friend.
I did a quick calculation using Froogle, and figured up that we’d probably spent a little over $87 on those supplies. (Plus tax.)
That’s $87 and countless fumes and chemicals, when all we really needed to do was to spend about $6 on these supplies instead:
That’s right, a bottle of white vinegar made from grains, some Barkeeper’s Friend, and some baking soda will do the exact same jobs as all of the products listed above. Without all the toxicity. You can get the chemicals out of your house, reduce clutter, help the environment, and save money — all at the same time. After all, wouldn’t you rather spend that $87 on something to EAT when you go to the grocery store?
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March 1st, 2008 at 9:39 am
Does vinegar and baking soda really clean just as well as the others? I used to buy Pinesol and Simple Green all the time, but they gave me headaches. Saturday mornings – cleaning day – I used to open the windows while we cleaned just to circulate the air. I’d love to find earth friendly, cheaper substitutes. But do they provide the same results? Plus the nice and clean smell??
And by the way, I couldn’t help to notice your counter tops in the 2nd photo. They are beautiful!
March 1st, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Yes, it totally does. In fact I cleaned our kitchen floor with just a little bit of vinegar mixed with water, and afterwards my husband came and and said “wow it looks like the floor is brand new”. It did too, and the spots came off it LOTS easier than they did when I used a swiffer or Mr. Clean.
And thanks about the countertops :)
March 1st, 2008 at 6:23 pm
What is Bar Keeper’s friend? I’m not familiar with that product.
And, to the first poster– vinegar and baking soda DEFINITELY do the job!
March 1st, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Barkeeper’s Friend is a mild abrasive. You can use it for cleaning things like showers, ceramic topped stoves, etc. It really works well. We just get it at the grocery store.
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:45 am
Another great way to reduce cleaning agent supplies costs is to clean less.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Do you have ratios/recipes and suggestions for use? For example, what mixture of products should I use for my floors, toilets, tubs, etc?
March 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Nan, we’ve got that method down pat :)
Shemeka, for the toilet you’re supposed to use straight vinegar. Same goes for showers, tubs, mirrors — just put it in a spray bottle first. For floors, you can use a bucket filled with water + 1 cup of vinegar. I’m not big on measuring though, so I just slosh some in & then add the water.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Oh, also, the Barkeeper’s friend you use by itself. I use it on sinks & tile, and will be trying it on the stove. Baking soda is for when you need a paste to get stuff out, then you mix that with water. (Or you can pour some down the drain & then add vinegar to clear clogs.)
March 8th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
i told my BF to use a baking soda mix on a “black” down draft stove!!!!!!! boy, was that a lamebrain move. member, kids at home, don’t use it on black shiny surfaces…..it effed it up! :(
September 12th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Thank you so much for this post and your comments on how to use these 3 products. Saves money, it’s green, and great for allergy sufferers. Thanks. :-)