Are You Still Throwing Away Your Money on Expensive Commercial Cleaners?

Are you tired of throwing away your hard earned cash at the register? And you don't know where else you can save even though you want to save more money. Have you checked your cleaning cabinet? If you're still using commercial cleaners, you're running up your grocery bill unnecessarily buying expensive commercial cleaning supplies. You're a smart, savvy buyer, so why are you buying commercial cleaning products... just because that's what you think will clean better? You already know that homemade cleaners can help preserve our earth, but perhaps you've never believed a homemade product could clean as well as a commercial solution. They can, and do. 

Science shows that the ingredients already in your pantry are every bit as effective as the ones in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, as long as you only make enough to use at the time of cleaning. Leaving the leftovers to sit until it's time to use them again will reduce their effectiveness because the blended products break down over time. Buying commercial products is more expensive, but it's also potentially more dangerous. If you've ever been around a pregnant woman, you may know that the doctor prescribes her to stay away from certain cleaning products because the fumes are dangerous. Then why expose yourself and your family to chemicals that might be dangerous to your lungs?

By spending your hard earned money on costly chemicals, you're putting your budget and health in danger. Has fear of wasting time or effort stopped you from mixing your own cleaning cocktails? You don't have to be afraid of wasting time or getting it wrong anymore. Arming yourself with recipes that work and how-to's that make it easy, then organizing your cleaning cabinet to support your new strategy, will help you slash your margin of error to nothing.

You can make saving money at the grocery store as simple as stirring a bucket. Many people overspend on cleaners because they buy too many. You don't need a special cleaner for everything. The cleaner you use to scrub the toilet can be the same cleaner you use for the sink and bathtub. The cleaner you use on the floors can be used on counter tops and cabinets as well. Most households require only one all-purpose cleaner, a window cleaner, and a furniture polish. These are all fast, easy and inexpensive to make. 

You probably already have most of these products in your pantry. These following five ingredients will help you whip up effective solutions in no time:

*Baking Soda

*Lemon juice

*Vinegar

*Liquid dish soap

*Vegetable or olive oil

Use cleaning bottles you already have on hand, to eliminate the need to buy anything extra. Just be sure to empty and rinse them until no more bubbles appear, then give them time to dry before adding your homemade money saving solutions.

Also, be sure you label each bottle and keep it for its own purpose. No mixing.

Place these recipes on index cards, and then post them on the inside of your cleaning cabinet door so you can refer to them later.

Glass Cleaner

*1 gallon of water

*1/2 tsp liquid dish soap

*1/2 c vinegar

Mix them together in a spray bottle, and then shake until soap dissolves. Using a lint-free towel, clean your windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces to a spot-free shine.

All Purpose Cleaner

*1/2 tsp baking soda

*2 c hot water

*A few drops of liquid dish soap

Mix in a spray bottle and shake well to dissolve. Use with a sponge or towel to clean almost any surface in your home.

Furniture Polish

*1/2 c lemon juice

*1 c vegetable oil

Mix in a bottle and apply to surface with a lint-free towel to polish furniture and hardwood floors.

Note: Do not put more oil than necessary as it will ruin the shine on items.

A couple of important notes:

If you experiment with any homemade cleaning recipes, be smart and do your homework. These solutions are made up of chemicals, and you should always take precautions when mixing chemicals.

Precautions to take:

*Do NOT mix chlorine bleach and vinegar.

*Do NOT mix acids (like vinegar and lemon juice) with alkalis (like baking soda and ammonia).

*Mix in an area of proper ventilation.

*Make only what you can use within a few days.

*Do NOT keep mixed solutions within reach of children.

There you have it, three recipes for cleaning cocktails that will help you stay under-budget without sacrificing a single sparkle of clean.

~Happy Cleaning~