Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Category 1 - Household Cleaning Supplies

Hello again! I am here again to bring you a tip! As i stated in my last post, minimizing categories and what goes in them is key when it comes to frugal living and simplifying. The two go hand in hand which is a wonderful thing! Today's category is household cleaning supplies. For most of us this is a very expensive category, but with the right information it can quickly become one of the least expensive and one of most creative. There are tons of resources on the web for homemade cleaning supplies and some can get a little complicated, but it really shouldn't be! I would like to start very simply with vinegar. Vinegar is a natural softening agent. That means that it can handle anything from greasy counter and stove tops to softening laundry to cleaning mirrors! You can get a large bottle of vinegar and forget buying any of those other cleaning supplies-EVER! So, here's what I suggest for switching to vinegar:
1) Buy a spray bottle from the dollar store or walmart and fill 1/3 - 1/2  with vinegar and fill the rest with water and use in the kitchen for everyday messes.
2) You can buy a second bottle and fill it with 1 part vinegar and 1 part water (half and half) to use for cleaning windows. Wipe clean with a dry rag. If you have any streaks you can use a piece of dry crumpled newspaper to get them out, you can try using a coffee filter instead of a rag as well.
3) For cleaning mirrors, spray undiluted vinegar and dry with a clean rag or coffee filter (use the crumpled news paper if you have any streaks).
4) Stop buying fabric softener by using vinegar instead! I use a downy ball because i can never remember to add softener to the rinse cycle. All you need is 1/4 cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. This also helps maintain your washer. FYI, you will never smell vinegar on your clothes!

These suggestions are for everyday uses, but a little research on other uses will give you endless results. Vinegar can truly eliminate the need for so many household cleaning products and searching for coupons to find them cheaper!

Hope you enjoyed today's tip and found one more way to simplify your life! See ya next time!

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