A-B-C Frugality

Clean Home, Healthy Home: Green Your Products and Save $360 a Year or More

If you are spending an average of $30 a month on cleaning products for your home, you could save over $360 a year by making your own cleaning products.  The following is a room by room list of products in your home that can be replaced with a combination of three simple (and very cheap) ingredients:  baking soda, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol, all three of which can be picked up for free or under a buck at your local CVS or Walgreens.  Bonus benefits: your home with be cleaned without harsh chemicals that could harm children or pets, and creating these concoctions takes less time than running to the store to grab a bottle of 409—plus you’ll save a ton of room in your cleaning closet (which leaves more room to stockpile toothpaste, hooray). For more helpful advice on living greener, check out LighterSaferGreener.

In the Kitchen

Drain Cleaner &  Deodorizer: Pour ½ box baking soda down the drain. Add white vinegar until the foam begins to bubble over.  Let the foam settle, then repeat until all the baking soda is gone.  To deodorize and sharpen the blades in your garbage disposal, run ½ lemon and some ice cubes down the disposal every few weeks.

Microwave Cleaner: Microwave a bowl of ½ vinegar and ½ water for two minutes.  Wearing rubber gloves, dip a sponge into the mixture and wipe down the inside of the microwave.  The heat steam cleans all the food off the surface, and the acid in the vinegar deodorizes.

Dishwasher Rinse Agent & Dishwasher Cleaner: Use vinegar in place of a chemical rinse agent.  Alternatively, fill the detergent well with vinegar and run it, empty, through a wash cycle. This cleans the entire dishwasher including the heating elements.  Bonus tip: throw your sponges in the empty cycle to sanitize and deodorize them.

Degreaser: Use vinegar, diluted or straight, as an inexpensive degreaser.  Simply put in a spray bottle and go to work.

Fruit & Vegetable Wash: Use equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle to wash fruits and vegetables as soon as you get them home from the supermarket.

Ajax/Scouring Powder: As a mild abrasive with the cleansing power of Ajax, use baking soda and a scouring pad or sponge.

In the Living Room or Bedroom

Dusting Spray & Furniture Polish: Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice in a spray bottle.  Using a scrap of old flannel or an old sock, lightly and evenly buff furniture or shelving to dust and polish.  The lemon juice has the power to dissolve dirt and smudges while the olive oil restores shine and moisture.

Carpet Stain Remover: Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar into 2 tablespoons baking soda to form a paste. Work into stains with an old toothbrush and allow to dry.  Vacuum up baking soda when dry and stain should be removed.

Carpet Refreshing Powder: Stir baking soda in bowl with your favorite essential oils until lightly scented. Sprinkle powder into carpeting to remove odors and lightly scent the carpet. Vacuum well.

In the Bathroom

Glass Cleaner & Chrome/Stainless Steel Cleaner: Mix 1 cup water with 1 cup Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and 1 tablespoon white vinegar.  Use as a cleanser and polisher for glass, mirrors, chrome bathroom fixtures, door knobs, or ceramic tiling.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Pour 1 to 2 cups of undiluted white vinegar into the toilet bowl and swish with a toilet brush. The acidity kills viruses, bacteria and mold while removing stains and absorbing odors.

Mold and Mildew Remover: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew bacteria.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes for maximum bacteria killing power.

Around the Home

Laundry Booster: Adding one cup of white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle has many benefits as a laundry booster, including whitening your whites and brightening  your colors while preventing dye in any new clothing from running, eliminating static cling and preventing lint from forming, killing any bacteria present in your laundry, softens laundry while neutralizing any odors present and has the added bonus of removing soap residue from your clothing and your machine, keeping your washer running in top condition.

Windshield Washer Fluid: Did you know you can make your own?  Mix equal parts vinegar and water and replace your vehicle’s windshield washer fluid with this frugal version to save money and cut through grease, dirt and bug grime on your windshield.

Tire Cleaner: Mix baking soda and water to form a paste.  Rub onto tires and scrub with a stiff brush to cut grease, brake dust and grime from your tires and rims.

Bonus Tip:  Scenting Your Homemade Cleaning Concoctions

1. The fresh-from-the-garden approach:  Add fresh flower petals or herbs to desired strength (the more you add to the bottle, the stronger the scent).  Let steep for at least 10 days and then remove.  Use as desired.
2. Add essential oils directly to the vinegar to desired scent.  Suggestions:  lavender or rose for use in laundry products, or peppermint or citrus for cleaning usage.  My favorite combination is 2-3 drops each citrus and rosemary essential oils to 1 cup white vinegar for a delicious and clean smell that rivals Pine Sol and is much better for the environment and safer for your kids.