Bleach, mould remover, carpet cleaner… do you really need all of these expensive cleaning supplies to keep your house sparkling?
The truth is that you don’t need to fork out a wad of money every month to make sure your home is clean and tidy. There are tons of hacks and ways to save money on cleaning, and if you also want to save time, you can hire a company that offers domestic cleaning in Melbourne.
If you are looking for simple ways to clean more and pay less, follow these tips so you can start saving right away.
Eight Incredible Hacks for Cleaning Your House on a Budget
From white vinegar to reusable supplies, there are lots of little-known tricks you can use to save a lot of money on cleaning products and still have a super-clean home.
1. White Vinegar Solves (Almost) Everything
Do your windows need cleaning? Use white vinegar. Sink a bit stained? Reach for the white vinegar. Pesky weeds on the patio? You guessed it: white vinegar solves the problem.
A fantastic clean-all solution, white vinegar is cheap and easy to find in any supermarket.
For windows, general cleaning, or limescale removal, mix a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. For stronger stains or garden weeds, use neat white vinegar.
The added benefit of using vinegar as a cleaning product is that, unlike cleaning chemicals, it’s pet- and child-friendly.
2. Buy Wholesale Packs
Bulk-buying works particularly well for cleaning products when you’re trying to save money, for two reasons.
First, you know you’re going to use the product, so it won’t get wasted.
Second, unlike wholesale food, cleaning supplies don’t perish! So even if it takes you a year to get through a bulk pack, you’ve saved money throughout the year on your cleaning products.
You can double-down on the savings too: bulk buy multi-purpose products. This way, you’re able to save on buying lots of separate products as well as save using the wholesale rate.
3. Invest in Reusable Products
Reusable products, such as washable cloths and dryer balls, are a little more expensive when you buy them – but you save lots of money in the long run.
Reusable products are also better for the environment, reducing waste produced from typical disposable products like antibacterial wipes.
Microfiber towels, for example, can be used for a wide range of cleaning duties such as dusting and wiping kitchen counters. They are very absorbent, which means you can easily mop up spills and wring them out instead of using lots of paper towels, too.
4. Make Your Own Scrubbies
Instead of buying sponges and scourers for the kitchen, make your own scrubbies! These are handmade scourer-type pads that are crocheted using a rough yarn, usually with a nylon content for durability.
There are lots of free scrubbies patterns available online, and it’ll teach you a new skill, too! Making your own will help you to reduce waste – and they’re easy to clean, too.
Creating your own scrubbies also helps your utensils, hob, and surfaces stay gleaming for longer, as they’re less likely to scratch surfaces than metal scourers.
5. Go for Own-Brand Products
The own-brand bleach that costs less than a dollar will do the same job as the branded bleach that’s three times as expensive.
Cleaning supplies are heavily regulated, which means generic products contain the same active ingredients as the branded ones.
Next time you’re in the supermarket, compare generic cleaning supplies with the branded equivalent. You may be surprised at how similar they are to each other!
You can also use less of a product than is recommended on the manufacturer’s instructions to make your cleaning product go further.
6. Use Every Last Drop
Make sure you’re using every last drop of your cleaning product before you replace it.
Tip the bottle upside-down, or use a small splash of water to rinse out the last of the product for a final use.
You can also invest in day-to-day usage savers, such as a liquid soap foaming dispenser, that’ll use far less of a product each time.
7. Shop Online Via Cashback Sites
Whenever possible, buy your cleaning products online to maximise your savings. Use a cashback site, such as Topcashback or Quidco, to earn cashback on your purchases.
These sites also often offer coupon codes or special discounts, further improving your savings potential.
It doesn’t cost you anything to use a cashback website, but it’ll see you slowly build up a tidy sum of cashback that you can use to splurge on yourself – instead of cleaning supplies!
8. Reach for the Baking Soda
You know when your plastic food storage tubs get stained with tomato sauce? Or when there’s a very musty smell coming from your carpet thanks to pets?
Baking soda will come to your rescue!
Baking soda, or baking powder, has a huge range of useful cleaning properties. You can use it to deodorise a stinky fridge or even remove your child’s spontaneous crayon wall art.
Much like white vinegar, baking powder is cheap and very easy to find in shops. You’ll find it so useful you’ll need to stock up by the pound!
Keep Pets and Children in Mind with Budget Cleaning Supplies
When you’re cutting costs on cleaning supplies, consider the people and pets in your home too.
It could be worth investing in a slightly more expensive multi-purpose eco-cleaner, for example, if it’s safe to use around pets and children.
Using a cheap cleaner that’s dangerous around animals and young children could risk expensive vet and medical bills! Be sure to weigh up the safety of your household with your cleaning supply choices.
The good news is that many cheap cleaning products, like white vinegar and baking soda, are perfectly safe to use!
Start over with a Deep Clean
The best way to reduce the cost of your cleaning supplies is to get ahead of your regular housework. Cleaning little and often will help you to use less product, as you’ll need to remove less grime and dirt each time you clean.
However, sometimes we all need a little professional help. A professional deep clean is worth the investment: you’ll have a fresh starting point to make sure you’re on top of your household cleaning once and for all.
Paying for a cleaning service might feel like a contradiction to saving money on supplies – but think of the time it’ll save you on removing years of tough grime.
Book our cleaning services today and get started on your new cleaning regime!
