How do you save on household products?
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How do you save on household products?
| Thu, 04-01-2010 - 10:33am |
Good morning
There were some ideas in another post but I thought I'd start an individual one and we can share ideas and learn.
1. I add water to spray cleaners --saves $$$ and less chemicals.
2. like our grandmothers, use a bowl for scraps from peeling/cutting veggies -- not paper towels.
3. less baggies for storage in refrig. -- reusable containers
4. Shower -- this is long - sorry.

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Great thread idea!
I, too, use a "garbage bowl" for dinner prep scraps and try to use containers rather than plastic bags wherever possible. :)
Also:
1. I've removed many household cleaners from the home and now use distilled white vinegar for a ton of cleaning projects:
* Diluted in a (recycled) spray bottle for general cleanup (countertops, table, windows, floors, etc.)
* Straight up in the washing machine as a fabric softener
2. We're working on scrapping paper towels:
* I keep a clean kitchen towel hanging within reach of the sink, strictly for drying hands. It helps keep me and DH from reaching for the paper towels.
* I keep a stack of kitchen "rags" on the counter for general cleaning - countertops, tables, etc. We have enough that I can just use once and toss into the laundry bag; and they don't really add much to the laundry bulk.
* Microfiber cloths work wonders - used dry for dusting and wiping away cobwebs, or clipped onto the end of my swiffer for dry mopping (instead of using the throw-away branded cloths). I also use a wet microfiber the same way for a quick wet-mopping.
3. I use half the amount of detergent in the dishwasher, and add a tablespoon of baking soda. It's supposed to boost the power of the soap and reduce hard water stains on the dishes.
4. We never use paper plates or cups. (Except maybe if we're having a big barbecue party outside.)
5. We use a handled scrub brush for cleaning dishes/pots/pans etc., rather than sponges or scrubbing pads. The brushes last so much longer, and I get them for about $1 each at the dollar store or Ikea.
That's all I can think of for now - but definitely interested in seeing what others come up with. I'm always looking for new ways to cut down not only on costs, but also on waste!
Oh, I'm an Olay Quench body wash freak!
Norma
"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus
Good ideas, I am looking forward to more
We only us bar soap that we get from Costco in bulk - last time I bought it was 3 years ago, and 4 people shower every day.
I don't clean much, therefore we save on all cleaners.
Instead of using so many paper towels, I also purchase the cheapest napkins I can find, usually the store brand.
Norma
"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble"- Plautus
I'm trying to cut as much as I can so this is a thread I'll be watching.
I too use the laundry sheets to dust things but I have heard it is not a good idea to use those to dust electronic items, wood is fine though to just over it with.
We compost. All year we dump coffee grinds, eggs shells and vegetable matters into our big compost container then put it in the garden in the summer and till it in. Not horse poop but same idea.
I have wild mint growing on our property. I pick and dry it in the summer and crush it for tea in the winter.
I don't use very much paper towel and consider it a waste to use it on anything that isn't really important. These are my importants:
Really messy spills(that don't happen often)
To pick up something I don't want to touch(bug or pet excriment)
To put the bacon on when it comes out of the pan
(these are funny I realize but other wise I use a rag or dish cloth)
I too use vinegar and water to mop the floor. I don't clean often, I guess I am like Marie that way. I do tend to clean the bathroom more though and use a sponge for the floors and rag for the counters and shower with a no name cleanser, and splash in the toilet etc)
Our vacuum is a central vac and I guess BF empties it LOL. My kids vacuum more than I do(that is why I give them allowance right?) Heck I do all the cooking and laundry and bathroom cleaning!! BF does a lot of stuff outside, snow removal lawn care.
I have a jar of cloves and sometimes I will take like a teaspoon and put them in a pot on the stove with water(on low) and they make the whole house smell fantastic. I have had that jar for like 7 years and it is still half full. Expensive pot pouries(sp?) be damned!
Love this post!
I don't use paper towels to drain grease from bacon. I buy a big thing of paper coffee filters at the dollar store and use 2-3 of them instead. They work great.
Then I save them in a margarine container in my fridge, and take them camping - they are my "fire starter" ha ha who says I need a man to build me a fire! lol.
(BTW, we use a permanent washable coffee filter so we don't actually use the paper ones for coffee. They're great for crafts tho! lol!)
I bought an expensive ($30-some) Norwex glass polishing cloth 9 years ago. I don't use windex AT ALL. Not in 9 years...except DH will buy some to clean the outside of the windows in spring. But I wash mirrors, windows, etc with a microfiber cloth and then polish with the norwex cloth. No chemicals. :)
I tear up old sleepers etc as cleaning rags that my kids use. Then I'll go behind them with a cleaner or whatever if it's really needed, but honestly, its usually not.
Disinfectant kills me tho. With the dayhome I HAVE to disinfect the bathroom, light switches, door handles etc constantly or we'd always be sick. But one spray can goes much further than those lysol wipes do.
I use a microfiber mop on my hardwood, not a swiffer. I use it with NO chemicals whatsoever. Floors still get pretty darn clean! DH likes to do hands & knees though.
I do have a swiffer that I'll use the dry cloths (generic) for occasional "dusting" my hardwood but seeing as how I have to mop every 2 days, that's not often.
Comet. People really undervalue comet. It can clean ANYTHING, it's cheap, and it works. I have 3 BIG bathtubs to clean, and I use to go through scrub-free or greenworks bathroom cleaner like crazy. Then I hired a cleaner, and she used comet. I was shocked - but my tubs sparkled!
~ Mom to 5 ~
"I think that is about it - mostly I save by just not cleaning."
Marie, I just about have tears coming out of my eyes from laughing so hard.
Robyn CL- Debt Support Group
I don't use a lot of the fancy cleaners, I use mostly vinegar and baking soda.
I like scented shower gels too and was going through lots of it, but then I got one of those shower puffs, (kinda like a kitchen scrubbie but for people) and I find I only have to use a small amount of shower gel on it and it lathers up majorly.
I reuse disposable containers (marg tubs, kfc chicken bowls, etc)
I use mostly cloth towels in my kitchen I do have papertowel on hand for the really yucky messes.
I use dryer balls for my dryer so that eliminates dryer sheets.
I try to reuse things at least twice before putting into garbage or recycle. ie- plastic bags, envelopes, etc
We stick the old bar of soap to the new one. (I used to save the soap bits and make a new bar, but that was more of a PITA. )
lol, I like your style. I think next time DH comes home and the house is a mess I'll tell him it's because I'm practicing frugal housekeeping lol.
You know what I use for dusting? Old socks. All the socks that are too worn out for wear get put in the rag bag. You slip them on your hand like a mitt and dust away. Also, if you cut off whats left of the toe and slice them down the middle they make pretty decent wash cloths.
For windows and mirrors I use newspaper. It doesn't leave any streaks.
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