If you are leading a fast-paced life, you are most likely to have great drain on your budget. Bills, food, rent, pocket money for your kids, money to spoil yourself and many many more expenses.
You probably pay an arm and a leg for cleaning products, don’t you? Life is too short to pour money down the drain. Here are few tips on how to lower your budget for cleaning!
Use dish soap and plain water
Did you know that you can clean many surfaces and worktops by using only plain water and dish soap? Why would you spend a fortune for cleaning products when you can buy dish soap for a song? It is a good fortune that it has many other uses such as removing stains from carpets, cleaning windows or worktops. Broadly speaking, it can clean almost everything in your house. It works great for removing stains and accumulated grime. What is even more important, it is cheap!
Use a store brand
Most people choose the brand they trust not because of its effectiveness but because the brand sells itself. However, often there is a store brand of the very same product that works just as well at a lower price. When you go the store, take your time to compare the ingredients. Trust me, more store brands sanitise and disinfect just as well as costly cleansers.
Make it simple
Living in a such modern world, there is a cleaner for almost everything. If you have a cleaner for each area, sooner or later your closet will overflow. You may not know it but many detergents can be used for multi purposes. If you really want to lower your budget for cleaning, buy all-purpose cleansers. Save your expensive products for very tough challenges, and only if others do not do the trick. You may be amazed at how little effort you need to do in order to keep your home sanitised.
Do the cleaning daily
Doing the chores on a daily basis has to become your habit. Doing even a little bit of the chores will reduce the need for buying expensive and more powerful detergents. Most fresh stains can be cleaned only with dish soap and water. Luckily, spillages that are hand wiped immediately do not need tougher cleanser to be removed. Fall into the habit of maintaining your home on a daily basis, and you will not find yourself in need of speciality detergents and expensive solutions.
Another plus of doing the chores daily is that if you live in a rented property, sooner or later your tenancy will come to an end and the final cleaning will be a lot easier for you. Take a look at this model end of tenancy cleaning checklist before we move on to the other budget-friendly cleaning tips. You can also use it for you regular cleaning.
Kitchen:
– remove mould
– remove limescale
– shine sinks and taps
– clean appliances inside/outside (dishwasher, toaster, fridge, microwave, etc.)
– mop floors, vacuum area rugs
– wipe cabinets, drawers, counter tops and other surfaces
– empty bins
Bedrooms:
– wipe all surfaces and pieces of furniture
– dust lampshades, light switches, fittings, fixtures, baseboards, ceiling fans, plugs, knick-knackery, etc.
– vacuum carpets
– clean closets and wardrobes
– wash windows (plus edges and sills)
– wash mirrors and other glass surfaces
– remove cobwebs
Bathrooms:
– remove mould
– remove limescale
– wash shower screens and bathtubs
– disinfect toilet
– shine sinks and taps
– mop floors
– dust surfaces
– empty bins
– wash mirrors and other glass surfaces
Now lets take a look at a few more tips.
Make own cleaners
We can assure you that you have a plethora of supplies you can use to make your own cleaning products. For example, white vinegar is an amazing multi-purpose cleaner. Baking soda can be used for cleaning many different surfaces and worktops without damaging them. On the other hand, lemon juice is a natural bleacher and degreaser.
Clutter control
Controlling the clutter around your home is an important part of maintaining your home. The less things you have in your home, the less things you have to clean. The good news is that you can earn extra cash by throwing a yard sale. Letting go of those things you do not need anymore can cut the designated cleaning time and expenses.
Use reusable rags and mops
Without a question, disposable items are handy but can you imagine buying such over and over again? If you have enough money to pour down the drain, great. If not, pick items that you can reuse. You can use microfiber cloths for dusting and wiping. Getting a reusable item can save you a lot of expenses.