Dallas, TX – In this tough economy it’s more important than ever to try and save a few dollars where you can. Cleaning supplies you use in your home can be expensive and in some cases harmful to your family so finding a way to save money on these items while minimizing the risk to your health is a good idea.
The first thing you can do to save money on cleaning supplies is to try a few homemade alternatives to commercial products. These homemade solutions are just as effective as many commercial cleaners for the average cleaning job and can save you a lot of money as well. White vinegar is a great alternative to many cleaners and if it is mixed with equal parts water and put in a spray bottle can help you with a lot of cleaning jobs around the house. It is great in the kitchen for cleaning most surfaces and will remove grease as well. It can be used on windows and will leave them clean and streak-free. It’s also great in the bathroom for getting the scale and soap buildup off of your shower and won’t hurt your eyes like some commercial cleaners. Another great alternative is baking soda. This can be sprinkled on a surface or a sponge and used like any other commercial cleaning powder. It is great for getting baked on stains off of most surfaces in your kitchen and bathroom and won’t scratch the surface like a lot of the harsher commercial products might.
If you do need to buy commercial cleaners to use for those really tough stains, try and stick to store brands to save money. In most cases the store labeled brands contain the same ingredients as the brand name products and cost substantially less money. In some cases they are even produced by the same company and simply labeled for the store. Compare them the next time you’re shopping and you’ll be surprised how much you can save.
Another great idea is to look for a multi-purpose cleaner instead of many of the specialty products. Cleaning product companies have gotten very specific in their branding and you can end up buying a different cleaner for every issue in your home. This can get expensive and also be dangerous as many of these cleaners don’t interact well if they come in contact with each other. Try and find two different multi-purpose cleaners that you can use. One should be a spray and the other a gel or powder for scrubbing. This way you can use these when the homemade solutions you mixed up won’t handle a stain. The trick is to try the homemade solutions first and if they don’t work, then reach for the commercial cleaners. This can save you a lot of money as the homemade products will cover most of your needs and you’ll use a lot less of the commercial products as a result.
The last trick is to try new products that a company releases. Many companies will market a new product at a great discount to get you to try it and you can save a lot of money by searching out these new products. Also, be sure to look for coupons both in the paper and online for the products you need to buy. There is a big profit margin on many of these cleaners and these coupons can represent a substantial savings for you on your next shopping trip.