Save money on housecleaning! (Part 2)

By mudlark • October 4th, 2008

Now that we all know how to use a few household products for cleaning purposes, what if you still want to save money but you don’t have the time or energy to make your own concoctions?

First, invest in a few microfiber cloths. The synthetic fibers are 80% polyester and 20% polyamide and they are by far my favorite cleaning tool. You can use them on most surfaces without any liquid cleaning agent. Just the cloth alone will clean windows, mirrors, dust your furniture, and do a great job on countertops and lightly soiled surfaces. And no cleaner means you just saved yourself on Windex or whatever it is you would have been cleaning with. If you do need to use a liquid, you’ll need much less of it with a microfiber than you would with a sponge or regular cloth.

Alternatively, stop spending money on cleaning cloths and sponges and start cutting up your old, used t-shirts. They’ll do a nice job and they’re free!

As for cleaning products, if you’re looking to save money the best way to go is concentrated dilutables. 2 you’ll find locally at grocery stores are Clorox GreenWorks and Simple Green. They’re concentrated and can be used for multiple purposes, but if you’re looking for a real go-to product that won’t cost you extra elbow grease and really does walk the green walk, my best recommendation is Shaklee’s Basic H2. It’s what we professionals use, and for good reason. After diluting it, a bottle of window cleaner costs about $0.01, all-purpose cleaner costs about $0.8, and heavy duty degreaser costs around $0.12. Add to the fact that it’s climate neutral, free of petroleum distillates, phalates, endocrine disruptors, respiratory irritants, neurotoxins, and carcinogens, AND that it works better than even most of the conventional (toxic) cleaners on the market, and you’ve got some happy cleaners.

A few more ways to save green while going green on your housecleaning? Try the ’speed cleaning’ method lots of companies use. It’s basically dry cleaning, but I’d only recommend it for relatively clean surfaces (even though many companies out there use it exclusively – even in heavily soiled areas). Basically you use a rag or microfiber cloth, spray just enough cleaner on it for the area you’re going to clean, and wipe, wipe, wipe. No rinsing or water involved. Just wipe away visible dirt and grime. This will cut down a bit on your water usage, but if you’re one of those ‘clean freaks,’ you’ll want to go with the traditional water-based cleaning method your mom and grandma used.

You can also cut back on your cleaning by avoiding the ‘gimmick’ cleaners. You don’t need a separate cleaner for your toilet, your tub and tile, and your shower doors. Save money by buying only what you really need: window/glass, all-purpose, degreaser, furniture polish if you need it, and some sort of disinfectant. You can use those for all areas of your house (including floors). Everything else is a gimmick. Add in a can of Bon Ami or Bar Keepers Friend and you’re good to go for even the toughest spots in your home. Of course, if you were smart you bought a single highly concentrated cleaner that you can use for the windows, all-purpose, and degreaser, like I mentioned above.

Comments(2) Being Green, Cleaning products, Shopping

Comments

By discover on October 5th, 2008 at 2:50 am

Good post! A regular care on housecleaning will help to get rid of stress from the load of work on a single day.

By Teresa on October 5th, 2008 at 11:25 am

Love your blog and your company. Too bad I don’t live closer! I am having a HUGE problem with mold in my shower. PLEASE help. I need to get rid of it and then keep it away…but without using harsh chemicals. I have tried vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide, water-tea-tree oil-lavender oil mixture. Nothing works. I am so frustrated (and disgusted!)
Thanks for your help!