Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Cleaning your home can quickly become a pricey endeavor. And if you’re anything like me, that makes the experience twice as painful. However, many homemade cleaners can be easily made with some of the same ingredients. Here are 5 of my favorite simple recipes that take little time to make and keep your home shiny, too.
Laundry Detergent
I’ve been making our own laundry detergent for years. I use it in our HE machine and it always gets our clothes clean and smelling fresh. I simply combine 1 cup of Borax to 1 cup of Washing Soda to 1/2 cup of Oxi-clean (or the generic version). Then you use only 1 T per load. If you have an HE machine, you will want to put the detergent in directly with the clothes rather than using the detergent dispenser.
Fabric Softener
Did you know you can replace your fabric softener with simple white vinegar? You can use a fabric softener dispenser ball (like the one Downy sells) or you can put it straight into the fabric softener dispenser or your machine. I promise you won’t smell like a salad or Easter eggs. And the vinegar also brightens your whites as it softens, too.
All Purpose Cleaner
White Vinegar also makes a great glass/floor/all purpose cleaner. Simply add equal parts of vinegar and hot water along with a quick squeeze of dish soap (think Dawn) and shake together in a spray bottle (buy it at the dollar store). From stovetops to grimy kitchen floors, this is a fabulous all purpose cleaner. For a straight up glass and mirror cleaner, simply fill your spray bottle with just white vinegar.
Drain Cleaner
Have a slow drain? Add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup (depending on the size of your sink) of baking soda to your drain. Chase it with 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar (proportionate to your baking soda amount). Stand back watch your 2nd grade science project bubble up. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes and then chase it with 2 cups of almost boiling water. Repeat if necessary. This also works perfectly as a toilet bowl cleaner, too.
Furniture Polish
I love this simple furniture polish recipe! Combine 1/4 cup of white vinegar with a few drops of olive oil in an empty spray bottle and shake.
Keeping your home clean doesn’t have to be costly. I’d love to hear the recipes of your favorite homemade cleaners in the comments!
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
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