Keeping clean doesn't have to cost armloads of cash. And if you've seen the price of cleaning products, you know that having a separate cleaning product for each task will make your house clean -- and clean out your wallet at the same time. I'll show you some simple tips to keep a clean house and save money, too.
Disposable products
This is the biggest money gimmick there is. Buying disposable cleaning products costs you serious money and don't do any better job than simple, old-fashioned products.
Of course, some things should be disposable, like paper towels. But a disposable toilet brush? That's ridiculous. Many people buy these products --and they're marketed -- as a way to avoid having germs hanging around by where? The toilet? Where else would they hang out?
Yes, a toilet is nasty; that's just the nature of a toilet and no matter what you do, there will always be germs hanging around there. What's worse is that many of these kinds of products are not safe to be flushed, yet those that aren't will be confused with those that are, and pretty soon there will be a clog.
At about $10 to buy one company's "starter kit" and $3 toilet pad refills you will spend about about $37 a year -- just to clean the toilet. Buying an all-plastic brush that can last up to five years costs around a dollar. Couple that with some scouring powder and spray cleaner and you will spend less than $5 for a year of clean toilets.
Disposable cleaning products run the gamut -- from toilet brushes to electrostatic dusters and mops. All of these are designed to take your money. Clean your house, yes, but mostly to take your money. One electrostatic duster has four duster heads and a handle and costs about $5 for a starter package and then $4 for refills. Using one each week will cost you about $57 dollars a YEAR to dust. Buy these for occasional use on those teeny-tiny places that are hard to reach and use a dust cloth for regular cleaning.
So, now the tally so far just for cleaning toilets and dusting is now at about $94 a year and that's just getting started. Using a special "mop" system with throw away pads is also going to add to your cleaning bill, as will disposable furniture and window wipes. Is that where you really want to spend your money. Of course not. So, forgo the novelty of these products and you'll save yourself a wad of cash. It's also the environmentally friendly thing to do. Throwing or flushing products away pollutes streams and takes up landfill space.
Using too much
Another way to add to your cleaning bill is to use too much product. This is a cardinal sin of many a good housekeeper. These are the ones who think they have to mop more than once a week or clean their carpets all the time because they keep getting dirty. The culprit is usually too much cleaning product. When it comes to cleaning more is not more. Less is more.
Less cleaning product can still do the job, not empty your wallet, and won't build up residue. This is the cause of many cleaning problems -- too much cleaner. Having too much cleaner leaves an excess of cleaner on the surface, and when that happens, the cleaner actually attracts more dirt, making you have to clean more.
This is especially true if you have a water softener. Water softeners are wonderful because you can actually use less -- up to a quarter -- of the recommended amounts of cleaners. Using too much can cause problems like overfoaming. I had a bad dishwasher leak and it was caused by using the recommended amount of dishwasher detergent. But the appliance man reminded me that my soft water would make the detergent double its strength.
When he ran my dishwasher without any detergent and then opened it, I stared in amazement at the amount of foam and bubbles there were just from the residual soap. Remember, cleaners are like toothpaste. The amounts recommended are just that: recommendations. No one coats a toothbrush with as much paste as you see in a commercial. Go with the least amount of cleaner you can, say 1/4 cup of floor cleaner for one gallon of water.
Cleaning Products You Really Need
--Scouring powder, about $1 per can, can use this in toilets and other surfaces
--Soft or gel cleaner for fiberglass shower or sink, about $4
--Ammonia, one gallon about $1 can be used to make window spray, floor cleaner, and all-purpose cleaner
--Dusting spray/furniture polish, about $2-$3
--Carpet spot treater (water based, non supermarket brand). (My favorite is Stanley-Steemer's!)
--Microfiber towels. Perfect for dusting, polishing, and cleaning. They'll even clean bacteria with water alone!
--Bleach, for treating mold or mildew stains, about $1 per gallon
There you have it... a simple list of common cleaning items that will take care of most cleaning jobs in your home for much less than you'd spend on just one novel, disposable item that does the best job of cleaning out your wallet.
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Calender -- the calendar that helps you end the power struggle with your house. Keeping a clean home is about knowing what to clean when. Virtually everything that needs to be cleaned is on this calendar in a year-round cleaning schedule that helps you keep your house clean easier and faster. Click here for more information.