We can always benefit from being more frugal with our money without compromising comfort and quality of life.
However, saving money by making homemade cleaning solutions is one way you can toe the line without falling into cheapness. By using homemade cleaners from effective ingredients, you can get the same results for cheaper.
On that note, here are eight money-saving home cleaning solutions that you might want to try.
1. For clogged drains
When you see cloudy, dirty water floating up from your drains, it’s never a pleasant sight to behold.
If you don’t have a drain cleaner available, you should have some things in your pantry to help you deal with that issue.
First, pour boiling water into the drain that’s clogged. After that, you should pour baking soda and a mix of a cup of water and a vinegar cup. Wait for several minutes before pouring boiling water into the drain again.
At Maid Sailors Home Cleaning Services NYC, we can’t rave enough about the beautiful cleaning effects of baking soda and vinegar together.
Aside from clearing out clogged drains, you might see it make a few other cleaning solutions in this list. That’s why you should always keep a stock of these two in your pantry.
2. For mildew and soap scum
If there’s a buildup of mildew and soap scum in your bathroom, there’s also a homemade cleaning solution that you can use.
Grab your vinegar again and boil it so that it’s hot. Remember to be careful, so you don’t burn yourself. Carefully put the boiled vinegar in the spray bottle and then mix in ¼ cup of the liquid dish soap in the spray bottle.
Shake up your spray bottle until everything is combined. Spray the solution all over the offending surfaces in your bathroom.
Leave the solution in that area for at least half an hour. If you can, try and leave it overnight even.
Once that’s over, grab a cloth and some water to wash away the cleaning solution, and you’re finished.
3. Cleaner and deodorizer
When you’re cleaning your home, you also need to make sure that you’re getting rid of the foul odors that might be clinging. For this cleaning task, you’re going to need to get the good ole trusty baking soda out again.
Baking soda has an excellent and powerful cleaning ability. At the same time, it can deodorize unwanted and foul odors from different parts of the house. This includes your carpets, furniture, refrigerator, and so on.
All you need to do is create a cleaning paste or solution using four tablespoons of baking soda and some warm water quart. Brush that all over your chosen surface, but make sure to patch test the furniture first.
4. For stains and disinfecting
When you think about Hydrogen peroxide, you should know that people often use it for disinfecting wounds.
Aside from disinfecting wounds, though, you can also use it to clean stains around your house. However, both for your skin and on your items, make sure that you apply it carefully since it may irritate your skin or damage the item aside from the stain.
Hydrogen peroxide has a bleaching effect, making it practical for getting rid of grout and treating stains. This bleaching effect is the same thing you should be watching out for, though.
5. For removing rusts
If you have any rusty items and you want to get rid of them, you don’t have to get yourself a rust remover if you can’t. Instead, all you need to do is to get salt and lemon.
Pour lemon juice on the rusty item and add some salt to help scrub it, but make sure you get rid of it soon. Otherwise, that solution might cause more problems.
You can even use potato and salt (or the potato alone in some cases) to help remove the rust on your kitchen utensils. Some people stick their knives in a potato and leave it there for a while.
You can also sprinkle salt or baking soda on your rusty items, then use the potatoes and rub it until you got rid of the rust.
6. To eliminate the odor
You can’t say that you have a clean home if some parts of your home emit a foul odor that you didn’t handle. Luckily, the solution for that is quite simple.
If you want to get rid of the stench, you can use old coffee grounds to absorb the foul odor. You can leave a bowl of coffee grounds around the area or sprinkle them.
Another solution would be to mix baking soda, lime juice, and water and put it in a spray bottle. When combining these three, please wait until it is no longer fizzy before using it.
7. For glass and windows
When cleaning glass or windows, all you need is a combination of two cups of water, half a cup of white vinegar, and then ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol. You can also add one or two drops of essential oil for your preferred scent if you want. Mix those, and you have yourself a glass or window cleaner.
As much as possible, don’t use paper towels when cleaning glass or windows around the house. They’re going to leave fibers on the glass instead of leaving them spotless. Instead, use newspapers or microfiber cloth.
8. For microwave cleaning
People often neglect their microwave cleanliness, but if you’re using your microwave often, you should make sure that you clean it.
There is too much food debris and particles splashing around in the microwave for you to neglect. You don’t want to be putting food back in there unless it’s clean.
It’s quite simple to clean microwaves. All you need is to put a cup of white vinegar inside the microwave and add a bit of lemon juice in the cup.
Leave the microwave running for about two minutes, but don’t open it until several minutes have passed. Once it’s over, open the door, remove the cup and wipe down the microwave walls and you’re ok.
Conclusion
There are plenty of cleaning solutions that you can make from items already available in your house.
If you’re planning on cleaning something but don’t have the cleaning solution for it, you might be able to find a home cleaning solution for you. It does the job without you having to spend money on it.
Next time, try out these home cleaning solutions to give yourself a more immaculate home for a lower price.