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Managing a household is a multifaceted job. You have to balance looking after your family, maintenance tasks, keeping the house clean, and saving money. Hopefully, This article will help you kill two birds in one stone by stocking up on cleaning supplies without breaking the bank.
Quality When You Need It
First, it makes sense to tackle those moments when you should consider getting something other than the cheapest possible option.
Let’s talk about the “boots theory”. This phrase was coined by Sir Terry Pratchet, an author most well-known for the Discworld series. As he says, a man who can spend enough for one expensive pair of boots that lasts for years will save money compared to the man who can only afford a cheap pair of boots that must be replaced yearly.
In short, if you can afford a quality item, you will often save money rather than having to replace a cheaper version each year.
We can’t spend more than we can afford on cleaning supplies, but it helps to know when to invest more for a better product. For example, a quality vacuum cleaner doesn’t just last longer and potentially come with a warranty, but it also has more features that improve cleaning time and quality.
Buy in Bulk
On a similar note, you can often save money in the long run by buying your cleaning supplies in bulk. Yes, there’s a larger upfront cost, but there’s a much lower cost over time that will ultimately save you money.
Focus on things like wet wipes that you always use but won’t lose quality over time.
One downside to this is that you will need to find somewhere to store your extra supplies. But as well as cutting down on the cost of the item, you also save your time as you don’t have to restock as often.
Use Other Supplies
You might have heard that you can use basic cooking supplies as cleaning agents, and this is true. Vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda are popular choices for light cleaning, and they also don’t contain any harsh or harmful chemicals.
Vinegar and baking soda are especially inexpensive options because you can buy them in bulk for cleaning purposes.
Distilled vinegar is great for cleaning glass surfaces because it prevents water stains. Just open a window if you don’t like the smell of vinegar. Baking soda is an abrasive and an alkaline agent, so comes in handy for scrubbing.
Vinegar is an acid and baking soda is an alkaline, so it’s best not to mix the two for cleaning. The only time to do so is if you want to remove stubborn stains that are burned onto pans. Add baking soda and let it sit for a few minutes, then add the vinegar. The mixture will bubble up and dislodge some of the burnt-on mess.
This isn’t to say that you can throw out the bleach. These are mild, chemical-free cleaners, which makes them great for cleaning surfaces. Bleach will kill germs.
Friends, how are you maintaining your home’s health this flu and cold season? Please leave your tips in the comments below.
