Summary:
You can save money on cleaning supplies by making your own, eliminating certain supplies that you don’t need or shopping at discount stores like The Dollar Tree.
Cleaning supplies can be expensive, especially these days with inflation out of control and everyone on a budget. U.S. households spend an average of $70 a month on cleaning supplies and laundry products. That’s on par with a cell phone bill. And the cost of cleaning supplies has risen almost 10% year over year. In this post, I’ve outlined 6 ways to get the most out of your buck and avoid spending lots of money on cleaning products. Use these money saving tips for household cleaning supplies.
1. Opt for store or generic brands
Switching to generic or store brands can save you money without sacrificing quality. Many generic products have the same ingredients as store or name brand but at a lower price. See my in-depth guide to buying generic here.
2. DIY cleaning products
Most of the time you don’t even need to buy household cleaners because you probably have all the ingredients to make your own cleaners in your house already. And it is usually cheaper to make your own cleaning supplies. If you have white vinigar and baking soda, you can clean most of your house with no problem. And they are both natural, eco-friendly and very inexpensive. Or a product like Dr. Bronner’s can clean your whole house. Here’s a great list of recipes for some DIY natural cleaning products. PRO TIP: Be mindful of the amount of acidity in the vinigar you are using. Distilled white vinigar usually has an acidity of 5%. Cleaning vinigar will be stronger.
3. Invest in dissolvable cleaning tablets
If you don’t have time to make your own cleaning supplies or are nervous about doing it, many brands sell dissolvable tablets that you drop into a spray bottle full of water. These are ususally a lot cheaper than buying the whole bottle and most of these are actually made with non-toxic ingredients so they are environmentally friendly. Blueland has one of the largest selection of dissolvable tablets I have found. Of course they have starter kits which include the stylish “Forever” bottles, but I’ve got a hack that saves you money and gets you all natural cleaning products for cheap. I just buy the tablets, which usually work out to around $2 a tablet and reuse old spray bottles or buy cheap ones. Dollar Tree has these for $1.25!
4. Replace paper towels and Windex
Paper towels are a waste of money. I save all my old wash clothes for rags and cut up old t-shirts. These work just fine for cleaning. Or you can use reusable paper towels like these. And you don’t need Windex to clean your windows or mirrors. Just make a solution of vinigar and water and that will work just fine.
5. Use wash clothes or microfiber cloths for your Swiffer
Swiffer pads are some of the most wasteful and expensive supplies you can buy. A standard washcloth fits on the Swiffer mop head perfectly. Just wet it and spray on your cleaning solution and mop. For dry dusting, microfiber clothes work great. The dust bunnies stick right to the cloth.
6. Simplify your cleaning supplies
Reduce the number of cleaning products you buy by sticking to just one or two versatile all-purpose cleaners. All you need is a good All-Purpose Cleaner that can clean multiple surfaces. Be sure to check the label before using. This also reduces clutter in your home. Read here for more cleaners you can get rid of.
7. Shop at the Dollar Tree
Everything is a dollar at the Dollar Tree! Well, maybe $1.25. But they have a whole section of cleaning supplies for around a buck. And plenty of cleaning tools and products to clean everything in your house. This Dollar Tree is the cheapest place to buy cleaning supplies to save money. And did you know that you can order supplies from the Dollar Tree online and have it delivered the same day through Instacart? Check it out HERE!
About The Cleaning Lady
I’m a professional house cleaner with 20 years of experience cleaning houses under my belt, and I’ve learned a lot about cleaning, organizing and how people react to these tasks. I’ve worked with hoarders, people will mental disorders and the young and old. What I’ve learned is everyone has different levels of “clean” and most people hate to clean. I give you cleaning and organization tips that are easy to use and don’t take all your time. And I am a fan of gadgets that will help you clean. My motto is “Clean smarter, not harder!”