Cleaning Supplies & Saving My $$

I spend 15 Minutes Cleaning my home every day.  A different room each day followed by simply picking up after ourselves seems to do the trick as far as keeping up on housework.  Our cleaning supplies are also a big part of that.

I try to keep it simple and thrifty.  Over the years I've tried tons of different products to keep things tidy, but honestly the simplest items seem to work the best.  Old tried and true.

I use Sprayway Glass cleaner to wash our windows and mirrors.  I purchase it at Wal-Mart or Home Depot, it costs about $2 a can and last for a really long time.  I love that it works really well and doesn't streak.  I was sold on it when I used it on the inside of my car windshield and it left it clean, crystal clear and streak free.

My favorite all purpose cleaner is Fabulosa.  It is very affordable and I purchase it at Dollar Tree, but it is also sold at Wal-Mart.  I prefer the lavender or green apple scent.  I find it is a fairly concentrated cleaner so I put it in a spray bottle and add water.  1 part Fabulosa to 3 parts water seems to work perfectly.  The bonus with this stuff is that in addition to doing a great job cleaing it is an amazing deodorizer.  It even gets rid of kitty pee odor, which is the worst, in my opinion.  I use Fabulosa to clean surfaces, mop my floors and clean our litter box or any pet accidents.  It really works well.

Comet cleanser and bleach are my go to cleansers for scrubbing toilets, bathtubs, sinks and anything prone to mold.  I use diluted bleach in a spray bottle too.  Comet cleanser for kitchens and baths is also nice.  I buy these items at Dollar Tree. 

Barkeeper's Friend is really good for sinks and I used it to super clean my flat stove top when I need to remove burned on food.  It works really well for removing burnt on crud from my Pyrex bake ware and glass baking pans too.  I buy it at Wal-Mart and a can lasts forever.

For grease cutting in the kitchen or any super sticky situations I really like to use Mean Green.  I buy it at Dollar Tree or Wal-Mart.  It is a really great crud cutter.  It stinks, but it works!

White distilled vinegar is good for hard water deposits and deodorizing as well.  I keep a quart of that in the cupboard for whenever I need to use it.  I find I use it less often than I used to since eliminating most of our plastic ware and using glass containers instead.  I purchase our vinegar at Dollar Tree as well.  It is a better price than the grocery store.

Lastly, I use a can of furniture polish I bought at a dollar store many, many years ago.  I don't use a lot of furniture polish so it has lasted me for a really long time.  Once it is gone I plan to switch over to using the Howards beeswax polish I bought for our motorhome.  No need for two different wood polishes so that one should to the trick quite nicely and I really like it too.  I bought it from Amazon, but it is also sold at Home Depot.

I don't spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies.  Our Dollar Tree carries a lot of name brand items, many in the larger sizes or "bonus" sizes.  I do compare prices to make sure I am getting the best value and I find I buy most of my supplies there as they are less per ounce than at the store.  Wal-Mart isn't always the best buy on some things and the same with Dollar Tree.  By doing the math I am able to determine the better value and then decide where to make my purchase.