Frugal Cleaning

Frugal Living

One way we can save money is to do frugal cleaning. After all those chemical cleaning products are not cheap are they? What's more our cleaning does not leave our family breathing in harsh chemicals like bleach, but leaves our home with a lovely fresh smell. Just keep a few basic ingredients on hand.

• A few basic ingrdients are needed for frugal cleaning:
• White Vinegar..a natural disinfectant that can be used for killing germs, using on mould, grease, mildew and other stains.
• Salt...makes a gentle scouring powder.
• Olive Oil....great for use as a polish for wood.
• Tea Tree oil..... use as a disinfectant, cuts through grease and kills germs.
• Lemon Juice
• Baking Soda...a great deodorizer it also is great for removing stains.
• Borax (laundry additive)....works like bleach, it removes stains, and is a deodorizer.

• Do not mix vinegar with bleach under any circumstances.
• White vinegar is a natural disinfectant, it is great for killing germs and for using on mould.
• Before using on marble and natural stone do a small hidden test piece first.

• Sinks and counter tops
• Use vinegar full strength for sinks and counter tops. It leaves them sparkling clean.
• Use vinegar full strength on stove tops and refrigerator tops as well.

• Refrigerator
• To clean out the refrigerator use one part of vinegar to one part of water in a spray bottle. Spray b onto a clean cloth and wipe down refrigerator.
• Rinse with water.

• Unblock Drains
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup baking soda
• Mix all this together then pour down drain, wait 5 minutes then run hot water down drain.

• Windows
• To clean windows use lemon juice to clean then dry with a soft cloth.
• Use 1 cup of your white vinegar with about a gallon of warm water mix and then use, dry with a soft cloth.

• Oven Cleaner
• Baking Soda
• Water
• Sprinkle bottom of your oven with baking soda, then spray with water.
• I leave overnight then clean off with a spatula. It is then easy to wipe clean with a cloth.

• Disinfectant..great for potty training accidents:
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons of tea tree oil
• Mix this together in a clean spray bottle and use to clean up accidents.

• Toilet
• Pour undiluted vinegar into toilet bowl and leave overnight, use the loo brush to swish around the bowl. Flush.
• You could also pour a quater cup of borax into the bowland leave for a few hours as a deodorizer.
• Do not use both at the same time.

• Bathroom bath and sinks
• Sprinkle baking soda in bath and rub with cloth soaked in vinegar. it froths up and cleans.
• Rinse.

• Laundry Soap for your washing machine
• 1 Cup Washing Soda
• 1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap or Ivory soap Grated
• 4 1/2 Gallons Water
• 5 Gallon Bucket
• Grate soap into a small saucepan and cover with water.
• Heat soap and water until dissolved.
• Fill your bucket with hot water, add the soap mixture. Stir it until combined.
• Add 1 cup washing soda and mix well. It will thicken as it cools down. Use 1-2 cups for each load of washing.

• Laundry Soap 2
• 2 cups borax
• 2 cups washing soda
• 1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap or Ivory soap
• Mix these together and then use 2 or 3 tablespoons per washing load

Use half cup of vinegar as a fabric softener. It won't make your clothes smell of vinegar.

• Safety Gates
• Toddler temper tantrums



• Terrible twos
• Babies first birthday party