Week 4: January 21st- January 28th, 2007
New Habit: Homemade Cleaning Supplies
Frugal Habit? Yes
I am not a stranger to homemade cleaning agents. Most of our cleaning
products in my parents’ home were made from the trusty bottle of
ammonia stowed under the sink. As a nurse’s aide, and later a preschool
teacher, I sopped up the nastiest of messes with diluted bleach. They
were cheap and effective, but also stinky, abrasive, and dangerous in the
concentrated forms in which they are sold.
I went through the all-name-brand-specialized-cleaning-supply stage
that we all seem to go through, then settled on a short list of dollar store
cleaning products: Spic’n’Span Orange Cleaner, Comet, generic window
cleaner, and generic Clean Shower Spray. The Spic’n’Span is diluted
about 1:5 in a spray bottle and used for everything from dusting to floors.
The Comet is reserved for sinks, bathtubs, and toilets. Window Cleaner
and Clean Shower are self-explanatory, I hope. My expenditures for these
products average $3 a month. Not a lot to trim here, right?
Wrong. I left out the 2 most expensive areas of cleaning: dishes and
laundry. We currently use one $2 bottle of dish soap as well as a $4 box
of Cascade every month. For laundry, I buy the huge box of Surf for less
than $10 and a $3 box of dryer sheets (I cut the sheets in half, so one
box lasts at two months). Tide finally outpriced us after over a decade of
loyal use. For stain removal, I use the aforementioned dish soap and the
occasional free sample of stain remover. Altogether, $17 a month.
So, the Marshall family spends $20 a month on cleaners, less if good
coupons are going around. $2.50 per person per month doesn’t sound
extravagant, but I am always willing to try new things, especially if they
save money. I have heard rumors for years that homemade cleaners
were cheap, effective, and better for the environment, so that became my
frugal habit this week. Here’s what I tried:
1. Vinegar for cleaning. I used it to replace Spic’n’Span, window
cleaner, and Clean Shower Spray. I diluted it in a spray bottle in similar
proportions to that I use with my current cleaning solution. It worked, but it
stunk so much that I hated pulling it out—and I use that spray bottle
several times a day. The same diluted bottle of vinegar worked for the
window cleaner, but seemed more prone to streaking than my usual stuff.
I’m not too picky about that in the winter, though. The real gain was in
using vinegar—that same bottle still—for Clean Shower spray. I can’t
stand the cloying, fake-flower smell of Clean Shower spray, so the sour
fumes were actually an improvement. It seemed to prevent water marks
and dirt build-up just as well as the real thing, although it would take a
month to get a verdict on mildew prevention.
2. Vinegar as fabric softener. It has to be added during the rinse cycle,
as with liquid Downy. This was the first problem, because I never seem to
catch a load of wash at just the right time. The second issue was that I
wasn’t sure how much to use. I ended up using a splash. It worked really
well—nice soft clothes, no static cling, not even a vinegar smell. In fact,
there was no smell at all—rather unfortunately, because we love that
fabric softener smell in my home.
3. Homemade laundry soap. I have seen many recipes for laundry
soap, but all were liquid and involved using Fels Naptha, an abrasive
soap that can fade clothing and irritate sensitive skin. When I found the
following recipe, I was singing the Hallelujah chorus.
1 cup grated bar soap (I used some we had saved from various hotels,
but any soap would do)
½ cup washing soda. NOT baking soda, although it is also made by Arm
and Hammer.
½ cup Borax. I already had a partial box from a little flea issue last spring.
These are all cheap ingredients, so we’re talking about less than $5 here
even if you don’t have any of it on hand. You use very little, so this small
amount will last for weeks. I was told to use only a tablespoon per load. I
was leery, especially when it didn’t suds up, but I was committing to giving
the tiny amount a try. And guess what? The clothes were clean. I have
five boys and a blue-collar husband in my home, so I can say confidently
that this stuff works. No smell, though. Which is sad—again, we like the
laundry soap/fabric softener smell. I’m told you can add a drop of
essential oil to the mixture, but I’ve never seen laundry-soap-scented
essential oils. I know it doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but I’ll probably pay
twice as much for Surf just to have that smell.
If you can live without the laundry scent, don’t run around looking for
washing soda. Call Arm and Hammer at 1-800-524-1328 and let them tell
you where it is available in your area.
4. Dishwashing Detergent. I also found this recipe for homemade
automatic dishwashing detergent:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
Mix and use 1-2 Tbsp per load
I already had the stuff on hand, so why didn’t I use it? I was spooked by a
rumor that it can etch glassware over a long period of use. I have spent
over a decade collecting fine glassware and crystal at thrift stores and
estate sales, so it just isn’t worth it to me. Many people use the
homemade stuff and swear that there is no problem, but someone else
will have to try this and report back.
I can't find a viable replacement for dish-soap or Comet, as both are
relatively cheap and I have no idea what's in them. That brings us to the
tally...
Amount Spent: $1 for a month's supply of vinegar; $5 tops for
laundry detergent supplies.
Amount Saved: Monthly savings of $10. $5 less spent on
laundry detergent, $3 less on fabric softener, and $2 less spent on
Spic'n'Span, Clean Shower, and Window Cleaner. A less frugal
family might save quite a bit more.
Difficulty on Scale of 1-5: 2 (some chemical handling, all
common sense)
Time: 30 minutes tops to measure and mix it all.
Check out the Frugal Habit of the Week Archives
New Habit: Homemade Cleaning Supplies
Frugal Habit? Yes
I am not a stranger to homemade cleaning agents. Most of our cleaning
products in my parents’ home were made from the trusty bottle of
ammonia stowed under the sink. As a nurse’s aide, and later a preschool
teacher, I sopped up the nastiest of messes with diluted bleach. They
were cheap and effective, but also stinky, abrasive, and dangerous in the
concentrated forms in which they are sold.
I went through the all-name-brand-specialized-cleaning-supply stage
that we all seem to go through, then settled on a short list of dollar store
cleaning products: Spic’n’Span Orange Cleaner, Comet, generic window
cleaner, and generic Clean Shower Spray. The Spic’n’Span is diluted
about 1:5 in a spray bottle and used for everything from dusting to floors.
The Comet is reserved for sinks, bathtubs, and toilets. Window Cleaner
and Clean Shower are self-explanatory, I hope. My expenditures for these
products average $3 a month. Not a lot to trim here, right?
Wrong. I left out the 2 most expensive areas of cleaning: dishes and
laundry. We currently use one $2 bottle of dish soap as well as a $4 box
of Cascade every month. For laundry, I buy the huge box of Surf for less
than $10 and a $3 box of dryer sheets (I cut the sheets in half, so one
box lasts at two months). Tide finally outpriced us after over a decade of
loyal use. For stain removal, I use the aforementioned dish soap and the
occasional free sample of stain remover. Altogether, $17 a month.
So, the Marshall family spends $20 a month on cleaners, less if good
coupons are going around. $2.50 per person per month doesn’t sound
extravagant, but I am always willing to try new things, especially if they
save money. I have heard rumors for years that homemade cleaners
were cheap, effective, and better for the environment, so that became my
frugal habit this week. Here’s what I tried:
1. Vinegar for cleaning. I used it to replace Spic’n’Span, window
cleaner, and Clean Shower Spray. I diluted it in a spray bottle in similar
proportions to that I use with my current cleaning solution. It worked, but it
stunk so much that I hated pulling it out—and I use that spray bottle
several times a day. The same diluted bottle of vinegar worked for the
window cleaner, but seemed more prone to streaking than my usual stuff.
I’m not too picky about that in the winter, though. The real gain was in
using vinegar—that same bottle still—for Clean Shower spray. I can’t
stand the cloying, fake-flower smell of Clean Shower spray, so the sour
fumes were actually an improvement. It seemed to prevent water marks
and dirt build-up just as well as the real thing, although it would take a
month to get a verdict on mildew prevention.
2. Vinegar as fabric softener. It has to be added during the rinse cycle,
as with liquid Downy. This was the first problem, because I never seem to
catch a load of wash at just the right time. The second issue was that I
wasn’t sure how much to use. I ended up using a splash. It worked really
well—nice soft clothes, no static cling, not even a vinegar smell. In fact,
there was no smell at all—rather unfortunately, because we love that
fabric softener smell in my home.
3. Homemade laundry soap. I have seen many recipes for laundry
soap, but all were liquid and involved using Fels Naptha, an abrasive
soap that can fade clothing and irritate sensitive skin. When I found the
following recipe, I was singing the Hallelujah chorus.
1 cup grated bar soap (I used some we had saved from various hotels,
but any soap would do)
½ cup washing soda. NOT baking soda, although it is also made by Arm
and Hammer.
½ cup Borax. I already had a partial box from a little flea issue last spring.
These are all cheap ingredients, so we’re talking about less than $5 here
even if you don’t have any of it on hand. You use very little, so this small
amount will last for weeks. I was told to use only a tablespoon per load. I
was leery, especially when it didn’t suds up, but I was committing to giving
the tiny amount a try. And guess what? The clothes were clean. I have
five boys and a blue-collar husband in my home, so I can say confidently
that this stuff works. No smell, though. Which is sad—again, we like the
laundry soap/fabric softener smell. I’m told you can add a drop of
essential oil to the mixture, but I’ve never seen laundry-soap-scented
essential oils. I know it doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but I’ll probably pay
twice as much for Surf just to have that smell.
If you can live without the laundry scent, don’t run around looking for
washing soda. Call Arm and Hammer at 1-800-524-1328 and let them tell
you where it is available in your area.
4. Dishwashing Detergent. I also found this recipe for homemade
automatic dishwashing detergent:
1 cup washing soda
1 cup Borax
Mix and use 1-2 Tbsp per load
I already had the stuff on hand, so why didn’t I use it? I was spooked by a
rumor that it can etch glassware over a long period of use. I have spent
over a decade collecting fine glassware and crystal at thrift stores and
estate sales, so it just isn’t worth it to me. Many people use the
homemade stuff and swear that there is no problem, but someone else
will have to try this and report back.
I can't find a viable replacement for dish-soap or Comet, as both are
relatively cheap and I have no idea what's in them. That brings us to the
tally...
Amount Spent: $1 for a month's supply of vinegar; $5 tops for
laundry detergent supplies.
Amount Saved: Monthly savings of $10. $5 less spent on
laundry detergent, $3 less on fabric softener, and $2 less spent on
Spic'n'Span, Clean Shower, and Window Cleaner. A less frugal
family might save quite a bit more.
Difficulty on Scale of 1-5: 2 (some chemical handling, all
common sense)
Time: 30 minutes tops to measure and mix it all.
Check out the Frugal Habit of the Week Archives
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