Today I have some frugal cleaning tips to get you in the mood for spring cleaning your house without breaking the bank and most importantly, without making you sick.
I am so so glad it is finally spring. Here in the UK, it is still a bit nippy, but the weatherman says it’s going to warm up at the weekend, and I would like to believe him!
For the last couple of weekends, I have begun tackling a few spring cleaning jobs around the house, dusting areas that don’t get touched very often and wiping down walls, to name a couple.
Ordinarily, I clean only on an ‘as-needed’ basis. I don’t have a set time of the week for a full clean, because if I did that it just wouldn’t get done at all.
Several years ago I whittled my cleaning cupboard down to just a few things.
Here is the sum total of my cleaning cupboard today:
- a stack of microfibre cleaning cloths
- washing-up liquid (with a sweet smell)
- bleach
- white distilled vinegar
- dishwasher powder
- microfibre mop
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What I love about my store of simple cleaning items is that they are all super cheap to buy and don’t make me sick.
You might have a bigger outlay for the cloths and mop initially, but you can use them over and over again saving a vast amount in the long run. I wash all my cloths once a week on a 90 deg cycle, and they are ready to use again.
These cleaning items won’t make you sick. Gagging on fumy cleaning sprays can not be good for your health. I have bleach on my list, but I use it very sparingly only in the toilet bowl when needed. I might pour a little down plugholes too.
You might be asking yourself, can just a cloth and water really make the house clean?
I asked myself that same question because I didn’t believe a simple cloth could really get rid of the nasty bacteria lurking on kitchen surfaces and sinks.
These cloths are named micro because they have millions of very tiny strands which mop up and hold onto the grime that bacteria feeds from. When you wipe over a dirty surface, you can feel where the dirt is by friction. The more you rub, the smoother the surface gets. You know by feel when the surface is clean.
Not sure? Why not just dot over dish soap and rub that in? I quite often do that too, especially on the toilet area. There is really no need for smelly antibacterial sprays. They clean no better than dish soap.
Today I’m going to share exactly how I clean my whole house with just these items.
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Things you’ll need
- A set of microfibre cleaning cloths
- Microfibre mop
- White vinegar
- Dish soap/washing up liquid
- Dishwasher powder
- Bleach
That’s it. So simple!
Kitchen frugal cleaning tips
Microwave oven – put in a wet cloth and cook on high for a couple of minutes or until the oven gets nice and steamy inside. Let the cloth cool a bit and then use it to wipe inside and out.
Electric oven – I cheat a bit here because I have an AEG pyrolytic oven that self-cleans at a very high temperature, so all I need to do is remove the racks and wipe out the inside after the cleaning cycle to remove the charcoal. If you don’t have this kind of oven, the key thing is to wipe it over often with a cloth and some dish soap to avoid build-up.
Oven racks – remove and soak in dishwasher powder for a couple of hours or overnight and then wipe over with a cloth.
Kitchen sink – If you regularly wipe the sink, you don’t need a heavy-duty cleaner. Pour a bit of bleach down the plughole every now and then.
Hob – I have an induction hob (which I love by the way), so all it needs is a wipe over after use. If you have a gas hob, soak the removable parts in dishwasher powder and then wipe over the main hob. If you do it regularly, it won’t be a hard job.
Kitchen surfaces – Dot some washing-up liquid around, rub in with a damp cloth, and then finish off with a dry cloth. You will know when it’s clean when there is no friction when you wipe, and it feels smooth again.
Want to save even more and help the environment too? Consider making your own dishwashing soap.
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Bathroom frugal cleaning tips
I hate cleaning sprays, they make me gag, and I’m sure they are bad for my health.
If you keep on top of the cleaning in your bathroom you can do most of it with just a microfibre cloth and some dish soap or even just water.
Find a dish soap that you like the smell of. I love the apple-scented kind.
Toilet – Use a wet cloth and plenty of dish soap and wipe around the outside of the toilet and surrounding floor. Swill around the bowel with some bleach.
Shower/bath/sink – If done regularly you can get away with just a cloth and water, but for more cleaning power use some extra dish soap. Pour a small amount of bleach down the plughole if needed.
Shower/bath limescale – Wipe over with a cloth dampened with white vinegar. Soak a kitchen towel in white vinegar and place over the taps and leave overnight.
Mirror/Tiles – Wipe over with a damp or dry microfibre cloth.
Living room frugal cleaning tips
Furniture/Electrical Surfaces – Dust around surfaces with a dry microfibre cloth. The newer the cloth, the better for attracting the dust.
Floor – If you have a wooden floor wipe over with a damp microfibre mob.
Windows – Wipe over the glass and frames with a damp cloth.
Blinds – Wipe over with a dry microfibre cloth to remove dust particles.
Bedroom frugal cleaning tips
Bedrooms have the same treatment as the living room, i.e. wipe over the windows and surfaces with a microfibre cloth and wash the floor with a damp mop if you have hard floors.
If you have slated blinds, wipe over them with a dry cloth every now and then.
That’s it. With just a few microfiber cloths and some basic cleaning liquid, you can have a gleaming house in no time.
I have a huge number of cloths which I only use once and then wash on a 90 deg cycle once a week. When they wear out, I just buy a new set, the more you buy at once, the cheaper it gets.
I have saved so much money cleaning this way. The fabulous thing is that you don’t have to do all your cleaning at once. I always have a cloth handy. If I see a dirty or dusty spot, it’s cleaned up in no time.
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