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Look In Your Pantry Before You Buy That Expensive Cleaner – Frugal Challenge

I’ve always been a great believer in using what we already have before we buy more.  It’s a good policy in our pantry and refrigerator for the obvious reason that we don’t want spoilage, but how does this apply to the stuff we clean with?

There was a time when I was hooked on foamy, fragrant cleaning solutions; sprinkling, spraying, and pouring them all over our household and belongings to make everything sparkle and shine.  And, if you believe all the commercials, there is only one way to clean your house… with a mountain of bubbles; bubbles purchased at a premium price.

At the moment saving money became more important to me than all those expensive cleaning products, I knew I was on a mission.  And, as every good Hillbilly Housewife knows, when looking for money saving ideas, think back.  I recall my Mother and Grandmother getting their scrubbing buckets ready with stuff from the kitchen and started thinking about how to create my own collection of frugal cleaning supplies.  I challenge you today to start thinking about what you can do to break your “fancy cleansers” habit.

To get you started, I’ll share my quick list of what I now keep on hand to tackle cleaning jobs, and even some personal care items.

Baking soda: You can buy big bags of baking soda, so you don’t have to stock-pile a whole bunch of those little boxes.  Baking soda covers a host of cleaning jobs.  It makes the perfect drain cleaner, shower, sink, and toilet scrub, as well as kitchen cleanser.  My Mom also kept a small box in the bathroom to brush her teeth.  It makes a gentle facial exfoliator, and if you’ve had one too many nachos, take a half teaspoon in a big glass of water to settle your tummy.  Baking soda is a miracle product that costs pennies.

White vinegar: My Grandma always soaked her coffee pot and cooking pans in the sink in a solution of white vinegar and warm water.  She didn’t measure, just poured some in there until it smelled vinegary and put the things in to soak, then rinsed and let dry.  White vinegar is a disinfectant and a degreaser so you may want to consider soaking all your glassware, as well.  They’ll really sparkle!  She also used white vinegar as a “remedy for what ailed ya.”  When she came in from her garden, she normally suffered a bit of pain in her shoulders.  She dipped a washcloth in warm white vinegar and placed it on her shoulder and the pain would be gone.  From washing windows to keeping bugs away, white vinegar is a frugal homemaker’s dream-come-true.

Vegetable oil: Everything from seasoning your cast iron pans to removing unwanted labels, vegetable oil is definitely something you’ll find a use for.  When we replaced a window in our house, we didn’t remove the sticker right away and the sun sort of baked it on.  The only thing that would remove it was vegetable oil.  Try vegetable oil spray to remove soap scum from your shower doors.  Nothing else works so well or for so little money.  My Mom had the clever idea of dropping a little vegetable oil in her bird bath after seeing the county road crew spraying the ditches with an oily substance to keep the mosquitoes from hatching there.  This method for mosquito control worked very well and it is not toxic for the birds, although you do want to use only a few drops.

Salt: I remember watching my Mom throw salt into the bottom of the oven as a pie was bubbling over making a sticky mess.  When the oven cooled, she just wiped up the salt and the mess came right with it.  Keeping a large container of salt next to the stove is a good idea not only for cleaning up spills, but for putting out grease fires, too.  If a fire starts, you don’t have to panic trying to think of what to do; the solution is right there – grab the salt and pour it on.  My Mom also took salt and poured it between the bricks in her garden path to keep the grass from taking over, which also happened to keep the ants from forming a line-brigade across the bricks.  In the laundry room, I often saw stained garments left to soak with a little salt and sometimes a squeeze of lemon juice.  And, of course, salt in a cup of warm water is the perfect solution for a sore throat.  So many uses… so inexpensive.

With just these few pantry items, you can replace just about every expensive concoction that you’ve been sold on.  After all, my Mom and Grandma didn’t have an arsenal of fancy cleaning stuff and their homes sparkled just fine.

My challenge to you is when you finally use up all those bubbly cleaners, don’t replace them.  Instead, look in your pantry and see what you can find to use instead.  When you need to restock those pantry items, include enough for your household tasks.  You’ll be amazed at the difference a cart full of vinegar, baking soda, salt, and vegetable oil costs compared to a cart full of fancy cleaners.   Give it a try… you have nothing to lose and only some of your hard-earned cash to gain!

(via Hillbilly Housewife)