Thrifty Tip Thursday: Cleaning Supplies

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Tracy, an old high school friend and fellow blogger, who will be also joining our Thrifty Tip Thursday posts. I'm so excited to be partnering with Tracy in expanding our ideas of saving money practically.

Tracy and I are now teaming on Thursday to bring you two...yes, I said TWO Thrifty Tips on Thursday. So, after reading my tip don't forget to read Tracy's tip. Our hope is that you'll join our crusade in people saving money and living thrifty lives.

In the last few days, I've been quite busy cleaning and prepping the house for Keegan's birthday party celebration on Friday night. (Goodness...is that already tomorrow?) So in the spirit of cleaning I thought I share a few tips on how to saving money in the cleaning area of our homes.

One of the biggest dollar savers in our house is using old clothing and random socks (yes...our dryer eats socks too!) for rags at the Little Blue Bungalow. Anytime I find a shirt ripped, stained and unrepairable as well as those crazy, random socks...I stash it away in my red box labeled "Rags". (Please note, other items still usable but not wanted are donated to our local Goodwill.)

Stashing these "treasures" away for later saves our budget on cleaning rags and paper towels. So when I'm ready to clean...I simply grab a "new" rag from the box and start cleaning away to my tunes...no money needed. (Side note: I often do clean the rags for re-use, but sometimes toss the rag(s) when it is completely soiled and don't want to have it go through my regular laundry.)

Another cost saving tip we utilize here at the Little Blue Bungalow is mixing our own sanitizer for cleaning around the house. Years ago I picked up a spray bottle from the Dollar Tree store for you guessed it... a dollar. I keep a bottle of bleach under my sink (locked away from the kiddos!) that I've had for five years which I purchased for $1.89 and I'm still using it today. I mix 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon of water and pour it into the labeled bottle (Very important to clearly label your bottle!). Honestly, folks you don't need any fancy gadget or chemicals...just some good old fashion "elbow grease" will get the job done.

I also use baking soda (purchased on sale for $1) and white vinegar (purchased my local Grocery Outlet store for $.89) when my drains run a bit slower than normal. I simply shake some baking soda in the sink drain area and pour the vinegar on the baking soda. What happens next is pure magic...trust me...try it. (Fiona always loves watching this chemical reaction!)

Stinky garbage disposal? Try throwing a couple of ice cubes (no...I'm not going to break down the cost of an ice cube. People!) and some pieces of lemon($.33 to $1 depending on the time of year and geographic location) into the garbage disposal to grind up that "lovely" smell.

I'm sure there are plenty more cleaning thrifty tips out there so please feel free to share your tips by commenting on my blog. I always love hearing how to save a few more pennies for my piggy bank...well maybe the kid's piggy banks.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean