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When you think in more detail about your household budget, you may not instantly think about cleaning your home as being one of your major expenses. But it is one that can add up if you are not careful. Buying top of the range cleaning tools and materials will undoubtedly rack up the dollars, while people also have a tendency to buy products that they don’t need all that much. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep your cleaning costs down if you are on a strict budget, and these are the things that we will be looking at in more detail in this article. So, let’s run through just a few of the ways that you can tackle your out of control cleaning bills.

Plan Your Supply Runs

We have already mentioned many people’s habit of grabbing all kinds of cleaning products off the shelf, but this is likely to get you a bad deal. Instead, you should think about the products that you actually need, not just the ones that are currently on offer. Once you have established this, you can then set about getting yourself the best deal. Since most cleaning products have a long shelf life, it is worth buying bigger packs so that you save money and don’t have to restock your cabinets quite as often. Also, check for items which do multiple jobs rather than needing to buy a different one for each and every job that you have to do. Not only does planning your supply runs save you money, it also stops you from having overflowing cupboards!

Purchase Quality Tools 

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While it may be very tempting to buy the cheapest tools you can find, they are unlikely to save you money in the long run as they will probably break more easily and also won’t do as good a job. Going for items in the midrange of the scale is more likely to get you tools that will do a better job and ones that you won’t need to replace as often. Again, it is worth shopping around whenever you can get a deal and you should also check out voucher codes for the likes of Best Buy. Ideally, you will invest in tools which will stand the test of time for years to come.

Don’t Use So Much Product

Only use the amount of cleaning product that you are directed to do so by the instructions. There is no point simply spraying or pouring as much as possible on, thinking that this will do a better job. Instead, you will simply be pouring money down the drain. With a lot of products, they work better by allowing time for them to soak in rather than wiping them off immediately. You may also be able to spray your cleaning rag rather than the surface directly as this will ensure that you use less of the product. If surfaces are not getting cleaner, it may be because you are not using enough elbow grease, so try being a little more firm with your cleaning action before you use more product.

Make Cleaning Rags from Old Clothes

A good usage for some of your old clothes which you no longer need is to recycle them into cleaning rags. Of course, you will need to choose items which are of the right fabric to do a good cleaning job. Cut them up into squares and you will have plenty of spare rags when you need them. This will certainly stop your need to use so many disposable paper towels or other similar products. As well as this, you are also using what you already have rather than filling your house with more items and more clutter.

Make Your Own Cleaners

If you are a fan of making things yourself, you can save vast amounts of money by not spending so much on brand name cleaners, but instead making cleaning products from other items which you have lying around the house. Not only will you save yourself some cash, you will likely to have a greener and healthier home as well. A few of the common ingredients include baking soda, lemons, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol. Before you apply any cleaning products which you have made to anything, make sure that it is not something which is going to cause damage to your surfaces.

Store Cleaning Supplies Properly  Photo Credit

If you do spend a lot of money on cleaning supplies, it makes sense that you store them properly so they keep working their best for the longest time possible. First of all, you should ensure that your products aren’t exposed to any extremes of temperature or light which could impact the performance or quality of them. Making sure that your supplies don’t spill or mix is also something that you should be looking to keep an eye on. Finally, cleaning products should always be stored away from pets or small children where they could end up being harmful.

Clean Little and Often

Yes, it’s the obvious solution, but the best way to stop needing to spend so much money on cleaning products is not to let your home get so dirty in the first place. Instead, you should take a little and often approach to cleaning rather than letting things get so dirty that you need the best tools and vast amounts of products to clear the stains away. You are much more likely to spend less on cleaning items if your home is cleaner to begin with.  

After reading this guide, hopefully, you have come away with a few ideas of how you can save money when cleaning the house. Though some of these things may seem like common sense, putting them all into practice at once will help you to save cash on this essential area of your life so you can have a home environment which is clean without needing to break the bank.
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