Okay, I'm a clean freak-I'll admit it. I like my floors swept, shower scrubbed, and carpet vacuumed. But I'm also on a tight budget, which means I can't buy every new cleaning gadget out there or every sparkly-but costly-green cleaner I ooh and ahh over. I can still keep my little apartment immaculate, though. Here's how I do it:
1. Make the most of dish soap.
I have a slight obsession with Method's French lavender dish soap and use it for almost everything. By pouring a few drops in a bucket of water, I get my kitchen floors so clean I could practically eat off of 'em, and I avoid buying expensive and harmful floor cleaners. And to my delight, Method's soap is so potent a few drops will do me. I also use it to remove stains and clean glass.
2. Stock up on the store brand.
Don't think for one second that the store brand is any less qualified to clean than the name brand. I use my local grocery store's brand of sponges, mops, brooms, bleach, and whatever else I can get my hands on. But keep an eye on the ingredients. If the store brand is lacking a crucial component, I usually stick with the name brand.
3. Reuse, reuse, reuse.
Forget tossing old towels and t-shirts-cut them into smaller pieces to use as dust and cleaning rags. By doing this, I save the landfill from more trash and myself the cost of paper towels.
4. Borax.
This little wonder can do just about everything under the sun. And-even better-it's a naturally occurring substance, making it quite environmentally friendly. I use it to scrub the bathroom and kitchen. And though I've never tried this, you can also make laundry soap out of it as well. But even though it's a natural product, it can be toxic if ingested, so use with care and store away from children.
5. Concoct my own.
We've pointed you toward this site before for green-cleaner recipes, but a little reminder never hurt anyone. Rhonda Jean's concoctions are some of the best out there, and her other frugal advice is worth taking. I'm especially fond of her sink cleaner recipe.
6. Follow directions.
I'm always tempted to pour a little extra laundry detergent in a load or spray the shower cleaner a few more times, but if I keep my urges in check, my cleaners last a lot longer. So check the directions and only use the amount specified. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you'll thank me when you see how much you save.
7. Line dry.
At my apartment building, it costs a buck for every load I dry, so I often skip the dryer all together. My clothes take less wear and tear and hold their shape for longer. Plus, I save money. And even if you have full access to your own dryer, your energy bill will drop if you avoid it as often as possible.
8. Muster some elbow grease.
Stains and that sticky goop at the bottom of the fridge have nothing on these guns. Although it's easy to reach for the cleaner, sometimes it just takes a little extra scrubbing. So before I break out anything toxic, I try my hand at a little soap and water and a lot of elbow grease.
9. Hold out for a full load.
I wait until the dishwasher or laundry basket is stuffed to the brim before I run another load. It may test my patience-sometimes I really want to wear that dirty pair of jeans-but it saves me serious dough.
10. Maintain.
I try to stay on top of my cleaning duties. A little extra time spent now prevents me from spending more money on tougher cleaners and pest control down the road. Try giving your home a good clean about once a week.
Autor: Randall Noblet
The Home Know-It-All: Your One-Stop Shop for Home Design, Improvement, and Repair
Added: February 6, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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