Ways to Save Money on Cleaning Supplies for Single Parents
Cleaning supplies can eat up a significant portion of your already strained single parent budget. You don't need all the latest and greatest cleaning concoctions to have a clean home.
White vinegar is an inexpensive multipurpose cleaner and has some mild antibacterial properties to boot. Mix one part white vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle to clean your bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances and counters. The vinegar smell should dissipate once dry.
Baking soda can be used in place scouring powder when you need to scrub. One part rubbing alcohol to one part water with a little white vinegar makes an excellent window cleaner.
Reusable cloths should be used for cleaning. Cloth diapers work well for this purpose as they are very soft and absorbent. Use them for dusting and polishing and then wash them. You can use them again and again. Even though the diapers will cost you initially, you could easily be going through a roll of paper towels each week for cleaning, so the cost for diapers will work out to be lower over time.
Wet mops and dust mops with disposable heads have become popular. But, the costs for boxes of replacements can add up quickly. Some mops have reusable mop covers that are made of similar fabric to washcloths. These have the added advantage of being able to change out covers while mopping as they get dirty without costing extra, and the fabric mop covers tend to be better at getting dirt out of grout and for scrubbing. If you have a disposable mopping system, you may be able to figure out a way to use regular washcloths for covers rather than the disposable covers.
When you need to replace your vacuum cleaner, consider a bagless model. Then, you don't have to buy vacuum cleaner bags or find yourself unable to vacuum because you used the last bag.
Cleaning items is one budget category where it isn't necessary for a single parent to spend lots of money in order to have a clean home. The tips above are easy to implement and will allow you to channel some of your former cleaning dollars to more deserving items in your budget.
