Have you ever stopped and thought about how much money it costs to keep your home clean and tidy? Well we have, and you'd be surprised, trust us! So we've got some top tips for you today, so you can enjoy significant savings – and don't worry, we're not going to suggest that you sack your cleaner, if you have one!
There are a host of fantastic ideas that you can put into action, which will have a massive impact on how much you spend in order to enjoy a fresh and functioning home, so come with us now as we give you all the inside info!
Nobody wants costly emergency plumber bills, so take a few seconds and install a hair trap in your bathroom plugs. Baths and showers quickly get clogged and can become a very pricey problem to fix!
Why waste lots of your weekly shopping budget on expensive cleaning products, when you probably have everything you need, in your kitchen cupboards? Salt, lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar are all fantastic, natural cleaning agents and can be used on basically anything!
You might think that throwaway cloths are more hygienic, but that's wrong! They will cost you, and the planet, a lot more in the long-run than microfibre cloths that can simply be thrown in the washing machine when you next do a load!
Come on, you know you're meant to be removing all the lint out of your dryer, don't you? If you don't, the machine will have to work twice as hard and probably need replacing far more often. Just have a peek once a week and give it a clean!
If your hair straighteners and curlers are forever getting clogged with styling products, resulting in you throwing them out, STOP! You can simply run a cloth that has been dipped in vinegar and baking soda over them and all the goo will come straight off! Think how much you'll save!
Those big brand dishwasher tablets might have fancy-sounding technology, but you might be shocked to learn that they are probably made in the same factory as generic brands, with the same ingredients! Nobody will ever know which brand you use, so save yourself some serious cash!
If you want to get more life out of your kitchen sink sponges, give them a rise with hot soapy water and pop then in the microwave for a couple of minutes. This will kill any bacteria and you can give them a spritz of lemon juice as well, to keep them smelling great.
Any extractors or ventilation systems need to be maintained properly, so always take the time to give them a good blast of air, to blow any dust out of them. You can buy canned air for this purpose and it will save you a lot of money in potential repair bills.
If your tools are rusting, don't replace them, clean them on the cheap! Soak rusty items in vinegar for a few hours, then scrub with a brillo pad, coated in baking soda. Rinse, dry thoroughly and enjoy your new tools!
It is so easy to get caught up buying one of everything to clean your home, but it really is pointless, as most items will clean numerous things. Pare back how many potions and scrubbers you have, keeping only what you need and try to buy multipurpose cleaning products.
Your bathroom is a hive of cleaning genius and this is one of our favourite tips! Instead of using pricey floor cleaning solutions, add a capful of mouthwash to your bucket of hot water and mop away! Clean and fresh, for a fraction of the cost!
While you;re experimenting with the mouthwash, grab the toothpaste too! For white trainers that have seen better days and are on the brink of being thrown out, a quick scrub with some minty toothpaste will bring them back to dazzling white! Now that really WILL save you money!
You might think that washing your pillows and duvets regularly is a common sense endeavour, but this can actually shorten their lifespan. A better idea is to buy proper covers for them, which can be thrown in with your normal washing. They'll be far cheaper than a new heavy tog cover!
Maintenance is the name of the game with this tip! If you don't want to waste tablets and clock up a huge water bill, you can't afford to run the risk of having to run double cycles, just to get your stubborn pans clean. You can avoid this by giving your dishwasher a clean, just once a month. Be sure to rinse out all the filters, in particular!
It is so tempting to either pay someone to valet your car or splurge on some serious expensive products, but you don't need to do either! Baking soda and lemon juice will get any grime out of the inside of your car and dish soap is more than up to the task of cleaning the outside!
You know all those annoying coupons that come flying out of the till when you do your shopping? KEEP THEM! Supermarkets are banking on people just forgetting about them, but there are serious savings to be made. Sign up for point-collecting schemes too, as that way you can spend your points on the boring cleaning products you need and treat yourself to good food with your weekly budget!
Why pay for expensive carpet cleaning services when you can do the same thing yourself? Tackle stains as soon as they happen and, once a month, sprinkle baking soda, infused with your favourite essential oil, all over your carpets and rugs, leave for about 30 minutes and the vacuum them up. Fresh and clean, you'll wonder why you haven't done it before!
For more great cleaning tips, take a look at this Ideabook: Chemical-free oven cleaning can be done.