Frugal Cleaning Tips if You Can’t Get to the Shops

Nobody enjoys cleaning but it is more important than ever in our current global situation. However, many of us are struggling to get to the shops so here are some frugal cleaning tips using what you may already have at home.

Cleaning is something many people do because they have to, not because it’s fun. Cleaning your house takes forever, or at least seems to! So give some of these frugal cleaning tips and try to see if they make light work of your cleaning.

Use Dryer Sheets to Dust

If you still use those sheets that you put in the tumble dryer, you will be pleased to know that there is a use for used ones.

I am sure that you, like me, hate dust. It comes to your house, coats surfaces, and leaves you vulnerable to allergies. You can vacuum your floor, dust surfaces, and wipe them to get rid of that perpetual dust.

However, a good really way to make your surfaces repel dust is with used dryer sheets. It’s all about the static electricity as dryer sheets are designed (cleverly!) to reduce static electricity. This means the sheets both remove dust and prevent it from returning for a few days. Win win.

White Vinegar for Just About Everything

Very few people exploit the superb cleaning uses of vinegar. It’s not just an ingredient to a few of your dishes and salads. It can remove stains and scale.

I am a really big fan of white vinegar and buy it in bulk. If you are in the UK like me, I buy this 20 Litre pack of white vinegar.

Do you have an old showerhead? Wrap a plastic bag filled with vinegar around it. Leave it overnight, and see the grime loosen up in the morning for you to wipe away.

Did you turn your pan black after your last cooking session? Don’t worry. Fill it with water. Add a cup of vinegar. Heat it on the stove for a few minutes. Add two tablespoons of baking soda. This makes scrubbing the otherwise stubborn burnt bit on your pan much easier.

It’s hard to clean the inside of your microwave, let alone make it look new. All the food you placed inside can leave odours that in time can make your handy kitchen appliance smell funny. Here’s what you have to do.

Fill a bowl with two cups of water, two tablespoons of white vinegar, and a few drops of essential oil. Put the bowl inside, and run your microwave for five minutes. Let it sit still for a few more minutes. Then wipe the interior using a damp cloth or towel.

Ice Ice Baby

Cleaning your blender blades is easier than you think. No, you don’t have to wipe them with a cloth and scrub the inner surfaces. All you need is ice cubes.

Put ice cubes in your blender. Turn it on. The crushing ice will clean the fast-spinning blades. The melting ice does the rinsing as well. You can also add some washing-up liquid to remove grease.

Make sure you rinse properly before your next smoothie though!

Tin Foil Targets Tarnish

Use good old tin foil to polish silverware and glassware. Look how old those silver spoons, forks, and knives look after a while. If you think you need to buy polishing solutions to restore their old sheen, stop.

Go to the kitchen. Get some tin foil, and put it on a large pan. Pour hot water into it. Add half a cup of salt and half a cup of baking soda. Soak your silverware for thirty minutes.

If you have stained glassware, crumple a piece of tin foil and turn it into a ball. Coat it with dish soap and use it to scrub your glassware. You will be amazed.

Ammonia Works Wonders

Fill a bowl with half a cup of ammonia. Leave it in your grimy oven overnight. Make sure it’s turned off! Ammonia makes the grime easy to wipe away the next morning.

Stained Carpet Calamity

Mix two parts of water and one part of vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the stained spot. Set a damp rag over it, and run a hot iron on top. Do this for one minute. That should clear most stains.

Did you spill grease on your carpet? Don’t call a professional cleaner yet. Pat a towel or a cloth on the stained area to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle some baking soda on the spot. Wait for ten minutes, after which you can vacuum the area.

Then mix a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of clear washing-up liquid with two cups of warm water. Get a sponge or a clean cloth, and dip it in the mixture. Press the sponge over the stain, and leave it there for a few minutes.

Banish Stained Bathtubs

An old bathtub can look really stained and discoloured, and the last thing you want to do is lie in it. No problem.

Mix a teaspoon of liquid soap with a few drops of your favourite essential oils. Add a cup of baking soda. Mix everything with enough water to create a thick paste. Use a sponge to scrub your tub. The baking soda makes an excellent scrubbing agent. Rinse with water.

Your Frugal Cleaning Tips

These are some of my frugal cleaning tips but do you have any more? Let me know your tips in the comments.