Spring is the time that flowers come into bloom, we open our windows and doors to let in the fresh air and we do some extra cleaning while the weather is starting to turn nice. However, spring cleaning can quickly become expensive. There are all sorts of cleaning tools to buy, and many resources are used in trying to get everything looking and smelling clean.
For those on a budget, it can be tough deciding what to clean and what to leave dirty for when there is more money to deal with it. Kaitlin who runs Diamond Cleaning move in service You might even be debating on whether to hire a cleaning service to do the work for you and save you time that you can spend earning money. You don’t have to make those tough decisions, however, if you clean smartly and use these money-saving tips for spring cleaning.
Conserve Your Water and Electricity
One of the biggest unplanned expenses of spring cleaning is water usage. The average person uses hundreds of gallons of water, plus a lot of electricity, when they clean. You can cut down on both of those by using smart cleaning techniques.
Try filling your mop bucket halfway instead of all the way up. You probably end up dumping half of it anyway when it becomes dirty, so why waste all that water? If you are cleaning clothes that have been sitting in storage all winter, then you probably don’t need to run them through the washer cycle. They may just need to air out, and a quick spray with a deodorizer can be all they need to smell their best.
To save electricity, be sure to turn off lights in rooms where you are not working. Use natural sunlight as much as possible, and open curtains and windows to bring in illumination. Since you will be doing a lot of cleaning, you can unplug entertainment items that are not being used, such as the video game consoles and even home PCs. These can drain energy even when they are not turned on.
Make Your Own Cleaners
Buying cleaning solutions from the store can be expensive. You may be tempted to buy name brand cleaners to ensure you get good quality cleaning, but you can usually get just as good results from non-name cleaners or by making the cleaners on your own. There are tons of great recipes for making your own online, and one of the most effective is to take some vinegar and water and make a liquid cleaner out of that. That can be used as a glass cleaner and surface cleaner. It can also be used to mop tiled floors with. For a paste cleaner, you can use baking soda and water, which can be used to clean silverware, mold, and soap scum. There are lots of other types of cleaners you can make at home using items you probably already have in your house. There is no need to spend a lot of money on name brand cleaners at the store when you have what you need at home.
Reuse Items as Cleaning Tools
You don’t have to go buy spray bottles or cleaning cloths for your spring cleaning either. You can use items around the house that have been repurposed to suit your needs.
If you have any old shirts or pants, you can tear those into strips and use them as cleaning rags. As long as they are not made from abrasive fabric, they will work well for most surfaces. Just be sure they are clean before you use them.
You can take spray bottles you use in the garden and reuse them for your homemade cleaners. If you have cleaners you bought from the store that you are finished with, then take those empty bottles, clean them out and refill them with your own cleaners. If you are good at saving out items that you may have use for later, you can find smart ways to cut your costs.
Buy Wholesale
Another way to save money is to buy your cleaning products in bulk. There will be some things that you need to buy from the store and that you cannot make yourself or repurpose from what you already have. Scrubbing pads, dish soap, dryer sheets and other items that you have to go to the store for can be found in bulk at a cheaper price than if you were to buy a bunch of small packs. The initial cost will be higher, but over the long run, you will save money. Look for wholesale offers that cut the bulk price down and give you a good deal. You’ll have enough cleaning supplies on hand for the work that needs to be done, and you’ll save money on your overall costs.
Use Newspapers as Liners
You can save yourself some work and some money by using newspapers as liners or your garbage cans and as cleaning mats. You can lay them down when you are going to do some messy cleaning, thus saving yourself some extra work and time. You can line your garbage cans with them to catch liquids and other nastiness and avoid having to use expensive garbage bags that catch everything. This makes it easy to keep your garbage cans clean and ensures a more sanitary house.
Most people have plenty of newspapers lying around, and if you haven’t been saving yours out, you may want to start doing so. Some of these tips involve you planning ahead and making use of resources you have saved out. If you are not already doing these things and reusing your resources, then you can start now and save yourself time and money moving forward. You’ll have an easier time with your spring cleaning, and you’ll definitely save some money. This annual cleaning does not have to become super expensive. It is something you can pull off effectively and clean thoroughly even when you are working with a tight budget. Just use what you have on hand and reuse your resources smartly to cut costs where you can.
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