Simple Tips You Can Try Now to Save Money on Household Items and Cleaning Products
Save money and keep your home cleaner with three simple, practical tips. If you’re trying to move toward a nontoxic, natural, and lower-waste lifestyle, these ideas will get you started.
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Have you ever been delighted to find money you thought you’d lost? I remember hiding $50 in a trophy when I was a kid and forgetting about it until I cleaned my room before college. Finding it felt like a little windfall.
I won’t hide $50 in your trophy, but I will share ways you can save more than $50 a month on household cleaning supplies. You might even save a lot more over time.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
3 Easy Ways to Save Hundreds on Cleaning Supplies
1. MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS
If you already guessed this, you’re on the right track. Why make your own cleaners?
It’s easy on your wallet
Homemade cleaners are budget-friendly because the core ingredients are inexpensive and versatile. With a few pantry staples you can clean nearly every surface in your home.
Common, affordable ingredients include:
- Baking soda
- Washing soda
- Oxygen bleach (gentle formulas for laundry)
- Vinegar
- Vodka (a disinfecting solvent for some recipes)
- Sea salt
- Castile soap
- Citric acid (optional)
- Essential oils — peppermint, lavender, tea tree, lemon, orange, clove, and cinnamon are useful for scent and some cleaning properties
With these ingredients you can make dishwasher detergent, laundry detergent and softener, sink and shower scrubs, window cleaner, multi-purpose cleaners, disinfecting sprays, air fresheners, and more.
Examples I no longer buy:
- Dishwasher detergent
- Laundry detergent
- Laundry softener
- Sink, shower, and toilet scrubs
- Window cleaner
- Disinfectant spray
- Multi-purpose cleaner
- Air freshener
2. BUY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS IN BULK
Buying in bulk reduces the per-unit cost of staples and makes homemade recipes even cheaper. Here’s how this works for us:
Baking soda and salt from the bulk bins are usually much cheaper per pound. I buy them in larger quantities and store them in airtight containers at home.
Buying vinegar and vodka in large jugs saves money compared with small bottles. The larger containers offer the best value for cleaning use.
Side note: I get funny looks buying large amounts of vodka when I’m pregnant, but it’s for cleaning, I promise.
Paper products bought in bulk are generally more affordable. We buy toilet paper and other essentials in multi-packs from warehouse stores or online, choosing whichever has the best price.
Store your bulk items smartly
If you live in a smaller home, storage can be a challenge. These simple ideas help:
- Use a dedicated shelf in the linen closet
- Store extras under beds on a frame
- Add shallow shelving above bathroom doorways for overflow
3. USE RAGS AND CHEAP CLOTH INSTEAD OF ONE-USE DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS
I haven’t switched to cloth toilets (not for me yet), but many disposable items have been replaced in our home by reusable cloths. This saves money and reduces waste.
Items we rarely buy anymore include:
Paper towels
Paper napkins
Tissues
Disposable mop pads
Disinfecting wipes
Facial cotton pads
What we use instead:
- Inexpensive washcloths or thrifted towels for general cleaning
- Soft washcloths as reusable facial rounds to remove makeup or apply toner
- Microfiber cloths for dusting and glass cleaning
- Handkerchiefs or reusable tissues as a substitute for disposable tissues
- Cloth napkins instead of paper napkins
- Old towels or cut-up sheets for heavy-duty jobs like draining oil or patting meat—these go into a dedicated laundry pile and are washed hot for sanitation
Update:
Some retailers offer good deals on natural cleaning tools and starter kits. A small initial purchase can include basics like recycled trash bags, glass soap dispensers, walnut scrubber sponges, and flour sack towels—useful items to begin a sustainable cleaning routine.
Bonus Tip: Part-time cloth-diapering saves money
If you have young children, consider part-time cloth-diapering. We use cloth diapers during the day and disposables at night or when traveling. Full-time cloth use didn’t work for us at night due to leaks and rashes, but using cloth part-time reduced disposable use and saved money.
If you’re expecting, adding cloth diapers to your registry is a smart idea; they’re a practical, long-lasting gift.
Finally, it’s helpful to check cleaner safety ratings from reputable sources to make informed choices about the products you use in your home.