Cleaning with the Super Six
You can save hundreds of dollars a year by making not just washing powder, but all your cleaning products at home and you don't need a whole lot of chemicals either.
It is possible to clean your whole house, from top to bottom with just six everyday household products:
1. white vinegar
2. bicarb soda
3. eucaplyptus oil
4. borax
5. washing soda
6. laundry soap or dishwashing detergent
Throw in a few knitted cleaning cloths or some $2 shop microfibre cloths and you have a cleaning kit to rival any chemical cleaners you can buy.
There's something to be said for using simple products to clean your home. Apart from the pride I feel in having a clean home for my family there's the pride in knowing that the products used are as safe as can possibly be for them, for our furnishings and for our environment. It's also the feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing I haven't washed hundreds of dollars down the drain.
I've been thinking a lot lately about that. About how much money goes down the drain or into the garbage bin in the average household. Waste doesn't just happen in the kitchen. It can be using too much of something or using the wrong thing for a particular job. It can be using what we believe are convenience products when there are better, cheaper alternatives that are just as convenient.
The Cheapskates washing powder is a classic example. So many people like the idea of cutting their laundry cost to around $10 a year, but they don't make the powder because they think it's too hard.
Well hello folks! It takes under 5 minutes of your time - yes, really - and the tiniest bit of elbow grease to grate the soap and mix it with the washing soda and borax. The main reason they give is that it will be too hard to grate the soap. Hmm. I've grated chocolate that's been harder!
And how convenient is it to spend 5 minutes and not have to repeat the process for another year? No lugging heavy boxes home each week. No overpowering scents to make you sneeze and itch. No spending hundreds of dollars for the pleasure of lugging, sneezing and itching. Now that's convenient.
And it's just as convenient to make other cleaning products. Window cleaner, bath and basin cleaner, floor cleaners, carpet cleaners, oven cleaners can all be made using the super six above.
You'll find the recipes and instructions for making window cleaner, drain cleaner, copper cleaner and a good all-purpose cleaner in the Tip Store under Homemade Cleaning Products.
You'll find the instructions for making Cheapskates Washing Powder here.
For a few minutes of your time, you'll have a clean and healthy house and a lot more money in your bank account.
It is possible to clean your whole house, from top to bottom with just six everyday household products:
1. white vinegar
2. bicarb soda
3. eucaplyptus oil
4. borax
5. washing soda
6. laundry soap or dishwashing detergent
Throw in a few knitted cleaning cloths or some $2 shop microfibre cloths and you have a cleaning kit to rival any chemical cleaners you can buy.
There's something to be said for using simple products to clean your home. Apart from the pride I feel in having a clean home for my family there's the pride in knowing that the products used are as safe as can possibly be for them, for our furnishings and for our environment. It's also the feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing I haven't washed hundreds of dollars down the drain.
I've been thinking a lot lately about that. About how much money goes down the drain or into the garbage bin in the average household. Waste doesn't just happen in the kitchen. It can be using too much of something or using the wrong thing for a particular job. It can be using what we believe are convenience products when there are better, cheaper alternatives that are just as convenient.
The Cheapskates washing powder is a classic example. So many people like the idea of cutting their laundry cost to around $10 a year, but they don't make the powder because they think it's too hard.
Well hello folks! It takes under 5 minutes of your time - yes, really - and the tiniest bit of elbow grease to grate the soap and mix it with the washing soda and borax. The main reason they give is that it will be too hard to grate the soap. Hmm. I've grated chocolate that's been harder!
And how convenient is it to spend 5 minutes and not have to repeat the process for another year? No lugging heavy boxes home each week. No overpowering scents to make you sneeze and itch. No spending hundreds of dollars for the pleasure of lugging, sneezing and itching. Now that's convenient.
And it's just as convenient to make other cleaning products. Window cleaner, bath and basin cleaner, floor cleaners, carpet cleaners, oven cleaners can all be made using the super six above.
You'll find the recipes and instructions for making window cleaner, drain cleaner, copper cleaner and a good all-purpose cleaner in the Tip Store under Homemade Cleaning Products.
You'll find the instructions for making Cheapskates Washing Powder here.
For a few minutes of your time, you'll have a clean and healthy house and a lot more money in your bank account.