Money-saving cleaning tips – guest post from FlooringSupplies.co.uk

For most of us, cleaning our homes is hardly something we look forward to – we try and put it off, but we know it has to be done at some point. Manufacturers of cleaning products know this – that’s why supermarkets have aisle after aisle of “The ultimate floor cleaner”, “Whizz bleach” and “Shiney Glass!” in various shapes, styles and colours. Only problem is, these cleaning products are incredibly expensive – and few families can afford $10 on a bottle of the ultimate cleaner…

With that in mind, here’s five ways you can clean your home on a budget.

1 – Baking soda for the win

Baking soda is a great product for cleaning your home. Used correctly it removes grease from your stove, tiled flooring, your sinks and even your carpet. Get your tiled floors sparkling by mixing half a cup of baking soda in a bucket of warm water, then mop and rinse. Clean your stove by applying some baking soda to a damp sponge and scrubbing away the grease. Sprinkle a bit of baking soda over your sink’s surface and rinse and it’ll come up good as new – it leaves everything smelling nice and clean without scratching enamel. And finally, you could even sprinkle a little on your carpets and vacuum it up after 12 hours to remove smells from your carpet.

2 – Alka Seltzer 

Every home has a packet of Alka Seltzer lying around – but these tablets not only sort a dicky tummy, they sort dicky sinks and toilets too! You can often unclog a sink with about four tablets and a cup of white wine vinegar. Just drop the tablets down the drain, follow with the vinegar and allow to stand for about ten minutes and flush with a pot of boiling water. Doing this on a regular basis can help keep that drain clear. You can use the same trick in your toilet too – just put four tablets in your toilet water and leave for an hour, flush and brush sparkling.

3 – Baby oil

Believe it or not, but baby oil is great for cleaning your kitchen’s stainless steel appliances. Start by wiping them down as normal with a damp cloth, and then use a piece of kitchen towel with a little baby oil and wipe down the surface. You can also use baby wipes, but this way is more expensive. These methods brings a lovely shine to the appliance. Baby oil can also be used to clean stains from shower tiles in your bathroom, but be sure to not let any drip onto the floor of your shower as it’ll get slippery and cause a hazard when it gets wet.

4 – Vinegar

Vinegar is a great liquid for cutting through grease, deoderising and acting as a mild disinfectant – plus it’s cheap! You can clean your windows with it brilliantly – just scrunch up some old newspaper, wet it with a bit of vinegar and buff them up to a beautiful sheen. The best kind to use is white wine vinegar, unless you want your house to smell of fries! It’s also good for removing particularly tough stains too – drizzle a little on the stain and leave for 10 minutes before scrubbing with lukewarm water. It can be used to de-scale taps too – just soak some paper towels in vinegar, wrap around the taps and cover with a plastic bag. Secure it with an elastic band – leave for a few hours and voilá – they’ll look as good as new.

5 – Forget air freshener

Did you know that plants have been found to reduce indoor air pollution? Not only do they clean the air in your home, they smell nice and provide oxygen too! Research has shown that plants like palms, ferns, peace lillies, and weeping figs are the most effective in contributing to cleaner air in the home. These plants don’t even need to be placed near a window either – they can be placed in darker corners. When positioning these plants, try and place them in an area which isn’t drafty. Who needs expensive air freshener?

So there you have it – five simple ways to clean your home with products that you’re bound to have lying around your home. Not only will it sparkle you’ll have a fresh and lovely smelling home without having broken the bank!