Budget-friendly home cleaning hacks

Keeping your living space clean and tidy is important for both physical and mental wellbeing. A clean home can help you maintain a sense of calm and order, reduce stress levels and create a more comfortable environment for you and your guests. 
 
However, the costs of cleaning products and services can quickly add up, leaving you wondering how to keep your home clean without regularly spending a significant amount from your monthly budget. 

In today’s blog, we’ll explore a variety of budget-friendly cleaning hacks, helping you to be more cost-efficient when it comes to cleaning, but also maintain a healthy, clean environment. 

Jump to:
Eco-friendly cleaning hacks
Repurposing household items
Cleaning hacks for bathroom
Cleaning hacks for kitchen
Maintain a routine

Eco-friendly cleaning hacks

One of the best ways to transform your cleaning practices to reduce costs is to explore alternatives to commercial cleaning products. 
 
By using common ingredients like vinegar, baking soda or lemon, you can create a variety of useful, efficient cleaning solutions that might surprise you with their versatility. Alongside saving your wallet, DIY cleaning products are super effective at cleaning and unlike harsh chemical products, are safer around the environment, children and pets. 

Some of the most popular natural DIY cleaning products include:

• Water and white vinegar solution - A water and vinegar solution is one of the most multipurpose cleaning products you can make yourself. Simply mix a 1:1 ratio of water and white vinegar to clean your kitchen countertops, taps, fridge or windows. Do not use malt vinegar for this, only white vinegar.
• Lemon juice - Like vinegar, lemon juice is an excellent cleaner, and after mixing with water, it can be used to wipe greasy surfaces and other areas in your home that tend to get dirty. However, remember that lemon is not an alternative to bleach and can’t eliminate harmful germs. 
• Baking soda and vinegar - Vinegar and baking soda are on opposite ends of the pH scale, creating a foamy texture when mixed together. Thanks to their opposite effect, they can create a strong cleaning solution to help you unclog sink drains and remove stubborn grease and dirt. 
• Salt - Table salt is a wonderful cleaning agent, both when mixed with the solutions mentioned above as well as on its own. Salt can help you scrub the sink and make it shiny again, get rid of stubborn marks on your surfaces, furniture and clothes and even remove rust from particular types of metal, such as copper or brass. 

If you’re looking to take your sustainable living to the next level and explore more tips on how to be more eco-friendly at home, you can also read our blog on Household sustainability and recycling tips. 

Repurposing household items

There’s a whole range of items you’re probably already using at home every day, but you might not know these items can be easily repurposed to help you with regular cleaning tasks. From old newspapers and clothes to used toothbrushes, instead of discarding these things in a bin, you can turn them into multipurpose cleaning tools. 
 
These are some tips on how to make the best out of these items, rather than throwing them away: 

• Old newspapers are perfect for cleaning windows and glass surfaces. Simply spray the surface with a water and vinegar solution and wipe it dry with the paper.
• Similarly, old pieces of clothes, such as shirts and t-shirts can make the best garments for cleaning and wiping the surfaces in your home. However, it’s better to use pieces made of natural fibres, such as wool or cotton, as they have better absorbing abilities. 
• Instead of disposing of an old toothbrush, you can consider using it for cleaning hard-to-reach areas and tricky spots in your home. A toothbrush is generally really useful for anything that needs scrubbing, such as bathroom tiles and grout, as the bristles will help you remove stains while the handle will give you good leverage. 

Cleaning hacks for bathroom

A bathroom is a space in your house that requires regular attention to maintain cleanliness and hygiene. From tackling soap buildup in the bathtub to banishing toothpaste splatters from the sink, bathroom cleaning can easily turn into a daunting task. 
 
To make the cleaning routine less tiring and more efficient, here are some useful hacks to follow:

Keep your tools clean

Whether it’s a mop, a cloth or a sponge, these tools are the alpha and omega of your cleaning routine, and it’s important to keep them as clean as possible. Otherwise, they won’t be able to absorb the dirt well and might leave a residue on your surfaces. 

Embrace the natural cleaning products

As mentioned earlier, DIY cleaning products can bring real magic to your household, including the bathroom. While vinegar can help you remove the mineral buildup from a shower head, the mixture of water, vinegar and baking soda can help you scrub the grime and stain from tiles, sinks and faucets.

Get a shower squeegee

A squeegee is an affordable and super effective tool you should add to your cleaning tools gear. After taking a shower, run the squeegee along the shower screen and tiles to prevent hard water deposits from settling in your bathroom and creating marks. 

Avoid water puddles

After taking a shower or bath, it’s easy to leave the bathroom with puddles on the floor. However, standing water not only presents the risk of slips and falls, but it also attracts hair and dirt to accumulate on the floor and increases the risk of mould growth . Therefore, try to wipe the floor and bathroom surroundings with a dry cloth or old towel before leaving the room. To tackle the moisture in your home effectively, you can also read our blog on How to prevent condensation and mould at home. 

Cleaning hacks for kitchen

Similar to the bathroom, the kitchen can be one of the pain points of our household when it comes to cleaning. From cooking and meal preparation to family gatherings, there’s usually lots of hustle and bustle happening in the kitchen, leading to inevitable clutter, spills and grease buildup. 
 
Some of the most effective cleaning hacks for the bathroom can be also applied during the kitchen cleaning routine, as you can never go wrong with using the power of white vinegar, baking soda or salt. While vinegar can help you remove grease from oven racks, descale the kettle or remove the limescale around taps, baking soda is a great cleaning agent for polishing cutlery or a stainless steel sink. 

But how about some additional tips that will help you maintain your kitchen so it is spotless and grease-free?
     
Use the power of lemon  

Lemon is a great ingredient to add taste to your meals, but also a powerful tool when it comes to cleaning. By placing a bowl of water with lemon slices in your microwave and heating it for a few minutes, you can more easily remove the stubborn food splatters and odours. Similarly, if your wooden chopping boards need refreshing, sprinkle them with salt and rub the surface with a cut lemon. Make sure that you wash them again before using the next time. 
 
Clean and organise your fridge 

If you’re looking for a quick solution to remove the dirt and stickiness from your fridge, you might want to consider using a mixture of water and vinegar. While fighting the dirt and germs in your kitchen, vinegar is also great to neutralise the food odour hanging inside of your fridge. Once you finish cleaning the fridge interior, think about a clever storage solution to prevent future spills and make the regular cleaning routine easier to handle. You can check our blog on Clever kitchen storage ideas on budget for more inspiration. 

DIY drain cleaner

A clogged kitchen sink is one of the common problems in the kitchen, challenging your patience and disrupting your daily routine. To prevent the drain from clogging, pour a mixture of baking soda and vinegar into your kitchen sink drain, followed by a full kettle of  hot water. This natural solution is safe for pipes and effective at keeping drains clear and odour-free.

To get more tips on how to look after your kitchen, check our blog on Kitchen appliances maintenance tips.