The Lean Clean: How to Make the Most of a Household Cleaning Budget

The Lean Clean: How to Make the Most of a Household Cleaning Budget

Cleaning is no one’s favorite chore. From toilets to countertops, clothing to cars, everything requires cleaning in one form or another and it can quickly become an overwhelming prospect when left for too long. In an effort to save time and of course money, here are some quick and dirty cleaning tips to keep on top of messes of all kinds, be them catastrophic spills or routine dishes.

Invest in A Steam Cleaner

Reducing the number of brushes, spray bottles, cloths or machines required to clean a home can greatly reduce both clutter and time spent cleaning. Cleaning machines like steam cleaners are multi-purpose and highly effective. They run on water and they are extremely effective. Steam cleaners can get tough stains off of all sorts of surfaces and most have special attachments for clothes and other fabrics like curtains. When you’re not constantly running around swapping rags, cloths or products, you can truly appreciate the simplicity and efficiency of steam.

Buy in Bulk


Now that you’ve reduced the overall cleaning product clutter by cutting down on products, consider bulking up on the things you do need. Investing in larger quantities of anything often means paying less overall, and a stockpile of cleaning materials will never go to waste. Only invest in the things you absolutely need and will use regularly and then designate an area in the home specifically for cleaning storage. Having a few key products in large quantities in a single location will make life easier and more economical in no time.

Take Care of the Air

Cleaning isn’t just about surfaces or carpets. Keeping the air inside a home clean and pure is incredibly important. Clean air prevents any toxins that may be floating around a home from taking up permanent residence, which can also prevent illness or allergies in the long run. Houseplants are a natural air purifier and can be a lovely aesthetic accent that also happens to serve a very important function in the overall cleaning regime of a home.

Say No to Toxins

While many cleaning products boast complex chemical compounds, a one to one solution of vinegar and water makes for an effective (and inexpensive) multipurpose cleaner. This nontoxic concoction is the perfect disinfectant for floors and bathrooms and cleans glass without leaving behind any streaks or residue. The vinegar and water mixture may smell pungent while it’s being applied but the smell subsides as soon as the liquid dries, making it the cheapest nontoxic cleaning product on the market today.

Savvy spenders know when to splurge and when to save, and cleaning the home is no exception. Investing in high-quality multi-purpose machines like steam cleaners will pay off substantially in the long run while simple DIY cleaning solutions like vinegar and water are the perfect place to cut some economic corners and stay away from expensive (and potentially harmful) chemicals.

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