There are so many products on the market that claim to remove all manner of dirt with little to no scrubbing. Instead, they fill your home with chemicals and odours that some people wonder if they are good for our health.

I will admit to be a cleaning product lover, and in the past I have rushed out to purchase the latest miracle cleaner, and often feel disappointed when the product doesn’t live up to my expectations.

I quickly learnt that having these cleaning products in my home is a waste of money from my grocery budget, especially as they don’t work to my standards. So, what to do?

I have found that the money that I pay on cleaning products has reduced but I am still no closer to finding products that are better than the old-fashioned recipes for cleaning.

I was recently discussing the problem of bathroom cleaning with a friend; again a product that I was using wasn’t performing to my expectations and the solution, which resulted from this conversation, was using a steamer for the more difficult areas.

This is clean and cheap once you have the product, for me this seems like an ideal option but a steamer costs money.

Cleaning the old-fashioned way

Using white vinegar and baking soda is the answer, along with a little hard work and the bathroom will sparkle. However, this is spending money even if they are cheaper than most cleaning products and last a reasonable about of time. I keep the bathroom clean in between my weekly cleaning sessions using a method that I picked up from Flylady.

In her morning routine, she suggests using a cloth with soap to wipe down the bathroom. You might be surprised but this does actually work, it removes soap scum, and shampoo residue that can be left around the shower.

I use this method once a day after my shower; the results are good and keeps the bathroom clean in between my full bathroom cleaning.

White vinegar and soda are great for many different cleaning tasks; for reducing the smell in the drains, bathroom cleaning and window cleaning. A versatile product is not going to fill your home with chemicals and smells.

Other cleaning options

Other cleaning options can work well around the home without the need to purchase cleaning products. If you dust, using polish every time just isn’t a necessity, once every couple of weeks is fine and you are saving money on the amount of polish you need to buy.

There are recipes that show how to make cleaning products with items that you have around your home or that are cheap to buy, but it is knowing which product works and which doesn’t.

Have you ever wondered about making your own laundry detergent or using white vinegar as a fabric softener, but just unsure what the out-come would be and whether it would be a waste of money? I want to save money and not spend it on products that might not work; I am sometimes reluctant to try. It doesn’t mean that they don’t work, it is just the time and sometimes the items are an expense that I am not comfortable with budgeting into my schedule, in case they don’t work and this is fine too.

Cleaning on a budget is finding the balance for you, what you are comfortable with spending on products to clean your home and finding the ones that meet your current needs.