October 29, 2011

More Tips on Being Cheap!

Ok, the all-purpose cleaner is the easiest, so let's start there. Mix one part regular old white vinegar with one part water and put it in a squirt bottle. Done! My only advice is to use a funnel and get a good squirt bottle. The kind from the travel sized toiletries area at Target will rust or break pretty quickly. I suggest the good $2 kind from Home Depot, or at least the kind from the mops/brooms area at Target!
This stuff is REALLY CHEAP! WAHOO! (And yes it works, I used it in my lab.) And the best part is you don't have to worry about it being where your kids are. They can lick a floor cleaned with this stuff! Heck, they could drink of this stuff!
(ETA: No, this is not going to get a red food coloring stain off of your kitchen counter. I have a bottle of cleaner with bleach that I use every once in a while for things like that. I'll have that bottle for YEARS though!)

Next, glass/mirror cleaner.
Get another good squirt bottle and put a cup of rubbing alcohol (I use the 91% isopropyl...it's in the pharmacy area by the bandages), a cup of water and a tablespoon of your vinegar. DONE. Works like a charm. Also, I use this instead of the all-purpose cleaner if I've got some raw meat drippings on the counter or something. You just can't get it on painted surfaces, including your fingernails!

And then there's the fruit and veggie wash. This is the most complicated!
This is the only one I mix in a separate bowl. You know the foaming that goes on when vinegar and baking soda mix...it'll cover your kitchen if you do it in a little squirt bottle! Anyway, mix 1 cup vinegar with 1 cup water, add a tablespoon of baking soda (bubbles!) and then a teaspoon of lemon juice. Make sure your bowl is pretty big if you are going to double the recipe...don't want bubbling over! Use that funnel to get it in your quality squirt bottle.
SAVING MONEY and not eating dirt!
When I get home from the store I spray all of the produce thoroughly and let it sit while I put the rest of the groceries away. Then I rinse them right under tap water and put them away. I give things like apples and cucumbers a good rub to get all the waxy residue off. Easy!

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