Cleaning Hacks, Money-Saving Tips, and Favorite Products from the Unconventional Housewife

If you were to walk through my front door right now, you would laugh that I was the one giving cleaning advice. Not that my house is dirty but it’s… let’s just say… “lived in.” You would find mail on the table, a small pile of clothes on the couch, dog bones and toys everywhere, and more than likely dishes in the kitchen sink. What you will notice, though, is that my home is clean where it matters; the floors are scrubbed, my bathrooms are always cleaned, and it smells fresh. I am a full-time career woman, a loving wife, and a momma to a 65-pound boxer. Yeah, it may be true that I don’t have the hectic lives of some, but I, too, struggle with getting it all done. I struggle with being able to run to the grocery store weekly, maintaining the entire house, laundry, and all the other duties that fall under the term “wife.” I’m not complaining one bit; I love my role in my little family. I love making sure that our home is clean, but I also love sitting around enjoying a few minutes of “me” time, which is why in the past 4 years of marriage I have learned to work smart– not hard.

I quickly realized that I couldn’t be the only one feeling this overwhelmed, so I have compiled a list of cleaning items that I absolutely love and provided a few money saving ideas, as well:

 

1. Making my whites whiter!

So, I guess this is something that many people have done, but if I didn’t know about it, chances are some of you don’t either. When washing my whites, I, of course, always add my bleach, but before I even put my clothes in, I fill my washing machine up to soak. After filling the machine, I add just a touch of peroxide to the water. Then I put all of my whites in and allow them to soak for about 15 minutes before running the entire cycle. My whites come out as bright as they do on the commercials (thanks for the tip, mom!).

2. Say good-bye to expensive magic erasers!

I love the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. They make cleaning a breeze, especially when your husband is a mechanic and he insists on bringing half of the garage’s grease home with him. Now, usually a 7-pack with the cleaner already in it costs about $6. It also depends on where you purchase these. What if I told you that you can get the exact same thing for half the cost and use your favorite cleaner with them? I introduce to you Melamine sponges. After being frustrated by the cost of Magic Erasers only to get a few uses out of them, I went searching for an alternative. Walmart sells Melamine Sponges for about $4 for 10. But you can get 100 of them for $10 right on Amazon. Who needs a hundred of these sponges? I do, and so does my mom, being that we both married mechanics. It took a couple of weeks to get the sponges in, but the last time I ordered them was in January and I’m still stocked up!

3. How to refill your Swiffer Wet Jet!

Make fun all you want, but I’m a penny pincher. I refuse to continue to buy refill cartridges for my Swiffer Wet Jet, but I also refuse to scrub my floor on my hands and knees every day. I knew there had to be a way to solve my never-ending battle with Swiffer, so I took to Pinterest in search of a way to reuse my bottles! Here’s what I found: Wait until your liquid cartridge is completely empty. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, stick the tip of the bottle (lid side) in the water for about 30 seconds. Let cool then unscrew the lid! I had to do this twice so you may have to repeat. After that, fill with your favorite liquid floor cleaner. I love Fabuloso in the Green Apple scent– I even have Ashley addicted to the crisp clean smell!

4. Fabuloso

Ok, if you were to ask me what my all time favorite home cleaner is, this is what I would tell you.  But the main reason why is because I absolutely love the smell. I usually use this cleaner to scrub my floors, wipe down walls, and other odds and ends things. This isn’t something I particularly like to use in a high-traffic-germ-zones, like the bathroom.  This is simply a “refresh cleaner,” as I like to call it. Where can you get something this awesome? You can find small bottles at the Dollar Tree, Walmart, or my personal favorite– stock up on the BIG bottle from Sam’s club.  Just keep an eye out, as the apple scent comes in and out of season. Its always available in the Lavender scent, too. You can also buy it on Amazon here, but they sometimes jack up the prices because of the rarity of the scent.

5. Totally Awesome Cleaner with Bleach

I buy this stuff straight from the Dollar Tree. Its one of those cleaners that just does the trick. It makes my bathroom look and feel completely clean. It has really helped with some stubborn messes! Bonus: It’s concentrated, so I mix it in a spray bottle and its been a “totally awesome” cleaner (see what I did there 😉 ). It has the ability to get out pretty much any stain, but it’s very strong, so be sure to use it in a ventilated area!

6. Use those candles to the last drop!

My mom always taught me not to waste, so when she asked me years ago for my left over candles, I thought she was crazy. She was able to melt down the left over candle wax and make me tarts for the tart burners! I quickly passed on the idea to Ashley and she tried it herself and wrote a blog post on how to do it here.

6. OdoBan has changed my life

Having Stella had been so much fun; I love her with my entire heart ,but I hate when my house starts to smell like dog. I just won’t have it. Bring in the Odoban. You can purchase this in bulk at Sam’s Club or on Amazon. I use it in my entire house and my home always smells clean! You would never know I have a 65-pound fur child in the house. Just the other day, I noticed that our comforter for our bed was smelling a bit like Stella, even though she has been given clear instructions not to lay on it. I sprayed it down with OdoBan and it smelled so refreshed.  Hours later, when I came back home, and was a little less nose blind, I walked into a home that smelled clean with no traces of Stella scent anywhere. This was also a big deal when I was puppy training her, or giving my carpets a refresh between deep cleanings, and it quickly came to the rescue when I found rotting food in my trunk a few days ago. True story: I got sidetracked and left a bag of plastic plates and cups in my trunk that I wouldn’t be needing for a while all to find out that the sour smell in my car was actually coming from that bag. There was food it in– and it looked angry. You know what it’s like, we have all had something like this happen to us. Have no fear, you can sit in my car which is always tidy, and not even realize that I once had rotting lunch meat in the trunk. haha. I will choose OdoBan over Febreeze or any other air freshener any day; the fresh clean scent lasts way longer, it’s more cost effective, and it completely eliminates odors like it says.

I know this post is a bit errrr… unconventional, but I hope that it helps you find the time to yourself that you deserve! Have any tips for us?? If so, please let us know in the comments below. I will do anything to get the chores done and make more time for traveling, shopping, or nothing, if that what I choose! haha

 

xo,
Er