Staci's frugal & practical ways revealed Part 2- Laundry and cleaning items.

Laundry & cleaning items

1. I use coupons for dryer sheets and cut in half so they last twice as long. I tried to make my own dryer sheets and it was ok. I realized I needed to add two clean rags with the solution on it to work. I am not sold yet but will try it again. I also use dryer sheets for static hair on my girls. It's a problem here in Utah for sure!

2. I never use fabric softener. Two of my kids have mild eczema so it doesn't work for us. Or you can make your own if you have energy!

3. I use Fels Naptha laundry bar soap to scrub our dirty socks. It works great and a lot less than sale prices on Shout or Oxiclean. I save Oxiclean for harder stains like tomato. I posted about my sock scrubbing HERE.

4. I plan on trying to make my own laundry soap soon. It is much cheaper and it works (I hear)! I am going to use up what I have on hand and try this recipe in the next few months-stay tuned for my results. You know the family with 19 kids, The Duggars? They make their own laundry detergent and I would assume they have found success with it after that many kids. Go to the Duggar family site and use their laundry detergent and softener recipe.

7. I use more rags to clean not paper towels. I use microfiber cloths to dust (great for a flat screen TV's and computers). Plus there are less dusting products in the air. I bought them at Walmart. I use rags and wash them after I am done. I use paper towels sparingly. It's great for the environment too.

4. I use homemade vinegar and water solution in a spray bottle on floors and baseboards. I use this on my Pergo laminate "wood" floors, laminate bathroom floors, and baseboards. I use rags to wipe dry. Occasionally I put the cloth rags on a Swiffer mop instead of the store bought disposable pads.

3. When I choose to buy household cleaners and laundry items I stock up with coupons when they are rock bottom prices. I use www.grocerysmarts.com in Utah (there are great coupon websites & blogs out there these days) to help me watch for the sales with coupons. I really like the Windex brand. I also find it necessary to have Clorox wipes when potty training!

5. Make your own household cleaners. I bought spray bottles at Walmart and labeled them right away. I currently like buying the Windex brand but you can try a homemade glass cleaner. I refer often to the book The Queen of Clean book found HEREon Amazon.com for cleaning solution proportions (that's where I got my vinegar and water for my floors). She uses a lot of natural cleaning solutions and methods too. I really like this book.

Here's a few recipes to try from the Internet (which I haven't yet) general 409-like cleaner, or recipes for fruit and veggie cleaner and more, and this great non-toxic cleaning kit! And another great comprehensive homemade cleaners recipe list from Jolly Mom. I am not endorsing these recipes above I just found them for reference. I really like the Queen of Clean book it's cheap and a great reference.

Feel free to pipe in and comment on what works for you in the Laundry and cleaning department.

Stay tuned for my frugal and practical ways Part 3- The Bathroom