One of the easiest ways to cut back on weekly grocery shopping is to reduce the amount you spend on household items such as cleaning products. There are hundreds of products on the market and many of them are pretty pricey!
Since the pandemic households have spent more on cleaning products and laundry detergents than ever before. So, how can we reduce the cost and still clean effectively? Read on for my top tips that will help you save a few quid.
Look for own brands
Advertising and influencers will have you believe that the big-named brands are the best, but this isn’t always the case. You can get perfectly good results from supermarket's own brands. So whether you’re a Mrs Hinch or not, why spend more?
The table below gives you an idea of how much you can save when opting for supermarket own brands.
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The table below gives you an idea of how much you can save when opting for supermarket own brands.
Branded Product
Unbranded Product
Saving
Method Antibacterial All Purpose Spray 828ml £4.00
Tesco Antibacterial Multi Purpose Cleanser Spray £750ml 85p
£3.15
Domestos Thick Bleach Original 750ml £1.50
Asda Citrus Burst Extra Thick Bleach 750ml 90p
60p
Mr Sheen Original Polish 250ml £2.10
Sainsburys Furniture Polish with Bees Wax 300ml £1.00
£1.10
Flash Lemon Floor Cleaner 1.5l £2.99
Lidl W5 All Purpose Floor Cleaner 1l £1.09
£1.90
Be frugal with your products
We tend to be quite liberal with our cleaning products and in general we overuse them. Consider using less of your spray products, a little goes a long way. When it comes to floor cleaners use half the cup measure, if you you still get great results your product will last twice as long. And when using furniture polish spray on to the cloth rather than spraying the surface area. By simply cutting back you will notice how less frequently your need to repurchase.
Reuse and recycle
Recycling isn’t just good for the environment it’s kinder on your pocket too. Reuse things that would otherwise get thrown away:
Old t-shirts, towels or sheets can be cut up and made into excellent cleaning clothes.
Plastic carrier bags make good waste paper bin liners.
Old toothbrushes can be used to scrub trickly to reach areas in the bathroom and are handy when cleaning up grouting.
Used tumble dryer sheets are superb dusters, they pick up dust and leave a lovely fresh fragrance.
Make your own cleaning products
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Making your own cleaning products is a lot easier than you might think. One of the most popular household items used in cleaning products is white vinegar. From kitchen surfaces to showers, it’s very versatile. Hayley Gilbert from Homes & Gardens has some great suggestions and methods for cleaning with vinegar that are well worth checking out.
If you need more ideas, head to YouTube there are hundreds of homemade cleaning solutions for you to investigate and all these thrifty ideas will save you pounds.
Could a subscription cleaning product service save you money?
There are several subscription cleaning products out there and depending on what you are currently spending on cleaning products they might save you money. They are generally a better solution for the environment and they have added convenience. I’ve trialed a few of the subscription services, and my favorites were Neat and Smol.
(Image credit: Neat Cleaning)
Neat cleaning focuses on a refillable cleaning bottles. You are supplied with an aluminium cleaning bottle along with a small glass bottle of cleaning solution that you then dilute with water. I use the multi purpose cleaner as this means I can use it on most surfaces and in all rooms in the house, so there is no need to buy multiple products. A 30ml refill costs £2.50 which makes 500ml of cleaning solution.
And it’s great for the environment as they aren’t shipping water and it’s avoiding plastic waste. The service is easy to use and the product smells good and works perfectly. There are always trial offers available so you can try it at a minimal cost.
Smol is one of the most popular subscription services. They have made the switch to sustainable cleaning methods incredibly easy. As well as refillable products you can also subscribe to eco-friendly laundry tablets and fabric softeners. The plan is flexible and easy to use and it’s one of the most affordable subscriptions.
I’ve tried the multipurpose cleaning spray, the dishwasher tablets and the eco-friendly laundry tablets. All of the products worked well and I feel they saved me money overall. However, the eco-friendly laundry tablets are now my preference and I have continued to subscribe to those, despite the fact that they are not the cheapest way to wash laundry.
Try The Pink Stuff
(Image credit: Good Housekeeping)
Social media has gone into a cleaning frenzy over this bargain all purpose cleaner. The Miricle Cleaning paste starts at just £1.50. And it cleanings pretty much anything for that bargain price. The chances are you can replace lots of your cleaning products with this one product. Here are a few of the things it can do.
Clean tiles and grouting
Clean pots, pans and baking trays - great at removing stains and burn marks
Oven cleaning and stoves
Use on sinks, baths and showers - removes soap scum
Hi, I’m SJ. I’m an editor and content executive here at MyVoucherCodes. I started my journey here as a deals expert which gave me the skills to become a money-saving expert. You can find my tips and recommendations in various publications including The Sun, The Mirror, and The Telegraph.
I gained a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing in 2018, and I’ve put my writing skills into many projects since then. My portfolio at sarahjaneoutten.com includes my work with Cardiff Times, Buzz Magazine and more.
I write poetry and short stories for pleasure and enjoy getting creative with watercolours and lino printing. I hope that I can merge my love of writing and art into a children's book in the future - watch this space!
