Cleaning Up After Kids While Stretching Cleaners Twice as Far

When it comes to cleaning up after your kids, you can go through extra-large jugs of cleansers and detergents, almost as quickly as your kids can make messes throughout the house. In a matter of minutes play clothes and bathrooms look like war zones; so why not do what I do, and stretch those expensive cleaners and laundry aides to do double duty?

Water-Soluble Liquid Laundry Soaps & Dish Detergents

When using water-soluble detergents, it is possible to make two bottles from one. By saving your last bottle of liquid laundry detergent and pour half a new bottle into the old one, filling them both up with not-for-drinking tap water, very slowly. You will end up with two jugs of laundry detergent for the price of one, and I promise your family's clothing will be just as clean.

The same method can be used by saving an empty bottle of dishes detergent, pouring half a new bottle in, and filling up both with tap water. Replace the cap and shake. Note that adding water too fast will only send bubbles of wasted detergent shooting out, over the top, and all over you.

Stretching Fabric-Softener Dryer Sheets

Fabric-softening laundry-dryer sheets not only keep clothes static-free, they also provide a lingering fire-proofing to protect your family's clothing (when used in every dryer load). An economical trick I learned from my sister is to tear the dryer sheets in half, and only use half a sheet per dryer load, for the same scented, static-free fire-proofing potential.

Dirt Cheap Disinfecting Floor & Toilet-Bowl Cleaner

The most economical way I've found to get rid of mildew, keep floors, and toilet bowls clean and disinfected, is by mixing an inexpensive store brand of bleach with water. Toilets can take several full-strength glugs of bleach straight from the bottle, and wait an hour before flushing to make the bowl sparkle.

Spray a watered down bleach solution to remove any and all mildew stains in your shower stalls, no rinsing required. For floors add one cup of bleach to a gallon bucket of hot water to disinfect, while mopping your tile floors, without the need for additional soaps, cleaners, or even a final rinsing.

Stretching Liquid-Scrubbing Cleansers

When you're down to half a bottle of Soft Scrub or other brand of liquid cleansers, add a little water, some fresh or bottled lemon juice, and a box of baking soda. Use up that old box from the back of your fridge that's absorbed all the bad smells it can, and buy another one (the store brand baking soda will cost less than a dollar).

Liquid cleansers work equally well in the kitchen or bathroom, and won't scratch sink or tub faucets, porcelain, or appliances as it scrubs. The above mix not only scrubs as well as a liquid cleanser it also leaves a heavenly clean, lemon-blossom scent.

You will find that the watered-down versions of cleaners and disinfectants are just as effective as the full strength versions, allowing you to stretch your dollars, while cleaning up after your kids. Also be sure to keep full-strength or watered-down versions, of cleansers and disinfectants, safely out of the reach of your children.