How to Save Money and Still Purchase Great Cleaning Supplies

How can you save money and get great cleaning supplies?

Warehouse clubs like Sam's and BJ's are cheaper alternatives than the supermarket for some supplies. Others can be purchased elsewhere. I will point out the specific products that will save you money. Follow the links to look at the products. Because I don't want anyone to misuse these products I'm going to include some brief instructions. To get prices from Samsclub.com on particular items you must first select your club by inserting your zip code and clicking on select club.

What makes me the authority on cleaning supplies? I ran a cleaning service in a middle class area of Philadelphia for 18 years. We usually did dirtier houses, and by necessity, charged lower prices than cleaning services operating in the wealthy suburbs. These jobs had to be done quickly, and efficiently. So I needed the best products at the lowest prices. By purchasing the best products I was able to clean faster and better. Some of these ideas will probably seem a little unusual to you. But if you want to save money you should keep an open mind. Try it, you'll like it! I welcome your comments.

Here's what I learned:

Here's the rap on warehouse clubs:

Always know your prices by comparison shopping, before purchasing. There are some great bargains at warehouse clubs. But, don't be like the hundreds of people I see shopping at warehouse clubs, loading their giant carts with every product they can get their hands on. Not everything at the warehouse club is a bargain. For instance, many fruits and vegetables can be purchased at local produce shops at much cheaper prices.

Other products are sold in such large quantities that they may go to waste. Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer purchased a case of canned beef stew, at the warehouse club, that he ended up feeding to a flatulent horse? Unlike food, cleaning supplies will last a very long time before expiring. So, don't be put off by having to buy a gallon of cleaner.

A membership at Sam's Club is only good for one family. ($35.00) A membership at BJ's Club ($35) is good for 2 individuals.

One common mistake made by frugal house cleaning advocates, is using baking soda for house cleaning. Forget about it: Baking soda leaves a nasty film behind on glass and other services. However it's good for getting stains off of glassware when you're doing the dishes.

For house cleaning, I recommend a good concentrated cleaner for glass. Concentrate means that you add water. I prefer Home Depot's generic, Zep Glass & Window Cleaner Concentrate for glass and in the bathrooms. ($12.67 a gallon)

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=903420&Ntt=903420&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=112367&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

It's good for most surfaces. I don't use it on any wood. It's really good on floors. It doesn't have that strong ammonia smell so prevalent in most glass cleaners. It has a mild pleasant odor. How much can you save? One gallon makes up to 32 gallons. Make sure you buy the concentrate and not the un-concentrated Glass Cleaner Refill. A gallon should last most people about a year or more. Remember, that you will need empty spray bottles, when you purchase by the gallon.

For a good All Purpose concentrated cleaner you can try your local janitorial store. Warehouse clubs like BJ's and Sam's Club, usually sell them. I prefer MiraClean APC - All Purpose & Degreaser from the MiraChem Company.

http://www.ct1w.mirachem.com/topics/products/consumer/5000/5000-100.htm

Most All Purpose cleaners-de-greasers, are somewhat toxic. If you bother to read the labels, they recommend using gloves and not breathing it in. In reality, nobody wears masks and hardly anyone wears gloves. Mirachem makes all kinds of industrial cleaners that are all water based. Most cleaners are petroleum based. Mirachem cleaners are all environmentally, very friendly, and you can touch and breathe them. And, if you buy 2 gallons they ship for free. Wow! (2 gallon case $31.50) A gallon of this concentrate, will last most people over a year because it makes about 20 gallons of cleaner. This is a great company that does very little advertising. The APC works great on floors. It's got a slight pleasant, lemon lime odor. This product is not usually sold in stores

Toxic cleaners is a pervasive problem, ignored by the media, and waiting to be discovered by muckraking journalists. What about all natural, Simple Green? - It's gloves and mask time, folks. Read the label. But it's all natural. So are snake bites, and they can kill you.

What's more important than the chemical makeup of cleaners, is how you apply them. Most cleaners will work equally well, even soap and water, if you use a good scrubby pad to apply them. That's why purchasing expensive spray cleaners in the supermarket is unnecessary. Tilex is just scented bleach. To get rid of mildew you can put plain bleach in a spray bottle, and get the same results. Don't use the all fabric bleach. The only time it's necessary to use the clinging spray cleaners, like Scrubbing Bubbles, is when you have a very dirty toilet, and desire to sanitize the bathroom. You can also purchase, antibacterial, concentrated cleaners, by the gallon, very cheaply, at most warehouse clubs.

The best scrubby pads are Scotch Brite. For heavy cleaning get the Heavy Duty Industrial Size Scour Pads. The green ones. Get the 20 pack. They sell them at Sam's Club, ($6.88) and other clubs.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=330345

They're a great bargain. They are made by 3M, a company that makes great products. They are twice the size of the ones, selling in the supermarkets. So you're really getting the equivalent of 40. Don't use them on metal, glass, microwave ovens, plastic, the outside of refrigerators. For those surfaces, buy the blue Scotch Brite - No Scratch Pads. They sell them at most supermarkets in a two pack.

Here is a picture of them.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=157655&catid=134740&aid=337950&aparam=scotch_brite_no_scratch_&CAID=ae6d56e9-14f3-4602-a8cc-17700ba747be

Since you won't be using the blue pads for really heavy cleaning, the two pack will last you a really long time. Use them on metal, like toasters and stove tops. Put some dishwashing detergent on the pad for lubrication, to prevent scratches, just in case. Use them, this way on really dirty glass table tops. Never, ever, use a green pad on metal, or glass. For ovens and really dirty stove tops use steel wool with a lot of dish detergent for lubrication. Don't use the new synthetic, never rust, steel wool, like pads, on metal appliances. They will scratch!!

Use the green (heavy duty pads) on formica counter tops, porcelain tubs, etc. Always put some dish washing detergent on the green scrubby pad to lubricate the surface, and prevent scratching. You can put your All Purpose in an empty dish detergent, plastic squeeze bottle, instead of a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with really hot tap water, first, then add your All Purpose Concentrate. Using the squeeze bottle for cleaning, works faster than using a spray bottle. Dilute at the level you are comfortable with. Initially follow the dilution levels on the back of the label. Add a small amount of dish detergent to your green scrubby pad then pour the All Purpose, from the squeeze bottle, on top. If you use 100% cotton, cleaning towels, you won't have to rinse. Rinsing is for chumps. I don't care what your grandmother said. Use multiple, dry, cleaning towels to dry. Now I'm talking clean. The green pads are great for dish washing, also. Obviously, use the blue No-Scratch for non stick surfaces.

As you've probably noticed I'm a practitioner of Rapid Cleaning. I'll write more about that in another article. I'm considering making a video to show you how to clean your house really fast. If you're interested, leave me a comment and email address. Stay tuned, and bookmark my articles. Come back often.

For the inside of tubs, use the entire green pad with plenty of dish detergent and cleanser. Keep the water running for sudsing. Don't use All Purpose. You can cut the top off of a gallon plastic container and make yourself a little bucket for rinsing. When cutting, leave the handle. It's great for easy carrying.

The best deal on soap is the Member Mark Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap sold at Sam's Club. It comes in a 1.5 gallon container. I think it's about $7.00. I use it for dish detergent. Yes, Virginia you can use it for both. Surely sir you must be a lunatic, you say. Yea, I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=324123

The antibacterial hand soap has the same ingredient that the antibacterial dish detergents have. Check out the label. You know how those cheap dish detergents pour like water because they're so diluted. Well this stuff, comes out thick, and a little really goes a long way. Save your small liquid soap pump containers to refill. It's got aloe and other good stuff in it. It's really a nice product. I use for bathing as well.

Other good cheap cleaning products.

How about using vinegar on floors? I tried it and I don't like it. It doesn't suds, and it smells bad. But the guy who sold us the floor said only use vinegar, you say. Vinegar is great for sanitizing coffee makers and other food service items. The guy who sold you the floor never cleaned a dirty kitchen floor in his life. A much better alternative is plain ammonia. It's really cheap and it really cuts through grease. It kills germs as well. Use the sudsing or the regular. Always dilute with water. Many expensive floor cleaning products are mostly ammonia. I still prefer to use, the All Purpose on floors, because the soap lubricates, when scrubbing. Either of these methods don't require rinsing.

If you want to avoid rinsing get good 100% cotton shop towels. 100% cotton diapers and all cotton bar towels work good, as well. You can get these at Sam's Club. The 24 packs sell for about $7.00 at Sam's Club.

Here is a picture of some:

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=377043

Old clothing rags or cotton polyester towels don't polish or absorb well. They're not great for cleaning. A great alternative to the cotton towels are the microfiber automotive grade, detailing towels. These are the brightly colored plush, ones. I buy the Proforce Microfiber Towels at Sam's Club. They come in a 24 pack at Sam's for $10.18. They are just as soft as cotton and really absorbent. You can soak them in hot water when they're dirty, ring them out, and they're ready to be used again. They dry really fast. They make great dusting cloths. You can dampen them for greater efficiency. Wash them in hot water to sanitize them. Don't use dryer sheets on them, in the dryer, because the static cling helps them attract dust. The microfiber towels are more durable than the cotton and will last much longer.

Here's the link:

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=399554

Once your humble home is cleaner than the one featured on the cover of House Beautiful Magazine, you will need to wash all those dirty rags. Try waiting until you have a large load of cleaning towels to do, to save energy. The next time you need to buy a washing machine, consider getting one of the large capacity front loaders. They use a lot less water and can do much bigger loads.

the end: