Mommies and Money

I don't know about you, but I love finding way to save a few dollars here and there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cheapskate, but I do LOVE to save money! I have two tips today for saving a little bit of cash and it has to do with diy home cleaners... ha!

My two favorite things for diy cleaning and quite frankly sanity savers sometimes: Vinegar and Baking Soda. Why? Because they are SO versatile, and live in almost every kitchen - if you don't have it, your neighbor probably does...

One use for vinegar is as a laundry softener - works great! Just add some to the water during wash or rinse and your laundry will be nice and soft without using dryer sheets or any other brand name softener.

Another nice attribute of vinegar is its aromatic properties.... lol! yes! Ignore the aroma you smell out of the bottle and add it to the water of your laundry to cut any mildew smells, urine, chlorine, sweat, anything! This stuff is fantastic for taking care of foul odors.

Baking soda is also good as a deodorizer. Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda in sweaty shoes before bedtime, into the garbage can, down the garbage disposal (I have poured vinegar, then sprinkled baking soda - sometimes added a bit of lime if I have one), and of course the fridge- anywhere that needs a little bit of extra help.

Baking soda may also be used to soak up spills. I'll give you a personal example: I spilled a full cup of coffee on my bedroom floor yesterday morning and couldn't find our carpet spray. After blotting the carpet with towels, I sprinkled baking soda all over the wet areas and by the time we were home from church, the coffee had been absorbed and all I had to do was vacuum up the baking soda! The only marks left on the carpet are the areas that didn't get baking soda. I love it!

There are many more uses to both of these products, including dishwashing and house cleaning. I'll fill you in on those another time. My son is calling.

So, the next time you need a clothes softener, a deodorizer, or an absorbent, look through your cupboards for your vinegar or baking soda! (By the way, both of these can be purchased bulk at your neighborhood box store - another way to save!)