Five money-saving household tricks using everyday products

We have to face it: times are getting tougher and homeowners and homemakers must cut costs wherever possible. Add to that the fact that many household products are filled with chemicals that aren’t good for you or the planet, and you have every reason to consider alternatives when it comes to basic household care.

If you’re wondering how you’ll ever get through life without fabric softener or those legions of chemical mixtures in your pantry, simply consider using these tricks with products that you have available right now, and that aren’t so harsh on the environment:

Fabric softener

This is the easiest trick in the book! All you need is white vinegar, which helps dissolve residue on the fibres of your clothing. Add a quarter cup of vinegar (60ml) to your rinsing water before the rinse cycle begins. If you would like to scent your washing, just add about five drops of essential oil (rose is my favourite!) to the vinegar and add in the same way. Depending on how much essential oil you add, the clothing will smell great and not as overpowering as retail softeners do.

Furniture and floor polish

Need to polish up your furniture but hate good ol’ Mr Min and can’t afford the special wax or oils you can purchase at the local Builder’s Express? Don’t fret - all you need is olive oil or even coconut oil and some lemon juice. Combine two parts of oil to one part lemon juice and apply the oil in the same way you would use retail oils. Another tip? Mix half a cup of vinegar with half a cup of olive oil, and scratches in your wooden furniture will disappear!

Drain cleaner

Use boiling water, bicarbonate of soda, and vinegar as a quick and economical drain unblocker. Remove as much of the blockage as possible then pour a cup of bicarb down the drain. Then pour in two cups of boiling water. Follow that up with another cup of bicarb and a cup of vinegar. The solution will start to bubble so put the plug on the drain as soon as you can. (Disclaimer: A home-made drain cleaner is effective for small blockages such as foodstuff and other residue, but more serious blockages will need the help of a professional. When your drain is being naughty…).

Odour remover

Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are once again your friends when it comes to removing odours and even pet stains. Add two cups of white vinegar to two cups of lukewarm water. Slowly add four heaped tablespoons of bicarb. Decant this mixture into a spray bottle and spray the area you wish to deodorise. 

Ant repellent

Tired of those trails of ants raiding your empty plates? Try sprinkling baby powder around areas you want the ants to stay away from. The idea is that they don’t like the way the powder feels on their feet. If that doesn’t work, return to your trusty old vinegar: mix half a cup of vinegar with half a cup of water and add 20 drops of peppermint oil, 10 drops of clove oil, and 15 drops of orange oil. Spray on areas visited often by ants.

ALSO READ: How to get rid of ants naturally