ONE WAY TO LOWER HOUSEHOLD CLEANING BILLS? GO NATURAL
Do-it-yourself cleaners are easy, cheap and effective
Those scrubs, sprays and powders might be cleaning out more than your toilet bowl — they could be wiping your wallet clean.
The average household spent about $155.82 on laundry and cleaning supplies in 2015, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about
$13 a month. But Annie Pryor, a mother of three, said she spends about
$4 and change on cleaning products — primarily hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar.
But it’s not just the savings that persuaded Pryor to avoid chemical-based cleaners. Pryor, who has a doctorate in biochemistry, has tested the effectiveness of natural and traditional commercial products for three years — literally out of her kitchen sink (or, a neighbor’s). She posts her results on her website, www.stopthestomachflu.com.
Her findings? Those big-name household wipes and sprays might not clean as well as a $1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Same goes for diluted essential oil mixtures, such as Thieves spray. Essential oils do have cleaning power when they aren’t concentrated, according to her tests, but could set you back $30 or $40 for just a half-ounce bottle.
But not everyone interested in cleaning with natural ingredients wants to spend time researching concoctions and mixing them up. That has helped fuel brands such as Method, Mrs. Meyer’s and Green Works.
In 2010, the U.S. green-cleaning products market became a
$655 million industry, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts.
The category is still considered niche, making up just 3% of the total market for household cleaners and laundry products, according to Packaged Facts, which predicts the green-cleaning products market will remain “niche for some time to come.”
Here are a few do-it-yourself natural home cleaners to try from Pryor and Leslie Reichert, green cleaning coach and author of The Joy of Green Cleaning:
GREEN SCRUB
Mix 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt and 1 cup oxygen bleach. Reichert said her “green scrub” can clean grime inside of toilets, tubs and sinks. If using on fiberglass, use less salt to avoid
scratches.
ANTIBACTERIAL SPRAY
Reichert’s recipe: Mix 8 ounces white vinegar, 4 ounces lemon juice, 4 ounces vodka (or rubbing alcohol or grain alcohol), 8 drops essential lemongrass oil and 2-3 drops Castile soap.
DUST REMOVER
Mix 1/4 cup mayonnaise (yes, mayo!), 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Use just a small amount of this concoction for a hardwood gloss. Rub into furniture, let sit for a few minutes and wipe off with a microfiber cloth. Reichert swears by it.
FLOOR CLEANER
Vinegar diluted about 25% with water is Pryor’s floor cleaner of choice.