With rising prices on just about everything, adding a little DIY to your life could save you some big bucks! Cleaning supplies, household items, and even personal care purchases can add up in a hurry. Not to mention that many have undesirable ingredients that can be harmful to people and pets. It is a definite win-win and money saver to make as many of your needs yourself while still having a clean, fresh home with safer surroundings. Let’s clean up on the savings with some ideas to get you started toward a healthier home and bank account!

Foaming Hand Soap

We all love Bath and Body Works foaming hand soaps, but it’s worth breaking that addiction for the amount you will save by making your own! The Bath & Body Works brand runs at least $7.50 per bottle unless you catch a sale. Save those cute, empty bottles and add a squeeze of your choice of dish detergent and finish filling with water. Give it a shake to mix well and there you have a full bottle of foaming soap for literal pennies. A 21.6-ounce bottle of fresh-smelling Gain is $1.94 at Walmart. Though it’s hard to count the refills you’ll get…even if you only got one you’d save $5.56! But rest assured, you will get a dozen and then some!

Shower Cleaner

Clean showers are a must and this version will do just that with a little scrubbing and big savings!  

A 32-ounce bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles is $4.88 yet you can make triple that amount for $4.97 by using a mix of half vinegar and half Gain or other grease-cutting dish detergents. Get a spray bottle, (using one from an empty product saves even more) and add your half and half mix. Shake well and spray your tub or shower. Let it sit overnight or a minimum of thirty minutes and then scrub as usual. You’ll have a glistening glow and a germ-free clean while paying basically the same amount for many more cleanings, saving approximately $20 for this DIY solution!

Glass and Countertop Cleaner

A 32-ounce “toxic” bottle of Windex is $4.17 at Walmart. The same size bottle of Isopropyl alcohol is $3.48. Isopropyl alcohol is used in hospitals so you know it’s a safe option. You can have a streak-free, healthy,  professional quality clean straight from the bottle for 69¢ less than the chemical version. Over time it adds up and the savings on your health is priceless!

Coffee Pot Descaler

Hard water buildup in a coffee maker will soon have the “clean“ light blinking and your coffee flow at a halt. You can purchase options such as Impress Coffee Pot Descaler made specifically for coffee pots and pay $8.99 for two cleanings, or you can fill your reservoir with half water and half white vinegar and get three to four cleanings for $3.00 with the 128-ounce bottle! Plus, this chemical-free option provides great-tasting coffee for weeks and has multiple other uses as well, including an overall savings of $6.00 and double the uses on a clean coffee maker!

Floor Cleaner

Clean your floors and save money at the same time! Name brand Mr. Clean in the 40-ounce bottle runs about $10.99. Depending on where you shop, it could be more. Up again is plain white vinegar, 128 ounces for $3.00. You’ll get three times as much while saving $7.99 on the purchase. Given the triple amount, you are in effect saving $23.97! Granted, the aroma for the first few minutes after mopping is not a bed of roses but it will dissipate quickly. And if you must have a great smell, add a few drops of essential oil, such as cinnamon,(or roses!) to give your home a heartwarming scent with zero toxic fumes.

Bathroom and Toilet Freshener

Essential oils are quite the multi-tasker, from cleaning to ridding your garden of bugs. (Here you have a bonus product to avoid scary pesticides!) Moving on to the bathroom, this is the room hardest to keep fresh! There are many pricey options like Angry Orange Odor Eliminator that come in at $14.99 for a six-ounce bottle, which would be gone in a flash. Or you could add 3-4 drops of your favorite essential oil into the toilet tank for continued freshness! This organic orange essential oil is just $7.99, half the price of the spray, and a little of this goes a long way resulting in savings galore! Another option is to pour a cup of laundry detergent into the tank of the toilet. This will sink to the bottom and remain in the tank sending out a nice aroma each time you flush! Your whole bathroom will smell wonderful and it won’t damage your toilet or septic system. The savings on each depends on how many times you flush vs spray. But there’s no doubt it will add up to substantial cash left in your wallet! Plus, how cool it would be to change the scent to match the season…pine at Christmas, lavender in spring and there are even options like pumpkin pie, gingerbread, apple cider, and many more! 

A Little Something Special  

Saving money and  DIY isn’t always about household cleaners. To enjoy your clean home you need to feel good, too! Whether caused by winter weather or salty sea breezes, cracked lips are a pain! Being cautious as to what goes on your lips and near your mouth, natural substances are a must. Top-quality lip balms can run you as much as five to seven dollars per tube! But with a do-it-yourself kit, you can save a bundle on your own stash and still have plenty to give as gifts! (Inexpensive gifts = saving more money!) Simply mix organic shea butter, beeswax pellets, and organic coconut oil and fill these tubes for unimaginable savings! You can have fifty tubes of healthy lip coverage for $56.52 or purchase ready-made, $5.00 options and spend $250.00. Option #1 will save you $193.48! Here is how you do it!