I've recently switched to cleaning most surfaces with a mild bleach solution rather than purchased cleaners.

One thing I don't want to go back to is cleaning my floors with a mop or broom and dustpan. I admit, I am totally spoiled by the swiffer concept - but I have switched to homemade cloth covers that I can throw in the washing machine.

An old felted sweater recycled into a swiffer cover just grabs the little dog fur tumbleweeds in a way that a broom never could.

I'm always looking for options where my frugality and laziness can coincide with environmentalism :)

Well, I vacuum floors but mop the kitchen/bathroom floor.

Spray bottles are fantastic for time and money savers. Many of us use too much of the chemical concentrations than we need. I now mix everything in spray bottles - bathroom, all purpose etc. etc. And those towel rags are in many areas. If I notice something I spray and go which really helps prolong the big jobs. Especially the kitchen floor.

I like the old felted sweater idea, probably would make an excellent duster rag too!

3 tennis balls in the drying instead of fabric sheets. Cheaper and better on your skin.

My favorite cleaning tip comes from Flylady. I clean the shower with a cheap shampoo (no added conditioner) while I'm in the shower. I absolutely love not having to clean the shower stall with harsh, smelly chemicals while trying to keep myself reasonably dry.

I really don't understand the concept of using fabric softener or dryer sheets. My clothes are soft and they don't have that yucky (to me!) Downey smell. What are dryer sheets supposed to do for you?

Here is a link that might be useful: Flylady's web site

Dryer sheets keep my clothes static free, and they appear to greatly reduce wrinkles in my cotton things. I use 1/3 sheet per load.

Put a saucer of apple cider vinegar out on the kitchen table at night, by the morning all householod odors are gone, cigarettes, cat box, bathroom smells,etc. Also remove garbage from the kitchen before going to bed. I don't have a garbage disposal,so my vegetable peels and coffee grounds and meat scraps all go in the garbage. I do try to compost some of it, so I throw it in a corner in my yard. Come spring,I have a nice supply of free compost I can work into garden beds.

mcpeg, what a fantastic idea to make Swiffer covers out of felted wool! Can you give us more detail? I'd love to know how to make them, and how exactly to wash them, of course. Does the accumulated dog fur ever clog your washer? I use microfiber cloths to clean my bathroom floor, and I have to admit that I worry about all that cat/human hair going in the washer.

Thanks very much. :)

A good scrubbing everyday usually takes care of ring around the toilet and faucets, but it you cannot scrub everyday and do have buildup, use wet sandpaper (medium to fine) and scrub lightly with it to remove mineral accumulation.

Sandpaper? To scrub a toilet? And scrub faucets? You are kidding right?

No kidding. Just gently rub WET sandpaper on the ring or accumulation not the whole toilet. Be sure it is wet and it will probably take more than one sheet since the wet sheets tend to come apart.

Some sandpapers are made to be used wet, and they don't disintegrate quickly.

They have some nylon-faced scrubbers that are good at clearing surface grime, including lime build-up, if there's not too much of it, as well.

ole joyful

A pumice stick works wonders on many things and supposedly doesn't damage sinks, toilets and the like. You can pick them up for less than a dollar as I recall and even break them up to use part in the toilet and part elsewhere if you like. Don't use them on chrome though! Another cleaner that can do a great job is the Lime-Away. I soak a paper towel (imagine you could use a cloth but probably would need more) and let it sit on there for a few hours to loosen things up.

I have started using only baking soda, ammonia, bleach, lemon juice, peroxide, and vinegar to clean with. Baking soda is safe to use to scrub your ceramic stovetop. Just make sure you rinse and rub it off well. I follow up with window cleaner made of equal parts ammonia, alcohol, and water. Cleans it right up and shines it too!

Peroxide will remove stains from colored clothing without fading them. Oxy-clean is just powdered peroxide that is activated by water.

Lemon juice will remove stains from countertops. For any that it won't remove, just use 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, and let sit awhile. If you don't like bleach, use peroxide.

Peroxide also gets blood stains out without fading clothing. You may have to let it sit overnight, then wash.

White vinegar works for the odor removal too, and it doesn't smell as strong as apple cider vinegar.

xantippe - if you are crafty, there are lots of patterns on the web for knit or crocheted swiffer covers.

For me, the easier option is to felt an old sweater - toss a moth ridden/worn/stained/otherwise not suitable for Goodwill wool sweater in the hot cycle of your wahsing machine with a pair of jeans or some old towels to create friction.

Once it is felted, you can just cut out a rectangle the same size as your purchased swiffers.

I have a small, short haired dog. So washing the blanket she sleeps with or a few tumbleweeds on a swiffer will mean a full lint trap on the dryer, but clogging has never been a problem for me.

If I were to collect a huge amount of dog hair, I'd probably try to pull most of it off and toss it in the trash before I washed it.

(Officially, I vacuum my wood floor then swiffer the corners and under the couch and any other places where I am too lazy to use a vacuum attachment)

Same premise as your microfiber cloths. I think my washer and dryer are up to the challenge.

I have a solar and wind powered laundry de humidification device in my back garden - for no cost, no pollution, no carbon laundry dryification through centrifugal force.

IT CALLED A ROTARY CLOTHES DRYER - SLOW TO CATCH ON IN THE STATES LOL (obviously you guys have money to burn) BUT ALL THE RAGE IN EUROPE LOL.

I use a hand held steamer to clean a lot of things, especially bathrooms. No nasty chemicals and no paying for any cleaning solution other than water... plus it sterilizes. It's also great at shooting dirt out from little cracks, like around the base of the toilet or around the hinges of the t. lid. It melts soap scum right off the shower walls, and is great for window cleaning too.

I love clotheslines! or the rotary kind. When I was short enough space I have been known to put a clean 2x4 between 2 ladders, lay out sheets and towels. Fond memories of living on the prairies and prying off frozen items and leaning them against the wall/furniture to finish drying. Talk about a fresh smell - nothing like it, not available in any box, fragrance - mother's natures gift.

Western pa luann, I thought I had posted a "thank you" for responding to my question about dryer sheets but I don't see it. So thank you!
VG

junkyardgurl posted: "Lemon juice will remove stains from countertops. "

Depends.

Lemon juice will stain marble countertops and ruin them. It the one thing they warn you about with them.

Lemon juice will whiten up grout if you have glazed ceramic tile but it will also accelerate the deterioration of the grout.