With the Christmas decorations packed away for another year, now is a great time to take on a good old deep clean at home.
But as the cost of our weekly shopping continues to rise, buying big-name cleaning products may well be a stretch too far for anyone looking to tighten their purse strings in the new year. Luckily enough for those on a budget, there are plenty of easily available everyday items that will have your house gleaming for less than the price of the tea and biscuits you'll enjoy when you've finished your chores.
From lemons to vinegar and everything in between, some of our cheapest and most effective cleaning hacks could cost you mere pennies. Some of our favourites include:
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White vinegar
Not just great for pickling and marinating, distilled white vinegar is literally as “cheap as chips” and has incredible cleaning properties. As winter weather and pollution scatters dirt and detritus on our windows, a gentle wipe-over with distilled vinegar mixed with warm water is an easy way to achieve a streak-free clean.
Using a spray bottle, mix 10 parts warm water with 1 part white vinegar to create your own glass and window cleaner for next to nothing. The solution works well on any shiny surfaces inside the home including taps, shower screens, oven doors, mirrors and anything else that needs a good going over. You can buy distilled white vinegar at Tesco for 29p and if you are worried that your house will smell like a chip chop, add some fresh lemons to your solution.
Top tip: Using a balled-up newspaper will help you to achieve a streak and lint-free finish on windows and mirrors.
Bicarbonate of soda
A much-loved staple of many natural cleaning hacks, a tub of bicarb can go a long way when it comes to removing stains and smells around the home. The odourless white powder, which is also referred to as baking soda, can be used on its own or in combination with your white vinegar to get incredible results.
For example, a sandwich bag filled with baking soda and vinegar tied to a shower head with an elastic band can eradicate a build-up of limescale for a free-flowing shower experience. Bicarb can also help to eliminate smells and stains from plastic food containers and the inside of your fridge making it perfect for removing any smelly remnants of Christmas leftovers.
When mixed with water to make a paste our favourite cleaning essential will easily remove baked-on stains on extra greasy dishes and pans, and its odour-fighting properties make it a great choice to leave on carpets and rugs that have suffered from unwanted spillages. Bicarbonate of soda can be found in most supermarkets and food shops., but we found it for just 59p here.
Lemon
The citric acid in lemons helps to get rid of grime, and a little bit of salt acts as a scouring agent for stubborn stains. A little bit of lemon will clean and refresh your chopping boards, remove soap scum from shower screens, taps and showers and give your sink a stain-free, great smelling, all-natural clean.
Give everything a wipe round with warm water to prevent that sticky lemon feeling and enjoy that lemony-fresh fragrance throughout your home. You can buy lemons individually for as little as 30p and a huge 1.5kg bag of cooking salt is a steal at just £1.75.
Salt
While we are on the subject of salt, this everyday condiment has a myriad of uses throughout the home. Spilt wine on your clothing? No problem. Simply blot and cover with salt for 30 minutes before throwing it in the wash. It works just as well for other types of stains too including blood and sweat and can help to brighten fading colours.
You can also sprinkle a pinch of salt on a plain piece of paper and then run a warm iron over it to help remove hard water stains or pour a mixture of salt and water down the kitchen sink to prevent the build-up of grease and the stinky smells that come with it.
Olive oil
Another staple in most homes, a little bit of olive oil can help to loosen stains, grease and grime and when mixed with white vinegar can make an awesome, all-natural cleaning solution for stainless steel.
It can also be used to bring back the shine to tarnished silverware by using just a tiny bit on a soft cloth, and leather furniture will look brand new with a little dab rubbed in circular motions.
Better still, the basic olive oil normally used for cooking is better than the expensive artisanal types, making it an incredibly cheap cleaning hack.
Top tip: Less is more when it comes to olive oil, so always go gently to begin with.
Once you've purchased all your budget-friendly natural cleaning products, treat yourself to some sleek-looking reusable spray bottles from Amazon to keep your kitchen looking as stylish as it is clean.
Available in a variety of styles, colours and sizes, label up your newfound favourites to help keep your home clean for less in 2023.
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