Are you paying too much for your cleaning products?
Just because your cleaning product has a brand name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better product. Savings experts say that households pay at least three times more than they need to.
“If you pay more you assume it’s going to be a better product, but a lot of the time you are paying for the brand and paying for their marketing – it’s important to do your own research,” says MyBudget director Tammy May.
“Non-branded cleaning products are significantly cheaper than the branded equivalent. And a lot of our clients save a lot of money by making their own.”
Cleaning products are just chemicals, and unlike electronics, “there’s been no massive advances in the last 30 years,” says Fiona Lippey, founder of simplesavings.com.au
“Everybody buys cleaning products and thinks there’s a secret ingredient, but the secret ingredient is always elbow grease.”
Here are some ways you can save on cleaning products:
Dishwashers
Dishwashing powders and tablets all have caustic soda as their key ingredient. According to Lippey, there is no difference between the top brand and the bottom brand.
Tablets cost more than 75 cents each for a branded product and 25 cents for a house brand. You can also cut them in half or quarter – “it will be just as good,” says Lippey.
Laundry Powder
There are lots of recipes online to make your own cleaners, including laundry detergent. If you don’t want to make you own, experts also recommend using half the recommended dose. It will have the same result as the full-recommended dose.
Buying no-name washing powders in bulk will reduce the price to $1.24 a kilo.
Toilet Cleaning
Bleach can be an effective toilet cleaner. Mixing vinegar and baking soda will also clean your toilet bowl.
If you buy bleach, you don’t need to choose a brand name. It can be twice the price ($1.70 a litre) compared to a no-name bleach (70 cents a litre).
Floor Cleaning
For a cheap floor cleaner, mix up dishwashing detergent with hot water and one or two drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil to give it a nice fragrance. You can also get disinfectant for 18-55 cents a litre.
Buying in bulk can say plenty. “I look at catalogues every week and when I see cleaning products at half price, I buy a lot and stock up,” May says.
Sprays and General Cleaning
Again, Lippey advises to buy in bulk and refill the bottle. “If you are really nervous get a funnel – you get your money back on the funnel pretty quickly.”
You can also use distilled white vinegar to remove stains, odours, window grime and clean surfaces.