Why Are You Buying All Those Cleaners?!!

One day, I recieved an email from FlyLady.net. The beginning of the letter went like this:

"Just how many cleaners do you need anyway?
There is no magic potion.
Quit buying them at the grocery store.
If you will use what you have on your endless
shelves than you may not have to buy these kinds
of products for several years. SOAP is SOAP."
~ FlyLady

It really struck a cord with me. Soap is soap! There's nothing exceptional about one that has "orange oil" or that is "pine scented" or "all-natural". Why not use vinegar, or baking soda, or salt? Why do we buy "soap scrum remover" and "rust remover" and "lemon scented" and "window cleaner" and "deoderizer" when what we have is right under our kitchen sinks?

So I went through all my cleaners until they were all gone, and used the only one that worked on everything -- ironically, it's called Amazing cleaner and I get it at my dollar store for -- you guessed it -- $1.00. I use it for everything. For really tough things, I use CLR Kitchen and Bathroom Cleaner -- but it has to be something REALLY bad.

My windows I clean with a bit of white vinegar -- which not only cleans them perfectly, but also blesses my house! My kitchen counters, my sink, my tub, my stovetop and my bathroom sink and toilet all get cleaned with my orange Amazing cleaner. I scrub out my stainless steel taps and sink with baking soda or half a steel wire soap pad (Clorox's SOS pads are a popular brand, but there are cheaper knock-offs that work just was well). My floors are usually scrubbed with a small drop of vinegar or a couple squirts of my Amazing cleaner in some hot water, although I've heard tell that just using a regular bar of soap works just as well!

The point is, just because it's got a colorful label and the word "Fantastic" and "Unstoppable" written in bold red letters across the bottle doesn't mean it's any better than the cheap-o stuff you get at the Dollar Store.

One other tip the FlyLady taught me -- only buy groceries at the grocery store. Everything else is overpriced and can be bought at discount or dollar stores for much cheaper!



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