3 tips on buying cleaning supplies and batteries to make your budget go further.

The cost of supplies that keep your home clean and running well adds up to thousands of dollars over time. A shift in how you buy and use common household products is an effective way to make every dollar stretch a bit more.

Switch from paper towels to reusable cleaning cloths

Cutting down paper towel use by one roll a week could easily save $104 each year. Cloth towels made with cotton, linen or bamboo require an upfront purchase, but these products can be washed and reused hundreds of times. When retiring old t-shirts or towels, cut them into rags for heavy-duty cleaning.

If you’re a fan of mops designed for single-use pads, a switch to washable pads brings big savings. A ten-pack of microfiber replacement refills that fit the Swiffer PowerMop are $10 on Amazon, while a box of 11 disposable Swiffer pads is $18.89.

The long-term savings from reusable cleaning cloths is directly related to how you care for them. To retain the cleaning properties of cloths, do not use fabric softeners or dryer sheets when you launder them. These products build up in the fibers and reduce the cloth’s absorbency.

Choose refillable cleaning products

Buying cleaning products in bulk sizes or concentrated form can save hundreds of dollars. Sure, it takes a short time to refill products like multi-purpose sprays, hand soaps, laundry detergent, dish soap, glass cleaners and bathroom cleaners, but the savings add up over time. Consider this example using Simple Green all-purpose cleaner: at Home Depot a 32-ounce spray bottle sells for $5.48, while the one-gallon size (128 ounces) goes for $9.98. At these prices, each 32-ounce refill is $4, for a savings of $1.48 per bottle.

To get started with refills, repurpose spray bottles you have on hand or buy new ones. Using a funnel helps ensure the bulk product gets transferred into the refill container without waste. When repurposing spray bottles, use the same type of cleaner that was originally in the container. Mixing cleaning products can create dangerous fumes that can harm you, family members and pets. Bleach combined with ammonia is dangerous, as is vinegar mixed with rubbing alcohol and hydrogen mixed with peroxide.

Rethink how you use batteries

From TV remotes to toys, batteries are used around the house more than ever. To cut down on battery expenses, buy in bulk or choose rechargeable options.

“Rechargeable batteries are best suited for something that draws a large amount of power over a short time,” according to Consumer Reports. Think children’s toys or household tools. “Single-use disposable batteries, on the other hand, are better for products that have a low energy pull over a prolonged period of time and are replaced infrequently, such as smoke detectors or your TV’s remote control.”

Buying batteries in bulk makes sense if you’ll use them before they deteriorate. Most have a shelf life of five to ten years. A four-pack of Duracell AAA batteries at Target, each battery costs $1.32, while a 24-pack brings the cost down to $0.92 per battery.

When you do the math, it’s clear: you can save money on household supplies by switching to reusable cleaning cloths and buying cleaning products and batteries in bulk.

 

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