Top tips for spring cleaning on a budget

Posted by Charlotte Salter, on March 13, 2012.

As we enter spring cleaning season, here are some tips and money-saving advice to help you with your big spring clean at home!

  1. Make sure you choose products that will get the job done first time, so you don’t have to waste time and money re-washing.
  2. When doing the laundry look for ways to save energy as well as money: don’t just wash a few items of clothing – wait till you have a full load. Use low temperature washes whenever you can and always use the right amount of detergent – today’s detergents are concentrated so you don’t need as much as you did in the past.
  3. Did you know? Turning the dial on your washing machine down to 30 degrees can save enough electricity in a year to make 2500 cups of tea!
  4. Help keep your water bill down by not leaving the tap running endlessly.
  5. Dry your clothes outside when the weather permits – it costs nothing!
  6. Don’t be fooled by ‘alternative’ cleaning methods that can cost as much as 80 times more. For example, Which? magazine found that using lemons to remove limescale from taps cost 80 times more! Lemons cost 8p per use, whereas conventional limescale remover costs just 0.1p per use.
  7. Remember that cleaning and hygiene products have been carefully developed to do the job effectively, to meet regulations and to be safe to use. So to clean safely for both you and the environment, just follow the instructions.
  8. Choose the right cleaning product for your home and surfaces to avoid inadvertent and costly damage. Vinegar and lemons are acidic so both can cause damage. Neither should be used to clean natural stone surfaces, such as granite or marble, and metal, such as stainless steel. Don’t use vinegar to clean mirrors either, if it seeps behind the surface it can corrode the silver backing. Instead look out for cleaning products that are perfectly formulated for the job.
  9. Make cleaning a regular habit. Doing a little bit of daily maintenance will reduce the need for tougher cleaning.
  10. Control clutter. Keeping the clutter to a minimum makes cleaning easier, getting rid of items that aren’t needed will cut your cleaning time and expenses.
  11. Look for the Charter for Sustainable Cleaning logo:

When you see this logo on a product, it tells you that the product was made by a Charter member and goes above and beyond legislative requirements, in line with industry’s best practice.  These products meet high sustainability standards for helping protect environmental safety, promoting efficient use of resources e.g. through the promotion of concentrated formats. They comply with ambitious criteria set voluntarily by the cleaning industry association. Easy-to-understand consumer information on how to use products in a more sustainable way is an additional commitment these products have to comply with.

UKCPI provides expert and balanced information about cleaning and hygiene in the home and in the workplace. Everyday millions of people use cleaning products to give them the clean and safe lifestyle that they expect and take for granted in the 21st century. Find out more at www.ukcpi.org

Contact the UKCPI on ukcpi@ukcpi.org or call 07843 199397.