10 Different Ways To Use Kitchen Detergent

I've been a domestic cleaner ( as a job ) for over 24 years and used just about every cleaning product available in the supermarket.  Usually they don't live up to the hype and leave me with a whopping headache from the fumes.

Quite a few years ago I ditched the cleaning sprays and products full of nasty chemicals and fumes.  I opted to use the humble detergent for about 95% of my cleaning needs for our kitchen,  bathroom,  laundry and general household cleaning with amazing results.

I've used branded kitchen detergent as well as the Aldi 1 litre 99 cent bottle ( price might have increased recently ) and had good results from both. 

Here are 10 ways I use kitchen detergent to clean -

*  Clean the toilet.  There's no need for fancy cleaners.  Use dishwashing liquid heavily diluted with water in a spray bottle.

*  Clean stains from carpet.  Add a few drops to a damp microfibre cloth or old ( but clean ) rag.  Gently work on the stain in circular motions.  Blot dry.

*  Mopping floors.  Add a small squirt of dishwashing liquid to a bucket of hot water.  This works on many hard floor surfaces.  For high gloss floors,  straight hot water might be the best option 

*  Clean kitchen benches and stove tops.  I use dishwashing liquid diluted in a spray bottle.  For benches I just spray and wipe. Stove tops should be sprayed with the diluted dishwashing liquid and left for a few minutes to soak into spills.  Wipe with a clean cloth and buff dry.

*  Remove sticky residue with a few drops of dishwashing liquid on a scourer.  If the residue persists then add a few drops of eucalyptus oil.

*  Clean the showers.  Dishwashing liquid cuts through soap scum quite easily.  Add a squirt to a scourer ( non scratch or heavy duty ) with water and clean in circular motions.

*  Clothes stain remover.  Often stains can be treated with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and a small scrub of a toothbrush.

*  Clean windows.  Add a small squirt of dishwashing liquid and vinegar to a bucket of hot water. Wash the windows with any cloth and buff dry.  Drying the windows reduces streaks left by the water.

*  Clean your jewellery.  Soak jewellery in a bowl of warm soapy water for a few minutes.  Use a toothbrush to loosen any dirt.

*  Degreasing appliances.  Grease and grime can build up on appliances,  especially in the kitchen.  Either add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to a cloth or spray the appliance with detergent diluted with water in a spray bottle.  

So save yourself some money,  breathe a little easier and give kitchen detergent a go. 

This Week's Frugal Tasks Saturday 25th June 2022

 Hello friends and faithful readers.  I'm hoping to be back writing again on a regular basis.  Thankyou so much for all the lovely messages,  comments and prayers during the last few months.  They all really helped sustain me during the difficult days following my Dad's passing.

During the last couple of months my days have been super busy with things to organise for the service ( along with other family members ),  helping Mum around the home and Dad's garden,  errands with Mum,  my cleaning work,  running our home,  planting / weeding in the garden and spending time with our daughters and grandchildren.  

Darren and I did manage to get away to Ballarat for a weekend in May and it was much needed.  We enjoyed sunny days of 16 degrees which is glorious for that time of the year.  We visited family and went to places of importance to Mum and Dad ( they met in Ballarat ).  On the way home we met up with Jessica and she took me to see Cinderella the musical.  It was such a lovely evening.

The frugal list below is a summary of what we've done over the last 7 weeks or so.  It was hard at times to keep track of all the ways we saved money.  Some days there was no time to even write on my frugal list.

*  Picked feijoas from below our trees.  The fruit is ready to eat when it drops to the ground.

*  Filled up the foaming hand wash pumps with diluted shower gel.

*  Cut up a few socks that had holes in them and used them as garden ties.

*  Dried the washing on the line until the weather got too cold and wet.  Now it's on the clothes horse over a ducted heating vent .

*  Planted another row of carrots.

*  Planted lots of broccoli seeds.  So far we have 9 heads forming and over 35 plants growing.

*  Baked wholemeal bread with extra goodness every 2 weeks.

*  Picked chrysanthemums from the garden to brighten up our home.

*  Picked spinach from the garden to add to spag bol sauce.

*  Made lots of dried bread crumbs from saved bread crusts ( ends ).

*  I pruned one of our feijoa trees as it was getting too tall.  I placed some of the smaller branches in a couple of vases to decorate our home when there were no flowers to pick.

*  Made raspberry jam and plum jam from fruit we grew and froze during Summer.

*  Started the process of making another bottle of vanilla extract.

Covering the broccoli plants

Feijoa branches

Making dried bread crumbs

How did you save time,  money or energy ?

Reduce Food Waste By Doing This

For many households it has never been more important for  the grocery budget to be stretched as far as possible.  Food costs are rising almost on a daily basis and every little tip and trick should be used to get the most out of the food you can afford to buy.

Here are some ways to reduce food waste - 

*  Cream - Any amount of leftover cream getting close to it's use by date can be made into butter  Use the marble in a jar method for a small amount or a stand mixer for a larger amount.

*  Cheese - Don't let it get hard or mouldy.  It should be wrapped it in baking paper and stored in an airtight container.  It can also be grated and frozen.  Just add a little corn flour and shake so it doesn't stick together.

*  Wilted veggies - They make great soup.  Add some soup mix,  stock or a tin of diced tomatoes and no one will ever know.

*  Wrinkly fruit - Stew ( cook ) and make fruit cobbler or  jam  Some of the best jams I've made are from mixed fruit.

*  Stale bread and rolls - Can be made into dried bread crumbs or bread and butter pudding.  Store the stale bread in the freezer until you have enough to make one of these items.

*  Sweet rolls / buns - Make great bread and butter pudding

*  Roasted veggies - Can be made into tasty frittatas,  flans or quiches, or put them in a soup for amazing flavour.

* Cooked veggies - Can be added to frittatas,  pasta bakes,  or blitz and add to spag bol and pasta dishes.  Make a soup,  add to a casserole or make bubble and squeak.

* Cooked rice -Makes delicious rice pudding and creamed rice.  You can freeze leftover rice,  or make fried rice.

*  Yoghurt -  Can be used in smoothies,  made into icypoles or frozen for a sweet treat.

*  Chicken carcass - Place it in a slow cooker with water and make stock.  Strip off the meat and use it with the stock to make a hearty chicken and veggie soup.

Bread and butter pudding

Making mini quiches

Here are the links to some of the recipes I suggested -

Bread and butter pudding

Creamed rice

Chunky chicken and veggie soup

Chicken flan

10 Slightly Unusual Ways To Save On Electricity - Part 2

 Saving money on electricity does take a little time and effort.  Thankfully none of the tips I written about need a huge sacrifice on your part.    Have a look around your home to see what's plugged in.  Do you need it ?

Here are another 10 tips to help lower your electricity bill - 

*  Turn off your Google Nest or other smart home displays.  You know you don't use them too often.  We turn ours on when we want to play music.

*  Turn off your Wii,  xbox and other gaming consoles at the power point when not in use.

*  Defrost food in the fridge over night instead of using the microwave.

*  Close ducted heating vents in Summer and cooling vents in Winter.  If they can't be closed,  see if you can slip in a piece of cardboard.

*  Close heating / cooling vents in rooms not being used.

*  Use blankets,  doonas or sleeping bags over windows to keep heat in a home at night and heat out in Summer.  Before we had evap cooling I pegged all spare blankets and sleeping bags over our lounge and dining room windows during heatwaves in Summer.  It really did make a big difference.

*  Match your saucepan to the right sized cooking element on your stove top.

*  Don't use delay start functions on your washing machine,  dishwasher,  dryer and other appliances like slow cookers and all in one pots.  Fill up the washing machine when you get up and if need be,  turn it on when you get home.  

*  Turn off your pool / spa lighting when not in use.  There's no point in impressing your garden with a light display.

*  In Winter ( especially ) eat dinner at the kitchen bench if you can and utilise the kitchen lighting you have on .  This is instead of turning the dining room lights on too.  

Close vents when not in use

Use the sized right pot and cooking element

Have you used any of these savings tips ?

Here are more electricity savings tips I wrote about in 2016

Cutting The Electricity Bill