KEEPING a clean home can come at a cost – an average of £144 a year on products.
But you need not leave your wallet all washed up, as there are some cheap, inventive ways to get rid of the grime.
Here’s my guide to achieving a sparkling finish without the spend . . .
TOTALLY CONKERS: Forget washing powder, try cleaning clothes with conkers.
You’ll need to chop and dry the conkers and then add 40g of them to a jug filled with 500ml of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes for a creamy, thick liquid.
Sieve the conkers into another jug and then re-soak for another hour, repeat this for a third time.
You can use the liquid from the first soak for your dirtiest washing, the second lot for normal washing and the third lot for items that need a light wash.
ZO GREAT: I’m a big fan of multi-purpose cleaner Zoflora. Make-up bags can harbour all sorts of bacteria, but you can remedy this without forking out a fortune on cleaning products or having to buy a whole new bag.
Use a cloth soaked in diluted Zoflora to regularly wipe down our bag — you can also do the same for make-up packaging. Pick up a bottle at Poundland for a quid.
WASH UP: Surface cleaner can be expensive, especially when you can make your own solution.
To do this, find an old washing-up liquid bottle, add ten-per-cent bleach and ten- per-cent washing-up liquid, then fill the rest of the bottle with water — you’ll have a homemade surface cleaner for a fraction of the price.
Check online before use on certain surfaces, as you don’t want to damage anything and end up with a costly bill to replace it.
SCENT-SATIONAL: I love Febreeze for quick refreshes. But when it’s £3 a bottle in Tesco, why splash the cash when you can make multiple bottles on the cheap.
All you need is some fabric softener and a spray bottle. Simply put ten-per-cent fabric softener into the spray bottle, fill it up with water and you have your own, sweet-smelling version of Febreeze.
Deal of the day
SUPERDRUG’s Black Friday offers kick off today.
The Oral B Genius 8000 Rose Gold toothbrush is £89.99, down from £279.99.
Online only at superdrug.com.
SAVE: £190
Cheap treat
ASDA has rolled back the price of its own-brand toys.
Get the shopping trolley for £10, down from £15.