We all know that buying in bulk or buying 'economy' size packages can often lead to good savings. So, buying the larger refill size containers of cleaning supplies can work the same way. While it might seem more convenient to buy the smaller spray bottle (that usually costs the same amount if not more than the refill), those sprayers rarely work really well or don't last. I've found that it's actually a better value for me to buy sturdier, large, spray bottles at the dollar store and then just use the refill size cleaning solution to fill them up. They last much longer, and as an added bonus, you don't have to worry about what might be in a container. They have different colors so you can choose a different one for each type of cleaning product or you can label them or write on them to tell the difference (instead of having to try to write over a pre-affixed label).
I am subscribed to the Honest company. I love how affordable their cleaning products is even though they are organic. I buy their products via subscription. It is indeed more practical to buy in bulk because they last longer. Buying small bottles and sachets is actually a waste of money. They seemed cheaper but you actually spent more cash,
I found that Walmart has the cheapest cleaning supplies on most things. 32 oz. spray bottles for just 1.12. It's so good to have a spray bottle for once its empty I save the sprayer for my clorox and water solution that I have for home cleaning too. When on sale cleaner's refill is 40 oz. with their spray bottles just 32 oz. so I sometimes buy just the refills on sale. Since I found Walmart's lower prices I've been buying from Walmart for cleaning supplies.
That is a good and practical approach you are doing. If I were in you case, I would do the same thing what you did. However, we just only live simply and we don't have to buy bulky cleaning solutions for that matter. A sachet or a small plastic bottle is enough for our day-to-day cleaning of our kitchen utensils and the like. If we got or bought a bottle of it, the next is to buy a refill which is much lesser than buying another one. Refill facilitates a big saving. That is what we usually are doing not only for cleaning supplies but also for those related household solution needs.
I don't buy cleaning containers because I simply reuse old containers for my cleaning needs and then buy the refills. For instance, my dishwashing liquid dispenser is an old shampoo dispenser (450 ml). I fill it up with a 200 ml refill of pure dishwashing liquid and 500 ml purified water. My cleaning solution is a mixture of detergent powder and bleach. I store them in an old cologne spray bottle (250 ml Victoria's Secret cologne).I also buy refills for my insect/mosquito spray and pour them in a 250 ml used cologne spray bottle. I used to buy a separate dispenser for my mosquito spray but they become unusable in about 6 months. On the other hand, I've been using the cologne sprayer for a year and it's still going great. I don't buy small sachets because it's about 30% more expensive. Rather, I buy large refill packs that can last for one or two months. Beyond that, I'll have problems with storage..
This is actually a very good idea as a huge money saver, I will be doing this from now on. I really don't buy many cleaning supplies as I feel they can be toxic expecially with my daughter around but when I do like one I will take your advice and get the bigger size and buy a spraying bottle which I have seen for very cheap around.
@Krissttina Isobe Dollar Tree has cleaning supplies as well. I am not sure if you have them in your area. I have stores I like for cleaning supplies that are less than Walmart. However, you have to be aware of buying things that may not work as well.
Less than Walmart @Ke Gordon !!! WOW! We don't have Dollar Tree though, , but who knows what might come to Hawaii in the future. One can but hope that Dollar Tree comes to Hawaii...we sure need it! Things are high because of shipping. We got to keep our homes clean so we'll always need cleaning supplies. Thanks for the info!
@Krissttina Isobe Is that for Walmart's store brand of cleaners? I guess I'll have to check them out. I usually pick up some disinfectant cleaner at Dollar Tree. The pine oil one used to be a 48 oz. bottle for a buck, but now it's 40. Still, not bad, and it works well. I usually get the lemon scented one. They have the concentrated Lysol there too. You add water to it. They have it in lavender and lemon scent, if I remember correctly. I can also get a gallon of bleach (or a smaller bottle if I choose scented) for a dollar. They have a lot of choices for those who like cleaners with fragrance too. There are many different scents to choose from. They have lots cleaning supplies too, like @Ke Gordon said.
We have cleaning supplies that we keep in our store room. Aside from the laundry soap and other laundry needs like fabric softener, our stock includes cleanser for the bathroom tiles and even declogger (Drano) of sink. I agree that buying those items in bulk can save me a lot particularly when I buy it during a sale. I don’t think those cleaning items have an expiration date so it’s just all right to stock on them.
@thisnthat Love those prices at Dollar Tree! I got to find a cleaner that cleans linoleum better than the ones I have. Spic n Span, 409, Top Job Basic All Purpose and my bleach water mixture just don't work as well as I want it to, so I'm on the hunt for a better cleaner again.
Is the linoleum in the kitchen? You might need something that cuts grease better. Grease can hang in the air after cooking and eventually leave residue on everything, making it tough to clean. If you can find a degreaser (Dollar Tree has one, so some other dollar stores might too) that will work. If not, ammonia works great for that. Be sure not to mix it with any other cleaners, since it can create a reaction. The smell isn't so great, but they do have scented options, which helps. Ammonia is usually pretty low in cost too, but it's tough on grease. Another option is grease cutting dish washing liquid like Dawn. Mixed with some hot water, it is good for kitchen cleaning.
Over here we usually buy the large variant of cleaning products so that we can save on money as well. Unlike canned goods, cleaning products seem to be consistently more economical if you buy the larger container, you don't have to look at the labels to calculate the weight and price if you were to buy 2 smaller containers.
I have stopped buying commercial cleaning supplies since a few years ago, I found out we can actually just clean our home easily with natural cleaning supplies. Vinegar and baking soda are both very useful in cleaning, and they are inexpensive too. I am still learning how to make more natural cleaning supplies, but at the moment, I am happy with just these two ingredients.
@kaka135 I think this is a very good idea, and I do some of this myself. I can often find great deals on stuff like baking soda and vinegar, so using these is a very affordable way to clean. They are easy to find too, in any grocery store, so you don't have to use more gas money getting to another store if you don't already need to go to another one for something else. I do like to use cleaning supplies that kills germs though, on occasion. I don't overuse it. I could use bleach, but I really have trouble with the fumes. I sometimes get the scented one and dilute it to make my own cleaner, but sometimes, I just want something with a fresh clean scent. There are lots of recipes online for homemade cleaning products. I use my dollar store spray bottles for those as well.
