1. Baking Soda

I love this stuff so much that I bought a gigantic bag of it. You can tell I’ve been a mom too long when I get excited about a gigantic bag of baking soda. But here we are!

Baking Soda is absolutely fabulous for smells and stank. Once I empty out a spice jar, I clean it out and use it for a baking soda shaker. Let me tell you how amazing this stuff really is.

• Kid pukes on the carpet-Baking Soda
• Cat Litter Box is atrocious-Baking Soda
• Laundry smells like hot garbage-Baking Soda
• Spilled bacon grease all over the stove-Baking Soda!
• Dropped a cup of juice all over the carpet-Baking Soda

You get the point. Baking Soda soaks up smells and spills like none other! I use it for so much. And it’s really cheap compared to carpet cleaner and stain remover.  Totally unnecessary spending! Plus you use it to bake so it may already be in your pantry. Not to mention that it’s safe in case the baby decides to put some in it’s mouth. Or when the toddler runs through it and then decides to rub it on his food. Been there. 

But these aren’t even my favorite uses yet.

I keep a shaker jar in my shower for my face! This stuff is excellent for exfoliation and cleansing the face. Use a little bit and gently rub and exfoliate your face before you rinse off. I’ve gotten so many compliments on how smooth my face always looks. (It’s the baking soda!)

My face used to break out all of the time and get so blotchy. Once I starting using baking soda a couple times a week in the shower, that all cleared up. I love it. Just be careful not to scrub too hard. I did that and ended up looking sun burnt before a job interview. 

2. White Vinegar

Believe it or not, white vinegar actually kills bacteria! And it’s safe to ingest. You know what that means? You can clean the whole house and not worry about the kiddos sticking their fingers in it or spills. I used to get so worried about the babies crawling around in chemicals after I cleaned the floors. With white vinegar, you don’t have to worry about that at all!

I simply add half vinegar and half water to a spray bottle. It’s excellent to clean with. If you spray on stuck food and wait, it wipes right off!

Vinegar is excellent for glass as well. It doesn’t leave any streaks or smudges when you clean your mirrors with it.

Vinegar is excellent when it comes to getting the urine smell out of literally anything. It’s seriously amazing. Pee soaked sheets are so easy to clean when you add about a cup of vinegar to the wash. I have cats too and they are so stinky! Cat urine is the strongest and most disgusting urine smell ever. Vinegar takes care of that too!!!

Not only can you clean with vinegar, you can use it for first aid too. I’ve used it for mosquito bites and bee stings! You can apply to a washcloth and put it on sunburn. We’ve used it in a foot bath to soak infected toenails or fingernails. You can use a cup in your bath to detox too.

Think of all the money you will save when you only have to buy one product that is SAFE for your kids! ONE. I know because that’s all I’ve ever bought for my house.

The only downside is the smell. When I first started using it, my kids said the house smelled like ketchup. lol For that reason, we added a few drops of essential oils to our cleaning bottle and the house smells more heavenly and less like ketchup! Don’t add essential oils if you are using that bottle to spray your food though.

Which brings me to my last point. Use vinegar on your fruits and vegetables! We always soak our fruits and vegetables with a vinegar and water mixture before we eat them. It cleans them, kills any pests inside and also kills bacteria from any handlers before us. Gross.

3. Scott Toilet Paper

I was first introduced to this toilet paper when my first born started walking. He would unravel a whole roll of toilet paper into the toilet in no time flat. You can imagine the clogs and hefty bills that came from the plumber. UGH! Someone mentioned that I should try Scott toilet paper.

To my surprise, it actually worked! He would sneak in and start unraveling but it still dissolved and flushed like a dream. Plus, there is just so much on the roll that we had plenty leftover to use.

I have used this toilet paper on spills, pet messes, make-up, first aid, you name it. It just seems to last us forever!

We went back to the thick, soft toilet paper once and it was gone within a week. I couldn’t believe it! We save so much money buying Scott toilet paper. Seriously. And we use it like nobody’s business in this house.

4. Dial Soap Pump

You can use any foaming soap pump, I just always buy Dial. But get yourself a bunch today!

Kids are messy. We’ve established that. But one thing they LOVE to do is make suds in the bathroom. UGHHHH! And that’s fine if you like paying tons of money by buying soap constantly because they have no concept of portion control. But if you actually want to save money, get a foaming soap dispenser! Please.

I used them in the tub with kids’ shampoo and water. If you can’t find a shampoo foaming dispenser, just rinse out an old hand soap pump. I always fill the bottom maybe an inch or so with soap and the rest with water.

Make sure you don’t use a heavy stream of water because it will make the soap foam before you can get the lid on. Slightly tilt the dispenser back and forth to mix before putting the lid back on. And make sure you don’t add too much soap or the dispenser will clog and you’ll be out money since you’ll need to toss it!

I still use these dispensers for every sink and shower in the whole house. One bottle of soap lasts me the whole month now! Can you believe it?! And if you get the jumbo shampoo bottle, it’ll last you way longer.

What a way to stretch a buck!