Keeping your kitchen looking great can cost a lot of time and money that isn’t always feasible in the scheme of things. Luckily, there are many different ways to keep your kitchen looking perfect without having to dish out cash on cleaning, eating or decorating supplies. These ten tips will help you find ways that work great for your family as well as your routine, so saving money doesn’t seem like a big deal. Each tip comes with a cheaper alternative to the typical household solution to messes and other kitchen related problems that effect you from day to day. You will save so much that you’ll be able to cash in on one of those big tickets items you’ve been looking for.
1. Lose the Scrubs
A lot of the cleaning budget tends to be devoted to scrubs and solutions that help make cleaning jobs a lot easier. Unfortunately, these products tend to cost a bit more than we’d like and often don’t do the job completely. There are, however, a few products that can already be found in the household that will not only help you get the job done, but will also save you lots of money in doing so. Vinegar and baking soda are great common items that are known to wipe away stains and hard to scrub areas. Pour come vinegar on your stove and get rid of grease stains that have been sitting for some time. Add baking soda to a tough refrigerator spill and wipe the mess and the smell away. With these two items you will have your kitchen sparkling in no time.
2. Throw Out the Paper Products
Although paper towels, napkins and plates tend to make our lives a bit easier they tend to dissolve the kitchen budget. There are many ways to get the same effect without having to waste lots of paper products in the process. For instance, plastic plates tend to run cheaper and make an easy to clean solution for large parties or for children just learning to eat. Simply wash these plates off and they’re ready to use for the next big occasion. Clean up your kitchen messes with towels or old rags. This will not only save money, but will also get the job done faster as most towels tend to absorb more than paper towels. Finally, step your dining room table up to restaurant quality with cloth napkins that can be thrown into the washer after using. Once you begin to utilize the lack of paper products in the kitchen you’ll forget about using paper products.
3. Zest up the Kitchen with Citrus
The kitchen is a source of many not so pleasant smells at times. There are many products on the market that are designed to freshen up the room, but none work quite so well as a little lemon zest. The garbage disposal is one of the smelliest places in the kitchen because it is constantly getting rid of food without being cleaned out. When you use a lemon, or other citrus based fruit, through the rind into the garbage disposal and turn it on. This will not only get rid of the smell and spread the citrus scent through the room, but it will also help keep your blades working great. The refrigerator is also another source of bad odors. Cut open a lemon and leave part of it in the cooling portion to keep the odors at bay. You can also place part of it in the freezer for a great zesty smell that will overcome the smell of freezer burn and any other odorous foods. The best thing about citrus zest is it cost cents to purchase and is often a leftover product from foods we love.
4. Re-use Ziplocs
We all love to use ziplocs and other plastic storage devices, but they can cost a lot in the long run. There is, of course, no harm in re-using your plastic products. Whether you need them for your child’s lunch at school or to keep leftovers in, a ziploc bag can be rinses out, sanitized and dried for use on another day. The best thing about doing this is you are saving cash, but your are also saving the environment. Your family won’t know the difference between a new and used ziploc and you will get at least a hundred uses out of the one bag. The same can be said of tupperware, or plastic containers that lunch meat and other products come in.
5. Re-use Glass bottles
If you’re a fan of beer, wine or other drinks that come in glass bottles then you know how the bottles can collect in your home. If you aren’t interested in recycling the bottles for the CVR cost, then you might want to think about turning your bottles into drinking glasses. This task is actually quite simple and will save you lots of money on buying manufactured glasses. All you need is a glass cutter and sand paper and you are set to make some unique glasses that none of your friends will have. This also works out great for jam and other mason jars, especially if you’re looking for a cute design for kids. Many of the jams designed for kids will have cartoon characters that your child won’t want to part with. If you aren’t interested in glasses then maybe break of the glass to create cool mosaic art, or a nice table top!
6. Use Kitchen Supplies as Decor
Forget spending a fortune on art for your wall when your kitchen supplies look great. If you love to bake and have plenty of different shaped cake pans then hang them on the wall. Not only will you have an amazing look that will be unique to your home, but you will also save on storage space. The same can be said for pots and pans! Whether you hang them on the wall or a drop down pot hanger, your cooking utensils will look like works of art in the kitchen. You can also hang up hold plates that provide you with memories and old cooking spoons that you don’t often need to use. With these items hanging up your kitchen will look well put together without a single piece of art on the wall.
7.Soap Pouches Aren’t Money Savers
Soap pouches are definitely a convenience in the home, but they don’t actually do a whole lot for the family budget. When you purchase regular liquid and powder dish soaps then you are not only saving money, but also allowing the item to stretch further. These products can be used for over a month, while a set of dishwasher pods only last the number of pods that are in the package. You can also do a lot of other cleaning with the typical powdered and liquid soaps that you wouldn’t be able to do with the the pods. For instance, if you take powdered soap into the bathroom it can help clean out the tub. It can also be used to clean tough grime out of the kitchen sink, whereas the pods only work in the dishwasher. Pods are also not exactly the safest thing to have around children as they tend to look and feel like a toy.
8. Stay Away From Disposable Mops
There are many disposable mops on the market these days who advertise based on convenience, which is easy to fall into. When you purchase one of these mops you are tied to buying the disposable wipes for as long as you use the mop and the wipes aren’t exactly cheap. If you are looking for immediate savings when it comes to a kitchen mop then look no further than the traditional mop. This mop will get the job done and often cost less than $5. You can even modernize it a bit and purchase one with a replaceable head, as it will still keep to the budget and you won’t have to replace anything any time soon. If you are looking for long term savings check out a floor cleaner that works on both hard and carpeted surfaces. This machine will be able to clean your entire house without any added cost to the budget, especially when you shop for a bagless product!
9. Tin Foil is Your Best Friend
When it comes to the kitchen tin foil is one of the best products you can have. Put some tin foil under each of your burners and you will never have to deep clean your stove again. Simple replace the tin foil and enjoy a stove that is so clean is sparkles. If you have a self cleaning over then put some tin foil on the bottom rack. This will allow all the particles to fall onto the foil, so that you won’t have to brush them out later. One of the best way to avoid kitchen clean up after meals is to play tin foil on your pans before baking. This will not only help you avoid scrubbing pans all night, but will also make your food healthier as you won’t have to grease down your pan just to ensure you’ll be able to get your food out. Tin foil can also help your store item, wrap up your child’s lunch, or keep your pets food fresh for the next feeding time. Tin foil is cheap to buy and goes pretty far, which is why it is such an important element in the household!
10. Pottery Class is Functional
If you love pottery then it might be one of the best money savers you’ve come across. Pottery classes, or just picking up the hobby at home, will allow you to create plates, bowls and mugs for your home to use. You will fall in love with creating the perfect dishes for your home and might even be able to bring the entire family in on the project. How fun would be if everyone in the household had their own plate, bowl and mug that shows off their personality? The hobby doesn’t have to end at a basic serving set though. You can create serving platters and bowls that will wow all of your guest during the holidays. This hobby will also save you huge as you won’t have to go out and buy expensive dinner sets that are too small for your family to use anyway. Instead of doubling up on pre-boxed sets you can keep the dishes coming all year long!
The kitchen is one of the most popular rooms in the house, so of course you stress over the budget it takes to keep this room smelling and looking wonderful. Cleaning alone can consume your budget as well as your time, but with these tips you will be looking at a new kitchen that takes less than half of the original budget to keep looking amazing. You won’t stress out walking into your kitchen from now, but you will take in the fresh scent and clean look and sigh with relief thanks to your kitchen know how.
