How to save money on household chemicals: truth and myths

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We check how citric acid works and whether it is worth messing with homemade dishwashing detergent.

We will analyze seven common tips and tell you whether you can really save on this, or if you just waste time and nerves, and the amount will end up being negligible.

1. Homemade dishwashing detergent is better than purchased

You can often find recipes for homemade dishwashing detergents on the Internet. The composition contains grated soap, baking soda or soda ash, - essential oils and even ground coffee as an abrasive.

Cooking this will take at least an hour of your time and a bunch of burnt nerves, and at the exit you will get a mass that foams poorly and after a few hours again turns into a piece of harsh soap in water.

As a result: store funds of budget brands with a volume of 500 ml cost 90–150 rubles. You will spend about 50 on a bar of soap, but you will not be able to wash the dishes with it. Therefore, forget about saving - save your nerves.

2. Means for washing glasses can be replaced with a simple solution

For washing glass, you can make a simple solution from the following ingredients:

• 250 ml of water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 10 drops of lemon essential oil (optional) to fight off the vinegar smell.

I did that and washed all the mirrors and windows in the house. And I was not disappointed: it washes away greasy stains well, does not leave streaks and smells nice of lemon.

What is the bottom line: a special detergent for washing glasses costs from 90 to 400 rubles per 500 ml, a home solution is practically free. Not a bad way to save money.

3. Don't waste your money on expensive laundry detergents

The composition of expensive and cheap powders is not that different. Almost all of them contain the same:

• 5-15% anionic surfactants (aSAS). Dissolves greasy stains and dirt, gives a good lather. APAS molecules are negatively charged, therefore they can be deactivated in hard water. So that the product does not lose its effect, zeolites and phosphonates are added to the composition.
• 5% non-iogenic surfactants (nsurf). Substances that do not have a charge, and therefore they do not care for hard water. Particularly good at removing greasy stains.
• Polycarboxylates … Used in products where there is no or very little phosphate. They soften the water, weigh the particles of pollution so that it does not settle somewhere else. In general, they increase the washing efficiency.
• Phosphonates … They neutralize calcium and magnesium ions, which can reduce the effectiveness of aSurfactants. In other words, they soften water and make surfactants more effective.
• Zeolites … APAS also help to work in hard water.
• Alkaline agents: sodium carbonate, sodium silicate. They help to remove greasy dirt, soften water hardness.
• Sodium hypochlorite … Chlorine bleach.
• Oxygen bleach … Contains hydrogen peroxide, which reacts with dirt particles and organic materials, destroys them and discolours them. Works softer than sodium hypochlorite.
• Optical brightener … They are fluorescent dyes that glow blue-white under ultraviolet light. Blue-white color makes yellow fabrics white.
• Enzymes … Supplements that help get rid of tough contaminants, including proteinaceous contaminants such as blood or grass.

If you calculate how much money you will give for one wash (taking into account the amount of powder or gel prescribed according to the instructions on the package), the difference between the cheapest powders and the advertised gels will be about 20%.

However, the composition of cheap ones contains fewer surfactants (for example, 5% aSurfactants instead of the standard 5–15% or no nSAS), as well as ingredients that increase the effectiveness of the powder: zeolites, polycarboxylates, phosphonates or enzymes. And you need to be prepared for the fact that, as a result, the wash will not be of such high quality.

As a result: if you wash clothes without serious contamination - for example, you do not have small children and you do not often go hiking - a cheap powder is fine, and you will save about 20% on washing costs.

4. You do not need to spend money on baby powder: it is no different from the usual

Children's powder, as a rule, is more expensive than usual, but not always differs from it in composition. The same 5–15% aSurfactants and less than 5% nSurfactants, enzymes and fragrances. If you are looking for a milder remedy, read the information on the package carefully.

These powders will not contain aSurfactants, which can irritate sensitive skin and cause allergic reactions. But at the same time, due to their absence, the quality of washing can be severely affected.

conclusions: It is worth overpaying for baby powders if the child has skin problems and is allergic to the substances in their composition. In other cases, you can get by with cheaper means.

5. Buying large amounts of cleaning products cheaper

“The more you take, the cheaper it turns out” - such a thought has firmly stuck in the mind of the consumer, and manufacturers use it. The lack of round prices - 79, 89 rubles instead of 80 rubles and strange volumes - 2, 96 liters instead of 3 liters are confusing.

It often turns out that a product in a small package costs the same or less than in a huge pack. And if you want to know the real difference, look at the price tags and compare the weight.

As a result: buying large volumes, you will not always be able to save. Therefore, be sure to recalculate the price per gram so as not to spend too much.

6. The tub and toilet can be cleaned with baking soda and citric acid

"Grandma's" products perfectly clean limescale and, unlike many modern powders and gels, do not give such a disgusting chemical smell. Here are two proven recipes.

• Soda + vinegar. Mix soda ash and baking soda in equal proportions, add a little water to make a gruel. Apply the product to the contaminated areas and leave for half an hour. Then fill it all with vinegar (it is convenient to use a spray bottle) and leave for another half hour. Rinse off with water.
• Lemon acid. Sprinkle citric acid on the soiled area moistened with water, brush and leave for half an hour. Rinse off with water.

As a result: on average, popular bath and toilet cleaners cost from 150 to 400 rubles. Soda is in every home and costs a penny, and citric acid will take a little less than 100 rubles per 250 grams, but it will last for a long time. You will not be able to save a lot on this, but you will not have to suffer from the terrible chemical smell.

7. Homemade air freshener works no worse than purchased

Store fresheners can contain over 100 not-so-useful chemicals, including ethanol, formaldehyde, benzene, toluene and xylene, semi-volatile organics, and phthalates. They are capable of causing headaches, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, dermatitis, mucosal problems.

If you want to improve the smell in your home, try homemade options with essential oils, citrus, pine needles. True, these fresheners will not provide the same effect as purchased aerosols with a pungent odor.

As a result: you cannot make a home air freshener as effective as a commercial one. Therefore, it is unlikely that it will be possible to save money. But the plus is that it will be much safer.

You will hardly be able to save a lot on household chemicals. Of course, you can completely abandon it and wash, wash and clean only with improvised means. However, in this case, spend more time, energy and nerves.

However, there is still a point in replacing some purchased gels and powders with homemade ones and always comparing the composition and prices: this way you will take a step towards rational consumption and care for the environment.