Spring is right around the corner and for many, that means getting organized and doing some spring cleaning. I personally have two rooms that look like they were destroyed in an earthquake, amassing holiday decor, donation items, and “stuff” from other rooms I have no idea what to do with. (Which I of course will make a post out of!) We have written a lot of ideas on cleaning with natural ingredients like baking soda and white vinegar, but I know there are some people who want to just pick up cleaning products without mixing anything up.
I went to the Dollar Tree and picked up cleaning items, some being name brand items and some being store brand, along with some inexpensive storage containers and headed home to try everything out. All of the products cost $1.00 each and I tried each one out (I didn’t go as far as to clean the house, just tried them out on the appropriate surfaces.)
*You can save money when buying cleaning products in bulk but you have to have the storage space to hold the bigger containers. And sometimes you just don’t have the money for the initial higher cost at the moment.
This LA’s Totally Awesome Window Cleaner (40 fl. oz.) cleaned just as well as Windex. We have a lot of glass, mirrors and windows in our house. The cats get paw prints on the glass covered tables, the fox pee on the outside of our sliding glass doors (seriously, they pee and mark the doors on a weekly basis, usually right after we’ve cleaned the glass!), and the winds keep the windows covered with a fine layer of dirt. I thought this worked great, I didn’t get streaks, and it even cut through the fox urine without a lot of scrubbing.
I’m using these stackable bins to hold various holiday craft supplies. After I get those crafts organized, I’ll label the front of the bins, stack them, and have easy access for when I feel like being creative. These would be perfect for storing toys; like blocks, army men, doll clothes, etc. If you’re short on drawer space, these could easily hold socks, tights, underwear, t-shirts, etc.
I featured this microfiber duster before, and it’s still one of my favorite dollar store cleaning buys. This works just as well as the more expensive brands and it keeps the dust trapped so it’s not flying all around. I cleaned all our bedroom blinds in a matter of minutes and there were no huge dust bunnies falling to the floor. I have one of these on each level of the house for easy and quick dusting.
This longer microfiber duster is perfect for ceiling fans and any higher spaces that need to be dusted.
This Home Store Furniture Polish has a nice orange scent, left my wood table clean and shiny, and in my opinion, worked just as well as the other furniture polishes that cost lots more.
I love these handled totes. They come in two sizes and the handles make them easy to lug around. They are also flexible. I put cleaning products in each one and have one on the lower and upper level of the house, stored in a bathroom cabinet. When it’s time to clean, I have all my products in one container that I can carry around from room to room. If you have children who leave toys around, you could label these with their names and when it’s time to clean up, they can fill their totes and easily carry them to their room. They also make great shopping totes.
Another store brand that worked just as well as the name brand. The foaming bubbles foam, it cut through the tub rings, and it’s non-abrasive so it won’t scratch. Why spend more on name brand when store brands work just as well?
Another product I’ve tried before and now use exclusively. The Works Basic Deoderizing Toilet Bowl Cleaner works great on our hard water stains, it smells a bit like chemicals but the smell dissipates within minutes. I have used this for about 6 months now and I think it’s a great bargain.
One more product I’ve been using regularly now. These bowl cleaner bleach tabs help keep the toilet bowl clean between deep cleanings and for me, they’ve lasted for about 4-5 weeks. *Make sure if you have pets who drink from the toilet bowl, that you don’t use products like these with bleach.
Another example of containers the Dollar Tree has….and all of these come in different colors.
If you prefer name brand items, you can certainly find those at dollar stores too. Both this Comet Multi-Surface Spray Cleaner and Comet with bleach cleaner are the same exact items sold at other stores, except these only cost a dollar.
I use these round totes for storage items in my closet but we’ve also used these for ice buckets for sodas, water and beer. The ice didn’t leak as it melted and you can actually fit quite a few bottles and cans in them.
These Scrub Buddies Quick Erasers worked almost as good as the more expensive brand but it wasn’t quite as strong. BUT these cost a fraction of the others and you get six for a dollar. It worked great on the scuff marks on the floor, it totally got rid of soap scum in the tub, and I put a crayon mark on the wall, which this took off. When I used these on our floorboards, they didn’t hold up as well as the others but that was the only time it didn’t work as well.
Now I don’t usually buy these furniture wipes, regardless of the brand, because I prefer sprays. So I didn’t compare these to another brand, but these worked just fine for me. You get 30 pre-moistened wipes which got rid of dust and made the wood shine.
These are under my kitchen cabinet holding cleaners and they have kept me organized! I cleaned out the cabinet space under the sink last month and it actually still looks organized. These (like all the other ones) can be used for toys, clothes, storage, and much more.
Just a different shape.
Spic and Span….another name brand for less.
A friend of mine got me hooked on this years ago. This LA’s Totally Awesome multi-surface degreaser and spot remover cleans and degreases great! I’ve used it on the shower, tub, sinks, cabinets, and stove top. Always satisfied with it.