The price of everything seems to be going up and many of us are really feeling it, especially if you’re already on a tight budget. If you’re trying to live a less toxic lifestyle, perhaps you’re worried that it’s just going to be too expensive or that you may have to make some significant compromises. When it comes to cleaning and housekeeping there are some really great, highly effective and budget friendly products available. You don’t have to compromise cleanliness but it may mean breaking up with expensive products you’ve been using. The upside is that many of these products and practices save time and waste.

My Favorite Budget Friendly Non-Toxic Cleaning and Housekeeping Products

Hydrogen Peroxide - Hydrogen peroxide can be used for both cleaning and disinfecting around the entire house. It’s incredibly versatile. It can be used to disinfect any hard, non porous surface including kitchen counters, bathroom surfaces, sinks, cutting boards, doorknobs, toys, refrigerators and garbage cans. It can used to remove stains from grout and white textiles. Hydrogen peroxide can also be used to sanitize beauty and personal care tools like nail tools and even your toothbrush. I’ve seen sources that say to mix 50/50 with water and some that say to use it undiluted. I use it undiluted for household and cleaning purposes. Either way make sure you’re purchasing 3% USP hydrogen peroxide. I buy a gallon jug of 3% USP hydrogen peroxide on Amazon for about $18 and then pour it into a 16-ounce glass spray bottle like these from Sally’s Organics. This is much more cost effective than buying a new bottle of cleaner or disinfectant every time it runs out and needs replacing and it creates a lot less waste.

All Purpose Glass Spray Bottles - I like using glass spray bottles for a variety of cleaning products and also plain water. They last much longer than plastic bottles and can be used over and over again. If the spray trigger breaks then I just replace that. They may cost more initially than plastic bottles but in the long run you save money because they do not have to be replaced as often. I like these from Sally’s Organics on Amazon, $25 for 2, 16 oz. bottles and replacement trigger sprayer for $5.98. Using glass spray bottles also cuts down on plastic usage.

Branch Basics Cleaning Concentrate - I had been hearing about Branch Basics for a while and they have been getting some pretty good reviews for their cleaning concentrate. Not only is it non-toxic, it can also be used for a variety of cleaning needs around the house. It’s also 100% fragrance free, it doesn’t even contain essential oils, which is great for those who are sensitive to all types of fragrance. One bottle of concentrate can be used to make an all-purpose cleaning spray, laundry detergent, hand soap and glass cleaner and floor and carpet cleaner. It can also be used many other ways around the house. The big bottle of concentrate is $55 but you get multiple refills out of this one bottle. How much you get out of that bottle of concentrate and cost per cleaning product really depends on how you use it. However, it’s indicated that one bottle of concentrate makes (3) 16 oz. bottles of all-purpose cleaner, (3) 16 oz. bottles of bathroom cleaner, (3) 16 oz. bottles of glass cleaner, (3) 10 oz. bottles of foaming wash and (1) 32 oz. laundry bottle. I know that if I added up what I normally pay for these individual products, it would be a lot more than $55. Branch Basics Cleaning Concentrate $55 or $49.50 with subscription.

White Distilled Vinegar or Cleaning Vinegar - White distilled vinegar and cleaning vinegar are not the same thing. White distilled vinegar is 5% acetic acid and cleaning vinegar is 6%. Both are affordable but plain white vinegar is definitely cheaper. You also absolutely cannot cook with cleaning vinegar. Both can be used for inexpensively cleaning certain items around your home but, because vinegar is acidic, it cannot be used everywhere. This Real Simple guide is a great way to know how and when to use cleaning vinegar (you can use it as a guide for regular white vinegar too).

Dryer Balls - I’ve been using dryer balls for a few years and I will never go back to dryer sheets. Most conventional dryer sheets are full of fragrance and leave behind a non-biodegradable sheet that ends up in landfills. You also have to buy dryer sheets over and over again. Dryer balls are fragrance free and can be used for up to three years before they need replacing. A set of 3 wool dryer balls costs less than $20, so you can imagine how much you would be saving by no longer having to purchase dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls are also known reduce drying time so that helps by reducing utility costs. If you prefer to not use wool, you can opt for dryer balls made with thermal plastic rubber. Dirty Lab’s Wool Dryer Balls (responsibly sourced) Set of 3 $18 and Nellie’s Dryer Balls (thermal plastic rubber) Set of 2 $14.60

Powdered Laundry Detergent - You can save money by using a powdered laundry detergent instead of a liquid. Nellie’s Laundry Soda is effective and comes out to about $.20 a load depending on what size you get. If you buy their largest size, it comes out to $.13 a load. Nellie’s uses very simple ingredients and no fragrance. You can also try Molly’s Suds. They use clean ingredients but provide a few non-toxic scent options in their powdered detergents. Molly’s runs about $.20 to $.40 per load depending on formulation and size. Powder can be used in both top and front loading HE machines. Shop Nellie’s Laundry or Shop Molly’s Suds Laundry