This amazing post was written by Jenn Ryan, a freelance writer, and editor who’s passionate about natural health, fitness, gluten-free, and animals. You can read more of her work at thegreenwritingdesk.com.
Are you tired of buying expensive, chemical-filled crap to clean your body and home? Maybe it’s not even expensive; maybe it’s cheap—but it still has toxic chemicals in it.
It doesn’t take a genius to Google ingredients and find out what exactly you’re putting on your skin or in your home. And if you’ve got pets or little ones scurrying about, you have even more anxiety about what toxins they’re being exposed to.
62 Uses of Everyday Products To Save You Money
This article is a long list of ways to use everyday products to save money. Buckle your seatbelts, because we’re covering food swaps, beauty swaps, and non-toxic cleaning swaps.
Whether or not you’re creative enough to make your own stuff, this list of swaps is so easy you won’t be able to resist!
1. Makeup Remover
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it:
Dab coconut oil onto the cotton pad, wipe away makeup.
Rinse with water afterward.
To be eco-friendly, get organic cotton pads or use a washcloth you can re-use!
2. Bleach
Cheaper swap: Lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide
How to use it: You can have easy, toxic-free homemade bleach for whitening whites, making sparkly commodes, you name it! [1] With two cups peroxide and two tablespoons lemon juice combined with water and some essential oils.
3. Acne Medication or Creams
Cheaper swap: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
How to use it: Forget those toxic creams and prescription medications. Just mix equal parts ACV with water and use as a toner for your face! [2]
4. Windex
Cheaper swap: White vinegar
How to use it: Blue liquid is healthy, right? No, it’s not. Toss that evil Windex. Use white vinegar and a clean cloth or paper towel to wipe windows and mirrors. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water—put in a spray bottle for easy use!
5. Toothpaste
Cheaper swap: Baking soda
How to use it: With a half a cup of coconut oil and three tablespoons of baking soda combined with some peppermint essential oil, you can have easy and safe toothpaste to use daily! [3]
6. Body Wash
Cheaper swap: Castile soap
How to use it: I’m obsessed with Dr. Bronner’s. You need much less of it than regular body wash, and the ingredients are so simple, and it smells naturally fantastic since it’s scented with essential oils. Say goodbye to chemical-laced body wash forever!
7. Degreaser
Cheaper swap: Baking soda
How to use it: Save money by not buying those chemical oven sprays. You just need some baking soda and water, or if your grease is super stubborn, some vinegar as well.
8. All-Purpose Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Castile soap, vinegar, essential oils
How to use it: You can use Dr. Bronner’s as an all-purpose cleaner (mixed with water in a spray bottle), or use vinegar combined with essential oils to make one. Vinegar is an extremely inexpensive cleaner and a natural disinfectant!
9. Air Freshener
Cheaper swap: Baking soda and essential oils
How to use it: All you need is a mason jar, some baking soda, and your favorite essential oils to make a custom air freshener for your most-loved spaces [4]. Safe, effective, and best of all—it doesn’t contain carcinogenic chemicals!
10. Bathroom Cleaner
Cheaper swap: White vinegar
How to use it: Just mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and use it to wipe down your most used surfaces. Use on the vanity, the toilet, the shower, even the floor! Bye-bye, germs.
11. Cutting Board Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Salt and lemon
How to use it: Coarse salt and half a lemon make a safe and easy cutting board disinfectant without the use of harsh chemicals, or worse—the taste of dish soap in your food.
12. Microwave Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Lemon and vinegar
How to use it: Never scrub your microwave again with this concoction. Simply put white vinegar in a bowl and heat it in the microwave for at least one minute, depending on how severe your stains are. For extra power, put some lemon juice in there. Watch the mess wipe right off when it’s done!
13. Drano
Cheaper swap: Baking soda and vinegar
How to use it: Don’t pour that nasty crap down your pipes. Instead, try baking soda and vinegar. It expands and can be easily used to clean clogged drains. With ½ cup baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar (and some hot water), you’ll be watching the water whirl away in no time [5].
14. Cast Iron Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Olive oil and coarse sea salt
How to use it: You know you’re not supposed to use soap on cast iron, right? While some people say this is a myth, I stand by this truth!
Instead of using just water, if you’ve got some serious stickage, you can use coarse sea salt to “scrub” your cast iron pan. Pair with olive oil to protect the seasoning of the cast iron. Happy cooking!
15. Dishwasher Detergent
Cheaper swap: Castile soap
How to use it: I hate using dishes that have been washed with conventional dishwasher detergent. Somehow, it just doesn’t seem right. Once again, castile soap to the rescue! You can make your own [6] or just use a couple of teaspoons mixed with water in your detergent space.
16. Dish Soap
Cheaper swap: Castile soap
How to use it: Honestly, I just use Dr. Bronner’s full strength for washing dishes. However, you may choose to dilute it with water. Full strength has a bit more power, though. Easy and free of toxins!
17. Laundry Detergent
Cheaper swap: Castile soap
How to use it: Ok yeah, not going to lie, I use it for my laundry too. I just use Dr. Bronner’s straight and make sure to put it in the bottom of the washer before throwing my clothes in.
However, you can make your own laundry detergent if you want to get fancy [7]! I adore the rose, lavender, and peppermint scents for my clothes.
18. Fabric Softener
Cheaper swap: White vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils
How to use it: Simply by combining baking soda with Epsom salt and essential oils, you can make chemical-free fabric softener [8]. You could also just pour a cup of white vinegar in during the rinse cycle—works about as well!
19. Dryer Sheets
Cheaper swap: Herbs
How to use it: Hey while we’re on laundry, make a sachet stuffed with dried herbs (lavender, peppermint, lemon balm) and toss in the dryer with your clothes (want to be even eco-friendlier? Line dry and store your clothes with dried herbs)
20. Floor Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Vinegar and water
How to use it: Just combine and scrub those floors! Not for wood floors, though.
21. Furniture Polish
Cheaper swap: Olive oil, coconut oil, and vinegar
How to use it: Depending on which one you’d like to use, you can combine these or just use one for an effective and toxic-free furniture polish.
22. Wood Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Olive oil and vinegar
How to use it: Again, you can combine or use separately to clean wood! Use a less concentrated version of vinegar.
23. Hair Mousse
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: Well, first of all, it’s healthy for your hair. Secondly, it’s easier, and third, it’s free of toxins. You don’t need another reason to use this gorgeous recipe.
24. Lotions and Face Creams
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: Seriously, forget it. They contain parabens, which have been tentatively linked to hormone disruption and breast cancer [9]. Using straight coconut oil or a blend of coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin E, and your favorite essential oils creates an out-of-this-world moisturizer.
25. Face Mask
Cheaper swap: Honey
How to use it: Don’t buy face masks at the store—just don’t. Use some local honey instead. It’s antibacterial so will help soothe acne, and it’s moisturizing. Want even more power? Combine with banana!
26. Shaving Cream
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: Ditch your can of crap for shaving (or, you know, just stop shaving). Use some coconut instead. It’s hydrating and doesn’t contain scary ingredients!
27. Mascara
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: All you need is a clean mascara wand and some coconut oil for healthy, beautiful lashes. For extra darkness, you can mix coconut oil with activated charcoal or even cacao powder. A little goes a long way here!
28. Dandruff Shampoo
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil and essential oils
How to use it: Did you know that dandruff shampoos can actually make your dandruff worse [10]? Don’t waste your money.
Get gorgeous hair by doing a hair mask once a week with coconut oil and tea tree oil or rosemary essential oil. You can apply coconut oil to your hair at other times too for some extra health!
29. Massage Oil
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: Massage oils can be expensive, laced with synthetic fragrances, and can contain other whacky ingredients. Skip all that madness and just use coconut oil.
For extra fun, use a few drops of your favorite essential oil and massage stress away!
30. WD-40
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: Squeaky doors? Reach for a jar of coconut oil! Easy and no chemicals.
31. Neosporin
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use it: Coconut oil is antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial [11]. It’s an effective wound moisturizer as well as a healing aid.
For extra power, make a salve with beeswax, fresh lavender and calendula flowers, and coconut oil for amazing healing power.
32. Deodorizer
Cheaper swap: ACV
How to use it: Put a bowl out near the stink and smell it disappear!
33. Flea Medicine
Cheaper swap: ACV
How to use it: Flea medicines can be toxic for your pooch. Try ACV instead. Just mix equal parts ACV and water in a spray bottle and spray on your pooch [12]!
34. Toner
Cheaper swap: ACV
How to use it: Mix equal parts with water and dab on your face as a toner to help improve acne, skin tone, and more!
35. Teeth Whitening Strips or Trays
Cheaper swap: ACV, lemon juice, coconut oil
How to use it: Rinsing your mouth with ACV can help remove stains. Lemon juice works well for this, but never leave on long because it can damage enamel. And oil pulling is rumored to help whiten teeth, though no concrete evidence exists yet [13].
36. Breath Freshener
Cheaper swap: ACV, herbs
How to use it: Rinsing your mouth with ACV can help neutralize the bacteria that cause bad breath! You can also pick a few fresh herbs from your garden and chew on your way to work—peppermint, sage, and even rosemary can work great!
37. Feet Freshener
Cheaper swap: ACV
How to use it: Bathing your feet in some ACV kicks those stinky feet back into attractiveness. Don’t waste money on foot sprays or deodorizers!
38. Pepto-Bismol or Tums
Cheaper swap: ACV
How to use it: Drink equal parts ACV mixed with water to help soothe your tummy [14]!
39. Bug Spray
Cheaper swap: Essential oils
How to use it: You can repel bugs by using a blend of essential oils in a spray bottle rather than buying bug sprays that are full of chemicals. Peppermint and lavender are the best ones to use to repel mosquitos and ticks!
40. Anti-Itch Cream
Cheaper swap: ACV or essential oils
How to use it: ACV can take the itch out of a bug bite, while essential oils like peppermint can stop itching on contact. Ditch the anti-itch creams!
41. Energy Drinks
Cheaper swap: ACV or lemon juice
How to use it: Energy drinks are not only dangerous to your health but can be a costly habit. Make your own at home with a bit of ACV in a glass of water or some lemon juice and sea salt. Easy peasy!
42. Hair Highlights
Cheaper swap: Lemon juice
How to use it: If you’ve ever gotten your hair highlighted, you know how expensive it is. Just use lemon juice instead—let sit in your hair for a couple of hours. In the sun is even better!
43. Detoxing Drink
Cheaper swap: Lemon juice
How to use: Drink ½ lemon squeezed into a glass of room temperature water upon waking every morning for an effective detox and hydration booster!
44. Shower Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use: Shower scum? No problem. Clean it up with some coconut oil! Just use coconut oil on a cleaning cloth or paper towel and wipe away.
45. Silverware Polish
Cheaper swap: Vinegar
How to use: Way easier and safer than actual silverware polish. Just use full strength or dilute and use a clean cloth or napkin to wipe clean!
46. Oven Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Vinegar
How to use: Wipe down your oven with vinegar, and use baking soda as well for pesky grease and grime!
47. Deodorant
Cheaper swap: Baking soda, coconut oil, essential oils
How to use: Although the National Cancer Institute questions the link between aluminum-based deodorants and cancer [15], I figure, why go the dangerous route? Be safer and more fashionable with a yummy natural deodorant made with baking soda, coconut oil, and essential oils.
48. Ant Poison
Cheaper swap: Borax and sugar
How to use: Combine borax, sugar, and water, then dip in a cotton ball and place around your home where the ants are coming in [16]. Fewer toxins, fewer ants, win-win!
49. Car De-Icer
Cheaper Swap: Alcohol and water
How to use: Never pollute the environment again by using this extremely simple car de-icer in the winter months. All you need is to mix alcohol and water, put in a spray bottle, and wallah! A clear windshield awaits!
50. Body Scrub
Cheaper swap: Coffee grounds and coconut oil
How to use: Nothing cheaper than some leftover coffee grounds and adding some coconut oil in to make a custom body scrub [17]! Want to get fancy? Add a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla.
51. Hair Mask
Cheaper swap: Bananas and honey
How to use: Bananas, honey, and coconut oil condition dry hair to give you moisturized, healthy-looking locks! Just combine and apply, leaving on for at least 45 minutes [18].
52. Sunscreen
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil, beeswax
How to use: Sunscreens contain some really toxic chemicals. By using coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, and avocado oil, you can have a killer sunscreen that won’t damage your skin!
53. Mouthwash
Cheaper swap: Essential oils
How to use: Make your own mouthwash with essential oils like peppermint or tea tree oil mixed with water. You can also choose to do more ingredients for added benefits, like trace minerals [19].
54. Hand Cream
Cheaper swap: Shea butter and coconut oil
How to use: It doesn’t need to be expensive. Repairing cracked hands is easy with unrefined shea butter. Just apply a dime-sized amount to each hand. Too perfect for places like cracked heels, rough elbows, and knees!
55. Garden Pest Repellant
Cheaper swap: Castile soap
How to use: Mix a tablespoon of castile soap into a quart-sized spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. Spray plants as needed!
56. Bubble Bath
Cheaper swap: Castile soap and essential oils
How to use: You can use Dr. Bronner’s and essential oils to create your own custom bath scent. Dr. Bronner’s comes in unscented for you adventurous types out there.
57. Jewelry Cleaner
Cheaper swap: White vinegar
How to use: Don’t buy that sickly-looking pink liquid to clean your favorite pieces. Just wipe down with white vinegar!
58. Lip Gloss
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use: Pretty self-explanatory, right? More hydrating and pure than regular lip gloss, this is one shine you’ll have trouble not licking off! Boyfriend approved.
59. Hair Conditioner
Cheaper swap: ACV
How to use: Rinsing your hair with ACV is easy and healthier than using drugstore conditioner. Simply mix 4 tablespoons of ACV in a glass of water. After shampooing, pour the rinse through your hair, massage, and let sit for a couple of minutes. You may choose to rinse out or leave in—up to you!
60. Toilet Cleaner
Cheaper swap: Baking soda
How to use: Baking soda helps whiten your toilet and scrub off any pesky stains. Use with lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide for added whitening power!
61. Honey or Sugar
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use: This one’s not exactly cost friendly, but regarding health, coconut oil is the cheaper option. Honey and sugar spike glycemic levels while coconut oil is full of healthy fats and gives you a genuine energy boost. Use up to a tablespoon of coffee and tea and enjoy!
62. Butter
Cheaper swap: Coconut oil
How to use: Again, the savings here are with your help! Ditch animal fats for coconut oil. It tastes amazing in baked goods and is an excellent dairy-free replacement. Vegans, rejoice!
It’s easy and cost-efficient to be clean, shiny, and gorgeous without using chemicals. Surely you can find some uses for these 62 household and beauty items? Go for it!
Sources:
http://nourishingjoy.com/homemade-bleach/
http://geturbal.com/natural-home-remedies-acne/
http://modernhippiehousewife.com/2014/04/24/homemade-coconut-oil-toothpaste/
http://blog.freepeople.com/2012/08/diy-2ingredient-air-freshener/
http://crunchybetty.com/clean-your-drains-baking-soda-vinegar/
http://www.drkarenslee.com/non-toxic-and-cheap-dishwasher-detergent/
http://www.measuringflower.com/laundry-soap/
http://everydayroots.com/homemade-fabric-softener
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/clear-science/radiation-chemicals-and-breast-cancer/parabens.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
https://draxe.com/how-to-get-rid-of-dandruff/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24328700
https://www.earthclinic.com/apple-cider-vinegar-for-fleas-in-dogs-and-cats.html
http://geturbal.com/can-oil-pulling-stop-cavities-and-gum-disease/
http://greatist.com/grow/ways-use-apple-cider-vinegar
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet
http://thehappyhousewife.com/home-management/how-to-get-rid-of-ants-with-three-ingredients/
http://geturbal.com/home-made-natural-body-scrub/
http://www.lacocobella.com/2012/12/20/deep-condition-banana-honey-coconut-oil-hair-mask/
https://www.livingthenourishedlife.com/homemade-mouthwash-recipe-for-whitening-and-remineralizing/
General References:
http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/70-uses-of-everyday-products-that-will-save-money-and-keep-you-healthy/
http://greatist.com/health/27-chemical-free-products-diy-spring-cleaning
Image Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/BakingPowder.jpg
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