Discover how this savvy woman saves big by making her own laundry and dishwashing powder
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With the cost of cleaning products on the rise, it’s crucial that shoppers find ways to stretch their budgets even further. And as we all know, that’s not an easy feat given the current cost-of-living crisis.
And this is certainly true for one woman, who, after taking a good hard look at all the cleaning products in her cupboard, was determined to find a way to save money on cleaning supplies.
Tania Hassounia, a New Zealand-based illustrator and designer, has found a clever way to cut costs on cleaning products.
Her secret? She makes her own.
According to her, she doesn’t have any cleaning solutions aside from white vinegar. White vinegar can be bought at Coles; the 2-litre variety costs $1.70. Tania said that this simple ingredient is helping her save a lot in her grocery shop.
Tania also makes her own laundry powder, which she says can double as dishwasher powder.
‘I was looking at all the bottles we have in the house for cleaning like Jif, Handy Andy... And I was thinking everything just costs a lot of money,’ she said before adding that she’s ‘always wanted to know’ whether she could make her own laundry powder since they’re becoming more expensive.
‘The liquid one’s well over $10,’ she continued.
Tania also mentioned finding the recipe online; four of the base ingredients can be bought at a local supermarket.
‘The ingredients are easy to obtain, you know exactly what's in it, and it smells nice because I can put my own essential oils in it,’ she told reporters.
Eventually, she narrowed down the ingredients to three: ½ cup of Epsom salts, 1½ cups of washing soda ash, and 1½ cups of bicarb soda. She also adds any essential oil she wants to make the mixture more fragrant.
According to the illustrator, the results of her DIY version have been ‘great’.
‘It's been great on the clothes. [It gets out] spots on the clothes. Black clothes come out really nice. I love it,’ Tania shared.
She also often uses white vinegar in the washing machine’s softener tray so her towels stay ‘perfectly soft’.
In her kitchen, Tania uses a tablespoon of her homemade laundry powder in her dishwasher. She said the concoction does a ‘really good job’ of cleaning her utensils and glasses.
Tania admitted that she no longer spends money on cleaning products (except for toilet cleaner) since she discovered her DIY method.
‘I only ever use white vinegar, from laundry to washing windows, floors… everything. You almost don't want to tell anybody because they might think that's a commodity we might want to put up (in price),’ she said.
The total cost of her at-home cleaning solution is $10, which lasted six weeks for a two-person household, plus a stay-at-home student and the occasional guest. Tania’s household does laundry every second day – and that’s a mighty big saving.
‘I feel really happy about it. I do think I'm saving because I use less at a time as well,’ she explained.
Similarly, a woman named Meagan also made the rounds on social media after sharing her DIY cleaning trick to save ‘hundreds of dollars’. In a post on Facebook, Meagan revealed that the ingredients for her at-home method cost $20, and the products could all be found in Woolworths.
The best part? The mixture can last ‘a minimum of nine months’. Discover her secret in this article.
If you’ve tried out any recipes for homemade cleaning products, please share your tips and stories in the comments section below!
And this is certainly true for one woman, who, after taking a good hard look at all the cleaning products in her cupboard, was determined to find a way to save money on cleaning supplies.
Tania Hassounia, a New Zealand-based illustrator and designer, has found a clever way to cut costs on cleaning products.
Her secret? She makes her own.
According to her, she doesn’t have any cleaning solutions aside from white vinegar. White vinegar can be bought at Coles; the 2-litre variety costs $1.70. Tania said that this simple ingredient is helping her save a lot in her grocery shop.
Tania also makes her own laundry powder, which she says can double as dishwasher powder.
She claims to save a lot of money on laundry detergent. Credit: Ron Lach/Pexels
‘The liquid one’s well over $10,’ she continued.
Tania also mentioned finding the recipe online; four of the base ingredients can be bought at a local supermarket.
‘The ingredients are easy to obtain, you know exactly what's in it, and it smells nice because I can put my own essential oils in it,’ she told reporters.
Eventually, she narrowed down the ingredients to three: ½ cup of Epsom salts, 1½ cups of washing soda ash, and 1½ cups of bicarb soda. She also adds any essential oil she wants to make the mixture more fragrant.
According to the illustrator, the results of her DIY version have been ‘great’.
‘It's been great on the clothes. [It gets out] spots on the clothes. Black clothes come out really nice. I love it,’ Tania shared.
She also often uses white vinegar in the washing machine’s softener tray so her towels stay ‘perfectly soft’.
Tania said the results of her DIY laundry powders have been great. Credit: Kaboompics/Pexels
In her kitchen, Tania uses a tablespoon of her homemade laundry powder in her dishwasher. She said the concoction does a ‘really good job’ of cleaning her utensils and glasses.
Tania admitted that she no longer spends money on cleaning products (except for toilet cleaner) since she discovered her DIY method.
‘I only ever use white vinegar, from laundry to washing windows, floors… everything. You almost don't want to tell anybody because they might think that's a commodity we might want to put up (in price),’ she said.
The total cost of her at-home cleaning solution is $10, which lasted six weeks for a two-person household, plus a stay-at-home student and the occasional guest. Tania’s household does laundry every second day – and that’s a mighty big saving.
‘I feel really happy about it. I do think I'm saving because I use less at a time as well,’ she explained.
Similarly, a woman named Meagan also made the rounds on social media after sharing her DIY cleaning trick to save ‘hundreds of dollars’. In a post on Facebook, Meagan revealed that the ingredients for her at-home method cost $20, and the products could all be found in Woolworths.
The best part? The mixture can last ‘a minimum of nine months’. Discover her secret in this article.
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