How to Live Frugal/chemical Free

You can just clean with vinegar water (some vinegar mixed with water). If you need to scrub something you can use baking soda and water. Don't use those chemicals that affect you! There is no need to!!!! This is much cheaper and better for you too.

I use vinegar and baking soda to clean. Super cheap and chemical free... although vinegar does have a strong smell, but I dilute it a lot with water in a spray bottle. Tons of info online on how to use it as a cleaner.

Toms of Main, Mrs. Meyers, Meleluca are excellent natural cleaners, but on the expensive side. I also sometimes use Seventh Generation, pretty cheap too.

Lots of recipes on making your own deodorant/toothpaste/detergent here:
http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-toothpaste-recipe-easy...

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/09/15/homemade-toothp...

http://www.crunchybetty.com/not-a-secret-homemade-deodorant

http://frugalgranola.com/2011/05/natural-homemade-deodorant/

http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-reci...

I don't generally make our own things. I do clean a lot with vinegar, baking soda, or lemons. (You can look up uses and recipes online.) Seventh Generation is a great, inexpensive, chemical free cleaner. (You can print out coupons too, from their website. They are affordable without, though) We use that for dish-soap, dishwasher detergent, and all purpose cleaner. I use Toms of Maine for both toothpaste, body wash, and deodorant. They are more expensive then the regular kind, but not so much so, that we can't afford it on our tight budget. I use whatever chemical free shampoo is on sale (or I have a coupon for) at our natural foods store. For laundry soap, we use Country save. It's chemical free. It costs us around $15 a box, but lasts us for months.

Vinegar. 1/2 vinegar 1/2 water cleans EVERYTHING in my house. It's an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. If I feel like something really needs a deep cleaning, like the bathroom after the flu, a few drops of tea tree oil in the bottle kicks it up a notch. No need to use the heavy chemicals ever! Vinegar and olive oil mix are even a good furniture polish.

We also use a lot of vinegar. I can buy two gallon jugs for less than $4. I use it to clean my counters (equal parts of water and vinegar and a dab of dish soap) and it is my fabric softener (that also kills germs). I just put about 1/4 cup in my wash and use dryer balls to help with static. Works like a charm and no chemicals on my clothes. I haven't used CHarley's soap, but would consider it.

With a new baby on the way, would you consider cloth diapers? If you haven't seen them lately, look into. GREAT options and NO CHEMICALS and super cheap. You can also make your own wipe solution (baby soap and water with microfiber or flannel cloths).

We also save money on our core utility bills by always comparing packages and programs that are available. Just found that Walmart has a T-Mobile plan that is identical to the one we had through T-Mobile for $30 less each month. We pay $82 after tax for unlimited talk and text for two phones. We are using our old T-Mobile phones. We did have to buy new SIM cards for each phone ($25 each), but we've already recouped that cost in the first two months. We also negotiate with the cable company for the best package.
Good luck with your quest! It is do-able and well worth it! Congrats on the new baby!

Why can't you just clean every other week? Your house doesn't HAVE to be spotless, right? Maybe sweep and dust every week, but MOP only every-other. Hydrogen Peroxide works wonders on the kitchen and bathroom sinks (just pour, use an old toothbrush, rinse with water).

Yes, to all of the below (esp. vinegar--so easy, and you can buy huge jugs). Hillbillyhousewife.com is another good site to check out for frugal, DIY, make-it-yourself tips.

You don't need harsh chemicals to clean. Here are some more recipes for you: http://community.babycenter.com/post/a873065/homemade_pro...
Copy it quick before it gets deleted! lol

Here is one:
Homemade Soft Scrub for Bath and Tile

This recipe is adapted from the recipe for Earth Paste in Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan (page243). It is quick and easy to put together and effectively cleans the bath (hooray). Make this in small batches because it can dry out and harden when stored. This recipe makes enough for two to four uses. Keep any remaining mixture in an air tight container.

Ingredients
3/4 cup baking soda (slightly heaped)
1/4 cup castile soap (I use Dr. Bronners Peppermint)
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Method
In a bowl, combine the baking soda and castile soap. Add the water and stir with a fork.

Lastly, stir in the vinegar. The mixture will fizz a little. Stir to make a nice soft, paste-like, consistency. (This is important – the vinegar must go in last or else the scrub will be like sludge instead of a creamy paste.)

Scoop out the scrub with a sponge and start cleaning.

This scrub can also be used to clean the toilet.

I don't have near the time to make my own stuff. I buy from a company online that has natural products. My daughter's ADHD was UN-diagnosed, my allergies, and headaches, are completely gone and we are hardly ever sick, even exposed to nasty things...(I was exposed to H1N1 at the hospital and brought it home.I got a mild case. No one else in the house got it!)

My favorite product cost 87cents for a spray bottle so it's not pricy at all and Im not sure vinegar is even that cheap. It's easy to budget too!

M.

I use vinegar to clean most things. For wood furniture (that isn't an antique), I mix 1 cup vinegar with 1 cup water, add a splash of olive oil and dish detergent. Works great. On my good wood: just water.

I just use water and vinegar in the kicthen, though I do use Trader Joe's cleaner too. Baking soda works great in tubs.

Last year, we became a paperless household (save for toilet paper). It's been great! I love my bar towels and my cloth napkins. They work so much better.

I have always clothed my kids (both are potty trained--well my almost 2 year old is about 80% of the way there). I highly recommend using cloth as a way to be frugal!

Baking soda, lemon, vinegar, water and elbow grease is all you really need:)
However, if you want pre-made/mixed commercial brands I really like
Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation and Meleluca products.
Good luck finding what works for you all:)

I use a steam mop to clean my floors- it has a reusable pad and doesn't use any chemicals. I use baking soda to clean the sink and counters(or a magic eraser works just as well with no fumes)

My husband and I are both trying the strategy of cleaning some things more frequently- like the stove and the toilets. This way they can be cleaned with just scrubbing before the dirt has time to stick.

I use unscented laundry soap with an efficient washer so I can use less than half as much as the directions say. I have tried several vacuum cleaners that were supposed to have good filters to remove allergens, and don't vacuum as often. There are times when I tell my husband that I am allergic to cleaning. The dust and lint from vacuuming and laundry(even without any chemicals) make me sneeze. Even kleenex dust makes me sneeze!

I use Shaklee's cleaning and laundry products. With the Basic H, you put just one drop of it into a 16 oz bottle of water to make a window/dusting solution. There are also formulas for all purpose and degreasing. So there is nothing less expensive. A bottle lasts me more than a year and I also put a little into my bath water.
The Basic G germicide lasts me 2 years or more as well as the Scour Off.
Besides being safe and inexpensive, they work better than any other cleaning products I have used.

I also use a steam mop. Best invention ever. My floors have never been so clean, and with just water. There is no need to disinfect your house, unless someone has a contagious illness. It is bad for your immune system to avoid germs. I don't use harsh chemicals at all. I use Seventh Generation or other natural cleaners and only clean when necessary (ie., when it LOOKS dirty). I also try to use my towels for up to a week before laundering, depending on how often we shower and how hot it's been out.