Make it last longer

[Chrysalis101]

Part of saving money is to make items last as long as you can. I've seen several of these ideas in many places on this site, but wouldn't it be great to put those ideas all in the same place? There's another thread somewhere on here that puts little known facts out there, the next person says if they knew it and puts their own little known fact. It'd be cool to do something like that, only with how to make things around the house last longer.

Here's mine:

Cut your dish sponge in half to make it last twice as long. And, when it gets gummy put it in the dishwasher to clean it up and sanitize it.

[loladooder99]

-Cut dryer sheets in half
-Use less dishwasher detergent and use vinegar as a rinse aid
-Use less detergent and soak your clothes to make it work better
-For kids water down the juice (they aren't allowed but a 4oz cup but they want to drink more so i water it down. not alot though cause then its bland)
-Draining meat grease use one paper towel and then a brown paper bag under it. ( i get these free sometimes) makes the pt's last longer.
-When spraying your cleaner on the counter make your make a fast sweep with the bottle while spraying. So you don't use to much in one spot.
-I make my trash bags last longer by using up all my small plastic grocery bags for trash first. I've only used two trash bags in a week.

Thats all I got for now.

[Chrysalis101]

Sweet! I didn't know all of those.

With meat grease, we drain ours into old sauce or salsa jars, no PTs needed.

-When cleaning the microwave, put a cup of water in first and microwave it for a minute or so. Then most of the stuck on stuff will come off with a wipe and no cleaner.
-Cut up old shirts (ones with pit stains that just won't come out) and jeans (the ones with holes in all the wrong places) and they can be made into quilts (if you're crafty).
-Put air fresheners on the lowest setting. If they're in a really stinky place (like the cat box), put a vanilla re-nues it next to it. vanilla will help make the floral/fresh air sent stronger.

[hopeky94]

I make my trash bags last longer by using up all my small plastic grocery bags for trash first. I've only used two trash bags in a week.

Along those same lines: I save my cat food and cat litter bags to use as trash bags! They work especially great for things that don't do well in regular plastic bags (broken glass, plastic forks/knives, anything with sharp points and/or is unusually heavy)...

Speaking of my cats-- the inside 2 have a self-feeder, which means I don't have to leave extra out for them when I'm away and worry about it getting stale (also, it's not near their water bowl, so don't have to worry about that part either!). For the outside cat, I have an old plastic cup that I fill up once a day (feed 1/2 in morning, 1/2 at night)... Lately, whenever I fill the cup up, I pour a small amount back in the storage container; the cat doesn't seem to notice the difference, but every little bit helps me stretch it further and spend a little less! :)

[hopeky94]

For kids water down the juice (they aren't allowed but a 4oz cup but they want to drink more so i water it down. not alot though cause then its bland)

Also try watering down kool-aid and lemonade (I don't even like full-strength lemonade anymore! lol)... If you enjoy iced tea, keep it in the fridge and water it down by about 1/4 to 1/3 if it gets too strong after being made for a couple days.

[Sweet_Southern_Mama]

These are great! Can't wait to read more!

[Chrysalis101]

I keep all of our cereal except for what is actually open in the basement (in the stockpile room). That way, when DH runs out he has to decide if he wants more or if he's too lazy to go downstairs. Lazyness almost always wins out! LOL

In the summer, don't use your drier, hang your clothes on the line. The drying process is hard on some clothes.

Also, unless you sweat a lot or get them stained, don't wash your clothes after each and every wash. Most people over wash their clothes. Shirts can be worn 2 days and jeans 3-4 days before needing to be washed.
That'll also save a lot on detergent, softener and water.

[CW&M Mom]

If you don't have greasy hair it's actually healthier to wash every other day...BUT you should still condition it. So I wash every other day but every day I condition it. 3 days a week I use a dandruff shampoo on it...the one day a week I use an alternate shampoo...then condition it every day.

Also those new sheets from shout to catch the colors in the wash...I cut those in half too. I only use them on loads I think may have something that bleeds..but using those...I haven't ruined one clothing item since from bleeding colors..and half a sheet is enough to work!

[motherofmolly]

dish scrubber sponges. once they have outlived their life as dish cleaners, they become the floor scrubbers and sink cleaners. old toothbrushes are great for getting into corners too and small spots.

kids shirts. piece them out when they get a hole in them and sew together a different shirt.

[loladooder99]

Anyone ever tried making your own dishwasher detergent. i've been reading stuff online about it and apparently you can use baking soda and borax and then use vinegar for a rinse aid(already do that). Anyone tried it. I bet thats alot cheaper than buying dishwasher detergent already made.