Recommendations for low cost household products please

[Lottie4]

Looking at making some cutbacks. Can anyone please recommend some low cost household products please - main things I used are bathroom cleaner, bleach, washing liquid, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid, plughole unblocker and window cleaner. I have Tesco and Lidl nearby, but could pick the odd item up in town.

You can make washing powder by grating soap and mixing half and half with soda crystals. You need something like a food processor or blender to make it into a powder otherwise the soap doesn't always 'melt' properly on low temp washes. You can mix with cheap bio washing power from Aldi or Lidl if you want enzymes, brighteners etc.

Bathroom cleaner - half and half washing up liquid and white vinegar. I buy both in bulk. The vinegar does work out cheaper. Washing up liquid not such a bargain but less plastic and it's bought and forgotten about.

The washing up liquid i buy in bulk is catering stuff, so you do need more of it, I find. I don't mind that because everyone else is far too heavy handed with it anyway.

Plughole unblocker - best to avoid with sink sieve traps. Boiling water and soda crystals might work - it's what my nan would've used. You can also get 'snakes' - plastic or wires that have spikes on to pull out all of the scummy hair that gets trapped in the shower drain etc.

Window cleaner - wash with hot soapy water and then spray with diluted vinegar to polish.

We have a long length of pipework without any gradient the full length of the bath and then hidden in storage area (dormers) along the whole length of the house. It's a nightmare. I second getting out that you can yourself. Savers (town) tend to have plughole unblocker much cheaper than the supermarkets, so I often pick that up.

Plughole unblocker - old toothbrush removes hair, cup of washing soda and boiling water for occasional use.
General stain remover and cleaning spray - Elbow Grease spray
General household cleaner - washing up liquid diluted in warm water

Washing powder is cheaper than washing liquid
fabric conditioner is non-essential

Window cleaner - white vinegar spray from Savers or pound shop. Use a microfibre glass cloth

Bleach, Washing-up liquid and Washing powder - Lidl own brand is excellent and cheap
The Lidl loo roll is good too

Kitchen paper - old newspaper or duster made from old t-shirts

All we use now is diluted washing up liquid to do any cleaning.

We use powder clothes washing stuff which is cheaper and then just a cheap aldi bleach for the toilet.

I pick up flash bathroom when it's on offer for £1, get white vinegar for about 40p from Tesco for diluting with water for Windows, mirrors, glass TV stands etc. Apparently you can use it as a fabric softener too. I only buy actual fairy liquid for dishes as I think its a lot more concentrated. Get it on offer and you could water it down if you needed to.

Hi - Lidl is good value for cleaning products & especially laundry detergent

So; bathroom cleaner, bleach, washing liquid, fabric conditioner, washing up liquid
/ all from Lidl

Why are the plugs blocking? Try soda crystals (washing soda) for that to prevent the problem

Depending on the finishes in your house, I’d be wary of using washing up liquid on everything as it’s quite harsh

Agree on white vinegar for fabric conditioner. Sounds like you will incidentally use a lot less plastic which is great!

Btw: Lidl might have some concentrated cleaners which work out cheaper. They certainly have a knock off of concentrated Flash. I like this ALDI product (pic attached) which is dilute at home

Stardrops original version (clear yellow, kinda looks like wee). I get it in home bargains for about 99p. You can use this to wipe clean sides/sinks/baths/floors, in place of washing up liquid, you can add a few drops in the dishwasher to "boost" cheap tablets, and even to hand wash delicate clothes. Versatile as feck, cheap as chips. I use it pretty much everywhere.

The Pink Stuff abrasive cleaner for really stubborn dirt, again about a quid from home bargains. This does inside the oven & oven door & oven racks, the bottom of pans & really stubborn or dried on grime on worktops, sinks and baths. Basically anything that needs a scrub as well as a clean.

Plain thick unscented Bleach, goes down the drains & the loo and I switch it out with the stardrops for a mop every few days. If star drops don't kill it bleach will.

Can't edit but stardrops covers: all purpose cleaner / replacement washing up liquid / delicates or presoak clothes.

Bleach is the toilet cleaner, sink unblocker and general germ killer.

You might want to try a laundry detergent 2-in-1 like Bold, no need for a separate fab cond. I don't use it, couldn't comment.

Zoflora! I love the scent, it's cheap and diluted lasts ages! I use it for the floor and kitchen tops.

I really like the pink stuff!!! Cheap and does the job