Tip: Make Your Own All-Purpose Cleaner

There used to be a time not too long ago, when Windex was my best friend. I cleaned basically every surface of my house with it. I'd just wander from room to room with a bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. 

I also believed that I was a genius, because I bought my Windex in the massive gallon-sized jug from Sam's Club. I thought, "Man! I am saving so much money this way. Look at all those suckers, paying for new bottles when they could just be refilling the old ones."

*sigh* How naive I was... 

Not only was I still throwing away money on a chemical cleaner, but I was also wasting money (and trees) with my rolls of paper towels. Now, I make my own all-purpose cleaner, and rather than go through roll after roll of paper towels, I use (and reuse) cheap rags from the dollar store. This way, rather than spend roughly $2 per bottle of cleaner, I spend about $0.10. 

Here's what you need:

an empty spray bottle (you can get one almost anywhere for $1)
cheap dish soap, I use Ajax
vinegar
an old rag

Pour into your bottle roughly 1 tbsp dish soap and 1/4 cup vinegar - white or apple cider work equally as well, but white is cheaper. Then fill the rest of the bottle with warm water. Shake to mix. 

You can use this cleaner on any surface without fear of damage, however I find that the soap leaves a faint film on glass, so I still use glass cleaner for my mirrors, at least until I find a streak-free alternative! :) If you're worried about your house smelling like vinegar, don't be. The smell dissipates in a few minutes.