I tried 2 new to me ways to clean, and spend less this week.
I used this LA Totally Awesome cleaner, bought at the Dollar Tree for $1 in our carpet cleaning machine
and I tried cutting dishwasher tabs in half.
Both gave great results.
On the back of the bottle, it lists many things this cleaner is good for. I’ve only used in the carpet cleaning machine and am very happy with how it removed pet stains on our 18 year old white carpet and on 2 rugs. It doesn’t have much of a scent. And it’s so much cheaper than those name brand jugs of carpet cleaner. I’ve use commercial cleaners and I’ve mixed up homemade versions. This Awesome is best of all them in my opinion.
I had a small stockpile of these fancy dishwasher tabs. ( Did you know that the high value dishwasher tabs coupons only come out in January? The ones that are $2- $2.50? I read that somewhere and so far it seems to be true. )
Anyway, I tried cutting 2 of the dry type ones in half and using just 1/2 a tab per dishwasher load.
I’ve ran 3 loads and the results have been good too.
The tabs are fairly easy to cut with a knife but do be careful as it takes a bit of pressure.
The tabs are fairly easy to cut with a knife but do be careful as it takes a bit of pressure.
It also makes some crumbs so I am only cutting 2 at a time and keeping them in small container.
The 3rd tab in the photo seems to be all liquid and gel so I won’t be cutting that kind in half.
I’m not loyal to any particular brand of dishwasher soap but I do want a kind with bleach as the bleach-less types don’t seem to remove coffee and tea stains in our hard Oklahoma water. I know lots of people have good results with homemade cleaners but they haven’t worked for me.
And I have to say that neither of these are my original ideas. I saw a YouTuber talk about the Awesome cleaner for carpets and the dishwasher cutting tabs on a blog, I think it was
sunny simple life
Oh, I'll have to try cutting my tabs in half! Thanks for that tip. I like the convenience of the tabs and they seem to work the best of what I've used recently but I dislike that they are pre-portioned. I've always used less of the powder or liquid in the past.
ReplyDeleteI've also used that LA's awesome all purpose cleaner, actually to clean the floor of a garage at a rental we were vacating. I got all of my deposit back. : ) I am a BIG fan of LA's product line, none have ever disappointed me.
ReplyDeleteI only use half the recommended detergent when I wash my clothes. They always come out clean and smell great. I will have to try cutting the tabs in half when I get the hard kind. I am using the soft ones right now. I am not brand loyal either
ReplyDeleteI use half on just about everything. I LONE Awesome from Dollar Tree - that is some good stuff.
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
I'll be chopping my dishwasher tabs in half later today. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteRight now I am having trouble with my glasses coming out looking awful foggy from the dishwasher. I use a simple powdered detergent, since tabs are so expensive. Even adding vinegar to the machine when washing isn't helping anymore. Any advice?
ReplyDeleteWe have hard well water and have found that adding 1/4 tsp citric acid powder to each loaf makes a huge difference. We bought a 5 pound bag from Amazon and haven't even used half of it in a year.
DeleteThanks! I made a homemade detergent a few months back, and it had the powder in it, it worked well, but then I ran out. I'll make another batch and see if that may be the problem.
DeleteNever thought about cutting the dishwasher tabs in half. Well I'll be trying that tomorrow! Thanks for the idea. I'll look for the carpet cleaner too!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a dishwasher, but I only use half the laundry detergent in each load that is recommended. So far so good.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea with the tabs. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I plan to deep clean carpets this summer. I will for sure keep that Totally Awesome in mind.
ReplyDeleteThese are great ideas! I cut fabric softener sheets in half, or not use one at all. Cutting the dishwasher tablets in half sounds like a great idea. I would definitely use the carpet cleaner, but don't have any carpet, since we moved. Using less or half of lots of things is a good frugal thing to do, like some of the other commenters said.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you even could cut those tabs in half. I will have to try that the next time I have some on hand. I'll have to pass on the carpet cleaner idea to my cousin. He has a carpet cleaning machine and his dog has accidents. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love Awesome! A few years back a lady at a flea market store told me about for a quilt I purchased to use on stains on it and it got the majority of them out. I love it for laundry and cleaning.
ReplyDeleteI have been using awesome for years. It is a great spot cleaner.It also cleans my tile floors beautifully.
ReplyDeleteI use the Awesome spray for lots of things. It is great to spray on the front of your car to remove bugs! Spray it on and run through the car wash... no scrubbing!
ReplyDelete