5 Smart Ways to Stretch Your Cleaning Products

1. Don't automatically fill both dispensers in your dishwasher.
The detergent box recommends it, but it's better to adjust the amount of detergent to the soil level of the load and the hardness of your water. Start by filling each cup halfway, adding a bit more for extra dirty dishes and hard water. Plus, using too much detergent can leave a filmy residue on your glasses and flatware.

2. Always measure laundry detergent.
I know the numbered lines inside detergent caps are impossible to see, but with today's 2x and 3x concentrated detergents, a full cap is too large a dose for most loads. Adding more detergent won't get clothes any cleaner; instead, laundry can still be soapy at the end of the cycle and front-loading washers that are sensitive to excess suds may shut down.

3. Spray the cloth, not the surface.
When cleaning mirrors, polishing furniture, and shining stainless steel appliances, spray the cleaner directly on the rag. Spritzing the surface often wastes product and leaves behind excess cleaner that requires more wiping and extra buffing to remove — who needs that?

4. Choose a foaming bathroom tub and tile cleaner.
These cling to vertical surfaces better than thin sprays do, so you'll get more muscle from less product. After spraying a small section of tile, use your sponge or cloth to spread it around. Wait a few minutes for the formula to penetrate the soil, then wipe or rinse the surface clean.

5. Use multitasking products. Products like Good Housekeeping Seal-holder Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner and OxiClean Versatile Cleaner can be used for around-the-house cleaning jobs and for laundry stains. You'll not only save money with these workhorse products, but storage space, too.