5 Everyday Household Items You Can DIY
Sometimes the smallest everyday expenses can be the biggest budget busters because they tend to add up over time. But the good news is that by DIY-ing some of the household things you buy regularly, you can see big savings over time.
1. Magic Cleaning Putty
Mix 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 1/4 cup of borax, and 5 ounces of school glue to create an effective cleaner in just minutes. Knead it well, test it for stretchiness, and ensure that no bits come off before use. If it’s sticky, add more borax. If it rolls into a ball and is smooth, it’s ready. Then you can use it to lift dust and crumbs off the inside of your car, small ornaments, keyboards, and other surfaces.
When you’re done, throw it away and mix up a fresh batch.
2. Baby Wipes
These are not the conventional, disposable ones. However, if the fabric is cheap enough, you can use and discard.
Just cut up some non-fray fabric like felt, tight towel material, or fleece and pre-soak in water or a water and hand soap mix. Shake together 1/3 liquid soap to 2/3 water and a few drops of tea tree oil. This mix helps make the wipes effective, and it also prevents dirt from seeping into the wipes, meaning you can reuse them more.
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3. Liquid Soap and Body Wash
You may already know that you can make your own bar soap. Turning that or any bar soap into liquid soap, body wash, or shampoo is amazingly simple.
Grate or chop one ounce of soap into one quart of water. Warm gently and continually stir until it thickens. For shampoo and body wash, you can add essential oil and a touch of salt. For antibacterial soap, add 10 drops of tea tree oil and mix well.
4. Furniture Polish
For great shine on wood surfaces, mix equal amounts of olive oil and vinegar and use as furniture polish.
For discoloration, before polishing, rub dark wood with coffee grounds and walnut and light wood with tea leaves and walnut.
Related: 7 Frugal Homemade Cleanser Recipes
5. Bug Sprays and Bait
Pest control products aren’t cheap. But unless you have an infestation, you can probably successfully battle bugs with a DIY remedy.
The next time you spot a spider, roach or ants in your home, try one of these DIY solutions:
- Inexpensive All-Natural Ant Repellent Safe for Indoor Use
- Natural Roach Remedies (Affordable and Effective)
- Natural Methods To Get Rid of Spiders Inexpensively
What are your favorite money-saving DIYs?
Reviewed July 2025
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