Everyone wants to live in a clean space, but Cleaning Supplies can be expensive. It’s hard to spend money on something that will be rinsed down the drain or thrown away once its purpose is served. If you’re trying to save some money, how can you reduce your monthly cleaning supply budget?

Go Generic

We love Mr. Clean Magic Erasers for getting everything from permanent marker to soap scum off of a great variety of surfaces, but they’re pricey and don’t last very long. Instead of paying a ton for a bunch of boxes of Magic Erasers, why not go generic? You can order a pack of melamine foam — the same foam that Magic Erasers are made of — for a fraction of the cost. You can get 200 pieces for $15 on Amazon — roughly $0.08 per cube.

This product is just one example — Generic Cleaning Supplies often work as well as the name brand options for a fraction of the price.

Use Coupons

Couponing seems like such an old lady’s game, but it can be a useful tool to help you save money on your cleaning supplies. Keep an eye on the local deals and coupons that are offered by your favorite grocery or department stores — you can often stack store deals with manufacturer coupons to save even more money. Do it right, and you might even get the store to pay you!

Upgrade Your Fixtures

Businesses have the right idea when it comes to keeping things like the bathroom clean. Touchless fixtures like faucets, paper towel dispensers, and hand dryers work to keep the bathroom cleaner by reducing the number of soapy fingerprints that will inevitably end up on faucets and other fixtures. Reducing residue means it’s easier to clean — all you need is a damp cloth and you can move on to other, more important projects. Even automatic toilet cleaners can help keep the dirtiest parts of your bathroom a little bit cleaner.

Buy in Bulk

If you have the means at your disposal, buying in bulk can be a great way to save money on your cleaning supplies. Check out your local Costco or Sam’s Club to see what sort of supplies they offer.

It might be tricky to find specific brands in stores where bulk shopping is the specialty, depending on what’s available, but if you’re okay with using generic store brands or brands you don’t usually use, you might be able to save quite a bit of money. Sure, you’ll spend $15 for a box of trash bags, but you’ll end up with 400 of them and won’t need to buy them again for quite a while.

Cleaning supplies are necessary, but they don’t have to break the bank. Buying in bulk, couponing and using generic cleaning supplies can all help reduce your overall budget. If you have the funds, consider upgrading your fixtures to touchless alternatives. You might be surprised at how much easier cleaning your bathroom or kitchen becomes when you don’t have to scrub fingerprints off of faucets or countertops.

Scott Huntington is a writer from central Pennsylvania. He enjoys working on his home and garden with his wife and 2 kids. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington