How a forgotten cleaning task could help you save money

Saving money often brings to mind the thought of trimming our budgets and scouring supermarket aisles for special deals.
But another way to spend less on things we don’t need is by taking better care of the items we already own.
This is one way environmentalist Sabrina plans to meet her goal of having a ‘low buy year’.
Watch the video above.
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She has been detailing her preparation for the challenge in videos on her TikTok channel @sabrina.sustainable.life.
In one clip she explains how she is maintaining the quality of her bamboo chopping boards and utensils so that she won’t need to replace them any time soon.
Sabrina acknowledged she hasn’t been “the best about this in the past” – which many of us can relate to – and showed her chipped bamboo spoon and wooden scrubbing brush as examples of that.
”But it’s a new year so it’s time to make changes,” she said before revealing how to care for bamboo kitchenware.
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“They’re pretty easy to take care of but you’re not going to want to soak them in water or put them in the dishwasher. After use simply hand wash your board with dish soap and hot water, be sure to rinse it well and then use a towel to wipe away any excess moisture and then just stand it upright and allow it to continue to dry for a few hours.”
To disinfect the board, Sabrina recommended wiping the board with white vinegar or scrubbing it with salt using half a lemon. Both methods require rinsing afterwards.
While that will get your chopping board clean, the key to maintaining bamboo or wooden boards is oiling them using a food-grade oil.
“This part is really important and not talked about often enough. To extend the life of your bamboo and keep it looking new you need to oil it at least once a month.”
“All you have to do is apply the oil to your board and then rub it in with a cloth. Let the oil sit on the cutting board and soak it in for at least a few hours and ideally overnight. After you let it sit, just wipe off the excess oil and let it dry before using it again.”
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It seems like Sabrina’s advice has already saved her followers money with some admitting they took their wooden chopping boards out of the dishwasher after watching her video, which means they won’t get damaged.
In addition to taking care of things she already owns, Sabrina is also planning to buy less this year by switching to reusable items for things like dryer sheets (wool dryer balls) and disposable eye masks.
She also plans to save money by using white vinegar instead of fabric softener to soften clothes, re-use jars for food instead of buying food storage containers and save rubber bands from packaging instead of buying them.