Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Creative Cleaning


Well today is my last day of holidays before I go back to work. Thinking over my holidays, particularly my time I spent at home, much of it has been about reorganising, spring cleaning and sorting out ready for a new year.  One thing that I have done is start to use alternative (or old school) cleaning products instead of the chemicals used in so many expensive manufactured ones.
At the beginning of the holidays I cleaned my tile floor with Bi-carb and vinegar and it came up so well. I have made some homemade washing powder with blue soap and washing soda.
I am about to trial washing soda and bicarb in my dishwasher, and have heard that you can also use vinegar as a rinse aid, which I am keen to try.
I guess I am starting to experiment with all these alternative cleaning for a few reasons, was diagnosed with high allergies a few months ago and figure removing more chemicals from my life must help with my health. Also these alternatives are so much cheaper than the supermarket alternatives. I would much rather spend my money on some yummy food or a night out than cleaning products.

Here are a few things that I have been trailing:

Cleaning Tiles: 
Sprinkle some bicarb on the tiles and then spray with white vinegar, scrub any stubborn areas with a scrubbing brush. Mop with warm water and small amount of vinegar.

Cleaning Oven door ( and the rest of it I would say):
Pretty much like the tiles - sprinkle with bircarb, sprinkle or spray vinegar on bicarb let it bubble etc. then wipe off with a cloth.

Dishwasher powder:
Mix Bicarb with washing soda - more Bicarb than washing soda.

Use white vinegar as a rinse aide. (read somewhere you can add a small amount of lemon oil too but not sure)

Cleaning Glass: 
Add some vinegar or mentholated spirits to water and wash the glass. Squeegee off or use old newspaper.

Laundry soap: 

Mix grated soap - eg. sunlight (I'm currently using blue soap I bought many years ago in Fiji) with a small amount of washing soda.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this Dana. This is an area I have been thinking about for quite a while and been wanting to change for the better too. I'm going to give it a go! :)

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  2. Welcome to the wonderful world of vinegar and bi-carb. It's so easy and sooooooo much cheaper than all the commercial stuff.

    I use it for most things - just as you describe for the tiles......toilet, shower, hand basin, shower screen, kitchen benches, etc, etc. The best thing I have found is cleaning the microwave. Boil half cup of vinegar in the oven and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then it's just a we over to remove all the build up of gunk. I've even used it after an 'explosion' of a tomato based sauce.

    Vinegar can also be used instead of fabric soften in the washing machine.

    I reckon if it needs cleaning then vinegar and bicarbonate is the place to start.

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  3. Thanks for the alternative (and cheaper) cleaning tips.

    I'm wondering how much vinegar we should consume?!

    Guess it is a lot softer on the intestines then say, BAM!

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  4. I have been using these cleaning "products" for a few years now and have never had a cleaner home, and no nasty smelling chemicals!!

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