Next, we tackle those expensive household chemicals used for cleaning, washing and disinfecting.
Did you know that there are cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and equally effective ways to clean your house and clothes? Well, according to those who swear by it (my mum included), you really only need two items to replace all the rest. What, I hear you ask, are these miracle cleaning agents? Bicarbonate soda (aka baking soda) and regular household white vinegar! There are a couple of others that I would add to this list including plain lemon juice and milk!
My mum also told me that before hair conditioners all the girls in her town (Europe 1950s) used vinegar which, she says, left her hair clean, soft and tangle-free.
Over the years I’ve heard the same thing from others and so thought it was certainly worth mentioning here.
Why not give it a go and let us know what you think? Most of us have white vinegar in the cupboard so there’s really nothing to lose except maybe the expense of today’s hair conditioners.
Ok, let’s get to it. Here is a list of all the things we’ve been told you can use bicarb and vinegar for.
Bathroom
Use bicarbonate soda (simply sprinkle some onto tiles from a cheap shaker bottle) to remove soap scum from showers. And for that extra kick, spray some white vinegar onto the bicarb and wait a few minutes before you clean. The vinegar and bicarb react together on contact, eating away at the dirt. You can do the same for toilets (add a few drops of eucalyptus, lavender or tea tree oil for a pleasant smell) and baths.
You can also leave vinegar in your toilet bowl overnight to get rid of toilet smells.
Use vinegar to clean glass shower doors too. Just spray it on and leave for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse the glass.
Another alternative is to use vinegar and methylated spirits in hot water to clean glass or your bathroom tiles.
Use vinegar to kill mould. Just spray it on overnight without rinsing. Although a little more expensive, tea tree oil is known to kill mould on contact
The best cloth to use, we’re told, is the Scotch Brite Micro Fibre brand cleaning cloth.
Benchtops and Sinks
Pour some bicarb onto a damp cloth and rub gently or sprinkle directly onto the surface followed by some white vinegar, wait a few minutes then wipe away.
Carpets
Bicarbonate soda is an excellent carpet deodoriser. Just sprinkle over carpet wherever needed, and let sit for 20 minutes before vacuuming. No more smells and no need for commercial carpet fresheners.
Also, use bicarb to clean pet accidents and stains off carpets instead of carpet shampoo. Just apply the bicarb, wait until it’s dry and then vacuum.
Calcium build-up remover
To remove calcium build-up from the kitchen kettle simply boil the kettle with half a cup of white vinegar and let it soak. Then rinse the kettle out and boil with normal water. Your kettle will look like new.
Chopping Boards
Use baking soda to clean garlic and onion smells from chopping boards.
Clothes
Add about half a scoop of bicarb to your wash along with half the regular amount of washing powder. This cleans your washing machine as well. You can also add half a cup of vinegar to the load for real cleaning power. Good for those with allergies or sensitive skin.
If you really want to get your clothes looking and smelling super clean, soak your especially smelly clothes in a bucket of warm water with a few tablespoons of bicarb for a few hours; then in with the rest of the wash.
You can also use half a cup of vinegar or bicarbonate soda as a bleach substitute on white and coloured clothes.
Also, to get rid of antiperspirant and deodorant stains on clothes use vinegar as a pre-wash spray.
Now here’s one we were surprised about. To get rid of oily type stains (oil, butter etc.) from clothes just add a cup of sugar or salt to the wash and some on the stain.
Dishes
Add a teaspoon of bicarb to your dishwashing water along with an extra small amount dishwashing liquid.
You can also clean scum off stainless-steel saucepans by putting a small amount of bicarb onto a cloth. Soaking the saucepans first is always a good idea no matter what cleaning method you use.
Dishwasher
Use vinegar in your dishwasher to rinse your dishes and glassware. Lemon juice is also good for making glassware sparkle.
Use can also use bicarb to clean out your dishwasher. Simply fill the detergent compartments with bicarb.
Disinfectant
Use white vinegar on all bathroom surfaces as an excellent, all-round disinfectant. Add a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus oil for a pleasant smell.
Drains
Unblock your drain by pouring a heaped tablespoon of bicarb down your drain followed by a cup of vinegar. Let it do its thing, flush with boiling water and pretty soon you’ll have an unblocked drain. Alternatively, if you don't have any vinegar on hand you can just use bicarb followed by a few cups of boiling water. Although, vinegar is recommended for more heavy-duty blockages.
Fabric Softener
Place some vinegar and a few drop of lavender or eucalyptus oil in your washing machine instead of regular chemical fabric softeners. Your clothes will come out clean, soft and smelling great.
Floors
Use vinegar and a few drops of eucalyptus to clean floors including polished floors. You just need around half a cup of vinegar in a bucket of hot water.
Fridges/Freezers
Use bicarb on a damp sponge to clean fridges and freezers. Alternatively, you can use a handful of bicarb in a small bucket of water to clean out the fridge. Cheap, effective and non-toxic!
Jewellery
Soak brass jewellery for 5 minutes in lemon juice. Then use a toothbrush to clean it out if necessary.
To clean silver and gold jewellery, cloudy ammonia is best.
Odour Removal
Just sprinkle bicarb at the bottom of bins before replacing your garbage bag to reduce odour.
Also, absorb those stale food odours by placing an opened box of baking soda in the firdge or freezer.
Sprinkle in shoes and sneakers to help remove odours.
Sprinkle generous amounts of bicarb on newly laid kitty litter in your pet's litter tray. It shouldn't bother your pet and will greatly reduce smells.
Use bicarb to clean moss and dirt off glass in your fish tank.
Pots & Pans
Use baking soda to remove old brown grease from your pots and pans. Just sprinkle some bicarb on a damp cloth and scrub gently using a bit of elbow grease.
Sheet Stains
Remove bloody stains from sheets by soaking the area in milk, then placing in the wash.
In fact, for all strong stains just soak in milk.
Shoes
Have you been using shoe polish to keep your shoes looking shiny and new? Well, why not give lemon juice a go. You’ll get a great shine minus the expense.
Stoves
Use bicarb and vinegar to clean your stove top. Sprinkle bicarb onto the stove top and then spray some vinegar on top. This should cause the ingredients to react with a bit of a fizz. Then leave for about an hour before wiping clean. This works for ovens as well.
As this list is certain to be endless with all the cleaning hints we keep getting, come back regularly for new cleaning tips.
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