The green revolution is on a roll because people want to save money and save the earth. One way to do this is to limit the use of chemical cleaners at home, and a nifty by-product of this is keeping us healthier too. Ovens used to be cleaned with simple elbow grease but then we wanted creams and sprays, which do save time but also endanger the planet. With six basic ingredients, you can create cleaners and sprays for the whole house from floors, windows and surfaces to toys, appliances and windows.
Bicarbonate of soda: Also known as baking soda, bicarbonate of soda is an all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner, deodoriser and stain remover.
Vinegar (acetic acid): Use vinegar to cut through grease, remove stains and banish mildew. We suggest white vinegar, as it smells the least.
Herbs & essential oils: Some oils are used for fragrance (lavender, peppermint) and others as a disinfectant (tea tree).
Salt (sodium chloride): An abrasive for scouring limescale etc.
Lemon juice: Use lemon as a bleach alternative for stains, to remove bad smells, and to cut through grease. It’s also antibacterial. Rub over surfaces, squeeze down the drain, etc.
Castile or vegetable-based soap: Unscented biodegradable soap that cleans just about everything including you. If you want to treat yourself to a luxurious yet still eco-friendly bath after all your cleaning, product|325427 are a a 100% natural and vegan mix of magnesium-rich Epsom salts and eucalyptus oil, designed to rejuvenate you.
Fill a spray bottle with hot water, leaving a couple of inches at the top. Add the soap, vinegar and essential oil(s), shake gently to combine and then point and shoot. This can replace wall, floor and surface cleaners. If you're worried about bacteria, it’s claimed all those anti-bacterial cleaners don’t do much more than soap & water anyway.
Mix to a paste, apply to sink, bath & shower fixtures and rub with a cloth.
Combine the bicarb of soda and soap, then add warm water until you get a loose paste and clean. For baths, showers, etc. use a microfibre cloth (not a scouring pad).
Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water
Wipe on and off with a microfibre cloth. That’s it!
Rub a candle or bar of soap on sticking drawers
Hang chalk in damp wardrobes to absorb humidity
Get vases sparkling again by mixing one teaspoon of baking soda in water, leave overnight
Extra virgin olive oil will get paint off skin
Use baking soda to clean the BBQ
Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and rugs, leave overnight then vacuum to deodorise. Sprinkle on cat litter to diminish bad smells too.
Bad smell in the fridge? Spray sheets of newspaper with water, crumple loosely and leave overnight
Iron silver foil to clean gunk off your iron
