get cleaning
BICARBONATE OF SODA, BICARB, BAKING SODA
whatever you want to call it,is a great eco-friendly, versatile addition to your 'green' house. It is a mild alkali and works by neutralising acidic dirt and smells, scrub shiny materials without scratching, deodorise, and extinguish grease fires, for example ...
in the kitchen ...
worktops, taps and tiles - sprinkle on a damp sponge
sink - rub it onto sinks with a damp cloth for a scratch-free shine
fridge - as a great odour absorber - keep half a cupful in the refrigerator to elimate odours,
oven - mix to a paste with a little water to scour even the toughest burnt-on oven stains
in the laundry ...
it can soften fabrics and remove certain stains and also soften hard water.
in the bathroom ...
rub it onto baths and basins with a damp cloth for a scratch-free shine
and use it to ...
clean and polish
aluminium, chrome, tin, stainless steel, plastic, silver and porcelain
get rid of any lingering taste ...
teapots and flasks - fill it with hot water, add a few teaspoons of b-o-s, leave overnight then wash in warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly and from then on, store the flask with the lid off to stop smells building up
throughout the house use it as a deodoriser on ...
smelly carpets - simply sprinkle it on dry carpet, leave from an hour to overnight, then vacuum off
(use it on the carpet in the car boot to get rid of doggy odour - on dry carpet, sprinkle the boot area generously with bicarb, leave for at least 15 minutes then vacuum)
upholstery - providing the material does not say 'dry clean only' or professional clean only
WHITE VINEGAR
use a solution of warm water and white vinegar to clean ...
glass and windows - the outside world looks a brighter place thru clean windows so to remove dirt, use a lint-free cloth or chamois leather soaked in a solution of one part vinegar, four parts warm water (make it stronger if glass is really grimmy) and as the windows dry, add extra 'sparkle' by polishing with 'scrunched-up' newspaper - goodbye smeary windows!
clean outside windows with a sponge and diluted washing up liquid
upholstery - providing the material does not say 'dry clean only' or professional clean only, try a solution of mild detergent and water or vinegar!
wooden furniture - wash furniture with solution, leave overnight, then polish
wooden floors - using a damp mop sparingly to prevent floor from swelling - the vinegar and warm water solution has the acidity to remove grease and sugar
dirty pots and pans - soak in solution for 30 minutes, rinse in soapy water
oven - use a 'rag' soaked in solution to wipe oven
remove smells ...
in rooms smelling of stale cigarette smoke try keeping a shallow bowl three- quarters full of distilled white vinegar in the worst offending room
and you can also use distilled white vinegar to remove the smell of vomit by mixing one part to two parts warm water and a few drops of lemon-scented washing up liquid. just wash the area with your DIY mixture and hey presto - the smell's gone!
OLIVE OIL
olive oil is an eco-friendly way to ...
remove a scratch or ring mark on a piece of wooden furniture -
add a drop of olive oil to a soft cloth and buff
polish a piece of wooden furniture -
add a few drops of olive oil to a soft cloth and buff
is a squeaky door driving you crazy?
just lubricate it with a little olive oil
and finally ...
BEESWAX
beeswax blocks can be used in hundreds of ways, particularly for ...
drawer runners and curtain tracks that stick
scratches in your furniture
just rub the wax block over the scratch and it will disappear
LAVENDER
keep moth at bay by keeping bunches of lavender in wardrobes and
lavender sachets in drawers - so much more fragrant than mothballs!