Keeping your home clean and tidy isn’t easy and it certainly isn’t cheap, it seems we need a different product for every object in our home and the advertising agencies are definitely doing their jobs when it comes to persuading us to part with our cash. However with budgets tightening and eco considerations weighing firmly above our heads many of us are searching for cheap and planet friendly products to keep our homes firmly out of health hazard territory.
Ladies and Gents move your shopping trolley away from the cleaning aisles, the only two products you’ll ever need for basic cleaning will be found elsewhere. Vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are not only cheap but they do a fantastic job at keeping a home clean and hygienic.
White vinegar contains a mild level of acid which is effective in killing off the majority of mould and bacteria. A 500ml bottle of vinegar will set you back around 50p and can be used for an assortment things. It won’t leave a lingering smell, just shiny, clean surfaces.
Uses for vinegar
1. Clean mirrors with newspaper and a glug of white vinegar. It will buff mirrors into a streak free shine.
2. Make a quick, cheap and easy spray cleaner by adding 1 part vinegar to 1 part water into a spray bottle. Use to clean kitchens, bathrooms, windows, floors…the possibilities are endless.
3. Descale your kettle by filling half way with vinegar and boil. Empty the vinegar out and repeat with water. Rinse well.
Bicarbonate of soda is the second wonder product that I can rave about until the cows come home. Noted for abrasive and deodorising qualities it is just as versatile as my friend vinegar. You’ll find it in small tubs in the baking aisle of the supermarket for around 80p and occasionally in slightly larger boxes in the cleaning aisle. I buy in bulk over the internet because it works out cheaper.
Uses for bicarbonate of soda
1. Put a small bowl of bicarb in your fridge and it will cut out nasty smells. Replace after two months.
2. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda on your carpets, leave overnight and vacuum off in the morning for fresh smelling carpets. Great for homes with pongy pets.
3. Make a light paste with a small amount of bicarbonate of soda and water and use as a replacement for cream cleaner in the bathroom and kitchen.
These traditional cleaning methods have been used for centuries and it is only relatively recently that mass marketed cleaning products have littered our shops and homes. When you finish up with your current cleaning products (I’m never one to advocate waste) give them a go, even just for a month and see what happens. Save yourself some money and save the planet at the same time.
{Photo: Horia Varlan}
I wonder how many cleaning products are purchased and then left for years under the sink?
Reverting to only two cleaning products sounds like great advice, surely it is also better for our health??
We’ve really cut back on the cleaning stuff we buy ever since we had kids. We use vinegar for most of our cleaning up. We still use Windex for the glass tables and windows. We use a steam mop for the floors where we used to use ammonia. We also have a stronger cleaner (Ka-boom?) that we use in our shower because that gets really gross otherwise. But just using vinegar on the everyday stuff makes me a lot more comfortable.
I know that before I used the more eco ways to clean I had dozens of products for this, that and the other and very rarely used any of them. I’m sure they must not age very well.
I agree, limiting the amount of unnecessary harsh products can only be good for our health and envirnoment.
Bicarbonate of soda as you call it (we call it baking soda) is great for cleaning. I use it to clean the shower and tub. And if you pour a little down the drain then pour some vinegar on top, it actually makes a nice drain cleaner.
Thanks for sharing this informative post with us.Keep it up.