Hello followers!
I’m in the process of writing a blog piece about making cleaning products from everyday ‘cupboard’ items like salt, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar etc. I’ve already been told that lemons are an absolute necessity, but do you have any top tips for me to try out?
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Doingtheshopping's Blog 
hi there,
you’ve probably heard these tips before, they’re nothing very unusual, but here goes anyway:
i use vinegar as a fabric softener. about half a cup per wash. it works brilliantly. commercial fabric softeners make the fabric less absorbant, so for nappies vinegar is the way to go. (i also use vinegar in the nappy bucket instead of bleach or detergent).
you can also boil a mix of half vinegar, half water through a stove-top cafetera to get rid of the limescale. it won’t work miracles, but it does help a lot.
the other thing i use is baking soda for getting the smell out of fridges and freezers. first clean the freezer, then wipe it down with a mixture of 2 tablespoons baking soda to a litre of water.
i look forward to hearing the lemon ideas.
rebecca:-)
Brilliant – especially the vinegar as fabric softener idea as this is a bone of contention between me and Dr Doingtheshopping…I don’t like it for the absorbency problem you mention so I will give it a go!
To clean a microwave put some lemon in a cup of water and nuke for minute or two and the lemony steam lets you wipe off all gunk.
Lemon disinfects wooden chopping boards very effectively. Just wipe the board down with left over lemons after the G&Ts.
Make your own spray cleaner with 3 tblsp of ammonia 1 tblsp of vinegar and cool boiled water. I haven’t tried this, but it comes from a book of housekeeper top tips that is brimming with eco- alternatives. So thought I would just throw it in there.
The best way to clean windows is with vinegar and water, and then dry with old newpaper. Also very good for mirrors. You can still re-cyle the paper when you are done.
These are tips from the FOE daily email
Take the pain out of stains
Get stains out of fabric naturally, by cutting a lemon in half and rubbing it (juicy side down) on the affected area. Lemon is a gentle bleaching agent and will help restore your favourite threads to pristine condition.
Rust in peace
Remove rust and limescale the natural way by dousing the affected area with white vinegar and then scrubbing off the loosened deposits with a wire brush.
I’ve also got one where they suggest leaving a bowl of baking soda in the fridge to remove odours and excess moisture – which can apparently make your fridge less energy efficient.
We have also had a go at using these diy products rather than buying the big name products and I can definately advise adding essential oils as the stink of vinegar is not a nice one unless you really like fish and chips! Money Saving Expert have an old style section somewhere on their website where make do and mend generational tips are posted. There’s also a book he’s published with them all in called Thrifty Ways for Modern Days.