Domestic cleaning

It’s that time again, get out your mop and bucket and begin the spring clean. However not only do I want to clean I need to de-clutter as well. It’s amazing how much rubbish gets into the house to begin with.  Keeping a bag for life by the front door has seriously reduced the amount of plastic bags getting in, however the amount of flyers and leaflets are piling up.  This unwanted mail can be dealt with in two ways.  I have put a postcard in the window a few weeks back asking for no leaflets and flyers to be delivered here. This has worked to a point but not completely, so now I’m going to take action and contact the Royal Mail. This can be done on-line. If you also want to stop unwanted junk mail then investigate the link below, which also deals with unwanted telephone sales as well 

. Chemicals used in the home can cause skin irritations and breathing problems, so this year I’ve ditched the chemicals and are using 3 key ingredients that can be found around the home. Baking soda, lemons and, white vinegar .I don’t know what it’s going to come out like, but I have high hopes. I’ve cleaned mirrors and glass with vinegar before and must admit the results were good. However please use white vinegar as it doesn’t smell, I used brown vinegar and our house smelt like a chip shop for weeks. However I do have doubts about the heavier cleaning duties, though vinegar does have a high acidity level and will destroy most molds, bacteria and germs.  Here are a few of the things friends have told me that could help me let go of my bleach bottle.

To unclog drains. Pour 1 cup of baking soda down the drain followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar. Wait 5 minutes before flushing the drain with 2 quarts of hot water. Repeat as needed, especially if it has been a long time since the drain has been cleaned.

When cleaning hardwood floors. Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water. Dampen the mop with a little of the solution as possible and dry immediately. An alternative way is to pour the solution into a spray pump bottle, apply to the floor and then dry with paper towels or soft cloth. The solution can also be used on vinyl or ceramic floors. Always try out the mixture on your floor first. Pick a place that don’t show and try it 48 hours before doing the whole area.

Cleaning the toilet bowl. Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. This combination both cleans and deodorizes. WARNING- if you do use bleach to clean your bowl, NEVER combine it with ammonia or vinegar as this will create a caustic reaction.

Kitchen counters can be cleaned with vinegar and baking soda but never ever uses it on granite surfaces.

This year I need to do a real good clear out, but I want to cut down on the things I throw away. So I need to be thinking reduce recycle and re use as I clean. O r as I like to think :( Can I, Recycle, Adapt or Prolong it life) C.R.A.P for short.

The living room

So we begin in the living room, thinking CRAP. (Can I repair, adapt its use, or prolong its life.) The first thing I see is a rip in a cushion so it’s needle and cotton. Then there is the magazines groaning under the coffee table I’ll put them in my bag and take them for the dentist waiting room. After I good clean of the paint work with warm water vinegar and baking soda, I vacuum the carpet. It’s best to use a vacuum without a bag as the dust and bits can be put in the compost bin. I tackle the draw. You know the one; we all have them, the one that is full of stuff. I empty mine and discover old batteries that can be recycled, old CD’s, old letters and Christmas cards. The old letters and cards I rip up and add to the compost, the Cd’s can be used to make a bird scarier in the garden. However there are now a lot of people that send E cards. You can personalize cards very easily on-line, so perhaps that’s an idea for the next celebration.

The sink and draining board comes up a treat with my new ingredients and the tiles on the floor look good to. I cut down on the plastic containers here by going back to a milkman, thus eliminating plastic milk containers. Now the milk bottles are washed out and re-used by the dairy. Then I thought CRAP and repaired a cupboard door adapted an old saucepan as a planter and prolonged the life of some old tea towels by cutting them up as rags.  It’s here in the kitchen that I’ve made a brilliant new discovery, Ecco balls to replace some of the washing powder I used. Now I know what you think, that I’m going to say they are fantastic and we should all stop using detergent altogether, well I’m not. In my experience they work fine on most of the wash, but with dirtier loads, they do need help.

The bathroom was soon sparkling with some elbow grease and my magic ingredients. It’s here that a lot of waste plastic containers have been eliminated from going into the rubbish.  The best way was to go back to using soap instead of all those bottles of shower gel. I replaced the cans of air fresheners with pot pouri which I freshen with essential oils. Again with CRAP in mind I recycle the toilet rolls cardboard tubes into the compost bin and prolong the life of an old towel as a pet blanket.

The bedroom

By now I’m sure you have the idea and I needn’t say that I have a big bag of clothes for the charity shop including my two dresses that I will get thin enough to wear, honest. Oh well CRAP.