Save Zillions On Cleaning Products

Yoga_Girl

Just been re-reading this thread, and noticed a few people mentioning steam cleaners.

What are they most useful for? Would like some ideas before I invest in one.

Thanks

salanddave

Hi, I'm new here! I have just spent £56 today having a drain unblocked outside, the chap used twelve drain rods so the problem was probably actually next door, if not next door again! He said it was fat deposits gone hard. When I told him I'd used caustic soda he said it was a complete waste of time and money- and Mr Muscle drain cleaner and all those products- he said what it best is old fashioned preventative: Once a month put a kilo of washing soda crystals (about 60p per kilo - available from Sainsburys/Wilkos) in a bucket of hot water, dissolve them and pour the whole bucket-worth down your drain, it'll wipe out any fatty deposits building up which will eventually block the drain- bargain eh?

Caz2_2

HI salandave
welcome to the boards thanks for your tip i will have a go have tons of soda crystals because i use them to make my own washing powder/gloop cathys receipe of course
anyway ta
cazza

crindle134

what is &amp,,,quote etc,
Mary

Caterina

Hi all

MATH thank you for saying nice things about my green-ness (usually all I get is yawns and frowns heheehe).

I confess: although I have vinegar and bicarb, I do not use them very often because I am able to buy Ecover and Faith in Nature products in bulk and quite cheaply through my business - the same way that I buy bulk food. Especially Faith in Nature make a lovely laundry liquid and I need only a little to get things clean, I love the stuff! Also very good to wash floors, funny enough.

I am going to try Ecover laundry bleach diluted in water (it comes in a packet!) to see if I can clean the tea/coffee stains of the kitchen sink (If I ever can be bothered that is....).

As I use them very sparingly, and also I am the worst housewife (hardly clean the place at all!) I haven't so far felt the need to use a home made alternative as the stuff I buy lasts me for ages.

Just an idea: maybe we could have a mini-workshop in York about making homemade cleaners and cosmetics!

Caterina

Galtizz

crindle134 wrote:

what is &amp,,,quote etc,
Mary

I think &amp is just 'and'. I don't think this new forum recognises some of the old forum things so quote means it was a quote and used to come up in a box but the new forum doesn't recognise that.

salanddave

bargainqueen wrote:

Here's one my friend taught me:
If you have grubby baking trays etc that won't come clean even when you use all your elbow grease, try the following:
Put an old towel in the bathtub, fill tub 1/3 with hot water, pour in a good cup of bio washingpowder (I always use supermarket cheap value one) and submerge your trays. Leave for an hour (or two or three), then rinse with clear water-

Hiya, fab advice, how about really black and crunchy oven shelves? You know, the wire ones. They really could do with grit-blasting, but there must be an easier way..... surely.....?

Galtizz

Use the same method. Bio powder is designed to disolve grease so it's perfect for anything used in the kitchen. I do it in reverse. I sprinkle a small amount of bio powder over the tray/ shelf/ whatever you are cleaning. I then put it in the bowl, sink, bath whatever it fits in then cover it with boiling water, it can take a while to shift the dirt if it is really ditched (like mine ) so it is a good idea to leave it over night or longer if it needs it. I left mine over night and all day so it had a good 24hrs and it came off really easily.

Neil_Lamin

mini wrote:

From that How clean is your house tv programme, they put some white vinegar with water in a small bag & tied it round the taps so the end of the taps were immersed, I think they said to leave it for 10 minutes but you have to ensure you rinse it off really well.


mini

Tried this...and it workied an absolute TREAT !

Salty71

Does anyone know any home made cleaning soultions that are safe for use with septic tanks? We have to be really careful about what we put down our drains etc as any anti-bacterial products harm the way in which the tank system works. Vinegar apparently kills 99% of germs/bacteria so I can't use it! Any ideas would be wonderful.