Old Style Book - Top Five Cleaners

Former_MSE_Sue

Hello thanks for all your lovely contributions to my previous posting for more cleaning tips for Martin's new book. I now need your nominations for the top five 'Old Style cleaners' and cheapest places to buy (realise that local outlets won't be accessible to everyone but let's see what we come up with) supermarkets for white vinegar etc would be good too as I don't seem to be able to find it in any of mine?

How does this look for the list so far?

White vinegar, Bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice, Soda Crystals.....

and maybe your 'best use' tip for each would be great.

See what you can come up with Cheers Sue

MrsB_2

white vinegar is about 46p in asda (think it's a 500ml bottle).

Edit - jsut checked on line it's 47p for 568ml.

My favourite way to use it is to mix 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water and add a few drops of essential oil and use in a spray bottle. I use this to clean all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

mah_jong

I dont use 5 cleaners!!!

I have never succummed to the ads! I have bleach, vinegar, washing up liquid and jif (ok cif) from time to time. I do have soda crystals in the cupboard, unused as yet.

I did use detox for a while but thats finished. Not found the the need to replace it. Same with something to clean the floors..got Ajax and thought the floor was done just as well with washing up liquid so didn't replace!!



Prices....well I live remotely so no real bargains here. Just pay for item (keeping lookout for specials and bogof's).

foreverskint

I use white vinegar from Asda, and have just this minute used it to de-scale `my iron, worked a treat!


My favourite all purpose cleaner has to be Soda Crystals. I use them to reduce the amount of washing powder I use, to soften the water if I wash up by hand, to soak burnt saucepans, baking tins etc. It washes the floor, gets stains out of my carpets, (check for colour fastness first). I clean down walls and skirting boards with it, clean the fridge out with it, and so on. It's great for soaking things like oven shelves with, a quick rub with a scourer afterwards and as clean as a new pin.

use it too to keep the drains flowing and clean as it's an excellent degreaser

I pay around 51p a bag from tesco

MATH

Hot soapy water cleans most things. A well rung cloth will dust and remove fingerprints from polished wood and plastics. Follow with a wad of newspaper and you can clean glass and mirrors. For kitchens and bathrooms add a splash of bleach for thorough cleaning and germ killing.

Bio powder , dw powder, bleach, washing up liquid and soda crystals are all I regularly buy.

GreenFingers_2

Hello MSE Sue.

I guess you will get trillions of replies regarding house cleaning stuff. Cleaning materials for the outside that I would suggest are:-

Heavy Duty Hand Cleaner from Screwfix. Its very cheap and very effective for those of us who potter about with and service our cars and lawnmowers and other machinery and get oily and mucky in the process.

Jeyes Fluid. I believe is still the best all round cleaner and disinfectant for drains, washing and sterilising flower pots, killing off algae from patios and paths.

Hope this helps.

16011996

value diet coke is mine, brings up toilets and sinks sparkling. pour some in the loo at night in the morning its lovely and clean, i also put some on an old flannel and wipe the sink/bath with it (both pot/porcellain/whatever you call them). also great on stainless steel sink in kitchen for a quick sparkle, think it was 18p in sainsburys for 2litre bottle.

ancasta_2

I think the best OS cleaning product is .... dun dun dun.... Elbow Grease!

Alot of these pre made products promise to take away all the effort and work for you when invariably you can do the job MUCH better with just soap, water and a bit of elbow grease.

Elbow grease doesnt cost you anything

grunnie

Cheapest own brand of washing up liquid and also bio soap powder is all I use. Several years ago I bought a steam cleaner from Lidl and I use that for sinks showers worktops microwave and especially the fridge. So most times I shop I can even miss out the isle in the supermarket that has the cleaning products. When changing over to a cheap washing powder I emptied some of the powder into a plastic tub and added some of my favourite smelling powder so it still smells the same and as none of the family noticed I kept on using this moneysaving way . :xmastree:

Lillibet_2

Cheapo washing up liquid, non-bio washing powder, bleach (dilluted in spray bottles for kitchen surfaces & bathroom tiles & neat in sinks & loos), vinegar for chrome & as a softner in the washing machine & as an anti bacterial agent on floors, a well rung out damp cloth for dusting with a hint of lemon juice. OK, I aslo have simple solution pet clenaner in teh cupbaord to use on the carpet after any accidents:p and Ace bleach in the cupbaord for laundry emergencies as both never ever fail but are used about twice a year.

Zziggi

You can get cheap-ish white vinegar from asda - as someone already said 47p for 500ml. However if you have a local Asian (a.k.a chinese) shop, they often have industrial quantities of white vinegar that it really cheap. Last week i bought a 5litre bottle for £1.09. :money: The woman at the counter was singing the praises of white vinegar and the health benefits that the chinese believe it has (apparently). Then she said, "oh you can also use it for cleaning". "i know" i said and smiled....