Cleaning query

oystercatcher

I'm sure this has been asked before but I can't find stuff when I search.

I've been dilligently using up all my old cleaning products for ages. Today was the day to try the old style mix !

Into an old spray bottle I put about an inch of distilled malt vinegar (the colourless type) an inch of stardrops and topped up with water. I tried it in the bathroom and it worked really well but smelled AWFUL , like brown sauce!! Have I done something wrong? I really don't think I can carry on using this combination and generally I'm not particularly fussy!
Is it the wrong sort of vinegar?

I also did another spray using bleach and stardrops, this seems fine but obviously I can't put bleach everywhere, I try and minimise bleach use for enviromental reasons just use it on mouldy bits etc.

Odette

Put a drop of essential oil in, your choice of which flavour too, for the 'clean scent' you might be after, maybe some pine, t-tree, lemon? lavender? The world is your oyster.

Where oh where did you get your stardrops from also!

xx_Jo_xx

It does stink when you are using it, but the vinegar smell should evaporate quickly. Like Odette has said, you can add essential oils, but I add Zoflora.

Stardrops has no antibacterial quality so I add a drop of Zoflora for that, and it smells much much nicer.

Although - I am not advocating that you should mix chemicals, as we all know you should follow the instructions as per the bottle.....

you can get stardrops in Asda, Wilkinson etc - its normally on the bottom shelf somewhere.

HTH x

oystercatcher

My stardrops came from Morrisons.

The vinegar smell was so strong I can't imagine essential oil would cover it up.
I don't think it's essential to use antibacterial all the time. If surfaces are clean and dry then bacteria won't grow anyway.

Natty68

Was it the brown or white vinegar you used Oystercatcher? If it was the brown vinegar then this does have an overpowering smell, but if you use the distilled white vinegar it doesn't smell as bad. And the smell does go after a couple of minutes. My normal strength is a third vinegar/third stardrops and third water, and the house doesn't smell like a chip shop when I use it, honestly!!

oystercatcher

Natty68 wrote: »

Was it the brown or white vinegar you used Oystercatcher? If it was the brown vinegar then this does have an overpowering smell, but if you use the distilled white vinegar it doesn't smell as bad. And the smell does go after a couple of minutes. My normal strength is a third vinegar/third stardrops and third water, and the house doesn't smell like a chip shop when I use it, honestly!!

It was the white vinegar but it still said malt, I'm not sure if this is normal. But was all I could see in Morrisons apart from the brown stuff or very exotic kinds !(Do posh people clean with white wine vinegar ? )
The mix was probably only 10-20% vinegar but still had a very strong and unpleasant smell.
Would lemon juice have a similar effect to the vinegar but with nicer smell, would it go bad after a while though? I want to make up a batch that will last a good while not be making new every time I clean.

absolutebounder, I wouldn't know where to get hydrogen peroxide and would imagine it has similar effects to bleach rather than vinegar.

HH62

Hi oystercatcher, I think some of us are more sensitive to the smell of vinegar than others - I had real issues the first time I made a cleaner like this one. The essential oil thing works for me - I do 10 drops of lemon or grapefruit and 10 of pine. For me it does mask the smell of the vinegar. I think the Zoflora suggestion is great too, and I'll be trying that next time.

Penelope_Penguin

xx_Jo_xx wrote: »

It does stink when you are using it, but the vinegar smell should evaporate quickly. Like Odette has said, you can add essential oils, but I add Zoflora.

Stardrops has no antibacterial quality so I add a drop of Zoflora for that, and it smells much much nicer.

Although - I am not advocating that you should mix chemicals, as we all know you should follow the instructions as per the bottle.....

But you are :eek: I'll say it again, as I think it's important that people know this:

DON'T MIX ZOFLORA (OR BLEACH) WITH ACIDS (VINEGAR OR LEMON JUICE)

Chlorine gas can be relased, following the chemical reaction between them, and in a confined space this can be lethal :eek:

I'll add this to the current thread Warning - Mixing Stardrops and Vinegar later.

I'll remove the post regarding hydrogen peroxide; I suspect AB was being mischevious

Penny. x

absolutebounder

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

I'll remove the post regarding hydrogen peroxide; I suspect AB was being mischevious

Penny. x

Cheek. Me being mischevious. you dont know your chemistry. peroxide releases oxygen as in that powder you buy to get stains out of your washing and doesnt release nasties like chlorine as long as you dont stick it in with something that contains chlorine.. The worst gas it could give off would be CO2

oystercatcher

absolutebounder wrote: »

Cheek. Me being mischevious. you dont know your chemistry. peroxide releases oxygen as in that powder you buy to get stains out of your washing and doesnt release nasties like chlorine as long as you dont stick it in with something that contains chlorine.. The worst gas it could give off would be CO2

Most of us morons have no idea which products contain chlorine !

[Deleted User]

I must admit I can't stand the smell of vinegar either but the Sainsburys white vinegar seems to be o.k. as I use it instead of fabric softener in my washing machine ,saves me a fortune and the clothes seem a lot softer.I only dry my clothes on the washing line outside as I have no use for a tumble dryer so any smell would be blown away anyway .But it also keeps my washing machine nice and clean as well and it doesn't get that 'musty 'smell either