OS Cleaning Tips and Quick Questions...

BitterAndTwisted

Maybe your laundry could do with an extra rinse or perhaps you're using too much detergent? I've never found that things get hard to the touch with vinegar, so perhaps something else is going on. Have you tried halving the amount of detergent?

Eenymeeny

Thanks Bitter&Twisted but I use the Costco stuff and have done for years. You only use a small amount so I don't think it's that. Do you think it's because I use brown malt vinegar? or maybe I should use more vinegar or soda crystals? I usually add about 20ml vinegar and 3 teaspoonfuls of crystals?

BitterAndTwisted

Nope, the brown vinegar coloured with caramel has exactly the same properties as the clear stuff. I suspect you need to experiment. Change only one thing at a time to really nail it down. My own theory is still too much detergent combined with the soda crystals and possibly incomplete rinsing. The detergent and soda crystals are a highly alkaline solution and the vinegar being acidic should neutralise it if it's not being rinsed out properly. Or double the amount of vinegar. I use 40ml in my washing-machine.

Eenymeeny

Thanks I'll start with the vinegar, as you say, I'll try one thing at a time. Just realised that I'm using a new machine since moving house last summer... doh! totally forgot about that, maybe it doesn't rinse as well as the previous model. Thanks for your help:T

BitterAndTwisted

If it's one of those new-fangled "intelligent" machines it's probably using a lot less water.

Eenymeeny

Hi B&T Thought I'd let you know that it looks like I was being too mean with the vinegar. Things are a lot softer in the meeny household this week. Thanks a lot:T
It helped when you explained the science of it too, hadn't thought of it that way:o Thanks again:A

joharry

Hi all

I am looking to sell my house and my carpet is practically new and so I don't want to replace it. I have a problem though - the carpet in the room where my cats spent most of their time and where their litter tray was smells of cat urine. I have cleaned the carpet with a vax cleaner but the smell lingers. Any ideas?

Eenymeeny

I had that problem when I moved into this house but it was the toilet floorboards.:eek: I used to scrub them every day using a variety of things including surgical spirit and biological washing powder which I thought worked best. I even scattered it dry then swept it up the next day. I'm sorry, the only thing that I can think of for carpet is bi-carb sprinkled on then hoovered the next day? I'm sure that I found a few results by searching on here. Hope that someone else can be more helpful:o:)

purpleheather2810

I am preparing to sell our old highchair but the straps are grubby (as they always are!!) - was wondering how best to clean them? Bicarb? Soak in hot or cold water? They are pale blue, not white, so I'm not sure about bleach. Help!

bluetimone97

If you can get them off, I used to put mine in the washing machine with the towels.....