THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

[Deleted User]

It was really interesting MAR we made stove blacking from soot from the flue and melted lard, it brought up a super shine too, we used brick dust scraped with an old dinner knife from an old and crumbling house brick as a metal cleaner for cutlery and kitchen pans, we salt scrubbed tables, we used sand for cleaning the sink and to get a build up of wax off some wooden stools and chairs and we used a dilute borax solution to wash down woodwork. The feathers were goose feathers , the big pinions from the wings and they got into all the nooks and crannies in the woodwork and were really good at shifting the dust. Nell learned to properly scrub the floors and mop them dry with a cloth (hands and knees and a stiff brush cleaning) and we cleaned the windows with vinegar and old newspapers. It was a labour intensive day but so useful we were really tired when we left, we even had a demo of donkey stoning the front doorstep, real old fashioned stuff but so interesting.

fuddle

Donkey stoning? :eek:

I'm not surprised soot blackens the fire. it's a damn sight better than telling me to rub WD40 into my cast iron. It does look smashing but it's burnt off the first lit and the smell gets on my chest. I guess I'll be pestering the flue sweep come February then?

Speaking of which has anyone heard if it's good luck to see the sweeper's brush popping out of your chimney as it's getting cleaned? I dunno if I'm being had on and would like to not look like a complete wally when/if I ask the sweep to hang fire while I cross the road to admire!

[Deleted User]

Sweeps are traditionally held to be lucky, I know when I was little WE all rushed outside to see the brush pop out of the chimney but I didn't know it was lucky too! go for it, why not?

mardatha

I can remember my mother scrubbing the floor and drying it off, and is donkey stoning that red cardinal stuff? All our neighbours did their steps in that but my mum didn't. Had more sense probly and concentrated on the inside of the house lol

[Deleted User]

No donkey stone was a block made from pulverised stone, cement, bleach powder and water made into a paste and then dried out and cut into bars. It came in 3 colours brown, white and cream. It was originally made and used in the cotton mills to clean greasy steps but becamevery popular with housewives to give a decorative effect on doorsteps as well as keeping them grease free.

DawnW

Cardinal was red tile polish - I used that in a previous house which had old red tiles in the hall Not sure, but I think you can still get that.

jk0

DawnW wrote: »

Cardinal was red tile polish - I used that in a previous house which had old red tiles in the hall Not sure, but I think you can still get that.

I just searched for that on Amazon, but can you believe what came up?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Slides-Portrait-Cardinal-Catholic-Church/dp/B01MXEDYMS

Is there anything Amazon don't sell?

greenbee

fuddle wrote: »

Speaking of which has anyone heard if it's good luck to see the sweeper's brush popping out of your chimney as it's getting cleaned? I dunno if I'm being had on and would like to not look like a complete wally when/if I ask the sweep to hang fire while I cross the road to admire!

Of course it is! It means your chimney isn't blocked and you're unlikely to have a chimney fire!

However, you may find that if you have a cowl or aspirator then you don't get to see it.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

jk0 wrote: »

I think I have mentioned that modern cleaning products leave me gasping for breath due to their strong smell. I mostly use Ecover products now, but of course they don't clean as well as the modern stuff.

The other day, out of curiosity I ordered some 'Vim' powder from Amazon. The powder does have a strong smell, so I keep some tape over the top. I just used this to get the tea stains off the slide out plastic bins under my sink. It worked brilliantly, and as long as you are diligent about rinsing it off, does not leave too bad a smell.

Only about £1.40 in my paper shop also, so maybe cheaper than other cleaners.

I sent Himself out on a foray to find 'Vim or Ajax' recently, as two people with a tendency towards Psoriasis and the attendant Coal Tar baths means the tub isn't as pure white as it could be. The poor soul looked a little confused at first, but once I described it to him, he quickly remembered it in his grandparents' kitchen. He came back with Vim from 'the Red Shop', meaning the independent supermarket, which is also the source of such items as Duraglit, proper Windowlene that goes white before being taken off with newspaper and soapfilled souring pads.

The only thing that requires a bit more effort upon my part is getting proper beeswax products without silicon, although I am thinking about ordering a block from Amazon so I can use it for making some reusable food cloths rather than cling film or foil, along with some nicer smelling candles - and anything else I can think of.

Whilst I use Ecover for most things on a daily basis, there are times when only the old products will do. I actually find most of the modern all new improved products not only stink to high heaven, they either do not work any better, have atrocious environmental profiles, or actually cause damage - the conventional bathroom cleaner I used in desperation recently was reasonable in terms of making the grime lift off, but it actually blistered the paint on the wall where there was a tiny bit of overspray. I was also a lot more concerned about potentially poisoning the Idiot Cat in the process.

But mentioning, Amazon, at least I can see Stardrops is back on the market, even if it is three times the price it was when I last bought it. :mad:


All I need to do now is find a mop and scrubbing brush that a) isn't made of plastic and b) doesn't self destruct when used to actually clean things properly and things will be all sparkly clean again.

[Deleted User]

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

we made stove blacking from soot from the flue and melted lard

One of my work colleagues remembers, as a schoolboy, using soot to blacken his shoes, and lard from the frying pan to slick back his hair.