Cheap vinegar and Sodium Bicarbonate?

Nikiya

I have been using these for cleaning for a number of years and have been through the site to find out where to get them cheap in the UK. The best advice seems to be cash and carry shops. Unfortunately I cannot use them, since I am not a trader. I have, in the past, bought cheap vinegar at Lidl or Netto, but it was the red pickling variety, not as good as the white spirit one. I have also found bicarbonate in big quantities at one chemist's, but the price pro rata was equal or more expensive than the smal jars you buy at the supermarket for baking (!).
So my usual sources, although not handy, are still the best:
At Carrefour, in France, a litre of spirit vinegar (vinaigre d'alcol) costs € 0.30 (around 20p). Many Italian supermarkets sell SB (Bicarbonato di sodio) in 500 gr packages. I do not remember the price but it is low (otherwise I would probably remember!). So next time you go on holiday, pick some! Why is it everything is more expensive in the UK??? I even buy Frontline for my cat in Italy (through a friend)!!! Someone is making a lot of money here, and it is not us....

BWZN93

Maybe we should start up a business, an Old Style shoppe!! We could import all the products that old stylers want, in big and cheap economy size packaging, and sell them to the general public without having to have a trade card. We could also have little seminars for people who want to learn O/S ways - with us teaching of course, and have a nationwide revolution, whilst showing supermarkets they arent in touch with ALL sectors of the public. Of course, im in dream world, but, I know id shop there...

Jo xx

Ticklemouse

I don't think you're in a dream world, Jo. I'm sure a lot of us have thought how much easier it would be if we could buy in bulk, but after you've added P&P on, the bicarb is still expensive, unless you use it by the container-load . Maybe like minded OSers in close proximity to each other could group together for bulk buying purposes.

Do you think I ought to start a thread on this. Anyone in Lancs want lots of vinegar ?

MATH

Has anyone done costing to see if bicarb, vinegar, soda HM preps are cheaper than comercial 'cheapie' cleaners. Obviously brand leaders and chuck away surface wipes (why does anyone buy these? ) are expensive but you can get reasonably priced cleaners at Wilko and the like.

I found HM more expensive and less efficient so I now use glass cleaner for glass and chrome and my magic mix of cheapie washing up liquid and bleach for most other surfaces.. I know that bleach and washing up liquid contain enviromental nasties but working from a sink or bucket rather than spraying the surface you use minimal amounts. What da ya fink?

Ticklemouse

MATH, I find making the HM fabric conditioner with bicarb and vinegar cost quite a bit - given I didn't use fab con anyway. So, I mainly use white vinegar as I like what it does to the washing (remember the socks: ) I do use washing soda cyrstals as I only use a bit of powder, but I don't use economy powder etc as it's all perfumed and I don't used perfumed stuff if I can help it. I do keep cheapo bio powder for occasional cleaning 'emergencies'

TBH I haven't costed it out. I tend to use microfibre cloths and water for most cleaning, with bleach in the bathroom. I still buy cheapo 'Cif' type cleansers as I like to use them on the bath/worktops from time to time but do keep bicarb and vinegar in kitchen/bathroom/laundry area for when I decide I want to use them.

I agree - why do people buy those disposable wipes etc? What about one of the latest - those Kandoo wash mitts? Hmmm - flannel or even fancy flannel mitt and...wait for it..... rub it on some soap? Oh, and those fluffy duster thingies that trap the dust then you bin them. Designed for people who can't be bothered to pick up their ornaments to dust, by the look of the advert

Hey - just thought of a no-brainer of an idea for busy (rich) peeps who want to lose weight - why don't they employ other people to eat their food. It would also save time on queuing for it as well as the *ahem* disposal end of it too. Bit of a step on from just pouring your Friday night booze straight down the loo D

lipidicman

Is white malt vinegar the stuff of choice? Just wondered why it is still called malt if it has been distilled off. I cant seem to find any labelled as spirit vinegar in the supermarkets

What does the vinegar do to your socks TM?

Ticklemouse

lipidicman wrote:

Is white malt vinegar the stuff of choice? Just wondered why it is still called malt if it has been distilled off. I cant seem to find any labelled as spirit vinegar in the supermarkets

What does the vinegar do to your socks TM?

Yep - it's white malt vinegar, but you can use the brown if you want, although some people are a little worried about the possibililty of saining their laundry.

As for the socks - vinegar is great for deodourising them. In a previous thread there was a discussion about this and I mentioned that Mr TM's socks, which rated as extremely dangerous on a geiger counter, had lost their ability to slay a Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, once rinsed in vinegar. I was all for getting Mr TM to wash his feet in the stuff, but so far, he has declined this

MATH

I always laugh at the Kandoo ads too TM:D The world's gone disposable mad. My kidz tell me their friends at school have kandoo and could they have some next time I shop. I said No but I would gladly come into the toilet when they had finished and would spit on the toilet paper if it would help.:p My grandmother never bought bog roll or bathroom tissue as they now insist on calling it. Where do you put it if ya toilet isn't actually in your bathroom? The local rag was good enough for us and apart from having the local cinema opening times tatooed across ya bum it didn't do us any harm:D

Those microfibre cloths are supposed to be great. I've seen them on QVC and if I didn't have a small mountain of old towels waiting to be cut down I would be tempted. I've really got to stop coming on OS not only am I now baking me daily bread I'm also contemplating snatching a yogurt maker if I see on al a car boot. I'll be knitting me own underwear soon. Now where did I put that ball of mowhair l:eek:

I have stopped buying econ powder as well cos I don't find it perfumed enough. I like my laundry to smell like it's been dragged through an Alpin Meadow and across a woodland glade before being drenched in ocean mist. One man's meat and all that...:cool:

Ticklemouse

Don't buy your microfibre cloths from QVC :eek:

I've seen them for well less that £1 in places like Dunelm. I saw a pack of 3 cloths in Lidl (I think) the other day for about £2-3. If you shop around, you'll see them. Mine are Dunelm ones and they are great. The colour doesn't run when they are wet, they don't leave bits all over the place, and they work well, so I can't see the point in buying expensive ones.

Be careful knitting your own trollies, or more importantly your swimming trunks. When my dad was a wee lad, my grandma knitted him some lovely blue ones. When they got wet - weighed twice as much as my dad and stretched to his ankles Just in case, cos we can't have you frightening the locals at Chez MATH No 2, can we?

What else do you think they could try to sell us that's 'disposable'? I know - AIR. Buy little bags of say, seaside or mountain air. When you feel in need of a lift, open the bottle, inhale deeply and smile. Only £2.99 per sniff. BARGAIN And just think - lots of packaging to dispose of too. (Tell you what, I can get mountian, well, hilly air, you get the seaside stuff and we'll market it, shall we )

eyeopener

Your right about choices Math. I'm a total convert to window cleaning with vinegar. Takes a little more effort but the results are fabby.
Stopped using powder for clothes washing as well, now using a ball system. If they last as long as the manufactures say we should save a packet AND no rubbish flushing down the drains. We had to buy fabric conditioner as your clothes smell of ...nothing! and OH didn't like it although, as i've said on another thread, she is trying vinegar in the wash today.Mmmmm.

Its all down to personal preferences at the end of the day. We haven't bought a breadmaker yet but most on here swear by them, you prefer glass cleaners, I don't. As long as people do things because they want to and not because advertisers tell them I will be a happy man.

What on earth are Kandoo wash mitts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lipidicman

Ticklemouse wrote:

What else do you think they could try to sell us that's 'disposable'? I know - AIR. Buy little bags of say, seaside or mountain air. When you feel in need of a lift, open the bottle, inhale deeply and smile. Only £2.99 per sniff. BARGAIN And just think - lots of packaging to dispose of too. (Tell you what, I can get mountian, well, hilly air, you get the seaside stuff and we'll market it, shall we )

I know you are joking - but have you seen those 'cool down spray' adverts that have started up recently - sorry cant remember the brand. Someone has worked out that air expanding from a pressurised can is cooled as it expands and that the public are becoming stupid enough to buy it. I could be wrong and it could have some other magic ingredients, like maybe a little moisture which evaporates and cools a little more, but honestly?

Also people have been paying to go to 'bars' and inhale oxygen (a little more exotic than air, but still!) Cheaper to buy liquid nitrogen and condense your own liquid oxygen! Extreme cryogenic moneysaving anyone?