Some things in life have changed for the better over the years but sometimes older, long established ways are the best!
When it comes to cleaning our homes some age old traditional tricks of the trade work so well they should be resurrected!
The use of Bicarbonate of Soda has been discussed many times and we at The Green Store wouldn’t be without it on our own shelves! We love it so much that we even have a whole page dedicated to it on our Eco Info page with tips and ideas for this eco super product, but there are many more great products that can be mixed together to create the best all round green cleaners and scrubbers!
When you need a bit of a thorough clean then the most simple thing to make is;
Gentle Scouring Paste
4 tbsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tbsp Water
Mix the ingredients into a stiff paste and apply with a damp sponge.
Can be used on sinks, oven doors, hobs and surfaces. |
Then for those of us who hate water marks and limescale – which is all
of us…..the best way to remove these effectively is to try the
following mix.
Limescale Remover
150ml Vinegar
150ml Water
¼ teaspoon Salt
Bring the vinegar and water to the boil. Add the salt and dissolve.
Apply this liquid to the limescale deposits. Leave for a couple of
hours. Rinse with clean water & wipe dry.
This is perfect for bottling up to use as and when needed……. |
If you are anything like us we hate that sticky polish feel on
furniture but the following recipe works so well that even our mums
have taken to it!
Furniture Polish.
125g Beeswax, grated
500ml raw Linseed oil (for dark wood) or Olive oil (for pale wood)
1 tsp Lavender or Rosemary essential oil.
Melt the wax in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Carefully add the oil and stir over the heat for 3 mins. Remove from
the heat and stir in the essential oil. Transfer to a clean jar and
allow to set.
Using a soft cloth, rub the polish sparingly into the wood, leave for 30 mins, and then polish off. |
For those dreaded stains and for a general all over upholstery cleaner try our
Upholstery Stain Remover
4 tbsp Borax Substitute
600ml Water.
Dissolve the borax substitute in the water, sponge the fabric with the
solution and blot with a dry cloth or paper towel. Remember never to
rub and always blot as this will have a better effect on the fabric and
not cause any flattened / damaged areas. |
For washing those crocks & dishes we have found the following recipes invaluable.
Washing Up Liquid
1 ½ Cups (approx 100g) Soap Flakes
¾ Cup (approx 165ml) Water
1 ½ Cups (approx 330g) Washing Soda
1 ½ Cups (approx 330ml) Vinegar
Lemon Essential Oil
Bring the soap & water to the boil, reduce the heat and stir until
smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the soda until blended. Add
the vinegar and a few drops of lemon oil, Store in a sealed bottle
& use a teaspoon or 2 in hot water for washing the dishes.
Hand washing vs dishwashing is a constant eco / green discussion but for a greener dishwashing experience try;
Dishwasher Powder
2 tbsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tbsp Borax Substitute
Mix ingredients together and use as normal.
|
One of our bug bears is the cleaning of the Oven – lets be honest its an awful job to do……!
Oven Cleaner.
150g Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tbsp Salt
Hot water
Mix the ingredients together to make a paste. Use a sponge to apply the
paste to the oven floor & door. Leave for an hour, wipe away the
residue and rinse with a damp cloth. |
Another fabulously glamorous job!!!!!! Cleaning the toilet! 
Toilet Bowl Cleaner.
Bicarbonate of Soda
White Vinegar
Sprinkle the sides of the toilet bowl with Bicarbonate of Soda and
allow to stand for a few minutes. Pour in the vinegar and allow to
stand for 20 minutes. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush.
For stubborn stains replace the Bicarbonate of soda with Borax Substitute, spray with vinegar and leave overnight. |
Lovely laundry – we all love fresh clean clothes, and with a good
fabric conditioner mixed together with essential oils they add a true
touch of fragrance to clothes so they really do have that clean just
washed smell!
Laundry Washing Powder
½ Cup (approx 110g) Washing Soda
1 Cup (approx 110g) finely grated pure Soap
½ Cup (approx 110g) Salt
½ Cup (approx 110g) Borax Substitute
½ Cup (approx 60g) Bicarbonate of Soda
Mix all the ingredients together & store in an airtight container.
Use 1 tbsp for a small load, 1 ½ for a medium load and 2 for a large
load. Dissolve the mixture in a small amount of hot water and add to
the dispenser. If using for hand washing, wear rubber gloves.
Fabric Softener
2 tbsp White Vinegar
2 – 3 Drops Essential Oil
Add the vinegar to the fabric conditioner dispenser and add a couple of drops of lavender, lemon or rose essential oil.
Laundry Stain remover
1 tbsp Borax Substitute
6 tbsp Water
Mix the ingredients together to make a paste. Apply the mixture to the stain & wash as normal. |
Get out the newspapers Kim and A ggie style – they seem to love this mix on their show!
Glass & Mirror Cleaner
500ml Water
125ml White Vinegar
Pour the ingredients into a spray bottle and mix. Spray onto the windows and wipe off with newspaper. |
Stinky drains……try
Drain Cleaner
60 – 120 g Bicarbonate of Soda
Warm Water
To help to keep drains clear pour the bicarbonate of soda down the
drain, leave for 10 – 15 mins then pour warm water down the drain.
Drain Unclogger
120g Bicarbonate of Soda
200ml White Vinegar
Boiling Water
Pour the bicarbonate of soda down the drain & follow with the
vinegar (this will fizz). Leave for 10 minutes and flush through with
boiling water. |
Natural Cleaning Ingredients
Ingredient
|
Uses |
| Bicarbonate Of Soda |
A great all round cleaner, degreaser & deodoriser. Use it to clean hobs & work surfaces, freshen drains, deodorise the fridge and help with spills & stains. See our separate information sheet for more ideas on the uses of Bicarbonate of Soda |
| Lemon Juice |
Lemon Juice can be used for bleaching, inhibiting growth of mould, stain removal & tackling limescale. |
| Borax Substitute |
Borax substitute is Sodium Sesquicarbonate and is a natural stain remover, disinfectant, bleach, degreaser, water softener & laundry booster. |
| Pure Soap/Liquid Soap/ Soap flakes |
Use pure soap to make your own laundry liquid & washing up liquid. |
| Salt |
A mild abrasive, salt is excellent for scouring pans and kitchen utensils. It is also a disinfectant |
| Distilled White Vinegar |
Vinegar can be used to as a toilet cleaner, clean windows, remove bathroom scum & limescale.
|
| Washing Soda |
Washing Soda (Sodium carbonate) has many uses including cutting grease, stain removal, water softener & drain cleaner. See our separate information sheet for more uses of soda Crystals. |