I limit the number of things I use for cleaning as it saves money and effort but I'm not keen enough to make all my own - I'd rather be reading.
Bicarb is used for lots of jobs along with Ecover washing up liquid and Ecover Laundry liquid and Washing Soda Crystals, plus white vinegar.
I bulk buy bicarb and have just ordered a big tub via ebay. Last time I bought a big amount - about 5+ years ago, it came in a huge bag and I then had to go out and buy a big lock and lock box to store it in which rather defeated the saving money aim! That box is now in use for craft stuff so I made a point of getting a tub this time.
Washing soda crystals come from Wilkinsons where they are £1 for 1.5 kilo, even cheaper than on line I think. I like Ecover products as they don't irritate my skin and don't have a strong smell, last a long while and no nasty chemicals to upset the septic tank. Now I have room to store things I've just bought Ecover non-bio laundry liquid in bulk - enough to last me well over a year but much cheaper than supermarket prices - if they actually even have it in stock when I need it. I use a tiny bit of Ecover liquid and add a good scoop of soda crystals. I can't stand the smell of washing powders - so strong. Some peoples houses smell so much of soap powder that I have to change clothes when I get home! We were given a Christmas present once that must have been in a cupboard with soap powder, we had to stand it out in the garage all winter before it lost it's really strong smell.
I thought I'd found somewhere for cheap but good quality white vinegar that could be used for cooking and cleaning but then with delivery costs it was more expensive than buying from a supermarket. The only place with 5L of Sarsons was Ocado but then you have to have £40 worth of stuff to get a delivery. Some of the cheap vinegar isn't good enough quality for preserving, there's not enough acid in it. So cheap supermarket own brand for cleaning and Sarsons for pickling.
We have very hard water in most parts of Suffolk causing lime-scale - it's a real nuisance and even bicarb made into a paste and left on doesn't always shift it. Ecover Limescale remover works well.
I knit dishcloths for doing the washing up and use rags - which are quite often old tea-towels torn in half or old dish cloths that have gone grey - for cleaning jobs.
Returning Soonish
Sue
Like you, I can't stand the overpowering smell of some laundry powders and cleaners. I try to be careful with what I use and thankfully the local supermarket has started to stock Ecover products once again. I like the Method products too but they don't often have them.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite shockng just how many products there are on the cleaning aisle, and that smell! X
I wonder how many people try all the different products?
DeleteI do agree about all the perfumes especially in fabric softeners. I am really interested in the laundry liquid. Is it soap based? I might give it a go.i use soda crystals too. Just the other day used a strong solution to get the bottom of a burnt pan clean. Worked a treat.
ReplyDeleteThe children hated "scratchy towels" when they were little but I refused to add fabric softener because of the smell.
DeleteI use Ecover which I can take containers to local 'health food shop' and get containers refilled, saving on recycling and I use W.U.L. for cleaning everything.
ReplyDeleteWish I could do that, The one place I found that did it stopped because "it made a mess if the big container dripped"
DeleteI'm another who can't stand the strong smell of washing powder, cleaning products or toiletries. I recently bought a pot of Johnson's baby cream - brilliant, non-irritating cream for working hands - but the smell is overpoweringly strong & it's meant for babies!
ReplyDeleteI still have a few of the children's small underclothes in use as cleaning cloths & using them instantly transports me back to another time:)
I have to use unscented everything!
DeleteSome good tips here Sue so thanks for those.
ReplyDeleteI find white vinegar good for removing lime scale on my shower doors.
Vinegar is handy stuff for all sorts of cleaning
DeleteI use Brillo pads, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and Jif. Hard water is healthy and we also have it here in Norfolk.
ReplyDeleteHard water is so much better to drink than soft. I used to despair at the amount of bottled water that campsite visitors used to get through when the tap water was perfectly good to drink
DeleteI absolutely understand what you mean about strong scents. There are so many scented laundry detergents and additives these days. I often can't stand to stay too long in close proximity to people whose clothes smell so strongly. Don't even get me started on Febreze and Glade scented products for the home. I prefer clean, lemony or bleach smells, or no smell at all. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteHome made laundry detergent, Ecover for washing up, home made miricle spray for everything else.
ReplyDeleteI use baking soda and soda crystals along with white vinegar by Dri Pak but I also love love love my good old fashioned household green soap. I do use washing up liquid but normally buy Lidl own.
ReplyDeleteLike you I can't stand the perfume of cleaning I use Ecover washing powder and white vinegar as softener. I by my white vinegar from my local independent grocery/ paper shop who pick it up from the cash and carry for me. It costs me £4 for 5 litres and helps a local business too.
ReplyDeleteBack in the 80's my old Nan used to hide her money from my Grandfather (who was as tight as a ducks ****) in the Daz soap powder box under all the soap powder - She was golden to me when my children were little and I was struggling for money - She used to slip me a £10 note to help me out occasionally and it used to stink of Daz - I had some very funny looks at the tills when I used to hand it over....I have more than enough to live on now but so wish that I'd kept one of her special £10 notes (bet it would have still smelt of Daz even after all this time) xx
ReplyDeleteWashing up liquid....Morning Fresh @ 2 for £1 from Poundland, White vinegar, bicarb, soda crystals and a bit of bleach is about all I use now. My favourite being the oven cleaner I make by steeping orange peel in white vinegar for a couple of weeks. I spray the oven and sprinkle over a bit of bicarb then leave it to do it's thing. Works a treat, smells good and no awful fumes like the spray on oven cleaners.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
Add me to those who don't like strong laundry detergent scents. I have never used fabric softener for that very reason.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
After breast cancer I do not use perfumes and do not buy branded cleaners except for occasional method cleaner when it is on offer. I like the orange smelling kitchen one. Simple soap and perfume free essential stuff for me. Ecover detergent too. Vinegar really does work as a fabric softener and there is no smell when clothes are dry. Oh and I confess to a bit of bleach in the loo area from time to time for hygiene. I am loving my steam mop. Chemical free germ killing with no smell!
ReplyDeleteI have to use chemical free cleaning products because we have a septic tank and that can react badly to chemicals. Saying that, I've always used bicarb and vinegar to do my cleaning as it's so efficient and cheap :D
ReplyDeleteThis is a brilliant cleaner that I have been using for some time now. Great for collar and cuff grime too. Test on an inconspicuous area first when using on bench tops or tables...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cheapskatesclub.net/how-to-make-miracle-spray.html
Good to know I'm not the only one who can't stand the myriad of smelly washing powders out there!
ReplyDeleteLisa x
Sue: just to say thanks so much for the cleaning tips. Hope you don't mind, but I linked to your post in a post I've written about using less plastic while still saving money.
ReplyDelete