Natural Alternatives to Cleaning Products etc.

[ozieandros]

OK hands up all those of you keeping a kitchen cupboard full of chemical sprays and others? I know they make house cleaning and! Keeping weeds and pests at bay but ... Would you consider natural alternatives? I wish i could say I always did but I can't because that's be lying! Imagine working full time 12 hours night shift duties for too many years? On my days off I'd doze on and off and clean up the fast way. Pshh! Dust free furnitures. Pshh! Clean windows. Pssh! Death to weeds and goodness knows how many Pshh I used! I still use Pshh in the shape of my inhalers because I have asthma and this came as a reaction to! Allergy to chemicals. Had other health problems as well so needed a re think. Some of you will probably know some of the following but supposing others didn't! It might help and someone else might add other ideas so we can all learn to drop sprays, benefit our health and!!! Mother nature too!

Wooden furnitures? OK it takes longer but using good old wax, rub well, leave it time for wood to absorb it, (While you make a cuppa tea or text someone)
then using a soft brush (Or an old jumper ready for the bin)... Elbow grease! Your wooden furnitures will not only look far better but the wood will appreciate it too! Then you can find lavender wax and others. So, not only gorgeous shine but also a nice smell too! Careful though ... Not on varnished furnitures!!!

Warm water and a dollop of white vinegar will clean your windows better than any spray or chemical way! In fact! Using an old cloth go for it then scrunch newspapers and use to wipe. Your windows will come up shiny and not only that! Scrunched newspaper protects them from the rain too. OK they'll get dirty again but not too fast.

Bread soda diluted in water will not only relieve heartburns instantly but it will also help cleaning carpets, rugs and much more!

White vinegar will keep weeds at bay. Using a plastic water sprayer, spray a little white vinegar on weeds, add on daily for a few days and the weed will die!

Flowers looking worse for wear? plunge stems into boiling water. By the time the water is cold, flowers will have revived. Cut end of stems, place in a vase with cool water and voila!

To clean fridge and microwave: Use equal parts of bread soda and water so you get a paste (Add water slowly not to over wet paste). Scrub with paste then wipe down with a clean cloth. Fridge and microwave will not only be clean but also odour free. Old T Shirts cut into trips work great to wipe clean!

Use lemon juice to clean the toilets. You know these plastic lemon shape things we buy for a quick drop of lemon juice? Leave in the toilet for a while then brush. It works a treat!

Use dry lavender to keep in your wardrobes and cupboards. Keeps away moths and insects.

White vinegar sprayed by doors and windows will also annoy flies and/Or creepy crawlies. They do not like the smell of it.

Sprays and cans of quick fix may work/Not work you still need to get rid of them meaning ... Bin them when they're empty. These simple ways help, not only your health and mother nature but ... Reduce the amount of waste for your bin too.

[marie065]

a few good ideas there ozieandros.
i hear vinegar as a lot of uses around the house. it would be great to hear if any one else has any other natural alternatives
good topic!
cheers marie065

[ozieandros]

Marie there is a site called the vinegar institute and they give you pages and pages of stuff to download and print for free, all showing easy (And natural tips) To clean up just about anything you can of as well as others, using simply white vinegar! It'd be great if we could have lots of people posting their own tips too! We could all learn from them while avoiding too many spray cans in the litter bin!

[marie065]

thanks ozieandros
i'll be sure to have a look at it
cheers marie

[carissa]

soapy water works very well at getting rid of green/blackfly off your roses etc, also if you soak nettles in a bucket of water & leave for bout two weeks you can use the water as a feed for your plants as nettles are full of nutrients, also lots of insects dont like nettles so if you spray plants with the water it keeps them away, if you plant parsley around your carrots it keeps the carrot root fly away as the smell masks the smell of the carrots & the little feckers cant find them:)

[Isabeau]

cold tea also gets rid of green fly etc.. table salt kills weeds on the patio and driveway...Don't use on grass as it kills the grass too!!

[carissa]

didnt know bout the tea or salt, gonna try them both tomorrow
thanks mags2:)

[noni]

cold tea is great for feeding orchids too, also put your used teabags and coffee grinds around plants in the garden if you dont have a compost heap, they will
feed your plants.

[unapam]

Great thread to start...well done Ozzieandros.

Vinegar is great for cleaning glass shower doors.

I'm going to try the salt on patio weeds.
Boiling water on patio weeds do es the job too. I have cut right down on these cleaning sprays and use alternatives whenever possible.

I always throw used teabags or leaves at base of rose bushes, (tear them open first) The roses are thriving. I also use a little soapy water if I spot any greenfly on the roses. Works a treat.

Coal tar soap made into a paste using hot water makes a great insect repellant and leaves you skin super smooth.

Lavendar oil is a first aid kit in a bottle. Magic on minor burns, bites or grazes.

A few drops of lavendar oil in water in a spray bottle is great as an air freshner and deters flies, creepy crawlies and helps restful sleep.

Wet newspaper in flower beds and covered with soil or compost will keep weeds from growing in your flower beds. Works better than the black liner sold for this purpose.

Dunne's stores brown paper bags are stronger than normal shop bought paper for posting parcels. You can turn it inside out or let it have a great vintage striped, and sepia photo design to it!

Com' on everybody...let's have your green ideas!

[ozieandros]

I'm going to try wet newspaper and tell Marie (Cavangirl) About it. Great pam! Yes please someone post more so we can all learn a bit more, save our health and planet and!!! Reduce the waste!

[unapam]

I always save pretty boxes from gifts and any tissue paper and ribbons and trims from any presents or anything I buy. When it comes time to do up a gift for someone else you have a stash to hand.Lace, trims and bows from old bras or knickers are also great to salvage and use on hand made cards and gifts. (...Here's one that was on me knickers earlier! :-) ...always keep a sense of humour - it makes everything so much more fun!

GIFT IDEA.... that is as green as can be... in your local charity shop you will find very pretty china cups and saucers. Wash them, polish them and pop a nightlight candle in, or a little pot pouri or a string of vintage pearls or beads(loads of these in charity shops for pennies ) do them up with your salvaged tissue, place in a saved gif box, wrap it in a scrap of fabric, or old wallpaper, tie it up with salvaged lace or ribbon. Make a handmade card or tag and you have a sweet little gift for a friend or sister. (These fine china cups are semi transparent and allow a lovely glow from the candle to shine through) fabric makes a great giftwrap. This small gift costs about 50c if you just count the money (and that went to charity) but cost much more in thought and effort. Just be sure to give it to someone of like mind...more to come (a JT member has just offered me some old sheet music! Whooohoo! Watch this space 'cos old sheet music has so many uses...Pam

[marie065]

well i was just wondering if there was any tips on growing veg my dad started last year he grew everything he good get and was delighted that they all grew but his lettuce and cabbages there was nothing left by the time the slugs and green fly (i think ) where finished with them. he was very disapointed by this he wont use the sprays or stuff on them so is there any natural alternatives i can tell him about

cheers marie

[colmsmum]

Here's some tips i use on a regular basis, all are tried, tested & proven to work! Just thought i'd share with everyone.

Washing soda is great to use on wall tiles- mix with warm water, use a clean rag to apply (or spray bottle), rub in with a little elbow grease & rinse with warm water, tiles & grout come up sparkling, much easier than shop bought sprays.

Put a little bowl of bread soda in a corner of your fridge to absorb smells, replace after 2-3 weeks to keep fresh.

Carpet deodorizer- Cup of bread soda & few drops of essential oil, leave to absorb for a day or two, sprinkle on carpet, leave overnight, hoover in the morning and your carpets smell so fresh. This is great for pet owners (like me!), i used to use shake & vac but it irritated my darling doggie, with this homemade version i can have the best of both worlds- fresh carpet and a happy doggie, lol!

For a really quick hand or foot scrub mix some sugar with a body moisturiser, rub or massage in and you'll have super-soft hands & feet.

To clean the base (plate) on your iron, add equal amounts of white vinegar & table salt to a small pan, simmer until the salt has broken down, leave it to cool, then apply to the iron with a soft rag, scrub a little & your iron will be like new!

Add a drop or two of essential oil to your light bulbs, when you turn the light on & the bulb heats up, your room will be filled with the scent.

Can't think of anymore at the mo, getting close to my bedtime!!! If there's anything else i remember, i'll keep you all posted.

[carissa]

hi marie, couple of tips for your dad, if he puts crushed egg shells or sharp builders sand around the plants the slugs wont cross as they get cut & dehydrate, clear any dead leaves etc as they hide under them, slugs only come out at night & they like damp conditions so if he waters in the morning the soil should be dry by eve, if he has any old copper he could put it around the bed, its supposed to give them a shock, seaweed is another barrier as its salty & they dont like that, it would be good for the soil when it rots ,if he leaves a plank of wood & a cut grapefruit out he can go out at night & he'll find them under the wood,the grapfruit attracts them, sage, clover& tomatoes planted close by masks the smell of the cabbage, if he's ok with killing them salt works or a beer trap, put beer into a yogurt pot & bury it to the rim,
caterpillars: the white cabbage moth lays its eggs on the underside of the leaf, he should watch out for these & scrape them off & crush them as they will turn into the caterpillars that are also feasting on his cabbage , he can put up a barrier around his bed to prevent the moth laying the eggs, a few stakes and some netting thrown over will do it, bit of a pain when you're weeding but worth it in the long run.
hope there is something useful to you there
good luck to your dad this year
happy gardening:)

[marie065]

lovely thanks a million carissa
i'll print that out and give it to him
cheers marie

[lislaw]

Sprinkling flour over ripening berries or tomatoes helps to keep bugs off them. The egg shell really do work - I used them for the first time this year. For potatoes I've read that horsetail works really well for blight - you have to let it soak in water for a day or two and then spray the plants with it - I don't know for sure how well it works because I haven't had to use it myself yet - thankfully all my spuds are blight free for the moment
Lisa xx

[erica]

To clean the inside of your washing machine, pour a cup of white vinegar into the detergent drawer and run machine with no clothes in it on any short programme. The vinegar removes soap scum, limescale etc. Also works on dishwasher.

[misstake]

A saucer of milk absorbs any nasty niffs If you put a couple in a just painted room the smell dissapears very quick like wise a fridge that had fish or other smelly stuff in it
I did not believe it would work but was proved wrong not long ago after painting floorboards The smell was gone in no time and could sleep in the room that night

[ozieandros]

Marie If when planting cabbage you put a little collar, just recycle a bit of cardboard and tie close to stem, you'll find flies won't touch your cabbage. Some garden centres sell collars but it's cheaper and just as good to make you own. I've used cardboard and old yogurt pots! Cut and taped! It's worked a treat.

Carrot fly strikes in May and September. 1st and last week of May are the worse but you can cover your carrots with a little clear plastic. Don't put it over the carrots, use a stick to keep it a bit higher and hold bit on the ground with gravel or stones. I did that this year and all my carrots survived the nasty!

Then you should also think in terms of rotation. Making a point of rotating vegetable families from one bed to another the following year avoids disease and pests. I can let you know more about it if you wish.

Finally the best thing is to check your garden twice daily. i find slugs ... pick them up and get rid off them. Also make sure that there is no high grass near your beds because they find it a very convenient way to get to your vegetables. So make sure areas round your beds are all clear and wood board is indeed a good idea. Alternatively gravel or stones. It put them off.

Take care

Ros

[playbunnyplay]

does anyone know a home remedy for cleaning dried blood off white carpet... my cat the serial killer that he has killed a pigeon and brought it up stairs for me to inspect and managed to get blood all over my lovely carpet on the landing. I have tried most products and just cant seem to shift it. Cat now is locked out at night due to the pigeon being the 3rd body that i have found in my house late a night... finding dead birds around the house is hard hard for an animal lover to take especially one that has a very weak stomach!!

[ozieandros]

OK this is where white vinegar comes handy too! Dab a little white vinegar on a cloth, rub gently over the stain, not too harsh! You may have to do that a few times before you get stain removed. Remember don't rub too hard. Then you can make a paste using soda bread or cornflour and water (Water must be cold not tepid). Again rub gently, then go over with a clean wet cloth (Cold water) Before going back with paste.

Best wishes

Ros

[kilk]

does anybody know how to keep greeny blue stain off white sink? the colour comes from the hot tap only, i suspect its from the copper pipes and the soft water.

[ozieandros]

There's a product called Barkeeper's friend. Don't know where you could find it, you might need to search on browser. Otherwise you can fill sink with cold water
and bleach for 15 minutes and empty it

[colmsmum]

Kilk, if you know anyone with a Kleeneze catalogue it's in that, i've never used it though.

Speaking of sinks, has anyone got a tip for cleaning rust stains off a porcelain one? My son left a can of foam soap on it and so far nothing i've tried has worked to remove it.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.

[unapam]

My mam swears by pouring table salt on and soaking that with lemon juice. leave overnight and wash off. Worth a try.

[colmsmum]

Thanks unapam, i'll give that a go tonight & let you all know if it works.

[The Mammy]

Hi All
What brilliant tips , I'm going to print these pages off and stick them on my fridge to have close at hand...
Here's a couple of my own, Tried and tested...
White toothpaste....use this to clean out your fridge, it works really well on the inside walls of the fridge and especially on that little drain hole at the bottom and leaves it smelling minty fresh..
Cut a lemon in Half and rub it on to your radiators just before your heating comes on and the whole house smells lemon fresh..
Tea ...Ive used a pot of Tea and a soft cloth to clean my parents wooden kitchen cabinets ( I saw it on a TV programme) it really worked a treat and brought the wood back to life..

Regards
The Mammy

[colmsmum]

Hi The Mammy,
They're great tip's, i'm going to try the lemon one on the radiators, while i'm using it on my sink tonight, might aswell make the most of it, lol!
regards,
colmsmum.

[unapam]

Hi, I have tried the salt on my patio weeds and....ALL GONE!

[dumpit]

Hi all,

Have to say this is a great thread, all the ideas are brill and all stuff you would probably never think to use! I have a couple of my own to add:
A half cup of white vinegar (great stuff!) poured directly into your dishwasher (with no dishes of course!) and turn on as normal works better than any of the dishwasher cleaners you get in shops and is a lot cheaper too!
If you have anything brass that needs a good polish, a little bit of tomato sauce goes a long way! Just put a small bit on a cloth and rub into the object and with a little elbow grease it will clean it right up!
If I think of any more I'll post them as well.
Thanks for all the great tips everyone, cant wait to try them out!

[Ciss]

Great info!

For cleaning microwaves, I leave in a bowl of water with a drop of lemon juice the microwave, heat it up (have it boiling) and leave it in for 30 mins or so.

Result: easy to clean down with a damp cloth and you also have a nice smelling microwave :-).

For cleaning windows (house, car etc), wash windows with a bit of washing up liquid and water and then dry windows with newspapers. No streaks at all!

Does anyone have any tips for cleaning the insides of an oven? I've tried leaving hot water in and then scrubbing down with brillo pads but somehow the smell of brillo pads always linger for a while...

[Fizzywitch]

I have a spray bottle with a water vinegar mix, 2 tbs olive oil and 10 drops of lavender/tea tree oil. (shake well before each use)
This cleans absolutely everything!
My hubby uses it to clean computers.

I use it on mirrors, floors, furniture and just about anything else.

I always make it up in old 'Ecover' spray bottles as they last forever!

I use bread soda on stubborn stains.

My only sin in using non eco cleaning methods is using occasionly biological soap powder and hot water to soak really burnt on grime. the only thing is it is that strong it once toook the non stick surface of a baking tray I soaked!

[Fizzywitch]

Great info!

For cleaning microwaves, I leave in a bowl of water with a drop of lemon juice the microwave, heat it up (have it boiling) and leave it in for 30 mins or so.

Result: easy to clean down with a damp cloth and you also have a nice smelling microwave :-).

For cleaning windows (house, car etc), wash windows with a bit of washing up liquid and water and then dry windows with newspapers. No streaks at all!

Does anyone have any tips for cleaning the insides of an oven? I've tried leaving hot water in and then scrubbing down with brillo pads but somehow the smell of brillo pads always linger for a while...

Try making a mix of bread soda (bicarbonate of soda) and washing up liquid.
Make it into a thick paste and smear on the oven.
Leave for 10 mins or so then scrub with a pan scrub and rinse off with lots and lots of warm water.
Hope this helps.

[Ciss]

Try making a mix of bread soda (bicarbonate of soda) and washing up liquid.
Make it into a thick paste and smear on the oven.
Leave for 10 mins or so then scrub with a pan scrub and rinse off with lots and lots of warm water.
Hope this helps.

Cheers Fizzywitch for the tip! Will try that out.

[kilk]

anybody have any idea how to keep stove door glass clean? i can use mr muscle oven cleaner but its messy and reacts to the cast iron surround.

[Fizzywitch]

anybody have any idea how to keep stove door glass clean? i can use mr muscle oven cleaner but its messy and reacts to the cast iron surround.

If you mean the log burner stoves with glass doors?

If you do, I put bread soda on a damp pan scrub, give it a scrub and buff up with screwed up newspaper or kitchen roll

If it is really bad then add a bit of white vinegar to the scrub or use the baking soda and washing up liquid recipe.

[kilk]

thanks fizzywitch, ill try that formula.

[kilk]

on the topic of cleaning, does anybody know how to remove a petrol smell from a tank that i wish to use for water instead?

[colmsmum]

Please Help!

Is there an Eco friendly way of keeping birds away from strawberries?

I planted some a few weeks ago for my son, he loves them so i decided it would be a good learning experience to grow his own. He's been watering & feeding them everyday, watching & waiting patiently for them to 'go red', lol! The other day he was horrified to find a bird pecking at his only red one, he was so upset bless him (he's only 5 next month). I haven't a clue how to keep them away so colm can eat at least 1 of his home grown strawberries. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.

[erica]

There's netting you can get specifically for the purpose, probably available in garden centres but maybe someone on here has a bit they could give you. Poor Colm deserves to see the fruits of his labour (pardon the pun).

[angie1]

hi just wondering does anyone know how i would get green water marks off gold taps. ive tryed the usuals baking soda,vinegar,ketchup im all out of ideas anyone out there knows the answer let me know kind regards angie1

[The Mammy]

Please Help!

Is there an Eco friendly way of keeping birds away from strawberries?

I planted some a few weeks ago for my son, he loves them so i decided it would be a good learning experience to grow his own. He's been watering & feeding them everyday, watching & waiting patiently for them to 'go red', lol! The other day he was horrified to find a bird pecking at his only red one, he was so upset bless him (he's only 5 next month). I haven't a clue how to keep them away so colm can eat at least 1 of his home grown strawberries. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.

Hi Colmsmum,
My dad had the same problem and was as upset a little Colm..(He's a Kid at heart) so he made a dome from chicken wire and netting..it is easy now to watch the progress of the berries and keep the Birds away..
Good Luck
M

[carissa]

hi colmsmum,
i think i have a little bit of that netting erica mentioned, i'll have a look tomorrow, if its only a few plants you could criss cross some wool or twine over them, if the gap is smaller than the wingspan they wont fly in, watch out for slugs too, crushed egg shells around the plants will keep them off,
hope thats of some help, good luck with it :)

[erica]

If you put some straw under the plants, to keep them up off the clay, the slugs will be less likely to get at them.

[colmsmum]

Thanks erica, your a great help. I'll buy a bit at the weekend, if i post a wanted ad i may not get it in time (if at all) & the birds will have a field day. I wouldn't mind but i have feeders for them but they're obviously impressed with colms work!

[erica]

hi just wondering does anyone know how i would get green water marks off gold taps. ive tryed the usuals baking soda,vinegar,ketchup im all out of ideas anyone out there knows the answer let me know kind regards angie1

If you have limescale round your taps, soak kitchen towels or rags in white vinegar and wrap round your taps covering the offending lime-scale completely and making sure that the area is saturated. Cover with a plastic bag in order that the rags stay wet. After a few hours, you will be able to wash the limescale off. A less environmentally friendly way is to use Cillit Bang!

[erica]

Thanks erica, your a great help. I'll buy a bit at the weekend, if i post a wanted ad i may not get it in time (if at all) & the birds will have a field day. I wouldn't mind but i have feeders for them but they're obviously impressed with colms work!


I suppose you could try the small bits of netting that cover boxes of fruit, if your local friendly shopkeeper would be kind enough to let you have some! I'm guessing your strawberry patch is not huge.

[colmsmum]

Wow! Thanks for all the tips, your all very quick, obviously not typing with one finger like me, lol!

They're in a plant pot, you know the one with the pockets on the side, i think it's a strawberry pot, so i'd only need a little bit to cover it. There's only 5 plants in it but thanks to carissa's previous advice i'll hopefully have more next year when i take the babies off the mammy plants (sorry can't remember what you call that).

I haven't noticed slugs yet, i have the pot on gravel, would that prevent them?

Also, is the pot ok on the ground? I'm always afraid of rats pee (sorry), we live beside a cow field & had some last year, they climbed up my shed & knocked down my bird feeders, then dragged them under it, i watched the whole thing out the kitchen window. I don't suppose they'd eat strawberries though.

Sorry for all the questions.

[erica]

Gosh! I never thought rats would go that far for food! I've never heard of them going after strawberries either, but I could be wrong! Rats give me the heebie jeebies.... Ugh, to see a rat just running across the road in front of the car makes my skin crawl!!!

[The Mammy]

Colmsmum

Birds/Cow field/ Rats...its the making of a good horror movie..lol... Now what you need to do is Train That Big Dog of yours to be on Bird/Rat watch and hope that He does not take a liking to strawberries in the mean time..
Cheers M

[erica]

Or maybe get a cat??

[carissa]

i bought my netting in atlantic, it was 6 or7 euro, its well worth it, you get loads of it, plenty for your strawberries & next yrs runners, you can use it for peas & beans, i know you dont have a veg plot so heres an idea for colm if he wants to expand next year, get a large pot & put 3 bamboo canes or similar branches into it, tie them at the top with twine like a tee pee, set pea or bean seeds &wrap the netting round the canes & the peas will climb it, i did this for a friends 7 yr old daughter & she loves it, yeah i think the gravel will help keep the slugs away, you wont see them during the day, check after dark, if you find any a ring of salt around the base of the pot will work, cant help with the rats, there are gadgets you can buy that omit a sound or something to keep them away but i think they are expensive, you can always wash the fruit in a mild milton solution if you're worried

[colmsmum]

Oh Mammy, you have me in stitches! If you had of heard the wind & rain here the other night you would have thought you were in a horror! Did i mention the chickens & cockerel our neighbour has, lol! As regards Ben keeping the rats away, he's worse than me, he wouldn't go into his kennel one night because there was a slug in it, so i've no hope there!

Yeah erica they went that far, i didn't know they could climb like that until i saw them at it & the were BIG. I'm not afraid of them at a distance but i'd go mad if they got into the house. Haven't seen any this year so hopefully it was just all the digging for the new road that uprooted them last year.

Birds, rats, rain.......Stephen king & Hitchcock are coming to mind, better go to bed before i'm afraid to go up the stairs alone!

Night all.

[The Mammy]

Colmsmum
I have one of those plug in, insect thingy's That carrissa mentioned so if you want it's yours, but I'm not sure of the range it covers..You might have to plug it into a socket in the shed..
Let me know if you want it.
Good Night all. you should be all in bed by now....
The Mammy

[erica]

Birds, rats, rain.......Stephen king & Hitchcock are coming to mind, better go to bed before i'm afraid to go up the stairs alone!

And then there's "the birds"..... have you ever seen that movie!! Scary! My brother was watching it one night and scared out of his wits when suddenly there was an enormous bang on the window. He looked out and there was a dead bird, which had smashed itself, kamakazi style, against the window. He nearly s*** himself! (sorry Chris).

Speaking of kamakazis.... does anyone know why kamakazi pilots wear helmets??

Goodnight!

[kilk]

hi just wondering does anyone know how i would get green water marks off gold taps. ive tryed the usuals baking soda,vinegar,ketchup im all out of ideas anyone out there knows the answer let me know kind regards angie1

hi angie, there is a product called Barkeepers friend, yu may have to look on net for it,otherwise try bleach and cold water. the green colour comes from the hot copper pipes i suspect, and soft water too most probably. hope this helps.
kilk

[colmsmum]

Carissa, thanks for the tips. Is it too late to plant the beans/peas this year? I grew the beans a couple of years ago in a hanging basket, don't know what variety they were but they had lovely red flowers, wouldn't mind trying to grow them again, colm would enjoy it too.

The Mammy, thanks for your offer, i'd be delighted to take the insect repeller, i'll be in Lucan today so i'll send a pm.

Erica, thats the film i was refering to, i haven't seen it for a while but i remember it did freak me out, brilliant film though. Your poor brother, did it take him long to recover from the shock, lol. Birds are always flying into our windows as well, i find around 4-5 dead one every year, the others recover from the shock, poor little things.

Thanks All!

[noni]

To Colmsmum,
As the strawberries are in a planter why not take it indoors? I have some in
large pots and when the fruit sets I then take them indoors I have lovely red strawberries at the moment. If you dont have a sunroom just put them near a window on a small table or similar, you will have to water them more often and dont forget some organic feed and Colm can check them every day its well worth it Next year you can also try cherry tomatoes the same way.

Enjoy growing your plants!

[carissa]

hiya, it is a little late to set seed , mine are set since early may, but ive checked the packet & it says march-june so i would chance it, soak a few seeds in water overnight before you set them that might help them germinate quicker, they like manured soil so if you can get some of your neighbours chicken droppings, or some rotted cow manure to add to the soil it will do them the world of good, when they come up feed once a week with tomato food......if you've got the bug its not too late for, scallions, lettuce, beetroot, all you need is a couple of window boxes, old toy box, baby bath etc, just make sure to drill holes for drainage

[noni]

Here is a photo of the strawberries.

[leo8237]

We have a very small garden but we do grow pea's. Using a garden pot with bamboe sticks, like a wigwam ( tipee ). However the pea's that we used are the fresh ones from Tesco ( small packet ), you can use them for eating, but they germinate very quickly in a saucer covered with wet kitchen paper.
The resulting pea's are very sweet in taste.

They have been growing probably since may, but the beans/peas are being picked and eaten fresh straight out of the shell by wife and daughter.
the wife is the one with the green fingers.

[colmsmum]

Thanks so much for the brilliant tips. I'm going to have to print this thread & keep it for next year, as usual i'm late for everything! I'm definitely going to try the peas & beans even though i'm late but i'll put your tips to use & hope for the best. Carissa i forgot to mention the milton idea was great, i'd feel a lot safer letting colm eat them if i do that first. Noni your strawberries look gorgeous, mine (colm's) don't look that great yet, the birds had a feast on a lovely big red one yesterday & the rain & wind has battered the plants so as per your advice it's indoors they come! Leo is it just the normal peas from the fruit & veg aisle you mean?

Thanks all,
colmsmum.

P.S- i'll post a pic of the strawberries & herb basket, if the rain stops long enough to get one!

[leo8237]

Hello Colmsmum,

The pea's we got are from the fruit and veg department.
In the mean time the daughter planted some pea's from a seed packet last week in a pot ( straight into the ground ) and they they are allready sprouting.
This weather is great for plants in the garden lots of rain, a bit sunshine here and there.
regards

[colmsmum]

Thanks Leo, i didn't know you could do that (show's how much i know about veg growing!), sounds very easy, i'll give it a go in a pot & hopefully they'll grow for me. I'm raging this thread wasn't started sooner, i'd have everything up & running by now, ah well there's always next year.

[kiwigrl]

bread soda/baking soda and water also work a treat as an exfolient!

[colmsmum]

Hi All,

Here's the pics (sending to admin) of my strawberries & herb basket.

The strawberries are coming on so hopefully soon enough colm will get to try one.

The herb basket is looking a bit worse for wear as the wind & rain has battered it! I bought the basket ages ago at the local village fete for a couple of euro, it ended up in the attic until i found this idea in a gardening book i have, i just lined it with a black bag with holes on the bottom for drainage. I have bay, coriander, parsley, chives & thyme in it & keep it at the back door for easy access when it's raining!

[noni]

Hi Colmsmum,
The strawberries and herb basket look great, if you have any room you can pop in a few lettuce plants and pick the leaves as you want them.

[carissa]

looks great, good use of the basket

[unapam]

That's wonderful and there is nothing like the taste of freshly picked herbs. Well done! Nice to meet you yesterday!

[colmsmum]

Thanks so much for your kind comments, i'm so happy that they're still alive, usually my outdoor plants die after a couple of weeks! I left the strawberries out today as the weather was fine, a while later i noticed colms windmill stuck in the pot, i was about to give out to him until he said he was scaring the birds away with it and right he was! I didn't see one bird go near it all day, i'm gutted a 5 yr old came up with a solution & i didn't think of it, lol!

You wouldn't believe it noni but carissa gave me 3 lettuce plants along with tomato & pepper plants at the fete yesterday, thanks carissa, so now i'm going to try locate a crate for the lettuce as suggested by fizzywitch on another thread. I'll post a pic when they come on!

It was lovely to meet you too unapam (& carissa & lindaleagh) it was a bit crazy there yesterday, pity we didn't have time for a proper chat but at least we got a few bargains & great weather!

Best regards,
colmsmum.

[unapam]

Out of the mouths of babes!

Colm has a natural gift for repurposing!

[colmsmum]

Hi all, here's the lettuce plants carissa gave me last week, i found another basket in the attic, i think it's just perfect for them. I used the same principle as the herb basket, black bag etc. & it's working so far, the plants are really coming on. Thanks carissa!

[carissa]

they look great, did you cut a few holes in the bag for drainage? if it gets waterlogged the roots will rot, a few crushed egg shells will keep the slugs off, wont look as pretty but you wont see them when the plants get bigger

[colmsmum]

Yep, cut holes in the bag & put in a few stones as well. I'll get the egg shells into it over the weekend, thanks for the tip. Going to plant broad beans today, you've passed that bug to me, lol!

[carissa]

good lassie, your learning, wont be long till you're passing on your own tips & advice

[bluecurlygirl]

Anyone boiled their spuds dry? Hard scrubbing after isn't it? Well 3/4 fill the saucepan with water and put it on the heat. When it starts to steam put in a good dollop of baking soda, it should fizz up immediately and let it work away on the heat for a few minutes. The burn marks come off easy. I too am going to print off these pages and keep them as my bible from now on. I've been looking for tips like these for ages. The two women on "how clean is your house" are great believers in natural cleaning products too - they use vinegar to clean nearly everything! Thanks a million everyone.

[smokeyeyes]

I too use bread soda/vinegar for lots of things.

To clean your oven use very hot water a good dollop of bread soda and cheap brown vinegar. Using a pot scourer use to clean oven, if there are stubborn stains on floor of oven make a paste of bread soda and water cover floor of oven with this and leave (cover with wet kitchen paper ) You can also use this solution to clean glass door of oven. After a while use wet kitchen paper to remove grime from oven. Once you have your oven nice and clean and sparkling cover the floor of oven with sprinkling of bread soda and leave there. When it comes to cleaning your oven the next time simply use a flat lifter/turner to remove dry bread soda and use solution of bread soda/vinegar to freshen your oven. Your oven will now only take minutes to clean as any spillages are absorbed by bread soda and are easily removed.

Bread soda/vinegar also good for cleaning insides of ceramic teapots, flasks stained teacups and brilliant for windows. Also use this solution for washing tiled/laminate floors, disinfects and cleans at same time!

Never go on holidays abroad without a couple of packs of bread soda. If anyone suffers from bad sunburn, run a tepid bath and lots of bread soda and this will alleviate the sunburn/pain. Alternatively, make a paste of bread soda/water and paint onto burnt area and leave on as long as possible. It will dry to a powder and you rinse off, never fails to cure bad sunburn, better than any aftersun creams/medications you can buy. Have used this cure on daughters several times and it never fails.

For cleaning around taps in bathroom, keep an old toothbrush handy and use either the bread soda paste above or toothpaste on brush to get to awkward parts of taps.

[mammasboys]

I got a great book called Natural Cleaning Products & Methods by Sarah Green, printed by Kandour Ltd. The ISBN is 1-904756-39-5.
It gives hints and tips room by room and the garden too.
Your local library will order it for you, if you don't want to buy it, and it may spread the word better in the library too!
By the way, just wanted to say, what a bunch of night owls on this site!

[corker]

thanks for all the tips on the cleaning. Can someone please advise on where/how to get quantities of white vinegar for cleaning around the house?? I take it we're not talking cider/ white wine vinegar, ?!?!?
Corker

[TheBear]

thanks for all the tips on the cleaning. Can someone please advise on where/how to get quantities of white vinegar for cleaning around the house?? I take it we're not talking cider/ white wine vinegar, ?!?!?
Corker
You can get regular white vinegar (the type of stuff they use in the local chipper) in the supermarket.

Also, I think I found this site with natural cleaning recipes (http://greendiy.ie/wiki/projects/misc/recipes) via a link on another thread, but I thought I'd post it up here as it's topical.

Another way of getting rid of black and green fly in the garden is to use a spray made out of rhubarb leaves. Boil the leaves in some water for a while, allow the liquid to cool, put in a spray bottle and spray the flies with impunity. No nasty chemicals on your plants, just the natural nasty chemicals from the rhubarb leaves. Make sure to clean the pot you use for the boiling afterwards, as rhubarb leaves are poisonous to humans.

[LadyA]

Just joined yesterday, and flicking through this thread. Go for it guys! The way things are going, it's definitely worth it, ecologically as well as economically, to produce as much as you can - not to mention the sheer sense of satisfaction you get as you bypass the over-packaged fruit and veg in the supermarket! Earlier this year, the price of leeks caught my eye, and I stood and gaped! Can't figure out the justification for that price, for something which seems so easy to grow, and doesn't need a lot of space - so if anyone has a few feet of flower bed to spare, shove a few leek plants in in spring!

For cleaning, including laundry, I'm relying more and more on old fashioned Washing Soda. I use it for cleaning the cooker, toilet, tiles, in-wash stain removing, keeping the drains clear, washing floors, countertops etc. etc.
And I get Ecover laundry liquid and washing up liquid bottles re-filled, so cutting down on all those plastic bottles, even if they were going into the recycling.

[bluecurlygirl]

Well done LadyA and welcome to JT too! It's a great site with very friendly members who are always more than welcome to impart advice and accept it too. Where do you get your ecover from? Do you order it online or is it sold near you? I don't have any local suppliers unfortunately.

[LadyA]

I get it in Tesco, but most of the supermarkets around here sell it. The Health Food shops sell it too, and then there's a sort of bulk food shop in Waterford, where you can buy things like oatmeal, flour, beans, dried fruit - all sorts of stuff - in bulk, just in big plain plastic bags. Or on the other hand, if you just want a small amount of something, they will sell you a small amount. And they have enormous drums of the ecover liquids, from which they refill your original bottles. Saves you sending empty plastic bottles to wherever they end up!

[TheBear]

I get it in Tesco, but most of the supermarkets around here sell it. The Health Food shops sell it too, and then there's a sort of bulk food shop in Waterford, where you can buy things like oatmeal, flour, beans, dried fruit - all sorts of stuff - in bulk, just in big plain plastic bags. Or on the other hand, if you just want a small amount of something, they will sell you a small amount. And they have enormous drums of the ecover liquids, from which they refill your original bottles. Saves you sending empty plastic bottles to wherever they end up!
That's a great idea (the drums of detergent to refill the small bottles). I wonder if there's anywhere in Dublin that provides the same service?

[LadyA]

There has to be! Ask at some of the health food shops - I know some of them refill them - or check ecover's website and ask them if they know of anywhere, cos I know it's something they are keen to promote.
http://www.ecover.com/gb/en/WhereToBuy/

[corker]

Yes, I've seen that but there only teensie bottles. i was hoping for a 2.5 litres bottle of it. I have a lot of cleaning to catch up on, seen I have boycotted those chemical cleaners for so long!!!
That site looks good.
thanks for all the tips, am enjoying this thread. Regards to all.
Corker

[LadyA]

Yes, I've seen that but there only teensie bottles. i was hoping for a 2.5 litres bottle of it. I have a lot of cleaning to catch up on, seen I have boycotted those chemical cleaners for so long!!!

Corker
Maybe they'd sell you the whole big drum of it?! ;) ;D

[Berlinn]

Yes, I've seen that but there only teensie bottles. i was hoping for a 2.5 litres bottle of it. I have a lot of cleaning to catch up on, seen I have boycotted those chemical cleaners for so long!!!
That site looks good.
thanks for all the tips, am enjoying this thread. Regards to all.
Corker

I asked in our local Spar, and they ordered me a 5 litre bottle of white vinegar. Cost €6.95, but I reckon its cheaper than all the other chemical stuff.

[unapam]

If we all ordered it at our local Spar...then they would order it and ....we could start a trend? Worth a try...yes????...So...ask at your local Spar or LIdl or Centra or Superquinn or whatever.... Nothing to lose - right?

[cascais]

hi marie,
another tip for the slugs : used coffee powder from coffee maker , the egg shells work great too as carissa was saying also, but the coffee powder mixes in with the earth after while so you need to put some more at the base of the veggies . anything that is hard to crawl onto, so anything grindy does the trick perfect.
wont get rid of the slugs completely but will keep them away for a while.


also the flower marygold is supposed to be great for insects, but caution, one insect loves it, so you get rid of some but attract others with it...

hope that helps

cascais

[rccrchickie]

Hi I joined today and I am having a great time reading all your tips.

If your shower head is blocked with limescale, put white vinager and bread soda in a plastic bag or deep bowl and leave the shower head to soak for a few hours. It loosens it up a treat and unblocks the holes, apparently it also works on taps too.

For blocked drains, pour a good amount of bread soda down the plug hole, then add a good glug of white vinegar. The foaming action, will help unblock the pipes. It helps if you haven't run water in the sink when you do this, so the bread soda goes down the plug hole.

[tasmin]

hi all,

just wondering if any of you have tried soda crystals for cleaning?
apperently its an old fashioned way of cleaning, its been in use for over 200 years.
i seen this in the sho and laughed, and said "yeah right"
cause i thought it would be a load of bul
it was only 99c a bag and u only need a small cup full in a bottle of water. and one of those spray bottles.
i've recently been trying it out, just to see if it was any use.
i've used it on worktops, ceramic tiles , cooker etc and its just as good as any of the bottles of stuff u pay 3.99 for.

and u would get at lease 6 cups, the only thing i would say against it is it doesnt leave any smell...just cleans it

aperently u can used this in the kitchen, sinks and drains and ur washing.

havent tried it in my washing yet, though might try it on something thats no use, just in case lol

all the best,
tas

[paprika]

Hi tasmin,

is that the same that's called bread soda? I use that for washing the cloth nappies after I soaked them in vinegary water. It's fine, doesn't leave any smell on them either though :)
Haven't tried it to use as a surface cleaner, but might give it a go despite all my love for Cif products...

Regards,
p

[tasmin]

hiya

no, this is called soda crystals.

my mam used to used the soad bread all the time.

god theres a memory lol


tas

[bluecurlygirl]

Yes, soda crystals have been used for years. My mum & my granny washed clothes in it especially whites. Also, a very handy way to clean your bath and save showering yourself with talc when you get out of the bath - put a handful of soda crystals into the bath while running. Hop in and scrub yourself. You get out and your skin is as soft as a baby's and your bath is clean after soaking in the crystals too!! Clean bath while relaxing in it (no scrubbing involved)!! That's a product worth trying! I forgot about it so thanks for reminding me.

[Proteavalley]

any one got any receipe for eco friendly stuff????????????/

[Proteavalley]

this is good for rubbing on leaves of your plants to restore there natural shine

[Proteavalley]

I always thought soda crystals were caustic

[JESSELVA]

I thoroughly agree with the suggestionsfor cleaning. I ve been using distilled white vinegar for cleaning window glass, floor tiles, and mirrors for several months now. I use bread soda for cleaning saucepans and cooker. We have had to abandon use of mos chemicals in the home because of serious lung disease.

However there are even more non toxic remedies.

Washing soda or soda crystals are a fantastic stain remover in your washing machine or hand wash. The cost a tiny fraction of what branded specialised stain removers do and are available in almost alll supermarkets.

For animal care. Apple cider vinegar applied to your dogs coat as a shampoo and rinsed off will keep fleas and ticks at bay. A small amount of cider vinegar added to your dogs daily feed will help prevent some bone diseases and hip displasia. ( It helps break down excessive calcium deposits) Odourless garlic capsules added to your pets feeds will really discourage fleas ticks and most worms. And if your dog rolls about in something really smelly, let their coat dry out, then liberally sprinkle him with bread soda and rub into coat. Then brush out thoroughly and you ll find he has a sweet smelling sparkling coat from his "dry shampoo"

[bluecurlygirl]

Oh Jesselva, excellent ideas there. I have a labrador who loves rolling in smelly things. Also, they're renowned for hip problems and as she's a pure bred, tics and things like that are detrimental to her (purebreds are very delicate apparently). I shall be using all your ideas. Thanks a million.

[JESSELVA]

Yes, some of the larger breeds are very prone to hip problems', We have 3 Rottweilers' , a labrador, and a little corgi/terrier. We found the Rottweilers were plagued with a mite which caused them dreadful distress. It seemed to always be a constant round of injections and very little relief for them. I happened by pure chance to come across a book called " household hints and tips" by a Margaret Bradley, published by L&K Designs. it s fairly newonly published 2008, but apart from the usual household tips, there is a pets and outdoor section in it, thats where I found the Doggie Remedes, and they really do work. They havent been troubled by this mysterious mite for the past 3 months', Its fantastic. My heart was broken watching their distress from either constan scratching, or constant needles.

[jenniferalan]

I googled this and I got this link

Don't know who this Duggar family are.. but they seem to have a lot of kids!, 20!!

They have receipes for soap and detergent on their website, see below

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can normally be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)



Powdered Laundry Detergent- Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax

-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)





Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes

Recipe #1
1 Cup White Vinegar
Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2

1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener
4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

...Sounds cheap and greener but does it smell and clean as good?!

[irishrose]

I don't make my own detergent, but last summer I bought a bag of soapnuts at the Oxfam Fairtrade shop just off Grafton Street. I've been using the same bag since, washing about three to four loads of laundry per week. A bag of soapnuts costs about 9 euro. They claim you can use soapnuts for virtually all cleaning - that you can make washing up liquid, shampoo, etc.. However, I followed the instructions and made a batch of what was supposed to be washing up liquid, and it turned out to be a lot like colour-tinged water, and about as effective. Since then, I've stuck to using it in the washer. It's not a panacea - it won't remove grass or wine or grease stains any more than most detergents, but it's cheap and it gets the majority of things clean. I simply pre-treat stains as I did when I was buying detergent. I would recommend them.

[daisy does it]

I found this on the internet and I tried it and it works pretty good

2 teaspoons of bread soda as the powder and vinegar as the rinse aid

you can also use equal quantities of Borax and Bread soda mix together and use 2 teaspoons as before.

It's great for keeping the dishwasher and washing machine clean as well.

Can be used as an oven cleaner just sprinkle over the bottom of the oven and spray with a little water, leave for a while and then remove. works a treat better then the spray over cleaner that nearly kills you when you spray it.

Bread soda is a good degreaser and is an old fashioned cleaner that is environmentally friendly.

it's a water softener.

It has many other uses to numerous to mention here

has anyone any other uses to tell us

[Chris P]

The cleaner your home, the more toxic it may be...

http://www.jumbletown.ie/forums/showthread.php?p=217033#post217033

[Dimples1553]

I reluctantly joined Melaleuca.com 2 years ago.....Initially I thought their products were expensive and then realised that they weren't as my shopping bills reduced dramatically! i had decided to go Eco as this planets problems are rapidly accelerating out of control.
All their products are Eco friendly and of top quality.
I especially love their soaps and shampoos as well as their cleaning products.
To be honest i do not find their washing products brilliant...ok for coloured clothes but for items like chefs jackets....a 'no no'!!! Their washing up liquid is fantastic! Better than any I have ever used before including say the likes of well know general products that we all have bought in our supermarkets.
Their cosmetics are fantastic. Checkout their products and get back to me with any questions! I am not vying for business here...I just love their goods!
My advice to folks who wish to sign up is to spread the costs around with say 3 friends.....become a member to avail of cheaper costs and share out the products with your 3 friends.
Am sure you will be thrilled at how much you will save on all these toxic cleaning products that are in our supermarkets!
And remember Vinegar and Bread Soda are the most fantastic cleaning products! Cheap to buy and use!
Dimples 1553

[colmsmum]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me where I can buy a large bottle of white vinegar? They only have small bottles that cost a fortune in the supermarket & doesn't go far with the use it gets here.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.

[bluecurlygirl]

Bread soda is a good degreaser and is an old fashioned cleaner that is environmentally friendly.

it's a water softener.

It has many other uses to numerous to mention here

has anyone any other uses to tell us[/QUOTE]

Hiya - I think if you read this entire thread from beginning to end you'll find about a million uses for Bread soda listed on it and a lot of them I didn't know. I've typed up a list at this stage and printed it. It's hanging up in my kitchen and gets referred to often. I clean my electric cooker and my range with bread soda, washing up liquid and lemon juice and my face with bread soda and sugar!!

[bluecurlygirl]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me where I can buy a large bottle of white vinegar? They only have small bottles that cost a fortune in the supermarket & doesn't go far with the use it gets here.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.

Would your local chip shop buy you some in the cash and carry?

[colmsmum]

Never thought of that, thanks for the tip.

[Dimples1553]

Have you any friends who work in catering? If so ask them when they go to the Cash & Carry i.e Musgraves to pick you up a bottle there! Or ask wherever you work as if it's an office they must have cleaners etc andsee if your firm have a Cash & Carry Account set up.

Hope this helps!
Dimples1553

[sandramcs]

I am exhausted! have just spent the past few hours scooshing vinegar on windows and washing paintwork and dusting and hoovering and generally getting ready for an invasion due a week today. Nothing like visitors to get the sleeves up. When I was at home many moons ago vinegar was the liquid of choice for washing the windows, and that happened every week. My mother would die if she could see the windows on our house. vinegar is also magic in the bathroom, including in the bath. I recently got a couple of books on Vinegar and Bicarbonate of soda - baking soda here in Ireland. I have begun cleaning my teeth with the bicarb, and I do think I see a difference in colour. I put it in the washing machine and it seems to have cleared out the residue of soap. It has been used in the dishwasher and takes away the smell, and the dishes and cutlery were gleaming. I need to keep my feet as cool as possible or I run the risk of eczema outbreaks, and decided to give them a bicarb soak yesterday. yep, it works. I know from reading through all the entries that there are a lot of you who are well acquainted with the benefits of said cleaning agents. The little video put up by Chris is also to the point. I want to get bigger quantities, now that I have this bee in my bonnet. I have googled but to no effect, so will see if Musgraves will look kindly on an innocent member of the public looking for the above two items, and borax. I forget why borax, and also soda crystals. Then when all the existing cleaning agents are finished, no more of them. Well, maybe a pack of fairy non-bio in case. So, thanks for all the tips and I hope it all helps to reduce somewhat the amount of chemicals flushing down the tubes. So now, a cup of tea is in order, and then maybe another couple of windows....

[Mickey]

I'll PM my address and directions, come over here for a cup of tea and I'll be very glad to watch and learn how you get the windows all gleaming :oD. My notepad is at the ready - lol

I am also being invaded next week and am completely ashamed of the state of the place!

Well done on what is definitely a monumental task

[bluecurlygirl]

Good woman sandramcs. I hope you had a chocolate bikkie too after all that. Definitely deserved. I'm tired just reading about all your work. If you want to come and do my windows you're more than welcome!

[Fizzywitch]

Funny you should mention about the bicarb on your teeth. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that I had the start of staining on one of my teeth and used bicarb on my toothbrush, gave them a scrub and it came off after one go!

Pah! to all these miracle teeth cleaning chemicals!

It doesn't taste too bad either, just a bit salty.

My favorite is to clean the drains with it. Shovel a few teaspoons of bicarb down the plug hole, add a good glug of vinegar and then pour on boiling water from the kettle and watch it foam!!

And yes, why is white vinegar so expensive now, are the taking advantage of all of us who have started using it for cleaning as it used to be sold really cheaply!

[sandramcs]

Well, nice to hear from you all. Tea is drunk, no chocolate allowed in the house at the moment, long term reduction plan for a wedding outfit. Federer doing not too badly on the courts, and I will just clean the car windows for safety reasons before tackling the dinner. I don't usually have leisure for cleaning marathons, but have stopped work till August so am enjoying doing it in manageable spurts. I will keep you posted on Musgraves prices.

[bluecurlygirl]

The cleaner your home, the more toxic it may be...

http://www.jumbletown.ie/forums/showthread.php?p=217033#post217033

Aw thanks Chris. I knew I was tolerating the mess for the good of my family ;-)

[nanny56]

Hi, I have tried the salt on my patio weeds and....ALL GONE!
Don't forget the loo. Throw a good dollop of white vinegar in for a few hours or overnight. Follow that when you'r ready to start cleaning with a handful of baking soda. It will fizz up and you can scrub to you hearts content knowing that you are not contributing to the planets pain! (and it doesn't cost the earth)

[Gormal]

Hi all very helpfull post keep it up.

Lemon juice is great for bringing your white tshirts back from the brink. I noticed that my other halfs were looking really dingy from sweat stains and probby deod too, this was after washing!!!
So I filled a bucket with hot water and lemon juice popped all his tees in there, soaked overnight and spun and hung on the line. Dazzling.
He's delighted. As am i as I don't have to listen to the complaints about cheap powder...etc or it's not a brand name.........blah blah

[tasmin]

hi all,
i found that if you use two dental tablets on stains with hot water the stain vanishes like magic.

they are great for the bath and loo too.

might try them on my tiles next :-)

[CD427JAG]

Any tips other than bleach to clean nice pink shower bacteria that hide behind clear rubber seals

[sandramcs]

shower seals not aqua seals... vinegar and or bread soda. I keep a squirty bottle of vinegar at hand and it certainly makes it easy to keep the shower clean. A tiny bit of elbow grease leaves the grouting nice and white too. Good luck.

[nanny56]

I also keep a spray bottle with neat vinegar handy. After spraying I dip either an old tooth or nailbrush into bread soda and scrub the area. Keeping the windows open will minimize the chip shop smell! Seriously it goes away pretty quickly.

[CD427JAG]

Thanks will give it a try

[Gormal]

White toothpaste cleans silver brilliantly.
Just rub toothpaste onto silver, take a damp bit of kitchen roll and rub to a lather, then when your done just rinse. see pic for before and after.

[Gormal]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me where I can buy a large bottle of white vinegar? They only have small bottles that cost a fortune in the supermarket & doesn't go far with the use it gets here.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.


I know this was asked a while ago, but I saw a 5L bottle? in buylo for around 6.69 euro i think

[TheBear]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me where I can buy a large bottle of white vinegar? They only have small bottles that cost a fortune in the supermarket & doesn't go far with the use it gets here.

Thanks & regards,
colmsmum.
Hi,

They have 750ml bottles of white vinegar in Tesco for 69c, and malt vinegar (brown) for 39c (I'm not sure if the brown vinegar would undo some of the cleaning benefits by leaving brown marks). I know you were looking for a big container, but maybe some small cheap containers will do.

[jenniferalan]

A great tip for cleaning oven glass doors is to mix bi carb of soda and undiluted washing up liquid. mix into a paste and apply to the door. leave for 10 mins and then scrape off. glass door will be like new!

[TickTock]

This is a true story.

Today I had 2 lemons. I grated the rind and packed it and froze it. Then I juiced the lemons and poured the juice into an ice cube tray and froze that also. Then I took what was left of the lemons, spread them open and cleaned my shower door – which in hindsight was a mistake because then I had bits of lemon flesh caught in the steel framework and I had a job and a half to get that off. I then rinsed the shower door with clean water, and thought…..I would have had better results with washing up liquid. Then I took what was barely left of the lemons and popped them into my dishwasher, which I don’t use very much but today I did…because I had put lemons in! Then I spent the rest of the morning fretting about the fact that I had thrown the pips away – should I have been making jam today I wondered?

Is this a step too far? Do I see men in white coats approaching?

[mewl81]

Thanks erica, your a great help. I'll buy a bit at the weekend, if i post a wanted ad i may not get it in time (if at all) & the birds will have a field day. I wouldn't mind but i have feeders for them but they're obviously impressed with colms work!
The netting off fruit u buy in the shop tie together and use a few small sticks and elastic bands to attach net to sticks( twigs/small shrub branches etc)

[maggied]

hi tick tock , i am shocked you didn't plant the seeds to see could you get a lemon tree , and them get all your windows gleaming too ! now who is obsessed ?
maggie

[greenasil]

Hi there!
Hoping you all can help me out!
I have moved to Ireland recently from North America and I cannot find proper cleaning vinegar in the shops. I see this thread talks about using vinegar for cleaning and I hope you can help.
The vinegar I am accustomed to buying for cleaning is sold in gallon jugs and is located in the cleaning area of the grocery shop. I know that the shops here sell distilled malt vinegar, wine vinegar, and cider vinegar, etc. but I am searching for plain white vinegar. Where will I find this in Ireland?
I have asked in shops (Tesco, Dunnes, Superquinn) and I get blank looks or I am directed to the malt vinegar.
Thanks in advance for your assistance!

[Gormal]

Hi there!
Hoping you all can help me out!
I have moved to Ireland recently from North America and I cannot find proper cleaning vinegar in the shops. I see this thread talks about using vinegar for cleaning and I hope you can help.
The vinegar I am accustomed to buying for cleaning is sold in gallon jugs and is located in the cleaning area of the grocery shop. I know that the shops here sell distilled malt vinegar, wine vinegar, and cider vinegar, etc. but I am searching for plain white vinegar. Where will I find this in Ireland?
I have asked in shops (Tesco, Dunnes, Superquinn) and I get blank looks or I am directed to the malt vinegar.
Thanks in advance for your assistance!

You can get the plain white vinegar in BuyLo in 5L bottles, it is not amongst the cleaning stuff.

[greenasil]

You can get the plain white vinegar in BuyLo in 5L bottles, it is not amongst the cleaning stuff.

Thank you, Gormal!
Where are BuyLo stores located? I am in Dublin and haven't seen this store.

[Fizzywitch]

You can get the plain white vinegar in BuyLo in 5L bottles, it is not amongst the cleaning stuff.

I ask at our local Eurospar for the 1 gallon container of white vinegar as they use it for cleaning in the cafe and deli. Small bottles are usually available with the condiments in supermarkets, tescos, supervalu etc..
I pay $5 which I think is good value.

[flies]

Here's a tip on how to get rid of flys, fruit flies that is. A small container of apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap.

[koko]

Breadsoda also kills mould,, as I found out when my daughter had it growing in her blood last year,, it was discovered thanks to a naturopath in Waterford, she lost 9 weeks of school in sever pain and had to take some every day ,, was back in school within a week,, doctors wanted her to see a psychiatrist but to the wonders of breadsoda she got back to normal in no time,,, so you can wash anything with it,,

[Marhen]

I have chronic Asthma and was using the same type of inhalers you mentioned. last year my doctor changed my inhaler to a CFC free inhaler. It is called Salamol Easy-Breathe. I have found it works better than the old ones. Perhaps you could talk to your doctor about it. This will leave you with no Pssh's and works great. Mahen

[flies]

White vinegar mixed with water is a great window cleaner as well. If you have any citrus peels, cut into strips, put in a jar with white vinegar, leave on the window sill a few days, strain , then put in sprayer bottle. You know have an all purpose cleaner. Works great I use it more than anything else.