Natural Alternatives to Cleaning Products etc.
 

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.

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

Vinegar
 

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!

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

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:)

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!!

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

no chemicals
 

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.

great ideas
 

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!

Wow!
 

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!

more waste saving ideas
 

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

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

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.

pests
 

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:)

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

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

To Clean Washing Machine & Dishwasher
 

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.

hiya
 

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

Flies
 

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

Help!!!
 

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!!

Stains
 

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

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.

How to
 

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

Barkeepers friend
 

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.

rust stains
 

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

Rust
 

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

alternatives to Cleaning Products
 

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

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.

Patio Weeds
 

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

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!

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...

My super spray mix recipe
 

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!

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.

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.

thanks fizzywitch, ill try that formula.

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?

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.

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).