Using food products as natural cleaning products

SatNavSaysStraightOn

SatNavSaysStraightOn

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
11 Oct 2012
Local time
4:24 PM
Messages
20,685
Location
SE Australia
Website
www.satnavsaysstraighton.com
So from another thread I remembered some of, but not all of the recipe for making your own air freshener.

It left me thinking that we really should have a thread about these, recipes made as normal perhaps or at least something listing what can be done with that orange peel or lemon peel you ate about to dispose of...

What others are there?
 
I'll start with a simple cleaning agent.

Vinegar. I use the cheap clear vinegar (aka white vinegar) to descale my kettle. I literally just empty the kettle, add a little vinegar and warm it up almost but not too the point of, boiling and then leave it in the kettle to cool. I leave the container of vinegar alongside the kettle and usually do it when I'm alone so no-one mistakes the clear vinegar for water... This can also be used for things like the shower head but here you need to leave it for much longer because it's harder to get it warmed up.

Vinegar and citrus peel. adding citrus peel to clear vinegar will give the vinegar a citrus smell. This can then be used on work surfaces as a cleaning agent. Just let it stand for 2 days and up to a couple of weeks, then strain and decant into a spray bottle...
 
I purchase white vinegar by the gallon. I use it to clean tile floors, coffee pot, walls, ceiling fans. It has natural grease cutting properties - needed in the kitchen, leaves no residue, the acid kills bacteria. I also use a vinegar water solution to clean litter boxes.
 
I've heard that Coke can clean toilets. I've not tried it though. Vinegar I do use sometimes, at least I think I can remember using it - cleaning and I don't really sit well together. This is a good idea for a thread though!
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
If you have ever seen what Coke does for cleaning anything oily and dirty oily like an engine... you would never touch the stuff let alone drink it!
Click to expand...
Carbonated water can give similar results. As can baking soda.

Lemon juice can be used to free siezed bolts.

Brass: use ketchup, much better than Brasso & cheaper.

White vinegar can weaken the plastics used in many modern kettles. Slowly hardens the plastic, which leads to it cracking.

Onion: Use on glass, or for cleaning your grill. Beats oranges hands down.
 
Vinegar and water is also very good for windows and mirrors. Best if a crumpled newspaper is used to wipe it off. No residue, no streaks and much less expensive than window cleaner.

A soap spray is effective in the garden on soft bodied insects - like aphids.
 
White vinegar/water (50/50) with a few drops of washing up liquid for cleaning worktops
ACV/water (50/50) for washing your hair (less harsh than white vinegar/water, and healthier than chemical laden shampoos)
Bicarbonate of soda mixed into a paste with a little water gets rid of tea, coffee and chocolate stains on cups. Is also useful for cleaning greasy sinks and bowls - squirt vinegar over a few minutes after applying bicarb paste, and allow to foam up before washing away.
Left over whey is good for cleaning burnt on stains.
Vodka/water 50/50 is good for cleaning bath, sinks and toilets
Vodka/white vinegar 50/50 with a few drops of essential oil for freshening fabric covers on furniture, and curtains
Bicarbonate of soda, or turmeric, are good for cleaning teeth!
 
I'm informed that potatoes are quite versatile stain removers, though I have no first-hand evidence of this. Something I did read about today was that around half the spuds that we buy in the UK get thrown away, so perhaps we could encourage these appalling wastrels to vary their use of the potato.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom