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How to have a delightfully aromatic home...

(60 Posts)
Rosina Mon 13-May-19 13:25:38

I thought I might pass on this little tip; when arriving home almost on your knees with several bags of extremely heavy shopping, unpack same and place giant size bottle of fabric conditioner on worktop. Remove jacket, and in doing so ensure that you catch giant bottle with elbow and send it crashing onto tiled floor, where it will split from end to end and a tidal wave of conditioner will surge across your shoes, the kitchen floor, and into the dining room.
Spend the next hour or so trying to clean up slippery liquid which does not want to be absorbed into any kind of cloth or kitchen paper. Then keep filling bucket with hot soapy water and repeatedly mop slippery finish from floor. Lastly, with help, pull out cooker, large and heavy fridge, and dishwasher, and remove all kick boards on kitchen units in order to repeat the above over the next hour or so. Try to ensure that grandchildren, who arrive in middle of exercise, do not hear what you are muttering.
Your home will smell wonderfully of 'Clean Cotton' .
Alternatively, light a scented candle.

Anyone else have any household tips learned in similar manner?

SueDoku Tue 14-May-19 12:04:59

GillT57 I agree about the amazing covering power of a small amount...! Last Christmas, at DDs, I opened the fridge - and a carton of double cream, with about an inch left in it, toppled off the front of an (over-filled) shelf....
Unfortunately, the top hadn't been clipped on securely, so it hit me - covering me in cream from neck to waist - then rebounded into the edge of a lower shelf - covering everything on that shelf in cream - then fell to the floor - covering a large area of slate tiles in cream...! All in a splint second shock
It took two of us over an hour to clean everything (while fending off 2 curious DGC and a dog) and the grouting in that area of the floor has never really been the same..!!! confused

Houndi Tue 14-May-19 11:55:02

We arrived on our holiday to Mauritius brought Vodka and Rum from the Duty Free my husband dropped the bag with the full bottle of vodka in.The mauritian who welcome us was hindu and said to us dont worry in his religion when a bottle is smashed when you arrive it signals a new beginning lets hope he right as last year was the worse year of my life my mom died
The manager smiled at us and said dont worry they do it to ships all the time.This was a start of one of the most wonderful holidays i have had

Teacheranne Tue 14-May-19 11:53:38

My worst spillage was dropping a bottle of gin as I took it out of the car boot! Not a strong smell as it was on the drive but such a waste!

As for smelly cars, you can't beat the stink of a long lost dirty nappy, once had one wedged under a car seat and it took me ages to work out what the awful smell was and locate it!

The most difficult mess to clean up was very concentrated coffee dribbled up the stair carpet after my son tried to make me a cup using his toy tea set and a full jar of coffee - and a tiny amount of water! Luckily the carpet was beige with mottled spots of dark brown so the remaining stains didn't stand out too much. But I never got it out of his pyjamas or bedding!

Grannyguitar Tue 14-May-19 11:51:04

I use vinegar in the last rinse instead of softener. It neutralises the last of the detergent, and leaves the clothes soft. No, I don't smell like an escapee from a chip shop, the slight smell is gone once dry!

granzilla Tue 14-May-19 11:41:18

That's one that Mrs. Hinch didn't think of.
Made me smile

Angeleyes58xx Tue 14-May-19 11:36:25

Rosina, I think I would rather light a candle lol ?
Joking apart I feel your pain having to clean all that slippery conditioner up, I bet your sinuses are clear now too ?
No one can say your kitchen floor is dirty, bless you.
This post did make me smile though, Thank you.
Sending you Much love ? and Hugs ? xx

Judi45 Tue 14-May-19 11:35:04

Talking of spillages - I had put 3 bottles of red wine in a bag in the boot of my car, left them all night and in the morning the car smelt like a pub. Couldn't think what it was until I found one broken bottle - what a waste of Merlot - which had seeped through everything. What happened next? Endangered species in uniform asks what I'm doing, smells alcohol and asks me if I've been drinking! 8 in the morning!! Breathalizes me as I have car keys in hand! Then understands and helps mop up, car still smells like the aftermath of a good party, hope I don't get stopped by the police again!

Saggi Tue 14-May-19 11:14:15

Yes Rosina...well an anti-tip really ...dont drop a bottle (glass) of TCP....two months for the ‘aroma’ to finially disappear! Gross...but infection free!

Craftycat Tue 14-May-19 10:41:12

Thank you Rosina- I did exactly the same thing last week- minus GC arriving. I did have 4 cats parading through the mess though so had to catch them & wash their paws- did not go down well!
I was so annoyed as I had just bought the huge bottle of Method Peony Blush liquid & it wasn't even on special offer that week but I'd run out.

HannahLoisLuke Tue 14-May-19 10:21:51

A tip for hard water areas Gonegirl. If you put a Calgon tablet in the drum or even washing soda in with the detergent you won't need conditioner.
And in thus lovely weather hang the laundry outside if you're able.

SpringyChicken Mon 13-May-19 21:52:36

A window vac (like you use in showers) might have sucked it up. Otherwise, sweep it into a dustpan with a squeegee or spatula.

GillT57 Mon 13-May-19 21:30:09

One thing we have all learned is to never buy a second hand car in the winter!

annodomini Mon 13-May-19 20:27:50

My finest hour and cleanest ever kitchen floor was when I dropped an open bottle of bleach. The house smelt like an extra-chlorinated swimming pool.

SirChenjin Mon 13-May-19 19:41:03

I’m making a mental note of this - living with 3 males and one hamster means that desperate measures are sometimes called for!

My house smelled lovely after my eldest poured an entire bottle of Coco Chanel parfum down the sink when he was about 2 shock He redeemed himself 18 years later by buying me a bottle for my Christmas with money he’d saved ❤️smile

PamelaJ1 Mon 13-May-19 19:33:55

Monica, must remember the tip about the milk.
Note to self- sell car in winter ❄️
Rosina, do your bit for the planet and your health by abandoning scented candles too.
GillT- I think my worst spillage was in a Heathfield ironmongers. My DD, after refusing to use the public loo couldn’t wait any longer. That wee went for miles?

GillT57 Mon 13-May-19 16:45:16

MOnica we too sold the car in the winter!

M0nica Mon 13-May-19 16:37:36

GillT57, I did that when we were moving house. Put a carton of milk upright in a box in the boot of an estate car. Somehow it fell over and spread all over the carpet lined boot.

Like you we washed and scrubbed and aired and scattered Neurtodol everywhere, but in hot weather, this odur would arise. We sold the car in the winter on the basis that the new owners would have had the car several months before they smelt it and not realise we were the cause of it. To be fair it did fade with time and was just an occasional whiff.

sodapop Mon 13-May-19 16:37:29

You made chuckle Rosina sorry, fabric conditioner is horrible to clean up I feel for you.

Sassenach that has to trump all spillages, I could picture you trying to catch your dogs and the ensuing paw prints, this thread has really cheered me up - sorry for those who had to clean up.grinwine

Gonegirl Mon 13-May-19 16:32:19

Perhaps get a concentrated one in a smaller bottle if you want to do your bit towards saving the planet. Less plastic.

Can't do without it where I am. Clothes like a board without. Water very hard.

Gonegirl Mon 13-May-19 16:29:22

Be careful! If fabric conditioner gets on the bottom of your slippers it will be liking walking on an ice rink, no matter how much you scrub at them. I know. My best slippers are still practically unwearable.

sassenach512 Mon 13-May-19 16:23:23

Yes [Rosina] I was a bit demented for a while but it would have been worse if I'd been using gloss paint I suppose grin

GillT57 Mon 13-May-19 16:20:42

Isn't it astonishing just how much liquid there is when it is an unwanted and unplanned spillage? Desk at work, finished coffee, not even a mouthful left in mug......over it goes, into open drawer and soaks everything to a depth of at least an inch, like the parting of the red sea, how does that happen? Best one was my late Mother transporting milk to office, slammed on her brakes, over went the milk into the footwell. Despite many, many shampoos, scrubs everything we could think of, when it got hot in the car, it smelt of baby sick. shock

Alima Mon 13-May-19 16:11:21

Thank you Rosina, so funny! (Of course I am terribly sorry it happened to you!)

Rosina Mon 13-May-19 16:06:13

Oh sassenach! In the domestic disaster stakes I think you have won hands (paws??) down. (So far!)

sassenach512 Mon 13-May-19 15:06:22

I've got a good tip, how about restraining your two cavalier king Charles spaniels immediately after tipping over a pot of white emulsion and save yourself the frantic chasing after them while they tread in it and put while paw prints everywhere. Then start the clean up operation sad