I'd forgotten how useful soda crystals are!

I make washing liquid with mine. Half a pack with a bar of cheap soap makes enough to last me a year. As long as you put it straight onto the dirtiest areas first and leave it to soak in for 5 minutes, it's fine.

janerowena how do you make it? (And store it)

Storing it can be a pain, I use big old yellow plastic dishwasher powder containers but it can be very thick and gloopy so very difficult to pour. You need to stir it occasionally to stop it from separating. Ideally you need a large container that a long-handled spoon could go into. I am going to start saving 1 litre plastic paint pots, I think.

frugaldom.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/saving-on-annual-costs-of-laundry.html

It comes out very thick, I use far more water than it says on here, I play it by ear so can't give you an exact amount. She says she makes hers up to 7 litres, I probably go to 10. But I don't want it clogging my machine, so I would rather dilute it more and add more. Reading it again, she does say to do the odd hot wash to clear the pipes.

It leaves glass very sparkly too Phoenix

I used it yesterday to unblock my walk in shower, which gets bunged up with soap and hair every couple of months, OH has been buying one of those unblocker things at £5 a go but I thought I would try with the soda crystals and plunger, it worked perfectly and only cost a few pence. OH wasn't impressed and reckons it will block again in a few days . He of little faith haha

tanith I do remember to put some down the sink and leave overnight from time to time, seems to work fine! Don't even need a plunger.

It's great for soaking baked on scrambled egg saucepans.

I put it down the plug-hole in the bathroom basin and then pour boiling water down. It clears any soap or grease build up that causes the sink to empty slowly.

I put it down the plug-hole in the bathroom basin and then pour boiling water down. It clears any soap or grease build up that causes the sink to empty slowly.

Very thorough Marelli.

Where do you buy soda crystals and what are they?

For burnt on pots or pans, I add hot water and a cheap dishwasher tablet that I buy from the Pound Shop and bring to the boil for 5 to 10 mins, problem solved.

I buy mine from either the village shop or a supermarket. I don't buy dishwasher tablets, as I don't have a dishwasher!

When I first used to buy them years ago, they came in a box and were actual crystals, these days they seem to come in a polythene bag.

Still work just as well.

A piece of aluminium foil with soda crystals dissolved in hot water will take the tarnish off silver in no time. Might remove silver plating though!

Yes, I wish they were still crystals as they took longer to dissolve down the plug hole. Today's powdery stuff goes down too quickly.
I also use household bicarbonate of soda a lot. 1 or 2 teaspoons in a teapot, fill with boiling water and leave for an hour or two. All the brown stains come off really easily. Or rub directly on - good fot tea cups/ mugs if you don't have a dishwasher.

I buy mine from Wilkinsons. I use them in the washing machine and down the plugholes but having read the OP I'm going to try them on the kitchen and bathroom tiles as well.

I wouldn't be surprised that if we looked at the ingredients in a fair few of the household cleaners we use (i.e. kitchen spray, bathroom spray etc etc) the active ingredients were something akin soda stuff and white vinegar under another name!

At the risk of sounding like a cave woman/world war housewife, there are probably many products that we could use like they were in "the old days" , but we somehow get conned into using a "modern" alternative.

Todays "experiment" has certainly got me thinking. The rather severe financial episode last year had already got me buying cheap general all purpose cleaner and filling old spray bottles with it in a diluted form.

Actually, those spray things rather bug me. We should be able to buy refills for ALL OF them, rather than chucking the hole thing away. Some companies are sort of trying to do this, for example pouches of instant coffee rather jars, although I have noticed that sometimes these work out more expensive

Three main ingredients I use Phoenix are, Soda Bic, White Vinegar and Soda Crystals. There are so many ways you can use these three which makes it unnecessary to buy a selection of cans and sprays.

Oh! Just seen that I'd posted twice, Agus! So much for boasting about being 'clean round the u-bend' - I looked under the sink and discovered I have no soda crystals left - must dash out and get more!

Hope you got a good supply in Marelli. A girl needs a clean u bend.