Under the sink

Sorry, I've given up trying to the bottom of 'why?' DH is Oi/c cleaning materials. He is obsessed with all things 'under sink'! I was trying to sort out the stuff we have in our bathroom yesterday and asked him why we have to have two bottles of bleach, two bottles of bathroom flash, a bottle of antibacterial cleaner, several different kinds of thing you put under the rim of the loo, and various types of cleaning cloth. He gave me a kind of 'I don't have to explain myself to you' look, as I whittled them down to a minimum. The under sink cupboard is just as bad; ditto the utility room. We are sinking under the weight of cleaning stuff. Just how bloody clean do you need to be? My house is adequately tidy and hygienic the majority of the time - we are expecting visitors for the weekend tommorrow and Himself has been in overdrive all week! It's been like Bed and Breakfast Challenge or whatever it's called! Sorry - it's a rant!

That's a perfect example of 'the just in case' principle. Just in case of what I'm not sure, but I also work to this method! We must have learned it somewhere.......?? I blame the war, my mother stockpiled everything from loo roll to tomato ketchup after living through rationing.

Well, not having a cleaner or a DH like yours Greyduster,the reason we have quite a full under the sink cupboard, is that 1) I like to find as many 'easy' cleaning materials as possible and 2) when at the supermarket I forget what is actually under there so buy more. It ends up like Noah's Ark, two of everything, but in the end, it will all get used.

When did you move into my house Alea?

This sounds all too familiar... I have three boxes of laundry detergent at home at the moment (bought because I thought I was nearing the end of one box when I still had a plenty plus a backup in the garage). Clearly terrified of running out and not being able to a wash for one day! Can you imagine - my poor washing machine wouldn't know what to do with itself if i gave it a day off...

I have one of everything needed to clean the kitchen under the sink, one of everything needed to clean a bathroom in the bathrooms and the new/spare ones in the cupboard in the downstairs loo. I have to control myself as I love a 'product' and buy them when on special offer but I love a tidy cupboard just as much!

Cleaning products are a triumph of marketing over commonsense.

In case that sounds smug, it is only an observation. I too am guilty of the products under the sink crime.

My speciality is magic dusters. I never dust. My cleaner comes once a fortnight but had been on holiday so missed a session, when DD2 came round and observed in a shocked tone that she could write her name on the bookcase

I'm trying to run down EVERYTHING in my house at the moment. Different types of shampoo/conditioner that I mistakenly thought would make my hair look better#alostcauseifevertherewasone. Three for two make up deals at Boots result in drawers full of skin products. Vitamin supplements that I go through phases of taking every day and then suddenly stop for no reason [the dog still gets her cod liver oil capsule each night, though, as she sits by the cupboard waiting for it]. I have, just got down to one bottle of Dettol power and pure, although there is a TINY amount left in one bottle so I must make myself throw it out NOW. Ditto a Cif one that I don't really like. When I first saw cleaning wipes I went round cleaning everything [they'd been on the market for years but I hadn't used them] and the first time I used a supermop I was so excited I told everyone about them. I do have several, because they are all for different rooms. The S.O. then buys things that he sees on offer that he knows I use, so I find things in cupboards that I didn't know I had. I also rearrange things on a regular basis and don't know what is where. It's actually scrambling my brain at the moment; hence the fact that I'm sat at the pooter doing nothing about it . Help!!

We have just begun the awful task of clearing out my dear grandma's bungalow and I am amazed at how many cleaning products she has accumulated under her sink, in the bathroom and in the cupboard in her
stockroom back bedroom. I have been doing all of her shopping for the past few years so I know that she had a "thing" about having plenty loo roll, kitchen roll and washing up liquid but I had no idea just how much of everything had been stashed all over the house. my son and I counted 7 bottles of bleach, 30 something toilet rolls, jeez knows how many bottles of spray and piles and piles of her most recent favourite things..... wet wipes. Wipes for benches, toilet seats, tiles, leather, floors, babies bottoms..............

My name is River and I have a confession to make ...... I've been using wipes in the bathroom (on surfaces not me).

Last year when a friend mentioned them I tut-tutted and said they were a waste of money and did nothing that a cloth and a bit of spray couldn't do but she found it useful to have a quick wipe around before going to work so things weren't too bad by the weekend.

They were on 2 for 1 offer with Ocado and I succumbed

As long as you don't flush them down the loo! My take on them is that I'm having to use hot water and cleaning products to clean any cloths that I use which counteracts any damage to the environment caused by using wipes. Wonder what the most unusual things are that people keep under the sink? I have tongue depressors and kebab skewers under mine [I assume evryone has lots of old toothbrushes].

I have a thing about loo rolls. With three toilets in the house, I like to keep three spares in each one!
There is nothing worse than finding an empty loo roll when you reach for it!

When we moved into this house we had three loos for the first time (at the same time as the fewest number of people living in the house). My sister a thrifty accountant suggested we have a loo roll on our belts rather than equip each loo with a separate roll. I hope she was joking but she does count the vegetables for dinner!

We have a shoe cleaning box with polish, brushes, buffing cloth, ancient shoe polish, and neither of us has shoes that require polishing. I have some stuff in a little bottle for cleaning silver. We haven't any silver except the odd bit of jewellery. Why am I keeping this stuff?

Did anyone see'This Wild Life' the other night where Saba was getting ready for some paying guests from a safari and they realised they didn't have any loo rolls for them [then the generator packed in and a sink in one tent collapsed]. I mean, if I lived deep in a jungle [or wherever it is] I would keep at least a years supply of loo roll in the cupboard.[or, if I was ON a safari I would carry a minimum of 5 loo rolls in my luggage]#it'sthestuffofnightmares

The elderly uncle of a friend is a little OCD about washing up liquid. On the kitchen windowsill he has 15 bottles - one of each colour from all the major supermarkets (but not the Coop). The bottles are used in strict rotation so the fluid levels are similar.

I spent £10 on loo rolls yesterday

5 packs of the 9 roll ones, Nicky Elite, from Home Bargains, so 45 rolls for £10 (bargain?)

However, the nearest place I can get them is Barnstaple, so I called in on my way back from a hospital appointment.

I once have a good look at loo rolls...whilst some of the cheaper ones. don't have as many sheets, hence false economy, and also sometimes the roll itself is bigger(the cardboard bit)on some.

I rather like that, choco! I might even copy that idea, except that I would carry on using my favourite one and just have the other for decoration. Imagine the sun shining through the different coloured liquids

Re loo rolls, I go by the '100 sheets per' price on the puppy advert brand. It often works out cheaper than the cheapo stuff because you don't have to use so much for the same absorbency.

Ive got silverfish under my sink but no product to kill them, anyone got a silverfish killer/deterrant. Ive got lots of other stuff such as cleaning products and mouse killers etc.

I agree thatbags, and there's quite often an offer on with the bigger packs of Andrex.

My bargain compulsion is kitchen roll - there is one brand I prefer and it's a lot cheaper in Home Bargains, but the last time I bought a pack from there the rolls were just a bit too big for my roll holder!

Lots of various bottles of 'wood-floor cleaner' 'wood and laminate floor polish' even 'spray-on wood and laminate floor cleaner' of various makes and types, mostly still full.

I just use Flash - or one of those floor wet wipe thingies.

I keep one v. large container of white vinegar, which I decant into a spray bottle diluted with a little water. I use it on my wooden work surfaces, it cleans the cooker a treat, it's good for getting rid of lime scale (if one is patient), and keeps the loos clean and sparkling (no bleach because I'm not on mains drainage).... and a host of other stuff. It's cheap and effective.
Also keep a bottle of Fairy Liquid and some Brillo pads to aid the elbow grease and that's it. Not dead yet.....