Cleaning - sometimes the old fashioned methods are the best.

I buy my white vinegar in 5L multipacks too, online. Soda crystals are available in most places like Wilko, Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose.

Some years ago when my sink blocked the plumber told me to once a month run some hot water then just put a cup of soda crystals down the drain and leave it overnight - it will clear any build up on a regular basis and stop it blocking. I've been doing it ever since on on my sinks.

I use my washing up liquid on fat stains on clothes, just
rub a dollop in 10 minutes before putting the washing on.

Anyone interested in finding out about soda crystals, bicarb, vinegar, lemons there are masses of websites and you tube videos about more natural (and more inexpensive and environmentally friendly) cleaning methods.

As I began this thread thought I should add something, anything that would not involve the products already stated !
Use them all and they work ! Plus a lemon of course.
So, another tip , after cleaning brushed steel with detergent, rinse, allow to dry and buff with baby oil. Works a treat.

I buy a 5l container of white vinegar from the village hardware shop (about £9) & soda crystals from Tescos - cheapest I have found around here.

Wow, this is brilliant, Ladies. Thanks so much for these helpful tips!

Thanks, Wetflannel, I have just bought white vinegar from Amazon.

What a useful discussion!

Said shining plughole

Wow! Just wow! I’ve done the baking soda and vinegar trick, but never soda crystals, I used the soda crystals down the sink just now, and an unexpected added bonus was the plug hole, once brown from tea and coffee is shining and new! I have a 90 degree wash on now so waiting in hot anticipation to see if it fixes the grim black seal. Thanks for the links and tips mrsb and Franbern !

This is a really good site to read about using natural products and they will answer your questions if you need advice.
www.dri-pak.co.uk/

Dillyghe Gardener for drains, inside and out. I just pour down some Soda Crystals, then add to that some white vinegar. Give it a few minutes and then po oveur a kettle or two full of boiling water over that.
I think the reason that people on here who keep asking for quantities, etc. are not getting replies is that most of us who use these items do not measure them out. Just use them. No exact quantities.
For bicarbonate of Soda and white vinegar, just make it into a paste for use on chrome, etc. etc.

I put washing up liquid on clothes that are stained then wash as normal gets the stains out everytime.

LadyGracieOf course you're not dense. I only discovered the tea bag trick recently on the internet.
Soak casserole dishes in hot water & which ever used tea bags are at hand (3-4 will do just fine) leave over night & the acid (tanin) in the tea bags cuts through the grease.
My cast iron pot is then just a wipe around. Glass, saucepan etc go in the dish-washer & come out flawless!
Hope this helps ?

The soda crystals, what is the method for cleaning sink drains?

My MIL always cleaned her sparkling windows with damp newspaper, when I tried it you could read the news from the frames.

I buy a large 5 litre white vinegar with lemon already in it. Available from Amazon and not expensive. All these different cleaning products just make the companies who make them richer. 3 staples, white vinegar, soda crystals and washing up liquid do a multitude of chores. I don't use spray polish at all damp dust and buff.

This is what I use for in-wash stain and odour removal. My mistake sorry, oxiboost not extra boost.

Sorry I forgot to say just put the vinegar in the softener compartment but no softener.

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Really encouraging to see that so many of you are forgoing the aerosol bottles for much better for the environment traditional cleaners. So much cheaper too and very effective. This is the soda I use for washing machine, sinks cleaning and the vinegar I use for almost everything. Both really cheap, soda from Tesco and vinegar bought online and the house never smells of a chip shop !

Hi, it does but the vinegar doesn’t leave the film on them so they’re still absorbent

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I love white vinegar in the wash instead of fabric softener, it’s great for microfibre cloths because they come out soft but without the filmy stuff you get from fabric softener. Extra boost soda crystals are great too, I was paying a fortune for branded in-wash stain and odour remover but the extra boost stuff is only about £1.50 and you only need to use half the amount that you do of the branded stuff.

Astonish!!!

Wash. Soda crystals and powder

Conditioner white vinegar and a splash of lemon disinfectant (Astoish)

Ro60 sorry if I'm being dense. What do you do with the tea bags to clean a cast iron casserole?

Anniel, I put about half a cup (not mug) of crystals in the drawer. About the same amount of powder goes straight into the drum.

When doing the 90 deg cleaning washes, I used about double the amount of SCs, though, no powder.

I used to use the pods, which are apparently the worst for gunge-ing up the machine.

I always put some soda crystals in with e red very wash, softens the water in our hard water to help get the clothes clean.