WINDOW CLEANING

Most of the products on the market for cleaning windows are very powerful, considering the simplicity of the job, to get the glass clean. You might like to know that when you buy the products, the spray ones in particular, they contain mostly water. A vast majority of products contain large amounts of water, as it is a cheap bulking agent. (Bulking agents are found in other products too, especially the food industry -salt and sugar being the favourites, -think how your rasher of bacon shrinks when you fry it up). Back to windows, the spray type containers, whether they are aerosol or pump action are used at very close range to the face, inevitably you inhale a small proportion the contents. Some of the ingredients can be very irritating to the lungs. Apart from harsh solvents there is a chemical called ammonia that will irritate people with asthma. Don’t spray them near children, people or the elderly as they will be more sensitive the irritations.

If you have no choice but to use these products then choose the pump action ones in preference to the aerosol ones. The aerosol ones contain propellants that are highly flammable, damaging to the environment as well as your health.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES?
Consumer research has found that water is the beat cleaner for windows. The statistics found that it was better at getting the grime off the glass than 60 per cent of the glass cleaning products on the market. Home made concoctions also came higher in the list and of course they are a fraction of the cost of the commercial brands.

Get the right tools for the job before you start cleaning. I usually use a lint free cloth, or muslin squares. We have the liners left from when nappies were used in the house, they are very good for the windows. This material is effective to get a shine after cleaning. Newspaper is another alternative for getting a shine; try not to use paper towels, as they are an expensive, wasteful method of cleaning.

GLASS CLEANER METHOD 1
Get hold of some plain club soda from the shop and put it into a spray bottle. People swear by this method and it appears to work because it contains a product called sodium citrate, which acts like a water softener and helps in the cleaning process. It is good for lightly soiled glass. The only disadvantage is that it doesn’t dry as fast as the shop bought products so you can go and put the kettle on and have a brew whilst it dries a bit.

GLASS CLEANING METHOD 2
Mix equal amounts of water and distilled vinegar in a spray bottle. Not only does the vinegar cut through the grease of fingerprints, it also acts as a room deodoriser.

GLASS CLEANING METHOD 3
If you would like a cleaner that foams to show where you have been on the window then here is a simple recipe.
½ teaspoon full of liquid soap
3 tablespoons full of white vinegar
2 cups of water

Put the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well. This mixture will clean the dirtiest windows and it can also be used as a light, all-purpose cleaner for around the house.

More natural cleaning tips....

WINDSCREENS
It is very important that the glass in a car windscreen is kept clean at all times. Some of the additives that can be added to the water to clean the windows can be very harmful to health and the environment. A lot of them contain solvents such as ethylene glycol, which can cause blindness and damage to internal organs. Try to choose the ones that are detergent based. Treat them carefully as you would any poisonous substance.

Household.

HEALTHY HOME

You don’t really need me to tell you that now is a great time to get the house spring cleaned. You have probably noticed the dusty corners and bulging drawers yourself. This time of year is traditionally the time to go through your house giving everything a really good spring clean. But did you realise that cleaning has a spiritual dimension to it? The old saying is cleanliness is next to godliness. There is a good basis for this. Our home environment mirrors the state of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

I have enlisted the help of a cleaning guru this week called Lauren Mosley who will give you some spiritual guidance on the art of home health

LAUREN’S SPIRITUAL GUIDE TO A HEALTHY HOME
“What do you think your home is saying about you right now? If your home has lots of grungy bits and is clogged and cluttered the chances are your physical vitality is lower than it should be and your life feels like it's just one big struggle. Your energy field will also be less than radiant. If you give everything a good spring clean and have a clear out, you will release lots of stuck energy & start to brighten your aura too. You can expect to feel more creative & alert, and have more zest for life.”

“As you lighten up the load in your home I bet your mood will lighten too! Use Eco friendly cleaning products: Chemical cleaning products are harmful both for you & the environment. Buy a reputable brand or even make your own basic cleaning product from household ingredients. For example, pour equal parts white vinegar and water into a spray bottle. Spray it on the surface. If there are stubborn marks allow to stand for about 15 minutes. Wipe off. Put on your favourite music whilst doing the work.”

“Clean with a positive intention: If you clean hating every minute, then the resentment you hold will permeate the atmosphere in the house. Focus on how good you'll feel when it is all done & you will imbue the house with your positive vibes. Open the windows; our indoor environment is usually more polluted than our outdoor environment because of all the modern products we have that exude harmful toxins, including our carpets & soft furnishings. A good airing will help to reduce this build up. Also opening the windows allows for a better flow of chi energy, refreshing and revitalising your home.

Cleanse right into the corners: Stagnant energy- like dust, settles more in the corners of your house. By getting the corners clean you begin to move the energy too. Purify the atmosphere and lift the vibration by burning solid incense- traditionally used in all major religions for its cleansing properties. Incense such as frankincense can tangibly improve the energy in your home. Check that your incense is made of natural ingredients. Much that is commercially available is chemically perfumed and can actually lower the vibration & pollute the atmosphere of your home. Caution: when burning incense follow all the common sense fire safety precautions- otherwise you may get rid of more possessions than you bargained for!!”

“Finally, why not cleanse yourself too? Soak in a bath with two cups of Epsom salts. These salts have great detoxifying health benefits and are cheap to buy.”

Household.

FRIDGES AND COOKERS

We have been looking through our e-mails again this week. One regular reader wrote to us after reading about sunburn remedies last week to tell us that their best remedy for easing sunburn was to use lavender oil. Simply add a few drops to some tap water and apply directly onto the burn. This is apparently very soothing. One drop of the oil put onto a mosquito bite also stops the itching instantly she goes on to tell me. There are a couple of good tips for you.

We have had a few people asking us what are the best methods for cleaning ovens and fridges, so we thought we would look into some effective ideas for getting the grime off ovens and the smells out of fridges this week.

FRIDGES
If a fridge is left switched off for any length of time they can get very smelly indeed. I remember I opened one that was full of food and had been turned off for at least three months. That was twenty years ago and I can still smell it! So first thing is to empty all the contents out. The fridge should then be left with the doors open so the air can circulate. One of the problems with buying a fridge second hand is that the doors will usually have been closed for a long period.

GETTING RID OF THE SMELLS
If your fridge has a bad odour then clean the inside with 2-3 heaped teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda mixed with a pint of water (500ml). Wash all the surfaces thoroughly and wipe dry. This should get the inside smelling as fresh as a summers day. Another idea for if you are leaving the fridge unopened for a few days is to put a lump of charcoal inside the fridge. This will absorb the stale smells that form when there isn’t fresh air circulating. The good thing about this idea is that you can throw the charcoal on the barbeque when you have finished with it.

TIPS
Rub glycerine on the sides of the freezer the next time you defrost it and you will find the ice drops off really easily and speeds up the defrosting process.

If you should ever need distilled water, simply collect the ice in the freezer, strain it and there you have it, perfect distilled water.

COOKERS
I can’t remember the last time I cleaned the inside of our cooker. I think it might be a self-cleaning one, but I have my doubts. A cocktail sausage and an old potato have been on the bottom of the cooker now for a few months and they haven’t been cleaned away!
If you buy a new cooker try rinsing the inside with a solution of bicarbonate of soda, the dirt comes off more easily. Re-apply every time you clean the inside of the oven.

CAUSTIC SODA
You can get specialised products to clean the cooker. These tend to be very expensive. If the oven is really filthy then try using caustic soda. I personally don’t like this product as it is a very powerful cleaning agent, but it does the job very effectively. The cost of it is a fraction of the price of the oven cleaning products.
Mix one tablespoon of the soda to a pint (500ml) of water. Swab the inside of the cooker and leave overnight. The muck and grime should just wipe off. Follow the instructions on the packet, don’t splash on the skin and wear thick rubber gloves.

A SOFTER OPTION
If caustic soda sounds too risky you could resort to the old favourite of mixing baking soda with vinegar. Leave overnight and the grime should come off. You may have to do it a few times to get it really clean.

The shelves are starting to fill up in the supermarkets with the products that say they are cleaning with the power of oxygen. That’s what you get when you mix baking powder and vinegar, again at a fraction of the cost.

A reader recommends soaking grimy oven shelving in washing crystals mixed with any household soap, for example washing powder for an hour. The grime comes off much more easily.

Household.

HAIR CARE

We got a bit carried away at the Clean and Green testing centre this week. In our attempts to create the ultimate mix of ingredients for the perfect clothes wash, we inadvertently used far too much vinegar in the final rinse. The outcome is that we all smell a bit like a fish supper. We won’t let this setback chip away at our confidence though. We will batter on regardless (groan)!

This week we’re testing a few hair care ideas.

Conditioner for greasy hair: This tried and tested method has been around since Edwardian times. Simply put a dash of cider vinegar in the final rinse.

Verdict: This works really well and isn’t smelly either. The vinegar counteracts the alkaline properties of the shampoo and keeps the right acid-alkaline balance of the hair.

Conditioner for normal hair: The herb Rosemary has been used on hair for centuries. Add 3 or 4 sprigs into a jug and pour boiling water over them. Leave for about an hour. The strained liquid can then be used as a final rinse.

Verdict: Again this method is as good, if not better than shop bought hair conditioners. The hair is also left smelling of the delightful herb.

Shine and Body for all hair types: Here’s a great way to give your hair natural bounce. Beat an egg and add a little water or cider vinegar. Rub this into your newly washed hair and leave for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.

Verdict: You can benefit by our experience with this one. The method was faultless other than the fact that in our test we washed the hair in hot water. The result was rather messy as the mixture decided to turn into scrambled egg. It took some getting rid of I can tell you!

Smooth hands: Are your hands all rough due to the household cleaning, gardening, and fixing the car or other demanding jobs? Try this simple method. Pour vegetable oil into the palm of the hand then add the same amount of granulated sugar. Rub the hands together hard for a couple of minutes. Rinse the hands and you should be left with silky smooth skin.

Verdict: On really rough hands this method will take a few applications. Don’t do as I did and rub into cuts, it’s very sore. Pumice stone is an alternative, they last a lifetime too.

Reader’s tips:

Hiccups: To get rid of hiccups take a spoonful of vinegar, it’s not very pleasant, but it does the trick!

Dirty hands: If your hands are really dirty and soap won’t clean them, just rub in Vaseline for 5 minutes. After that the dirt should just wash off with soap and hot water.

More ideas for Green Cleaning....

Household.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

We’ve been wading through the e-mails this week at Clean and Green this week. We thought that this weeks ideas could come straight from people who have great environmentally friendly cleaning tips. There were some that were totally unsuitable for publication though. Whilst I’m on the subject; No, Ms. B. from Moville, we don’t think that shaving your cat is a good long-term solution for keeping animal hairs off the settee. We would recommend brushing it once in a while instead and invest in a vacuum cleaner.

Here are a few interesting ideas from around the peninsula: (Most of these are untested at the C+ G centre, so proceed with caution!)

Burning potato peelings on the fire keeps the chimney clean.

If you have a microwave, put some rice into a cotton sock and cook for a minute or so. Use it as a hot compress for aching limbs and sinus headaches.

When cleaning vinyl upholstery, use a strong solution of cider vinegar, then rinse and dry well.


Stain removal ideas.

Ballpoint: As soon as this happens, sponge with methylated spirits, and then flush with cold water.

Blood: Soak in cold, salted water for 10 minutes and then wash with soap. For really stubborn stains, apply a mixture of cornflower or talcum powder mixed with water. Allow to dry then brush off.

Coffee: Wash out with cool water then vinegar and rinse. Or mix egg yolk with lukewarm water and rub on the stain.

Glue: Many glue stains can be removed by dabbing with eucalyptus oil.

Some ideas from days gone by.

Sheets were given a new lease of life when cut in two; the unworn sides were then sewn back together. When these wore out they were cut up and used as napkins. Then eventually they would be used for cleaning cloths.

Flour bags were sewn together to make handy sheets –not the modern paper ones!

Shoppers went to the bakery with a pillowcase in which to bring home the bread.

Dry cleaning clothes is hard on the material. Chemicals used in this process are harmful to the environment. In days gone by the clothes were washed in lukewarm water then hung up to dry without wringing.

A goose wing (detached from the goose of course!) was great for dusting- they were free from chemicals too!

Greaseproof paper was used to wrap food. This worked just as well as harmful tin foil or clingfilm.

Although we endeavour to test all the ideas in this article, we ask you to practice with caution.

Test on a small area first.

Household.

TAR AND FRUIT STAINS

Here at Clean and Green we have been delving yet again into the wonderful world of natural cleaning products for inside the house. It’s amazing just how much the large cleaning companies bombard us with advertising for their products. Switch the telly on at any time, night or day and you can guarantee their will be an advert for washing powder, squirty bottles to make your settee smell of spring, creams that claim to take the effort out of cleaning your cooker and things that can kill all known germs, (as well as friendly bacteria that cleans the septic tanks). I’ll stick my neck out here and claim that you could save yourself at least 10 euro a week by sticking to natural cleaning products (most of which would be used by the manufacturers on advertising costs) as well as doing your bit for the environment.

This week we are looking at a few very stubborn stains. One of the worst we find is curry. Curry often has cumin in it and this is can be used as a fabric dye. The deep yellow colour is beautiful, (but not if is a stain on your new white T-shirt). I had some details on how to remove this stain but unfortunately my notes were put into the washing machine by mistake and ended up as paper pulp (so if any-one knows how to get bits of dried in soggy paper off clothes…….).

Anyway. Here are some that we do have answers for.

Oil. A friend recently came back from holiday in Europe and found that they had tar on their beach clothes. This is known as tar oil or beach tar, which we thankfully don’t get around Inishowen. To get rid of this substance would require the same method of removal as any other heavy tar though. The secret is to clean oil stains with more oil. For heavy motor oil use oil of eucalyptus, which is lighter oil. This product is expensive though, so because we are tying to save the pennies this week we will recommend dripping. Any dripping will do, but we thought that chicken dripping would be just that little bit lighter. Tamp the dripping onto the stain and leave for a few hours. The lighter oil will break down the heavy oil. Draw the oil and dripping out with soapy water. Should there be any stain still remaining dust the area with talcum powder and leave overnight. This can then be brushed off.

Fruit stains. These can be a real problem but we think we have a few good ideas. For dark stains use white vinegar, dab on and leave to soak before you put the item in the washer. Hot milk poured onto the stain could be an effective solution too. It’ sounds good enough to eat!
Try using 1 ½ teaspoons full of borax (if you can get it) to ½ pint of water and soak the garment for an hour or two. If you can’t get Borax, you might like to give the Ecover bleach a try. This is 100% percarbonate, which is composed of salt, limestone and oxygenated water. Ecover claim that it is the most ecological bleach after the sun. The wholefood shops stock small boxes.

Dried fruit. Here’s an idea for you which sounds good but we would advise extreme caution if you were to attempt it. Stretch out the garment with the dried up stain and secure it over a container such as a bucket. On to this stain drop boiling water from a great height (not too high or the water would be cold!) so standing on a chair would probably be the limit. Again, be careful.

Check out the Green Book for more ideas on natural cleaning...


Banana stains. Here’s one you will be very familiar with, especially if you have toddlers. If the banana gets onto clothes don’t use soaps of any kind to get the banana out, this will set the stain. Wash the item in the hottest wash the fabric can withstand. This should remove any trace of the fruit. If the stain has dried, try soaking it for an hour or two in the Ecover laundry bleach, if the fabric allows it, before putting it into the washer.

Household.

WASHING MACHINE

The washing machine has been working overtime here at the Clean and Green testing centre. We are using a bit of trial and error to come up with the right combination and quantity of ingredients to create the perfect wash.

The four main products for cleaning the laundry are: washing soda, white vinegar, salt and baking soda. There should be little need to use any other product and you can pick these up quite cheaply at your local shop or supermarket. Here are the results so far.


Laundry cleaning for whites: 1/4 cup of washing soda (sodium carbonate) in place of bleach. (Bleach is one of the most toxic substances for the environment and should be avoided if possible.)
Add to this ¼ cup of white vinegar

Verdict: This seems to be very effective. We used ¼ cup of baking soda as a fabric softener in the final rinse, this will also get rid of any static that has built up. To make the clothes smell pleasant we have been adding either rosewater or a couple of drops of essential oil in with the baking soda.


Laundry cleaning for darks and coloured clothes: ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¼ cup of salt added to the machine. The same method of fabric softener was used as before.

Verdict: This is also proving to be very effective. The salt helps restore faded colours and does a great job removing dirt and grime. The vinegar can be used neat to remove some stains.



Cloth rags: There are a lot of disposable cleaning wipes on the market at the moment. Most of these, and paper towels too, have been bleached at some point, which will be causing pollution somewhere. Cut up old clothes, bed sheets and towels to make rags that can be re-used time and time again. Our Clean and Green consumer watchdog has seen a pack of 12 floor-cleaning clothes on sale in a supermarket for four euro forty nine, that money would buy a lot of vinegar to put on the rags!

Household.

BORAX

This week at Clean and Green we have been testing a product called Borax. We have been trying to get hold of this product for a number of weeks now, but have found it hard to find. This product was quite common a number of years ago but now seems to be out of favour. Locally, in the chemists we found no sign of the product. A keen user of natural cleaning products then informed us that Boots the chemist in Derry stocked boxes of Borax, so off we went into town. There we spoke to the chemist on duty who said that they no longer stocked it. After a bit of persistence, the chemist went to a drawer behind the counter, and found a small 100gram box (which cost us 64p). We were in business!

BORAX

Borax is found naturally in dry regions where water has evaporated to form dry lakes, very similar to the salt planes of America. The product itself was discovered some 4000 years ago and used in it’s natural state it is environmentally safe. It is usually seen as a white powder. This product claims to have a multitude of uses. It is a natural laundry booster, being used in the pre- wash soak. It is also a multipurpose cleaner, fungicide, preservative, insecticide, herbicide, disinfectant and desiccant. The powder can be mixed safely with other cleaners as well.

On the down side Borax, like any other cleaning product can be harmful if ingested. Just 15-20 grams could be fatal. Do Not use on the body as one of the reasons this product is such an effective cleaner is that it converts water molecules into hydrogen peroxide, more commonly known as bleach. So care is needed in the storage and use of this product. Don’t use around food and rinse off surfaces and clothing well.

Here are some of the results from our tests.

Mildew: Mix the powder into a paste using white vinegar. Rub well onto the mildew, leave for a minute or two and rinse off.

Verdict: We tested this on the tiles on the shower wall and it was very effective, as good as bleach.

Homemade scouring powder: Mix equal amounts of baking soda, Borax and salt. If you do keep any for further use, make sure that you label the container well.

We tackled the seal around the sink in the kitchen that is always difficult to keep clean.
Verdict: The muck and grime came off without much rubbing; the mixture is as effective as any bleach-based scourers that are on the market. If you were cleaning a surface that is prone to scratching, leave out the salt.

Check out the Green E Book for more natual alternatives....

Multipurpose cleaner: 1 tsp of Borax, ½ tsp washing soda, 2tsp of vinegar or lemon juice, ½ tsp of liquid soap. Mix all these together with 2 cups of very hot water and put in a spray bottle. (As yet we haven’t tried this, or the next one, but they sounds good.)

Basic laundry detergent: Mix 1 cup of soap flakes with ½ cup of washing soda and ½ cup of Borax. If you find this powder difficult to get into the machine then mix in 2 tablespoons of glycerine and 2 cups of warm water, this can be easily poured into the machine.

We will test these shortly and let you know the results.

Although we endeavour to test all the ideas in this article, we ask you to practice with caution. Test on a small area first.

Please keep all types of cleaning products well away from children.

Household.

ALTERNATIVES TO TOXIC CHEMICALS

Toxic chemicals are all around us. Not just the visible ones such as tobacco smoke and exhaust fumes, but hundreds of chemicals that go unseen. Carpets and upholstery, industrial glues, paints, cleaning products and even perfumes have ingredients that can harm our immune systems. There are ways in which you can cut down on the contact from toxic chemicals. One example is to make your own surface cleaner (Tea tree and lemon essential oil mixed in water for example) and to go for natural air fresheners instead of chemical ones.

When you cut out chemicals from the house you might feel an improvement in the air quality straight away. Other effects are more subtle. It might be a month or two before you realise that you don’t have an afternoon headache or your complexion has cleared up or you can breath easier. Within six months you might find that you react very strongly to the smell of chemical cleaners. Just like perfume we eventually can’t smell it if we are in contact with it for a long period, our bodies become resistant to the odour. You will also find that your nose will be able to detect the nice smells again like fresh flowers and home cooking. This will make you realise how much your sense of smell is dulled by household chemicals.

When certain chemicals are no longer poisoning your system you might find that you become aware of certain foods or smells that make you feel ill. Heed the warnings and cut these out of your diet completely. This is the start of the detoxification process.

DETOXIFICATION
During the period of detoxification you need to follow your bodies needs. You might find that you are more tired than usual. Sleep is when your body does its essential maintenance work, so go to bed earlier for a while. Here are some other ways of helping your body.

Change your diet. This doesn’t have to be too drastic. Go for organic fruit and vegetables. A diet low in saturated fat will help to keep toxins from building up in the body. Go for oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, trout, salmon and herring. These contain essential fatty acids that fight the effects of chemical exposure on the body.

Exercise. Choose two or three activities that you enjoy and work these into your schedule each week. Anything that makes you sweat is particularly useful for boosting metabolism and helping the release of toxins through the skin.

Stress relief. The state of your body often reflects the state of your mind. Too much stress will depletes the body of nutrients needed to fight the effects of pollution. Choose activities that get you totally absorbed and allow you to switch off completely for a while. Yoga and meditation can be very relaxing and the deep breathing that is involved will promote the release of toxins via the lungs.

Hydrotherapy. Water in all its states helps to purify the body. Try relaxing in a bath with cider vinegar, epsom salts or sea salt added to the water. These will stimulate the skin to release toxins. If you belong to a health club have a steam sauna and a massage would also be a very good idea!

Plants. Common houseplants can help to remove toxins from indoor air. The most effective ones are aloe vera, English ivy, spider plants, peace lilies, philodendrons, bamboo plants, chrysanthemums and daisies. Each has been shown to remove harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene and xylene from the air.

SHOPPING
When you shop for cleaning products look out for the ones with the least amount of chemicals present in the list of ingredients. This won’t guarantee that the product doesn’t have harmful irritants in them but it will go some way to relieving the symptoms of industrial poisoning.

FRESH AIR
Here’s an alternative air freshener idea to get you started on the road to a chemical free environment. Mix a 200g box of baking soda with 10-15 drops of you favourite essential oils. Put into a cardboard box, which you can decorate if you wish, or a small dish. Put out of the way and let it get rid of most of the household pongs.

Environmental.

HEALTHY GRINDERS

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I recently got hold of a book that deals with pollutants in the house. I only read the first few chapters, but decided that the whole world should hear about this. So off I went into town to research all the labels from the cleaning and personal care products on the supermarket shelves. I stood in the cleaning isle of the local supermarket and caught a couple of familiar faces buying products that had potentially harmful skin irritants in their ingredients. What can I say other than I apologise for scare mongering these people. I was fully aware that every time I took my eyes off of them, they were slowly walking backwards to the door to escape my ramblings. At the time this made no difference, I had a point to make and I was going to make it…sorry.

TEETH

I was looking through a copy of A Handbook for the Brownies by Lord Baden-Powell dated around 1930 (I have to get my ideas from somewhere!). There was an article about teeth that I would like to share with you.

“A man came to be recruited for the army. He was examined for his strength, height and eyesight. These were fine but when it came to his teeth he was refused. He went away astonished and thought that the army wanted to not only kill people but eat them too. The truth was that he was no use as a soldier as he couldn’t bite a hard biscuit or chew meat, as his teeth were bad.
Unless a girl can chew her food well the good does not come out of it in her stomach to go to make blood, which is necessary for health. So whatever you do, try to keep your teeth sound and strong. There is no part of you that poisonous germs attack more readily than your teeth. Your teeth will rot away and will have to be pulled out. Attack those germs with a toothbrush and get the germs out of their hiding places between and behind the teeth. Rinse out with lots of water so the germs don’t burrow in and destroy those grinders.”

Timeless words eh?toothpaste,children,plaque,

TOOTH PASTE

If you use fluoride toothpaste then only use a tiny amount. For children, just put on a smear. Try diluting it with boiled water to make it go further. The plaque is removed from the teeth by the rubbing action with the brush, not the toothpaste .

If you can get fluoride free toothpaste from the health shop, then so much the better. Tell children not to swallow toothpaste.

There are homemade alternatives that can be put together easily. Here are a couple of suggestions to get your biscuit muncers all cleaned up and ready for action

Simple toothpaste: This can be made with bicarbonate of soda, vegetable glycerin and essential oil of peppermint, lemon or fennel. Mix 1 part liquid to 2 parts bicarb. Add a few drops of the oil and shake well. Only make a small amount and store it in a jar or small pump dispenser.

Simple mouthwash: Mix a couple of drops of peppermint oil or sage tincture in a cup of water. Rinse and spit!

Raw carrots after a meal (or at any time are great for teeth. Having carrot sticks in a cup of water on the kitchen table for a healthy (and sweet) snack for children is useful. Visiting friends are often surprised when their kids eat them.

Never brush your teeth after eating an apple as you are rubbing acid into your teeth, which strips the enamel. Its best to rinse your mouth with water after eating apples. Nuts or cheese wouldn’t be a bad supper for after the teeth have been brushed, but its better to brush your teeth last thing at night and after breakfast in the morning.

Before I go I would like to finish off with a poem. This again was from my Brownie Handbook.

Daily Health Rules
Only feed on wholesome fare;
Through your nostrils breathe fresh air;
Clean yourself inside and out;
Twist and bend and run about.

Please keep all household products well away from children.

Household

HORSETAILS

Photo: Horstail is invasive but it does get those pans clean.

Before I start on gardening topics this week I thought I’d give you a little update on our little furry addition to the household. For two weeks now I have spent the best part of two hours a day chasing the rabbit around the garden after my lads let him out of his hutch. It is very good exercise but at this time of the year I can do without such distractions. The worst thing about the rabbit is that he will hide out of the way until I take my eye off him, then he sneaks out and takes large bites out of my plants, before disappearing again into the undergrowth.

My patience was running out so instead of lassoing him with a shrimp net, as I have ended up doing to catch him, I decided to nip down to the Co-op and buy all the necessary bits and pieces to build a run for him. For some reason (my lack of carpentry skills) the run is a bit larger than I planned. The structure is at least ten feet long by five feet wide with the height being at least three feet (perhaps I should have applied for planning permission!). The whole thing takes some lifting and I should know as I was having so much fun putting it together that I forgot to include the door, so the whole structure has to be lifted up while Julie limbo dances underneath with the food. A job to do next week I think.

HORSETAILS
As I am on the subject of pests it seems fitting that I should mention one of the gardens greatest. The horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is one of the all time persistent weeds, even more so than the Japanese knotweed. They are usually attracted to damp spots in the garden and once established soon spread. I must admit I quite like the look of them when they are growing wild; they look a bit like a bottlebrush, which is another name for them.

These plants have been around millions of years longer than the dinosaurs and other than getting a bit smaller remain unchanged. These plants don’t flower but like ferns they spread with spores. The established plants also have masses of roots and if one piece is left in the soil then they are back again.

This week I had a telephone call from a woman whose garden was slowly being taken over by Horsetail and I was asked if anything could be done. I do know of some uses for the plant, they are very effective at polishing metal; they were once imported from Holland for that very reason. They are also very good at cleaning wooden spoons, but unless you were going into the pot cleaning business that bit of information is no good to you whatsoever. The plant can be poisonous to livestock if they have too much of it so putting cattle on your lawn is not the best idea either.

I was left with no alternative but to surf the Internet to see if anyone has come up with a solution to the encroaching weed. I was amazed to find the Horsetail is a problem in lots of countries; there are special chat lines about the subject, with no real solutions. There is the suggestion that they can be covered in black polythene for no less than two years. I have tried this but the roots spread to the end of the polythene and new plants emerge. Spraying can be as unsuccessful as the plants are coated in silica so the weed killer just runs off them, each individual stem has to be crushed for this to be successful. If they are in the lawn they can be cut down regularly, this stops the spores spreading the plant but doesn’t get rid of the plant. A flamethrower only kills the top growth too so that would be a waste of time as well.

So there you have it, I’m beaten with this one, the only successful options are to learn to love the plant, move house or start up your own saucepan cleaning company!

Update: Go to the article headed Weeding, there is a chemical alternative should you decide to go down that route

Horticultural.

CARPET CLEANING

At Clean and Green this week we have been experimenting with vinegar yet again and one of the things we tested it on was stain removal from carpets. Here’s one of the results hot off the press. We’re in the early stages at the moment so we’ll let you know when we have other information. One thing that we have found is that carpet dyes are probably the dyes most likely to run when they are wet so proceed with caution.

General carpet cleaning.

The test we did was on a cheap synthetic carpet, which was a plain blue colour. The 50/50 spray solution of vinegar and water was sprayed on to the carpet and left for a while. A clean cloth was then used to fetch off the dirt.

Verdict: This method did work very well on the synthetic carpet. We don’t think it would be worth risking on a good quality, natural fibre carpet. We do recommend this mixture as an ideal spot remover on the carpets though.


Other carpet problems.

Burns:
On a wool carpet, rub the burn immediately with a slice of potato; this takes the singe out of the carpet pile. The brown tips that are left on the edge of the threads will sometimes wash out. If they don’t, they could be trimmed with nail scissors, if the burn is small enough.

Verdict:
The carpet we tested this on was a plain carpet, the burn was small but the cleaned and trimmed area was still noticeable when the experiment finished, we think that if the carpet had a pattern it would have been invisible. If you burn a large area it would be a better idea to cut out the section and fit a spare piece of matching carpet in it’s place.


When you buy a new carpet, try not to vacuum it for a few weeks to give the pile chance to bed down.

If you have dents in your carpet that have been made from chair legs or any heavy furniture, put an ice cube on the dent and leave it to melt. Or leave a large tablespoon of water on the place. On wool carpets this makes the pile spring up like new, on acrylics it isn’t always as successful.

We are doing another test with vinegar. We are substituting it in place of fabric conditioner for getting the static out of man (or more correctly, person) made carpets. The fabric conditioner is mixed with water and then sprayed onto the carpet, and allowed to dry. This stopped fluff being attracted to the carpet and kept it cleaner for longer. So far the results with the vinegar have been very promising.Check out the Green E-Book for more natural cleaning ideas

TOP TIP

If you accidentally break a glass in the kitchen, sweep the large pieces away with a dustpan and brush then get out a slice of bread. Move the bread gently across the floor and it will pick up the small pieces for you, when you have done this just throw the bread away. This idea stops the possibility of cutting yourself trying to wring a cloth out.

Household.

HOT AND COLD

COLD TIPS
Here are three helpful tips involving cold water.

When you are working with flour, use cold water to rinse the utensils and bowls. If you use hot the flour will go sticky.

Use cold water when cleaning milk pans.

Wash your hands in cold water when you are preparing fish. If you use hot, the juices cook on your skin and get very, very smelly!

HOT TIP
Here’s one warm cleaning tip to finish off with. Heat up a small amount of white vinegar and use it on a cloth to remove dried on paint that is on glass. Yet another use for one of the most versatile cleaning products ever!

Household.

HOME AND OFFICE CLEANING TIPS

Your computer and keyboard are like magnets to dust in the home. There are some solvent based cleaners on the market but if you want a cheap and natural solution to the grime that collects on the machine then look no further than the kitchen cupboard. Have you guessed what it is… yes it’s that wonderful liquid again… vinegar!

Cleaning your computer mouse

Before I start though you must be very careful when using liquids near electrical devices. If you are in any doubt then leave well alone!Green Cleaning tips..

When your computer mouse gets dirty and picks up dust, it becomes hard to manipulate.

Vinegar comes to the rescue yet again.


Simply mix half vinegar and half water and use that. Remove the ball and wipe clean with the solution. Dry thoroughly with a soft, lint-free towel. Dip a cotton swab into the solution, squeeze until nearly dry and wipe the inside the mouse, removing dust or dirt particles. Use a wrung out cloth to wash the outside of the mouse.

Clean home equipment
Dip a cloth into a mixture of ½ vinegar and ½ water and wring out. Wash down the outside of your computer, printer and other pieces of equipment. Never use a spray bottle for this job. Use a nearly dry cotton swab dipped in the mixture to clean the keyboard.

Clean scissors
Wipe the blades of your scissors down frequently with a cloth dipped in full strength vinegar to keep them clean and glue free.

Thin glue
Add a drop or two of vinegar to the old bottle of glue and shake. Keeping adding vinegar drop by drop until the glue returns to the proper consistency.

Discover the tips to get your office sparkling...

Household.

COOKER CARE

Dear Ian.
I read your article about solar cookers. It was interesting but I have just got a normal gas cooker. I have a job on keeping it clean, have you any suggestions” GF. Derry

Reply
Your gas cooker is probably the most frequently used appliance in your kitchen and therefore the most important. The time you spend caring for it correctly is well worthwhile. Gas cookers have few moving parts and when kept clean will operate trouble-free. The trick to maintaining a gas cooker is to clean it often, before grease or burnt food particles begin to build up. Ensure that any spillage is cleaned immediately, as food spills that reach into the stove and clog the pilot light burners, or settle in the main burners and clog the gas outlet holes, will cause the stove to operate erratically.

Enamel areas
Wipe over while still warm with a damp, soapy cloth.
Dry with a soft cloth.
Always wipe spills as soon as safely possible, so they do not dry or cook on, remembering to turn off the gas flame first.

Use bicarbonate of soda remove stubborn marks and avoid scouring pads or powder, which can scratch enamels. Adverts on the TV show chemical cleaners fighting grease. There is a time delay of a few minutes to let the product soak into the mess. If you use water it does just the same job, is far cheaper and better for the environment!

Control panel
Wipe over and occasionally remove and wash knobs.
Wipe off any build up on the panel.

Burners
For day to day cleaning, wipe over the burners after each use.
Aluminium should be rubbed over with soapy steel wool pads.
Brass and stainless steel should be washed in hot, soapy water.
Always rinse and dry well.
Light burners to check they have been put on correctly.

Pan supports or trivets
Wash in hot, soapy water.
If they are very greasy soak in a solution of one tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda to 4.5 litres of very hot water.

Grill
Remove grill tray.
Wash tray in hot, soapy water. Rinse and dry well.
Wipe out grill compartment with a warm, soapy cloth.
Clean racks as for oven shelves.

Oven
There are two types of finishes-enamel and catalytic (self-cleaning). The catalytic surface is specially treated so it requires care when using (see manufacturer's instructions).
It is easier to clean the oven while it is still warm, but not hot.

Remove shelves and other moveable parts and wash in a hot water detergent solution.
Wipe over oven shelves, occasionally rubbing with a soapy fine steel-wool pad, make sure it doesn’t fetch off any protective coatings though. Rinse.

Glass areas
Clean over with a hot, soapy cloth - remember most oven doors lift off for easy cleaning.
Avoid soaking glass doors as it may damage the insulation.

It's the only E-Book like it online.....The Green Clean book

Household.

GAS COOKER CARE

Your natural gas cooker is probably the most frequently used appliance in your kitchen and therefore the most important. The time you spend caring for it correctly is well worthwhile.
Natural gas cookers have few moving parts and when kept clean will operate trouble-free. The trick to maintaining a gas cooker is to clean it often, before grease or burnt food particles begin to build up.

Ensure that spillage is cleaned immediately, as food spills that reach into the stove and clog the pilot light burners, or settle in the main burners and clog the gas outlet holes, will cause the stove to operate erratically.

Enamel areas
Wipe over while still warm with a damp, soapy cloth.
Dry with a soft cloth.
Always wipe spills immediately, so they do not dry or cook on, remembering to turn off the natural gas flame first.
Use a liquid cleaner to remove stubborn marks and avoid scouring pads or powder, which can scratch enamels.

Control panel
Wipe over and occasionally remove and wash knobs.
Wipe off any build up on the panel.

Burners
For day to day cleaning, wipe over the burners after each use.
Aluminium should be rubbed over with soapy steel wool pads.
Brass and stainless steel should be washed in hot, soapy water.
Always rinse and dry well.
Light burners to check correct replacement.

Pan supports or trivets
Wash in hot, soapy water.
If they are very greasy soak in a solution of one tablespoon of washing soda to 4.5 litres of very hot water.

Griller
Remove griller tray.
Wash tray in hot, soapy water, using a fine, soapy steel-wool pad on heavily soiled areas. Rinse and dry well.
Wipe out griller compartment with a warm, soapy cloth.
Clean racks as for oven shelves.

Oven
There are two types of finishes-enamel and catalytic (self-cleaning). The catalytic surface is specially treated so it requires care when using (see manufacturer's instructions).
It is easier to clean the oven while it is still warm, but not hot.
Remove shelves and other moveable parts and wash in a hot water detergent solution.
More stubborn spillage may require a commercial cleaner (see manufacturer's instructions).
Wipe over oven shelves, occasionally rubbing with a soapy fine steel-wool pad. Rinse.

Glass areas
Clean over with a hot, soapy cloth - remember most oven doors lift off for easy cleaning.
Avoid soaking glass doors as it may damage the insulation.

Household.

CLEANING IN THE HOUSE

We have a spiritual teacher from Trinidad coming to stay overnight in the house. So we‘ve been giving the house a really good clean for his visit. I’m always amazed that he often wears white and yet manages to stay clean all day! We thought to keep his clothes that way we would have to get the tomato sauce and butter of the back of the chairs and take away the sweet wrappers that have been left on the settee by the kids.

Here are a few of the preparations we’ve been making in anticipation of his visit.

MICROWAVE
I’ve been meaning to clean out the microwave for weeks. It’s a second hand one, the one prior to this exploded in a cloud of smoke and flames a couple of weeks ago. My lads and I tried to melt candle wax in the old microwave. Now, microwaves work by agitating water molecules in food and wax doesn’t have any water content. Put those two fact together and you have a microwave that thinks it’s empty, when they are empty and switched on they tend to blow up very dramatically, as ours did! Here is a good tip for cleaning the inside of microwaves that worked very well on ours.

Put a small bowl of water in the microwave and add a slice of lemon. Turn on and boil the water so the steam wets the sides, the lemon will give it a fresh smell. After a minute or two carefully discard the water and lemon. Any dried on gunge will come off really easily with a damp cloth.

UPVC WINDOWS
We found that using bicarbonate of soda and hot water worked brilliantly on the frames of upvc windows. The cloth was wetted and rung out then dabbed into the powder; the small areas where the cloth wouldn’t fit were subjected to a toothbrush also dabbed into the powder. The glass was cleaned with just warm water and vinegar mixed applied with a newspaper. We didn’t bother putting any soap in the water at all and the glass still came up shining after a rub with dry scrunched up newspaper. (the old newspapers went on the compost heap).

In a hurry to clean? Check out the new E-Book

WOODWORK
We have a few pieces of woodwork that needed a good clean. Firstly there is a table that has had a few too many cups of tea placed on them. Add to that the felt tip and scratches and there’s probably not much we can do to bring it back to its former glory other than sanding it down. The table was waxed a few years ago with a mixture of 2 tablespoons of beeswax, 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. This worked really well before so we might try that again. Another tip for getting out scratches is to use a tiny bit of walnut. Just rub into the scratch and sweep up the left-over crumbs.

The other piece of furniture that needed a good clean was an old chair left to me by my grandmother. It looks like a throne with lion’s heads at the end of the arms. The whole thing folds up for storage too. This wood is varnished so we used the following mixture as a furniture polish: Fill a small bottle (about two thirds) with oil. Either olive oil or walnut oil, it doesn’t really matter. Top up the bottle with white vinegar, (this will be the cleaning agent) and then add 20 or so drops of essential oil. We used lemon and bergamot in ours. Shake the mixture together and use sparingly with a soft cloth and use a clean one to buff up afterwards. We have just finished the chair that hasn’t been cleaned properly for years and it has come up beautifully. (Again we used a toothbrush in the intricate carving).

Even though wood in furniture was once a living thing, it doesn’t really need feeding as such, it is just a matter of stopping the wood from drying out. If spray polish is used on wood too often then it builds up and leaves your furniture looking cloudy. Once or twice a year with the mixtures we just mentioned is fine for most furniture, the rest of the time a light dusting will be enough, leaving you enough time to put your feet up. Who says housework is hard work!

Household.

STORING CLOTHES

Photo: Sometimes the clothes just have to be thrown into the washing machine.

Before we delve into the world of cleanliness and hygiene I wanted to tell you about another form of tiding, I suppose it could be called “Cleaning the Green”. We thought we would walk up the road and collect the rubbish that seems to accumulate around the bottom of the hedgerows on either side of the road near the Clean and Green-testing centre.


Our carrier bag full soon turned into a dustbin liner bag full. We are at least two kilometres from the town but we managed to collect loads of packaging from fast food takeaways, presumably thrown out of cars as they pass by. Empty packets of crisps, pop bottles, both plastic and glass, and the cans of pop that are always present. At one time we used to think that these big soft drink companies used to pay people to throw the cans in hedgerows as a form of subliminal advertising. This isn’t the case though. People don’t need paying; they distribute the cans around the countryside for free. There maybe up to 13 spoons full of sugar in the contents of the can, some contain quite large quantities of caffeine too, this gives people the energy to throw the cans in every hedgerow and drainage channel in the country. It’s not much to complain about in the grand scale of things, but maybe if people channelled this hyperactivity into picking up rubbish instead of dropping it, we would all feel the benefit, we could get them scraping up chewing gum too. We would certainly get a few more points for the tidy towns competition next year!

STORING CLOTHES.

This brings us nicely to this week’s topic, from tidy towns to tidy gowns. Or the art of looking after your clothes.


If clothes are stored well after wearing it may reduce the need for washing or dry cleaning, both of which can use chemicals, which are bad for the environment.


(Of course if you venture to the pub and have cigarette smoke get into the material of your clothing, there’s not much you can do but throw it in a washer.)

Here are a few ideas to help cut down on damage to clothing whist in storage:

- Air suits outside or in an unoccupied room after wearing. Put them on well padded hangers, this will stop the shoulders from stretching, making it look like you’ve still got the hanger down the back of the jacket when you are wearing it.


- Make sure cotton is properly dry after washing to prevent mildew in storage. A spell in the hot press works wonders.


- Wrap white cottons and linens in blue tissue to stop yellowing and store away from strong light.
- Rinse synthetic fabrics in cool water to prevent creases. Let pleated fabrics drip dry into shape before folding them for storage.


- Keep silk in a cool, dry and dark place- strong light will fade the colour.


- Never store suede and leather in plastic bags. Always store somewhere cool and well ventilated.


- Finally, don’t crowd clothing hung in the wardrobe-leave spaces between the hangers so the clothes can breath and stay free from creases.



Household.

DRAIN CLEANER

Hello.
I suffer from blocked drains quite often. I have a septic tank so I don’t want to put any bleach or anything with caustic soda in it, as it would damage the bacteria that break down the waste. I did try to unscrew the pipes under the sink but ended up flooding the kitchen when I turned the tap on. Have you any suggestions for safe drain cleaning.

Yours desperately GF

A. Sometimes it’s better to leave the pipes under the sink to the professionals! You need to be careful and look at the contents of the containers when buying cleaning products. Some of them contain sodium hydroxide and sulphuric acid which could be hazardous to your health if it was splashed on your skin or if the fumes were inhaled. If you have any doubts, here are some safer alternatives.

ALTERNATIVES
Regularly run boiling water down the drain, this will stop build up of waste. Try not to pour grease down the sink and pull out any objects before they go down the plughole, small objects like matchsticks and hair can block the pipes really quickly.

Make a foaming drain cleaner. Get 200g of baking soda, 100g of salt and 200g of vinegar. When the alkali (baking soda) meets the acid (vinegar) they bubble and push the abrasive salt through the pipes. All three products clean the drain. Finish off with pouring some boiling water down the pipe after about half an hour.

Use a drain strainer. I find these things a bit daft as I usually empty the contents that they collect into the plughole without thinking. If you do get used to them though they can be very effective in stopping objects slipping into the pipes.

Use a plunger. These are great for dislodging blockages. Be careful with them though if you use a chemical cleaner first as the liquid could splash back into your face. If your drains still stay blocked after all of the above then you might have to invest in a long rod to push down the pipes as there will probably be something rather yukkie blocking the flow. Good Luck!

Household.

TOP TIPS

I turned into one of those people that you cross the road to avoid last week. I wanted to get some ideas for cleaning tips so members of the public have been stopped in the street to see if they have any ideas that we haven’t heard. I had a list of some that were totally unsuitable for printing but I think some of them are worth mentioning, so here goes.

NEW TOP TIP IDEAS

If you don’t have a paper shredder to get rid of your private papers here is a tip. Fill a bowl with warm soapy water and soak the documents for an hour. Press the paper into a brick shape or a ball. They will not be able to pull apart and cannot be read. If you want to take it a stage further then put the bricks or balls somewhere where they can dry out. They can be used as fuel on the open fire.

Clean gold rings. Put some lipstick on a cloth and rub for a sparkling shine. Do not use on rings with crevices though or you will have difficulty getting it off.

Stale crusts of bread cut into cubes then baked make great dog biscuits.

Small burn marks on the carpet can be removed by rubbing the area with a slice of raw potato.

Keep an old toothbrush near the sink for cleaning graters, blenders and whisks etc.

COOKING TIP
Grate courgettes and carrots into your spaghetti bolognaise sauces. They add flavour and your kids will never tell the difference.

Soak smelly feet in a bowl of green tea or tomato juice for ten minutes. The pong will disappear.

Household.