NATURAL CLEANING ALTERNATIVES

 All purpose cleaner- Mix 2 heaped tablespoons bicarbonate soda with 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Store in
air tight container. For really stubborn spots, use with an old toothbrush and scrub well.
 Benchtops and stainless steel sinks/ appliances- Clean with plastic scourer and soap or bicarbonate soda.
 Blocked Drains- Use rubber plunger to clean grease-blocked drains.
 Brass- Shine with a loose paste of vinegar and salt.
 Chrome- Polish with apple cider vinegar.
 Copper- Using a soft cloth, rub with vinegar. Polish with a soft cloth.
 Decanters and Vases- Clean with uncooked rice and a little tea with a few tea leaves.
 Dishwasher- Biodegradable dishwashing powders are now available in some supermarkets and health food
stores. The use of conventional dishwashing detergents (that are non-biodegradable) can be minimised by
using washing soda each alternate wash. This way you use only half the amount of detergent while avoiding
scum build up which can occur when using washing soda only.
 Dishwasher rinse aid- Use white vinegar to prevent spotting and streaking.
 Dishwashing by hand- There are biodegradable, low chemical dishwashing liquids available at most
supermarkets and health food stores. Alternatively, use pure soap or soap flakes. Dissolve soap by rubbing
between gloved hands or use a wire basket. Using a splash of vinegar in the rinse water gives glasses and
plates a lovely shine.
 Fridge cleaning and deoderising- After cleaning with warm water and soap, wipe down with vanilla essence
or leave an open packet of bicarbonate soda in the fridge.
 Kettle- to remove hard water encrustation, boil equal parts of vinegar and water in the kettle.
 Ovens- Make a paste of bicarb soda and water. Apply with a spatula to the inside of the warmed oven.
Leave to dry, then clean off with a stiff brush or scourer and very hot water.
 Oven Racks- Use the laundry sink to soak racks in washing soda dissolved in hot water.
 Silver- Make a solution of one part washing soda to twenty parts water and put into a ceramic bowl with a
piece of aluminium foil. The effervescent bubbles created are non-toxic (carbondioxide). Dip the silver into
the mixture briefly. Rinse in hot water then dry with a soft cloth.
 Tea stains- Rub cups and mugs with salt or lemon juice or scour with steel wool.

Alternatives for cleaning in the Bathroom

 Tiles & basin- Use all purpose cleaner (mix 2 heaped tablespoons of bicarbonate soda with 1 tablespoon
white vinegar). Apply with soft cloth. Wipe off with clean moist cloth. Leave a while for stubborn stains.
 Mould removal- Wipe vinegar onto surfaces, leave overnight, then scrub off.
 Toilet cleaner- Use vinegar and leave to soak for ten minutes. Limescale can then be scrubbed off.
 Toilet deoderiser- Open windows top and bottom to draw in fresh air. Place a small bowl of pot pourri or a
pot of mint essence in the bathroom and toilet. Wipe floors with vanilla essence.
 Bathing- Put 1/2 cup of rolled oats in the toe of a discarded stocking or sock and run it under the tap as the
bath fills. The oat-treated water will pamper your skin and the oat sock can be used for cleaning your skin.
 Shampoo- This can be made from mixtures of water and herbs, vinegar, lemon juice (as conditioner and
lightener), egg yolks (for dry hair) or beer (for body). Biodegradable organic shampoos and conditioners are
now available from some supermarkets and most health food stores.
 Alternatives for cleaning Furnishings
 Carved furniture- To clean, apply cedar oil with a cloth and then use an old shaving brush or very soft baby's
hair bruch to clean difficult corners.
 Floors- Clean lino tiles and floors (and bench tops) with one tablespoon of lemon essence diluted in 1/2
bucket of water, or wash with vinegar and soap. Polished wooden floorboards and tiled floors can also be
washed with vinegar and soap.
 Furniture polish- For softwoods, rub with a mixture of olive oil and lemonjuice. For highly polished furniture,
wipe over with a shamois wrung out in vinegar and water. Polish with a soft dry cloth.
 Vinyl wallpaper- Clean with a warm cloth and white vinegar.
 Vinyl Upholstery- To cut down on the release of volatile plasticisers from new vinyl, wash with a strong
solution of cider vinegar, then rinse and dry well.
 Wax floors- Use beeswax to polish.
 Windows and mirrors- Clean with a solution of 1/2 cup of white vinegar mixed with one litre of water. They
can also be rubbed dry with newspaper. If windows are very grimy, use soapy water as a pre-wash.
 Wood and leather- As a finish rub with olive oil.
Alternatives for cleaning in the laundry

 Washing clothes- Pure soap or soap flakes do just as good a job as harsh powders and liquid cleaners.
Biodegradable washing powders and washing liquids are now available from most supermarkets.
 Machine washing- Dissolve soap flakes in a little hot water before adding them to the washing water. Soap
residue or scum is the result of water hardness and is easily dealt with by adding 1/4 cup of washing soda to
the wash cycle. In areas where the water is very hard, add 1/2 cup washing soda to the wash cycle and 1/4
cup washing soda to the rinse cycle.
 Hand washing clothes- Run soap filled wire basket shaker (or soap inside a mesh bag, eg. orange or onion
net bag) under the tap when washing by hand. You can use up all the little bits of unused soap in this way
too.
 Stain removal- Act Quickly! A fresh stain can be far more easily removed than a dried and ingrained stain.
Scrape off or absorb as much of the stain as possible. If the stain is fresh and not greasy, it can often be
removed by putting it straight into cold water. Don't use hot water as this sets the stain permanently.
 Ball-point pen stains- Using methylated spirits, flush fabric repeatedly and then rinse.
 Blood stains- Soak in cold water for ten minutes then wash with soap.
 Coffee stains- Wash out with cool water, then vinegar. Finally, rinse in cool water.
 Fruit stains- Immediately cover stain with salt and soak in milk before washing.
 Grass stains- Soak with methylated spirits, allow to dry and then wash.
 Grease spots- If the spot is fresh, sprinkle thickly with bicarbonate soda, leave for a few minutes then brush
off. For dried grease stains, wet fabric and rub bicarbonate soda into the spot. If a stubborn stain, repeat
and leave for a few hours then wash. If the grease stained fabric can take a hot iron, place brown paper
above and below the stained fabric and press for a few moments with a hot iron. The grease will absorb into
the paper. Wash in warm soapy water.
 Ink stains- Soak the stain in milk, then wash in soapy water.
 Linen Spots- Rub spots with bicarbonate soda and lemon juice before washing.
 Lipstick stain- Soak stain in milk for thirty minutes and then wash in warm soapy water. Put a little glycerine
on the stain and a few hours later wipe with eucalyptus.
 Mildew- This fungus can be killed by hanging fabric in the hot sun or outside on a frosty night.
 Mustard stain- As for tea stain.
 Nappies- After scraping off the excess, soak soiled nappies in 3 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda dissolved in
warm water. For stubborn stains, repeat several times. Wash in warm soapy water. Sun-dry.
 Perfume stain- As for tea stain.
 Raspberry stain- Wash with soapy water and then rub lemon juice over the stain. Leave for one hour before
washing out.
 Red wine- Pour salt on immediately, let it stand for a while then soak in cold water and rub out.
 Rust- Saturate stain with lemon juice and cover with bicarbonate soda and leave to soak.
 Scorch- Rub well with white vinegar and rinse with cool water.
 Tar- Saturate stain with eucalyptus and cover with bicarbonate soda for one hour. Wash off in warm water.
For stubborn stains repeat several times.
 Tea and Cocoa- Rub with glycerine, leave for three to four hours, and then wash with soap and cold water.
 Wax and Chewing Gum- To remove from fabric, place a block of ice onto wax or gum or place fabric in a
plastic bag in the freezer. After two hours, scrape off and sponge with eucalyptus.