-
Blocked
drains: Use
a rubber plunger. Clean
grease-blocked drains by socking with washing soda and hot water, or
pour a handful of bircarbonate of soda down the drain, followed by
half a cup of vinegar. Replace
the plug and close the drain. Let
it sit for a while, then flush with water. Prevent drains blocking in the first place by not pouring
grease down your sink.
-
Burnt
pots: Dissolve
2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda in water, bring to the boil and
clean when cool. Alternatively, fill the pot with water, add a good handful of
salt, bring to the boil and soak overnight.
You can also use potato peelings instead of salt (soak
overnight and then boil). Badly
burnt pans can be cleaned by gently heating a little olive oil in
them. Allow to stand for an hour, pour off the oil into a container
(for later disposal) and clean in the usual way. Fill stained pots with water, add the peel and core of an
apple and boil mixture to remove marks.
-
Dishwashing
by hand: Hot
water and pure soap will remove grease in soft-water areas.
Add washing soda in hard-water areas.
Use soda and soap dissolved in boiling water for more
ingrained dirt.
-
Automatic
dishwashers:
Washing soda can be used instead of commercial brands of
detergent. For rinse
aids, vinegar will reduce spotting and streaking.
-
Benches
and table tops:
Use bircarbonate of soda, scourer and a damp cloth to wipe.
-
Brass:
Shine brass using a paste of vinegar and salt.
Also try lemon juice or white wine vinegar mixed with
bicarbonate of soda, or Worcestershire sauce.
-
Copper:
Rub with vinegar using a soft cloth.
Polish with a dry cloth.
-
Fridge:
Clean with warm water and soap.
To deodorise, wipe down with vanilla essence or leave an open
packet of bircarbonate of soda in the fridge.
-
Glass:
If you live in a hard-water area you may get spotting on
glass. Just add vinegar
to the final rinse - this works well for windows too.
-
Jars:
To rid jars of musty smells, fill half way with water and add
1 tablespoon of dry mustard. Shake well and stand for 20 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
Or put 1 tablespoon each of tea leaves and vinegar in the
jar, fill with warm water and stand for 2-3 hours.
Rinse well.
-
Kettles:
Boiling equal parts of vinegar and water in the kettle will
remove hard water encrustations. A few clean pebbles added to the water will help to break up
thick deposits.
-
Ovens:
To clean, make a paste of bircarbonate of soda and water and
apply to the inside of a warm oven with a spatula.
Leave to dry and then clean off with a stiff brush and very
hot water. Alternatively
mix 250 ml water with 125 ml of cloudy ammonia in an oven-proof bowl
and place in a warm oven for 10-15 minutes (oven off).
Wipe off grime with a stiff brush and bircarbonate of soda,
then wipe with a damp cloth. Wipe
the newly cleaned oven with a solution of 1 heaped tablespoon of
bicarbonate of soda and 300ml water to make cleaning easier next
time. Try to keep your
oven reasonably clean by wiping it out after each use.
To clean oven racks, soak in washing soda dissolved in water.
-
Painted
surfaces: Dissolve
1 tablespoon Borax in boiling water added to soapy water.
-
Pewter:
Polish with the outer leaves of a cabbage and then buff with
a soft cloth.
-
Silver:
Make a solution of one part washing soda to 20 parts water
and put into an aluminium pan (the bubbles created by doing this are
not toxic). Dip the
silver into mixture then rinse in hot water and dry with a clean,
soft cloth. Or soak
silver for 10-15 minutes in a saucepan containing hot water, a few
aluminium bottle tops or a piece of aluminium foil and 1 tablespoon
of washing soda.
-
Sinks:
Clean and disinfect your sink by scouring with salt.
-
Stainless
steel: Dip
a dry cloth in plain flour or cornflour and wipe over for a good
shine. Heat marks can
be removed by rubbing with a scouring pad and lemon juice.
-
Stains:
Different types of food stains, such as egg on cutlery or
vegetable juice on bench tops, can be removed by dipping a damp
cloth into table salt or bicarbonate of soda and then rubbing it
firmly over the stain. Ashes
can be used instead with the same results.
-
Tea
stains: Rub
cups with lemon juice or salt.
-
Tiles:
If you apply a wax polish to ceramic tiles they will be
easier to wipe down. For
general cleaning, use bircarbonate of soda or a 50/50 water and
vinegar mix.