~Eco-Friendly Living~

~Kitchen~

   

   

  

Hygiene and daily cleaning are very important in your kitchen because of the grease and condensation caused by cooking.  While many chemicals are convenient to use for cleaning, there are pressing environmental reasons to use natural cleaning methods and non-toxic products.

  • 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.

   

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