The housewife is back!

 

It's vinegar time once again, this time to be rid of the  fruit flies! 
Simply add some apple cider vinegar to a small bowl with water and washing up liquid.
The sweet vinegar attracts the flies, while the washing liquid keeps them there.

The 50's housewife!!

Just a blog entry to share the amazing tips for yore..

!!

Back in a world where half the chemicals we use today hadn't even been created and thrift was a way of life not a trend that had been set, there were hard working housewives, and maybe the odd hubby too (!) who relied on just a few ingredients to keep their houses in tip top shape!

Over the past couple of years, I have been able to step back in time too and enjoy the true meaning of elbow grease, while simultaneously removing any signs of grease that there might be!

Seriously, as the time has passed since our change over, I have noticed that we do not spend much (if any at all as we have bought in bulk ) on cleaning products AND we are, in the same cheap process NOT damaging the environment !!! Now, there is a thought! And if that wasn't enough good news to contend with,  the elbow grease does mean putting in a bit of hard work, but that is paid off quickly in the form of a short, vigorous workout!

So, what it is we need to find this eco-friendly, healthy and near priceless perfection?!

1) LEMONS

Lemons are acidic and act as a natural bleach! Apparently, cockroaches hate it, so you can clean the floors with it happily knowing that it might just be better than any horrid spray or roach repellent! Just don't use lemon juice on marble surfaces - it will eat away at the grout!

A bit of lemon juice with olive oil makes for a great wooden floor polish.

And, don't forget about the zests!

((Read this entry to find out how to use zests to make your own air freshner!!))

2) BAKING SODA / BICARBONATE OF SODA

This is just ridiculously cheap and works everywhere in the house!

Use baking soda on black, burnt pans - scrub / soak / scrub.

You can use it to clean your teeth (!), clean the bathroom sink, even the oils left around the bath. (My top tip is to add baking soda to washing up liquid to get your bath tub super shiny!)

If you want to really scrub the floor, add some baking soda to your hot water & lemon juice mix - enjoy the fizz and scrub away!

3) VINEGAR

Now, this is just unbelievable! Vinegar is right there on most of our shelves - waiting to be poured over our chips, but we hardly think about what else it can do....

Well - I would recommend keeping some spray bottles around the house, filled with half vinegar and half water. Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, which means, yes - it kills germs!!!

The sprays can be used to clean the kitchen surfaces, dining room table, even polish the floors.

Shake some bicarbonate of soda into the toilet, leave for a few hours and scrub with vinegar!

Vinegar along (1/4) with some olive oil (1/2) and water (1/4) makes for a natural toner too!

And, don't worry about the smell, it really does disappear after 30 seconds! If you can't even wait that long, then you can always add some natural fragrance oils to the spray bottles.

Because it is a natural disinfectant, vinegar sprays will also work on your dogs!! You can spray them down after a walk and clean their paws as well.

Oh, and vinegar is also the magical answer for vomit and dog pee!

So, there we have it - the genius that is nature!

The earth gives us so much, yet we do not give anything back. We need to, we should and we shall!

Au naturel

So, I had to update the little note book I had for writing down my ideas. Actually, Elbi devoured it, but in hindsight it was far too small.

Olive oil page

Home made body scrubs page

reusing coffee grounds

This self-sufficiency / natural turn in our lives takes a lot of time, (even if not a lot of ingredients!) and my book needed the upgrade.

Top favourites for the house and avoiding palm oil as well as many chemicals include, olive oil, vinegar, lemons and bicarbonate of soda and that is one house cleaned, refreshed and ready for action! There is a lot to learn and remember, but writing it all done helps!

It does take time to prepare things...if only I could eliminate the days I have to work....

This morning, I actually tried to make air freshener - just lemon juice, water, bicarbonate of soda and some nice smelly oils. It's really watery when you spray, but, it's great!!

I also have some lemon zest soaking in vodka - that too will make an air freshener in just a few days...or just lemon vodka....!!!

Left - green tea, vinegar, tea tree oil toner
Right - Olive oil
Centre - Lush hair cream/conditioner

Oh, and I have given up making my own shampoo...it was too tricky for someone in a hurry. I decided to stick to all things Lush. They are even eliminating palm oil from their products, so you know it's a company you can rely on! Must not forget the fact that it smells divine!!!