I've been a domestic cleaner ( as a job ) for over 24 years and used just about every cleaning product available in the supermarket. Usually they don't live up to the hype and leave me with a whopping headache from the fumes.
Quite a few years ago I ditched the cleaning sprays and products full of nasty chemicals and fumes. I opted to use the humble detergent for about 95% of my cleaning needs for our kitchen, bathroom, laundry and general household cleaning with amazing results.
I've used branded kitchen detergent as well as the Aldi 1 litre 99 cent bottle ( price might have increased recently ) and had good results from both.
Here are 10 ways I use kitchen detergent to clean -
* Clean the toilet. There's no need for fancy cleaners. Use dishwashing liquid heavily diluted with water in a spray bottle.
* Clean stains from carpet. Add a few drops to a damp microfibre cloth or old ( but clean ) rag. Gently work on the stain in circular motions. Blot dry.
* Mopping floors. Add a small squirt of dishwashing liquid to a bucket of hot water. This works on many hard floor surfaces. For high gloss floors, straight hot water might be the best option
* Clean kitchen benches and stove tops. I use dishwashing liquid diluted in a spray bottle. For benches I just spray and wipe. Stove tops should be sprayed with the diluted dishwashing liquid and left for a few minutes to soak into spills. Wipe with a clean cloth and buff dry.
* Remove sticky residue with a few drops of dishwashing liquid on a scourer. If the residue persists then add a few drops of eucalyptus oil.
* Clean the showers. Dishwashing liquid cuts through soap scum quite easily. Add a squirt to a scourer ( non scratch or heavy duty ) with water and clean in circular motions.
* Clothes stain remover. Often stains can be treated with a few drops of dishwashing liquid and a small scrub of a toothbrush.
* Clean windows. Add a small squirt of dishwashing liquid and vinegar to a bucket of hot water. Wash the windows with any cloth and buff dry. Drying the windows reduces streaks left by the water.
* Clean your jewellery. Soak jewellery in a bowl of warm soapy water for a few minutes. Use a toothbrush to loosen any dirt.
* Degreasing appliances. Grease and grime can build up on appliances, especially in the kitchen. Either add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to a cloth or spray the appliance with detergent diluted with water in a spray bottle.
I have toa gres simple is far better. We have a cleaner come once a week under mum's aged care package. It seems the cleaner knows the more expensive and crazy their requests become and the more product I have to clean after they have left. I find that if I squirt a small amount of cleanser on a cloth it is just as effective and
ReplyDeleteI don't have to work as hard to remove residue. This save precious water as well.
Thanks for sharing Wendy. I’m a big fan of dish liquid. I use cooled boiled water, a dash of dish liquid and disinfectant as my multi purpose spray. I think it costs about 20cents a spray bottle. I also put a good dash of dish soap in the wash, with my sons work gear that is dirty with fuel and exhaust dust. It’s the only thing that strips out the fuel. Don’t over do it with the dish soap, otherwise it’s a bubbly mess.
ReplyDeleteI also use dish soap for a lot of my cleaning, although I haven't used it for the shower or toilet before. I will give it a try, thank you for the ideas!
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