non chemical household cleaners

[sugar n spice]

I dont like to use chemical when cleaning while pregnant so i was wondering if anyone had natural cleaners that are really good for the following areas. Oh and i dont count metho as being natural i call that a chemical.

shower and shower screens
floating floorboards / tiles in bathrooms etc
benchtops
oven

thanks in advance

[Bessie]

White vinegar is great for lots of things - Heat some up in the microwave and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray and wipe.
Baking soda and water mixed into a paste make a gritty scrub for tile walls. Rub it on, leave it for 30 minutes and remove with a damp sponge.
I have some cleaning mits, they were on special at Woolworths (Sabco) and they are pretty good. I also have a hand held steam cleaner but its not as good as I thought it would be, although does a nice job with the windows.
Coke is great for cleaning your toilet although I wouldn't call it natural!
I use bleach if I want to sanitise (e.g. the sink and drains), just plain bleach, no scented stuff. I figure it's the least harmful of the alternativea and can be rinsed away easily. I don't rust the steam or mits to kill all the bugs, so if the kids had a tummy bug or something I'd use the bleach in the bathroom etc.

[Bessie]

Oooh and I'm lazy with the oven, I just line it with foil and then chuck that away after.

[Funkychicken]

Yay for you skipping on the chemicals. I actually make a cleaning product as part of my range of skin care to sell at markets etc...but it is so easy to make I'll give you the recipe.

250 gms Bi-carb
approx 6 mls vinegar
water to paste
and I add (optional but smells fantastic)
5 drops cedarwood essential oil
5 drops mandarin essential oil
5 drops geranium essential oil
5 drops tea-tree essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil

Sift bi-carb and add vinegar. Mix quickly and add the water gradually. I pre-add the oils tp the water to ensure it blends well. Put it in a small (roughly 250 gms) container and seal well. The lid needs to be replaced well after each use to prevent it from drying out.
These oils have naturally occuring anti-bacterial properties so even if you just add tea-tree you are making a cleaner that will kill off some nasties.
It's great on any surface except timber. And you know if there is any residue left on a surface it is not going to harm you if you then eat or prepare food off it.:D Good luck.

[Funkychicken]

Oh, and to clean your kettle;
Put one cup vinegar and two cups water in the kettle and boil. Remeber to put the kettle on the sink whilst doing this as it often froths up and over the top. Then empty and refill; boil once more.:D

[sugar n spice]

thanks girls im going to give them a try, any other ideas keep them coming:fingerscrossed::thumbsup:

[bec79]

Why not invest in Enyo gloves?? They won't cover all the areas you have mention, but I swear by them! One of the best investments I have made.

[elissas]

shower and shower screens
floating floorboards / tiles in bathrooms etc
benchtops
oven



For shower screens and tiles you can't go past a cleaning glove! Or a steam cleaner.
For hard floors I do my normal mops with a bit of vinegar. Once a month I use a steam mop on them. Brings the colour out of my floating floorboards too!!
Benchtops - I have bi-carb in a shaker (old mccormicks mixed herbs bottle ;) ), and some white vinegar in a spray bottle. I shake the bi-carb over the bench and spray it with the vinegar, let it fizz up and then wipe over with a sponge.
My oven - I can't really comment because we have a Bosch self cleaning oven. It is cleaned by cranking the heat up for a certain period and then wiping it out.

Grout is difficult, I tend to use either a bi-carb paste and good old fashioned elbow grease. Once every couple of months I spray with bleach and give it a super scrub, but that's about it for me.

You can even use bi-carb as a dishwasher powder - but not when you have heavy duty cleaning in there...

Half a lemon is great for the toilet. Wipe the lemon all over the toilet surface, and pour some vinegar in the bowl. Leave it for a couple of hours, then wipe over toilet and clean bowl with brush. Works a treat and smells pretty good too.

[only1mica]

For the floors i use...
Hot water, Vinegar & a touch of Tea Tree oil.

It cleans really well.:thumbsup:

[sugar n spice]

thanks so much everyone, oh and what is a cleaning glove?

[elissas]

The fibre cleaning mits - like enjo, or you can get sabco ones at the supermarket.

Dfferent fibres for different surfaces.

[BlueGin]

Hi, for disinfecting I use vinegar in a spray bottle, leave on (toilet, sink, chopping board) for 20mins then wipe off.
For a super quick and satisfying bathroom clean I put a couple of drop of ti tree or eucalyptus oil on a cleaning glove with a tiny bit of water; wipes down sink and around taps with ease, I also keep a sponge (some people would be too grossed out by this) especially for the toilet.
This is a great way to shine up the bathroom quickly for guests and it smells lovely and clean too!
Tough dirt on tiles: mix up bi carb soda with enough dishwashing liquid to make a stiff paste, use a sponge to rub in on the tiles, (needs a lot of rinsing though)
Note: I had a mouse problem but didn't want to use chemicals while TTC, so I put 1tsp peppermint oil in a spray bottle filled with water, shake it, then spray near all possible mouse holes (they left in 2 days!)

Good luck on the green cleaning!