Household cleaning the old fashioned way
Do you use a multitude of different cleaning products to keep your home clean and tidy?
Have you ever thought about swapping the modern cleaning products for everyday items more at home in your kitchen cupboards, such as vinegar and lemons?
Lucy Owen investigates whether there's any truth behind these old wives tales, and if traditional cleaning methods really do work in the fight against grime.
Lucy met X-Ray viewer Glenda Batten, who in her own words uses an 'arsenal' of cleaning products to keep her home in Caldicott sparkling, ranging from 'good old trusty bleach' to multi-purpose cleaners.
Lucy Owen with Glenda Batten and some of the cleaning products she uses.
These products are oftenÌýcontain a complex list of chemicalsÌý- and Glenda worries about the chemical smell of her house once she's finished cleaning, likening the smell to a swimming pool.
But as Lucy discovered when she met Cardiff University's Peter Hollamby, items such as lemons, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda can be just as effective in getting your home spotless.
Here are some tips for traditional cleaning:
- Citric acid, found in lemons and other citrus fruits, breaks down calcium carbonate - which is a component of limescale. Use a cloth soaked in lemon juice to get your taps shiny again or half a lemon rubbed around your bath to get it clean.ÌýYou shouldn't use lemon on thinly-plated surfaces (e.g. gold-plated taps).
- Using salt and white vinegar (which contains acetic acid) can help to give dull brass its shine back. Before trying this tip, make sure the surface is brass and not brass-plated by using a magnet. If the magnet doesn't stick - it's brass.
- Mixing a little bicarb with warm water makes a great alkaline cleaner that cuts through surface grease and dirt. This solution is slightly abrasive, so take care not to rub too hard.
- Bicarbonate of soda also works a treat on tricky tea stains. Using your fingers, simply rub bicarbonate of soda around the inside of the cup and then rinse.
- Try cleaning your windows with a little washing up liquid and a dash of white vinegar in a bowl of warm water. Finish by polishing with scrunched up newspaper for extra shine.Ìý
- Try washing soda crystals dissolved in warm water to tackle tough greasy stains on cooking dishes. Leave this to soak, pour out the water and rinse to remove any remaining crystals. Bicarbonate of soda is also effective but is not as strong.
RememberÌý- always use these tips with caution and check manufacturer's instructions first. Always try a test patch first. If you are unsure as to whether the item you are cleaning is suitable for our instructions, take professional cleaning advice.Ìý
Be sure to watch the episode on Monday 15 March at 7.30pm on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One Wales to find out if these alternative cleaning products worked in Glenda's home.
And if you have any tips for getting your house squeaky clean using traditional methods, why not let us know below?
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