When we push a trolley down the supermarket aisles we are assaulted on all sides by the sheer quantity of goods available and often fall prey to all the advertising we've heard on radio and television. Come on, be honest. How many times have you come home with yet another shiny new product that you didn't really need?
Our great grandmothers didn't have access to such a huge variety of goods for sale but they did have an extensive oral library of knowledge, passed down from mother to daughter, neighbour to neighbour and friend to friend for generations. Here are a few tips from that library of simple, cost effective ways of dealing with household chores.
Window cleaning
If your windows are very grimy or have grit on them you will need to wash them with soap or detergent first but if they are merely dull try a scrunch of dampened newspaper. Polish the window with dry newspaper. The results are miraculous, cheaper than supermarket products and get another use out of old newspapers before they are thrown away. This method works on mirrors too, except in the bathroom where it is better to put a few drops of glycerine on the polishing cloth. The bathroom mirror won't look quite as good but you will still be able to use it even when the bathroom is filled with steam.
Cleaning ovens
Dirty ovens can be easily cleaned with cloudy ammonia. Mix three parts cloudy ammonia with one part of water and store in a pump spray bottle. Heat your oven then switch off and spray the insides thoroughly. Leave for several hours or overnight then wipe with a clean cloth.
If you wipe the inside of a newly cleaned oven with a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in a half a pint of water it will be much easier to clean your oven next time.
Cleaning bathrooms
Here hygiene is important and you can make your own disinfectant. Dissolve 10 ml of eucalyptus oil in 20 ml of methylated spirits and add to two litres of warm water. Wipe this over ceramic and tiled surfaces. Any excess can be stored in a tightly sealed bottle.
Eucalyptus oil is also the answer to lipstick marks and heavy staining on laundry.
Cleaning brass
To prolong the shine and delay tarnish rub over your cleaned brass with a little flour. If the brass has complex patterns it can be cleaned with a piece of lemon then rinsed thoroughly and polished with a dry cloth.
The other great plus about these tips is that they are natural cleansers and more environmentally sensitive than harsh chemical solutions so you will be doing your bit for the environment at the same time as you save dollars.
