Do you really need to reach for the chemical-laden household cleaner, when lemons, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda could do some of the jobs just as well?
TV’s Queen of Clean Lynsey Crombie, a regular on ITV’s This Morning, says: “I go for white wine vinegar because it makes a stronger cleaning product. It’s great for combating mould in the bathroom, limescale on the taps or showerhead and for doing glass and windows.
“It’s also great as an odour-buster. It might smell of vinegar for a while, but that smell will disperse and break down other odours.
“Lemons are great for making a multi-purpose cleaner, they’re great for limescale and for shining. You get a good shine from a lemon and they leave your home smelling gorgeous.”
Lynsey’s 10 top cleaning hacks
Her new book, The Easy Life, offers a wealth of tips on quick ways to clean your home. Here, she suggests how simple things you probably have around the house can help.
1. Bust those fake tan stains
One quick way to remove fake tan is to make a paste out of bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice and apply directly to the stain.
2. Hide fridge smells
Put a small dish of bicarbonate of soda in the back of your fridge, which will soak up food smells and is particularly good if you’ve had an Indian dish or fish.
3. Keep your dishwasher fresh
Wipe down seals around the dishwasher door with a solution of 50% white wine vinegar, 20% neat lemon juice and 30% water. Put the solution in a spray bottle so you can use it for other cleaning jobs. After rinsing your dishwasher filter, run a rinse cycle using lemon juice.
4. Spritz your microwave
Place four slices of lemon into a microwave-safe bowl of water and cook on high for three minutes. The steam from the water should loosen stuck-on bits of food and grease, then all you have to do is wipe it clean with a damp cloth. And it should leave your microwave smelling fresh.
5. Blitz bathroom grime
Mould and mildew spread faster in humid conditions, especially in the bathroom. Spray patches of mould with neat white wine vinegar, leave for 30 minutes then rinse. The mould should disappear without the need for scrubbing.
6. Wash your washing machine
To keep it fresh, run a quick cycle with white wine vinegar weekly, which should neutralise smells and keep mould build-up at bay.
Bicarbonate of soda is great to use with your laundry. If you use liquid detergent and you are doing a white load, pop a spoonful into the liquid detergent, spin it around a bit and it will bring your whites up beautifully.
7. Create a glass and window cleaner
Use 20ml white wine vinegar, 10ml lemon juice and fill the rest of a 500ml spray bottle with water. Shake and it’s ready to use. It will clean mirrors, mirrored furniture, windows and even metal taps.
8. Unclog kitchen drains
Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda into the drain then pour down some white wine vinegar. Cover the plughole with a wet cloth while the two react with one another to clean the drain. Wait five minutes and run hot water to clear it.
9. Perk up wooden chopping boards
If they are looking a little tired, you can perk them up using half a lemon and some salt.
10. Care for your cupboards
Cleaning the inside of your kitchen cupboards may be something you dread, but after you’ve taken everything out, a diluted vinegar solution should make light work of disinfecting sticky surfaces.
The Easy Life by Lynsey Crombie is published by Welbeck.
Best-selling bicarbonate of soda
Stuck for inspiration? Check out our list of best-selling Amazon products!
- PURE Sodium Bicarbonate is food grade; Great for cooking, baking, and cleaning
- Freshens air in refrigerators, microwaves, and pantries
- Aluminum-Free; Use to make DIY bath bombs or use to whiten laundry
- Bicarbonate Of Soda
- 100% Food / Pharmaceutical Grade Sodium Bicarbonate | Baking Soda.
- Suitable for Food Use, Baking, Bath Bombs & Cleaning
- Aluminium Free & Gluten Free
- Brand: PSN
- PSN Sodium Bicarbonate 25KG Powder 100% Pure Food Grade Bicarb Bicarbonate of Soda Baking Soda (Baking - Bath - Cleaning etc)
- Size: 25 kg (Pack of 1)
- Pharmaceutical/FCC Food Grade | 100% Pure | Fine Powder
- Remove Limescale Deposits on Sinks, Taps, Shower, Tiles, Toilets etc.
- Bath Bombs - we recommend using 2 Parts Sodium Bicarbonate to 1 Part Citric Acid
Last update on 2024-04-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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