I Need Eco/Frugal Cleaning Help

I have to say I am deeply ashamed of myself. Yesterday, feeling the urge to have a right good domestic duty day I cleaned out my cleaning cupboard.

Now I usually refer to myself as something of a frugal Mum… well I may be in some areas but the cleaning department isn’t one of them! How have I accrued so many products? And worst still, so many of the SAME product! It gets even worse, as two of those washing up liquids are clearly half used. I had to throw some products out as they were way past their best which is such a waste!

I am currently seeking advice regarding my obvious sponge scourer obsession, and have now decluttered my undersink area. Ashamed does not even begin to sum it up!

I used to be more cleaning savvy, Stardrops was my best friend and somehow I’ve now fallen into the trap of 101 cleaners for different areas. I need help to properly turn around my cleaning / laundry wastage so call upon three people I hope will be able to comment and help me….

As well as these lovelies I’m hoping that you will have your own hints and tip – if so…. please share!!

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10 comments

  1. Chick I am trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible and use either Ecover or Tesco’s own environmentally friendly cleaners but I only use an antibacterial spray (for all workstops and bathrooms), I use the limescale bathroom cleaner but only on the shower cubicle because our water is so hard you can hardly see out after a week otherwise! Other than that I use hot water and elbow grease! My parents were looking after the kids last week and my Dad has filled my cleaning cupboard with bleach! He’s obsessed, as is MIL but I only use it very sparingly. There’s no need for half of the products we use and a lot of the time it’s just laziness and not wanting to put some effort into it! fewer Gym memberships and more real cleaning I say! πŸ™‚

  2. I’m a stardrops girl. Diluted in a spray bottle, I also add a bit of white vinegar for sparkle.

    My latest discovery, which is over amazing for kiddie finger prints and dirty marks on walls, is a little bit of biological washing powder diluted in warm water. It’s also.good for carpets.

    I also only use half the amount the manufacturers recommend.

    I’m not sure how ecologically sound these things are but definitely frugal.

    Tesco do a pack of 5 value sponge scourers for 19p. I use them for everything and then machine was them. Brilliant value.

  3. Oooh I like to be called fabulous πŸ˜‰

    I’m a stardrops fan too, I have a spray thingy (not sure of the technical term lol) filled with watered down stardrops and I use that for most things…. Any really bad marks I use it neat on.

    I also use microfibre cloths, one wet to wipe surfaces/mirrors/sinks etc and another one dry to dry them – I love the way they give everything a shine and when you’re done you can pop them in the washing machine for next time.

    Apart from washing up liquid and bleach for the toilets (I can’t do without my Domestos) pretty much everything else I clean with Stardrops and microfibre cloths although I have a few interesting bottles under my sink too.

    I’ll be back to check out everyone elses tips and I’m sure I’ll think of a few more in the meantime x x

  4. How do I clean the Queen’s castle? πŸ˜‰ Well, like Kate I used my supermarket’s own brand eco-cleaning products on the whole. I also use a mix of white vinegar and water for general cleaning in the kitchen, work surfaces and windows etc. Another thing I do, is when I have finished with my lemon slice in my drink (tonic water of course) I wipe the lemon slice around my sink and taps – it takes off the limescale and gives my taps a lovely gleam.
    Finally, I must share this eco-find with you – designer biodegradable eco-cleaning clothes – http://www.lyndseyyoung.co.uk/swedish-eco-easy-style-with-biodegradable-designer-cleaning-cloths/ made from recycled cotton and cellulose, these beautiful cleaning clothes are hardwearing, machine-washable and when they’ve finally had their day, rather than filling up your bin, they can be popped on your compost heap to biodegrade. Now could these cure your scourer obsession ….?

  5. How lovely are you, with those lovely comments for us, how can we refuse to add our tips in. We recently ran a post on TGF with a couple of homemade eco house cleaning tips, read it here http://thegreenfamilia.co.uk/top-eco-tips. Also we feature a lot of eco cleaning products from method, Ecover to name a few.
    I would make a list of cleaning jobs to be done and see what products can do multiple tasks and then create a list of must have products for your cupboard and then only buy those. If you keep the list on your notice board or fridge so you can then write a note to yourself when you are low so you can buy more then, rather than adding more to the mix every time you go shopping. Hope this helps x

  6. Well aren’t you all fantastic! I’m not sure that this has cured my scourer collecting problem; but hey… surely admitting you have a problem is the first step?

    I really appreciate the answers, and a cleaning cupboard / style makeover is in progress. I really urge any readers to check out the three “guest” commenters’ websites.

    N x

  7. Stem cleaner does everythink then spray with anti bacteria takes me hakf an hour a day to clean

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