Zoflora – A Modern Solution #Candidly Cleaning

Zoflora was always in use in my home growing up – usually when one of us was being sick! A strong floral scent and great cleaning action meant it was the first thing my parents reached for to clean and disinfect after unfortunate sicky accidents!  Since then Zoflora has come on a lot and I was very pleased to be sent a couple of products from their range to try and to review as part of the ongoing Candidly Cleaning feature.

Zoflora make and sell a wide range of products including concentrated antibacterial disinfectant and bin fresh gel, which are the two products I was sent.

Zoflora Concentrated Antinacterial Disinfectant (CAD).

Uses: There is very little you can’t use this CAD for. Use diluted in the kitchen and bathroom on floors, tiles, sides, sinks, taps, baths and more. You can only use undiluted on metal or ceramic sinks, drains and toilets. As with all cleaning products, it is advised you test a small area before first used. With a long lasting antibacterial action it is safe for use around pets, as long as it is in it’s diluted form. Typically this product comes in a 250ml bottle but as you only need a small amount for each use it really does stretch.

Scent: This product comes in a range of scents, I have been sent “Lily fresh”. This isn’t one of those floral smells that reminds you of Grandma, but a lovely fragrance that is well suited to a modern home. The frangrance is most definitely noticable but is not over strong and rather than mask household smells it neutralises them. I have an ornamental vase that sits up above the kitchen sink in the window (out of reach!) and I added a few drops of Zoflora to some water and it acted as an effective (and economical!) air freshener for days!

But does it work?? Yes it does! You don’t get any residue when using this and during the trial I used it regularly to wipe over to give my home that extra layer of protection. Being multipurpose you can save a fortune on buying different cleaners for different rooms and items. The scent, as above, is fantastic, and really creates an atmosphere in your home (but doesn’t smell like “cleaning” if that makes sense?). I have had comments from people coming in on the smell “have you got one of those plugins going? That’s lovely!”.

Would I use again? Yes I would – such a convenient, economical product that does the job with the extra benefit of freshening your home. Why wouldn’t I!?

Bin Fresh Gel.

This one I get quite excited about (yes I know, I really must get out more!). I loathe bin smells and at this time of the year, when it’s getting warmer our bins seems to pong more, despite being emptied regularly – especially the outside one (which is only emptied fortnightly – great when crammed with poo-ey nappies!). I have had bin fresh things you spray, stick in the lid, powders… and whilst they have smelled nice, the effect doesn’t last and soon we are back to our usual pongy bin area. This spray is ideal, has the same odour neutralising and antibacterial action and it’s “rainforest” scent makes walking past or opening our bins much less of a horror!

This is another Zoflora product I would most definitely buy again, it’s reasonably priced, in a convenient spray bottle and more to the point…. works. A side product perhaps, though not one Zoflora reports, is that we get noticeably less flies and wasps around the bins (we get a lot!) so perhaps there is something there which acts as a deterant – or perhaps they are just not being attracted by the scent of rubbish!

More about Zoflora

Zoflora products are available in various major stores and you can find out more about these products and the others in the range by visiting the website. To keep up to date with news, offers and product info why not pop over to the Zoflora page on Facebook?

Coming Soon – The New Fragrance On The Block!

Scent is such an important thing. A certain smell can bring a memory back instantly and can completely change your mood. I am a very smell-conscious person! Zoflora are releasing a new fragrance shortly, and I’m actually quite excited about it (again, if I get this excited about cleaning products I need to get out and about more, perhaps get a hobby….?).

Apple Orchard, a perfect scent for summer, will be available for sale in the usual major outlets and has a RRP of just £1.39. If you’ve got this far you’ll have realised that a big plus point for me with the items I tested was the long lasting fragrance and odour neutraliser so a new scent to try (and I will pop back and report on whether it’s up to the C&C high standards!) is never going to be a bad thing.

**Zoflora’s PR company were kind enough to send me these products to test and review. That is where their input ends, as my findings and opinions are my own and representation of how myself and my family found Zoflora after using it over a period of time in our home.

Spring Cleaning – Yes Seriously!

Ok – it’s only February so not quite the middle of spring but I saw snowdrops today and the daffodils won’t be far behind!

This may sound ridiculous… but I love spring cleaning. Don’t get me wrong, my house isn’t dirty, but it’s never cleaner, tidier or better organised than when it gets that weekend-long going over!

The key to spring cleaning in my house, is organising the troops and provisions.

1)      Ensure husband has a “list”. This list will detail everything he is expected to do. It is reasonable over the course of the weekend to add one or two items but as this will no doubt cause Kevin & Perry style grumbling, I try and keep extras to a minimum by ensuring the original list covers everything!

2)      Hide the laptop cable, remove fuses from pcs and tv, basically – remove anything that can be a distraction or tool for procrastination! “I just need to check my emails” during a quick cuppa break can really do great things for ruining momentum and wasting time! (And if I end up “checking” Twitter, then it’s all over before it really begins.

3)      Engage the kids! I farm them out, borrow a portable dvd player and get some new dvds from the library (cheap enough to rent via there) or Freecycle. A board game or two, crafts and activities that don’t need overseeing. Bribery is perfectly acceptable! That takes care of the four year old and Grandma is a safe bet for babysitting the littlest fella (he’s still cute, what will I do when he starts talking he he).

4)      Phones off and ensure regular visitors / people who routinely “pop-in” know we are unavailable (I’m going this time for a big sign on the door with a red cross a la black death which reads a subtle “Bugger Off We Are BUSY”).

5)      Organise “The Kit”. Bin bags (strong ones – not the weedy Tesco value ones which I always swore by until dragging rubbish through my house last year after two split, basic cleaning gear together with a bucket etc which I can take with me from room to room. Also, I make sure I have scissors, string, envelopes and/or plastic wallets, a pen and boxes/storage crates handy.

Time to start!

For me, attitude is key! I get up, get a shower, do my hair, clean clothes (that I don’t mind getting dusty!), and get the music on. I’m not talking about The Love Album, more Glee, or rock greats or something bouncy/motivating to sing and move along too (cleaning etc can be a great form of exercise too you know!).

I start in one room and don’t leave until it is done! Anything that belongs in another room is thrown out of the door in a bag or box and picked up when I move to that room. Drawers are emptied and I am ruthless! I really need to think “Seriously- will I really use that” or “When did I last think of that” and be ashamed if you hear yourself saying “Gawd, I thought we lost that when we moved five years ago!”. <Been there, done that! It can be a bit of a pull throwing things out but it’s also very liberating and the next time I go into my drawer and find my stamps, where they should be, not under a marble, a half packet of chewing gum, a metal bracket from something, a Chinese takeaway menu and a bootlace from a pair of boots you threw out ten years ago, I’m always glad I stuck to it!

My husband is a beggar for keeping things “Just in case”. During the last big clean I sat with him (eyeballing him) whilst he sorted through the “just in case boxes”. I have no idea how many old chargers, old power packs, cables, and such items he had stashed, and in truth I don’t think he did either! We kept a few of each kind that were most likely to be of some use and disposed of the rest. Even he said it was very liberating! (Gold star Roy!).

For anyone else is gearing up to a clear-out, if you really can’t bear to throw something out that you don’t want/need consider Freecycle, a worldwide online community where people regularly give away items of all kinds in a bid to recycle them, rather than landfill them. Most areas have a group – I use mine regularly.

Most importantly…. I enjoy it! I sing, dance, laugh and really get into the spirit (which may explain the dirty looks I get from my neighbours?). I always promise myself a treat when it’s all done. Last year, I promised myself new curtains and new matching bedding for our room (always the last room to get any attention!) and this in itself was a motivator.

So feather dusted and determination at the ready… I’m setting a date on the calendar, and am going to gut this house!!!