As commercial cleaning products aggravate my health issues (chronic rhinitis, asthma & eczema) I used to “clean” some messes like the stove here by closing my eyes and pretending it wasn’t there. As you can see from his cleaning last night, The Man still prefers this method J.
Although I originally started using most of the following cleaning products so I could clean without having to be in bed for a day or two to recover they are much, much, much cheaper. Plus if your kids decide to experiment with them, the outcome is more likely to be comedic rather than anything else!
A. White vinegar – is non-toxic and acts as a cleaner, antibacterial agent and deodoriser so this is our general purpose cleaner. It may take a bit to get used to the smell of the vinegar when you first start to use it but it doesn’t hang around for long. We put 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in a spray bottle for ease of use. It has been the best toilet cleaner - our kids’ toilet now gets clean and doesn’t smell (well at least until the next kid uses it)! White vinegar is sold around here in 2L bottles in grocery stores for about $1.20.
B. Bicarbonate soda – is another non-toxic cleaner that deodorises. I mainly use it with white vinegar and a microfiber cloth to clean stuck on messes like this stove, or for deodorising carpets or mattresses (sprinkle some bicarb on the area and leave it on while you go do a few jobs, then vacuum it up). I think the last 500g of bicarb I bought was $1.50.
C. Household cleaning cloths – microfiber cloths are the best and these bright coloured ones were in the car cleaning section in a pack of 8 for $6, which is much better than similar for each cloth in the cleaning sections. I originally planned to use different colours for different uses (e.g. blue for windows, pink for walls.. etc) but I found I’d rather my kids pick any colour they like and actually clean something, than me do it all myself with the designated colour cloth! For yucky cleaning like toilets, floors and grease we use cloths from our rag bag, which is mostly full of old shirts and towels cut up. Then if it’s really scary we just throw the rag out with the mess included.
D. Kitchen cloth – this is a no brand “wonder cloth” from the local supermarket I think they are about $2 each and I use them for wiping down all the kitchen surfaces. I have tried the microfiber cleaning cloths for this but I found them an awkward size to use and slower to dry (so had stinky cloths to wash more often). Usually I just wipe the kitchen with these wet in some hot water (or dishwashing water if it’s already in the sink), but I get out the white vinegar spray and use them together for grimier messes. These cloths do lose their colour over time but they keep cleaning and cleaning. So when they look grey instead of yellow they move on to the rag bag.
E. Bulldog brush – this is what we wash dishes with (in some hot water with cheap dishwashing liquid) because they’re not hard bristled so you can scrub the food off without scratching the dish or pan to pieces. It’s also easy to clean the bristles out and they dry quickly. I think they are about $4 from grocery stores and they last.
F. Green nylon scourers – good for scrubbing potatoes, slowcooker pots, and even on soap scum in the shower recess… but not with the same scourer! 59c for a pack of 5.
G. We use these microfiber mitts to wipe down the shower recess at the end of each day to prevent mould and soap build up. I thought having something colourful and fluffy might inspire me to clean more often… it didn’t work… but they do make me smile! $3 each from the car cleaning section in a cheap shop.
