Natural cleaning

By Tania Martin
IT’S that time of year again to blow away the cobwebs and dust with a few spring-cleaning jobs that have lain dormant throughout the winter.
People can take a few simple steps this spring to finding more healthy and environmentally friendly options for cleaning jobs.
Not having to choke on chemical cleaners such as shower sprays and oven cleaner makes spring cleaning a whole lot easier.
Some simple ingredients such as baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice, and a good liquid dishwashing detergent is all that’s needed to get the job done.
Carol Ross of Kallista said she was forced to look at alternative ways of cleaning when her daughter came to visit.
She said her daughter was allergic to a lot of the cleaning products she used.
But Mrs Ross said she is now better off using the natural alternatives such as a bit of soap and hot water to do most jobs.
“A lot of people spend a lot of money on cleaners but it’s hard to say whether they do a better job or not,” she said.
“Hot water and a lot of elbow grease is all you really need – it’s how they did it many years ago and they seemed to manage.”
One less toxic way to clean the oven is to spray the oven with water, then sprinkle baking soda to cover the grime and then cover with more water and leave to set overnight.
The grime can then be easily wiped away the next morning with a cloth, some dishwashing liquid and hot water.
Another good tip for cleaning is using lemon juice to wash out the bathroom sinks or dishwashing liquid and white vinegar to clean windows.