Programs

Use the following practical suggestions as a guide to direct you towards safe, effective and thrifty alternatives.

Always use your judgement and test on a small area first before going ahead on a larger scale. And remember to be careful using hot/boiling water.

Moisten label with eucalyptus oil and rub clean. Now wash with hot, soapy water. Alternatively, put your jar in the freezer, then later scrape off the frozen glue using a knife.

Turn off element or gas. Sprinkle generously with cooking salt. Leave for a few minutes. Wipe off with a damp cloth. The stove should now be sparkling clean and odourless.

For bottles and vases with narrow necks, clean with steel wool attached to a thin stick.

Or, place sand or crushed egg shells, a little vinegar and hot water into the bottle, shake well then leave to soak. Shake again, then rinse clean.

Or, add uncooked rice and a little brewed tea (along with some tea leaves) to the vase. Shake well, then leave to soak. Shake again, then rinse with hot water to which a little white vinegar has been added. Air dry.

Make a paste by mixing together 1 tablespoon of each of salt, flour and vinegar. Use a damp cloth to apply this thick paste to the article and rub gently. Leave for 1 hour. Rinse with warm water and buff dry with a soft cloth.

Or, apply bicarb soda on a damp cloth. Let it dry. Polish with a soft, dry cloth.

Or, rub with a soft cloth moistened with vinegar. Polish with a dry cloth.

Or, dip half a lemon in salt and rub into the surface. Rinse with hot water. Polish dry with a soft cloth.

It is very important that chopping boards are thoroughly cleaned after use, especially after cutting up raw meat. Scrub plastic with hot soapy water. Rinse under hot, running water, wipe over with vinegar, then allow to dry.

Use cold water and salt to scour clean wooden boards, as hot water opens up the grain and allows bacteria and odours to penetrate the wood. When dry, season the wood with a little vegetable oil. Keep one chopping board for raw meat only, another for vegetables to be cooked and yet another for salad fruits and vegetables.

White polythene chopping boards can be rubbed clean with equal parts salt and bicarb soda dissolved in water. For bad stains, add lemon juice to the mixture rather than water.

Dip half a lemon in salt and rub the surface vigorously. Rinse with hot water. Polish dry with a soft cloth.

Or, apply a paste of equal parts salt, vinegar and flour. Rinse off with hot water. Polish dry.

Or, moisten salt with vinegar and rub into the copper surface. Rinse with hot water. Polish dry with a soft cloth.

To clean the dishwasher, plus add sparkle to your glassware, place a bowl of vinegar in the bottom of the dishwasher and set the machine on full cycle.

Many commercial drain cleaners contain caustic soda, which is highly corrosive and toxic if swallowed. Fumes may cause eye, skin and throat irritation. Try the following alternatives.

A handful of salt followed by a jug of boiling water does the job.

For extra stubborn blockages, pour a handful of washing soda (or bicarb soda) and a half a cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it sit for half an hour, with the plug in place. A final salt and boiling water treatment is advised to complete the job.

To remove stains and grease from the outside, clean with a pad of steel wool soaked in eucalyptus oil or methylated spirits. Rinse clean with very hot water.

To give sparkle to enamel surfaces such as refrigerators, stoves, sinks, tiles etc, wipe with a borax solution.

Remove brown stains by rubbing with coarse salt. Rinse with hot water and polish dry.

Use a solution of 3 tablespoons of bicarb soda to 6 cups of warm water, to clean and freshen.

Rub dirty spots with salt. When rinsing, add a dash of white vinegar or lemon juice to the hot water, then air dry. Your glassware should now sparkle, free of streaks and smudges.

Lime deposits can be removed by boiling a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. If the mineral deposit is particularly bad, allow the kettle to stand overnight before rinsing clean. Alternatively, cut a lemon into small pieces and place them inside the kettle. Fill with water and boil. Leave overnight, then rinse well the following morning. To prevent a build up of sediment, place a glass marble in the bottom of the kettle.

Stains may be removed without scratching by scouring clean with bicarb soda on a damp cloth. Wipe over with a vinegar and water solution to produce a fresh smelling, shiny surface.

Take a freshly cut lemon, dip its cut edge into warm water, then borax, and rub the marble surface with this lemon pad. Polish with a soft dry cloth.

Or, rub well with salt (or bicarb soda), then rinse clean.

After use wipe the inside with a hot damp cloth, especially if there hs been a spill.

For more stubborn stains, place a bowl of hot water (along with a slice of lemon or 2 tablespoons of bicarb soda) in the microwave. Set to simmer until the interior is quite steamy. Leave for a few minutes, then remove the bowl. Now wipe away the stains using a hot damp cloth.

While your oven is still warm, wipe with a damp cloth sprinkled with bicarb soda.

If oven is really grimy, apply a bicarb soda paste to all surfaces, then leave for 30 minutes. Wipe clean. Use a wooden scraper on any difficult patches. A light coating of bicarb soda will make cleaning easier next time. Add vinegar or lemon juice to the bicarb soda for extra cleaning power.

Soak oven racks in hot soapy water and bicarb soda. Polish clean with steel wool, rinse with very hot water and dry with a soft cloth.

Wash with hot soapy borax solution, or vinegar on a moist cloth, or bicarb soda on a damp cloth.

To keep your refrigerator sweet-smelling and free of mildew, wash the surfaces with a solution of bicarb soda and hot water, or vinegar on a damp cloth.

Use a solution of borax and hot water to clean and disinfect. For a final touch sprinkle a little eucalyptus oil on the bottom of the bin.

Use eucalyptus oil to rub away marks.

Stewart R (2002). Robin Stewart’s Chemical Free Home. Black Inc. Melbourne, Victoria.

Zero Waste SA shall not accept responsibility for injury, loss, or damage occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of material in this information sheet, whether or not such injury, loss, damage is in any way due to any negligent act or omission, breach of duty or default in the part of Zero Waste SA or the Government of South Australia.