Lesley Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 I never thought of that Mind you - I'd have a different mess to clear up then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Kate, I tried to buy turpentine yesterday, went to several of the big DIY outlets, and they all sell turpentine substitute, rather than the real thing, and some places were faintly horrified that I was asking for it, along the lines of what do you want that for . I swear one old boy was 1/2 convinced that I was buying ingredients to mix up the next London bomb The explanation that I was planning to make my own furniture polish wasn't sufficiently reassuring, why would anyone to do that in these days of Mr Sheen I left smartish before he started searching my bag for stockpiles of nail varnish remover- and/ or called the police. Will turpentine substitute do the job, do you know? Or do I need to persist in trying to locate the proper stuff? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 Hi Kate, No, definitely not turpentine substitute! It's horrible stuff. I get mine from a hardware shop and they sell it in small bottles or really big containers. I get "Genuine Turpentine" - Bird Brand from my local hardware shop and it's £2.99 for 500ml which is much more expensive than the substitute but it lasts ages, as does the polish when you make it so it'll last well over a year, maybe 2. Good luck. If you can't get any, PM me your address and I'll get you some and send it on to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Thanks Kate, I'll keep trying for now, there's a little old-fashioned hardware shop that I know of reasonably locally, I'll try them next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 They sound more promising - ours is an old fashioned one where I can buy all the unusual things that I get a yen for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 As the fountain of all knowledge, can you let me know where you can get Borax from ?? I noticed it in some of the green cleaning recipes - but although I've heard of it and think it's a powder I have no idea where to go. Thanks for the tip about getting vinegar etc., from a chinese supermarket - not sure we have any here in deepest darkest dorset, but will look around on my travels - until now I have been using vinegar from the ordinary supermarkets and they only tend to do small bottles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 Fountain of all knowlege - more like muddy puddle!! You can get Borax from Boots stores - 700g for £2.20ish. I haven't managed to find it anywhere else in larger boxes but I'm looking and will post here if I find any. I have an address where you can also get large bottles of all the essential oils but postage is a bit steep on the orders so it's worth looking out for suppliers nearer home. I can get a 100ml bottle of pure lavender oil for £7ish and 100ml tea tree for around £9. This company do large 1litre and 5 litre bottles too! If anyone wants the address if they can't get any closer to home, let me know - much cheaper even with postage than the £4.50 for 10ml you get in Boots anyway! Try large towns or cities nearby for Chinese supermarkets - I go to Peterborough which is a fairly large city not far from here and there are 2 there - a supermarket and a wholesaler! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 That address for the essential oils would be great. Until I started reading this forum I hadnt realised how useful they really are - I had only ever put them in the bath or "burnt" them to make the house smell nice. I knew tea tree is good as an antiseptic but had only ever used it when brushing the doggles! One of the best tips I have so far is putting some drops of essential oil in the hoover (Sheila? Lesley? Sorry - brain like layers mush ). I put some lemongrass on and the house smells fab - even him who claims not to have a good sense of smell (except when it come to a wine bottle being opened in the next room...... ) commented on how nice the house smelt - much better than those plug in thingys (and dont even get me started on those areosol things that "puff" every few minutes - which are probably putting all sorts of revolting chemicals into the air..... rant rant.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 (edited) The company are: Inovia Wilds Lodge Empingham Road, Tinwell, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 3UL Telephone - 01780 781396 They are wholesalers to the retail and therapy industry. You'd have to phone or write for a catalogue and postage and packing is around £3.75 for orders up to 1Kg. They also sell bases for making your own shampoos, soaps, conditioners, moisturisers etc. The cataloge isn't full of pretty pictures but just the thoughts of all the things is wonderful!! They have a full range of all the different oils and they are super quality. Edited September 1, 2005 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 Talking of those chemical air fresheners - do you know how they work? They plaster the inside of your nose with their artificial scent so that you think how wonderful the house smells but all you can smell is the plastic scent up your nose. The house still smells to anyone coming in until their noses are also stuffed full of artificial pong!! At least the natural oils are natural and don't do that! I hate artificial pongs. I have a really lovely old lady living a couple of doors up that I see every now and then and she uses loads of these plug in air fresheners and I find them so overpowering now! My favourite scent is lavender and I make my own pot pourri out of rose petals, jasmine flowers, cloves and lavender mixed with some lavender essential oil - mmmmm, lovely! I also use a water spray mixed with a few drops of lavender oil as a room fragrance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 YUK!!! I know that I get quite wheezy (I'm very mildly asthmatic) when they are around - ok if they are the plug ins and on low and I'm not too near them, but those puffy ones are yuk!! The water spray thing sounds good too - I will have to send him out for lots of new ones (dont want to be spraying vinegar as a room freshner and trying to clean windows with essential oils..... ) I was going to ask the fountain of all knowledge/muddy puddle if you had any idea how to get a stain out of a dry clean only jacket. I have a cream / beige suit (I know, why I bought it goodness only knows ) and when I was driving yesterday bit into my squishy roll and a tomato exploded (I know, but it was 11am and I had been up since 5.10 so it was lunchtime! ) There is only a very small yellowish stain on the shoulder and I dont really want the expense of dry cleaning if there is any other way - but if not I will have to bite the bullet as I dont think lunch stains down your suit really presents a professional image.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 Hmmmm, not too sure about that, Mel. My green cleaning stain removal book suggests making a solution of 1tbsp borax dissolved in a little hot water and added to 2 cups of water to soak the stain in for washable garments but as it's dry clean only, I don't know what to suggest - sorry about that. It says use the same solution to sponge carpets - whether that would apply to dry clean only things too, I don't know. You see why I'm a muddy puddle of very little knowledge, don't you! A very good stain tips book is "Natural Stain Remover" by Angela Martin £3.99 (ISBN 1 84092 419 5) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 They sound more promising - ours is an old fashioned one where I can buy all the unusual things that I get a yen for! You're not pregnant are you Kate You'll be eating coal next Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 Oh God forbid! Been there, done that twice- threw up for 9 months, don't want to do it again thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Oh God forbid! Been there, done that twice- threw up for 9 months, don't want to do it again thanks!! Another reason for sticking to dogs and chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 Certainly is!! There's world war 3 going on upstairs at the moment too!! Oh boy, teenagers and pre-teenagers!! Wouldn't change them though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Certainly is!! There's world war 3 going on upstairs at the moment too!! Oh boy, teenagers and pre-teenagers!! Wouldn't change them though . What? Not even for a lifetime supply of Green and Blacks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 23, 2005 Author Share Posted July 23, 2005 No, I don't think even that would make me swap them!! They're OK most of the time ! (Ask me again half way through the holidays and I might just be ready for the lifetime's supply of chocolate though ) Too much chocolate will not help Eglu Bum Syndrome, will it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Oops that's true. Just off for a quick run....... Nope, not sure I can cope with that much exercise. Might just sit on my eglu bum for a bit longer......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 Just caught up on this thread, I've had a laugh reading it & also picked up lots of tips. Thanks very much! (The vac.cleaner tip was Lesley, but I don't mind taking the credit ) I'm going to try that one too That's the 2nd post where our names have been confused. Perhaps because I've only been on forum for 5 months but have posted tons . But remember, Lesley has the sensible advice & I have the silly ideas I also detest "air freshners & plug-ins", the advertising is brainwashing. We use a very high tech method called .... opening a window! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 I use that method as well Sheila, nothing better than nice fresh air..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted July 24, 2005 Author Share Posted July 24, 2005 Same here Nicola - I also use bowls of bicarb dotted around the house. The bicarb absorbs odours and works wonderfully. If you mix in some essential oils too, it makes the house smell lovely too. We had poached salmon yesterday for tea so the house smells somewhat fishy so I'm going to make up some grapfruit scented bicarb to dot around in little bowls until the smell's gone. After that, I use the bicarb for the barkeepers friend paste or in the bathroom cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel (& Paul) Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Great tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 I finally got hold of some real turps today (Robert Dyas stock it if anyone's interested), and have just spend a lovely half hour or so making furniture polish. It smells heavenly, and I can't wait for it to set so that I can do some polishing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
