Chicken pecking

[chocchick]

I need help to be green!

My house is not very green or clean at the moment and OH will not become green spontaneously! What is the green equivalent to bleach?

I have to confess the following.....

 

 

I currently use bleach in the toilet and to "unblock" sinks (I read somewhere here it doesn't work but don't know where). I use bleach sprays in the kitchen as the surface is whitish and pitted and we have an ecover alcohol spray cleaner but that will not work.

I use it on the floor as mud and my chicken pen boots tread in lots of dirt that spreads past the mat and newspaper I try to put down.

I also use it on the horrible mould that collects when I am avoid cleaning the shower.

 

HELP!

 

I've found Kate's recipies but there are 13 pages of thread. Would I use one/some of those instead of bleach?

Would just buying ecover products be easier?

Or would I just have to buy bicarb of soda and whiite wine vinegar in industrial quantities? Is there somewhere that sells empty bottles as my old ones would have evil chemical residue in them.

[Louise]

I stopped using bleach when I moved to my curent house Sarah as it has a cess pitt the only place I use any bleach is the kitchen which has a white worktop and I use the flash spray bleach and then remove it using paper which goes in the bin not flushing it down the sink I have tried alternatives and so far I haven't found one that works

 

To unblock drains I use a couple of tablespoons of bicarb followed by half a mug of vinegar then hot water and plunge it

 

In fact I have just done this at work "Ooops, word censored!"ody believed it would work we can't have bleach in the building because of the chemicals and stuff but we had bicarb (useful in a lab as you know ) and the tea room had some vinegar sitting and I was fed up of people moaning the drain was low

[Mrs Frugal]

Hi Sarah,

 

I don't use bleach anymore unless it's to bleach the grouting in the kitchen which gets really stained. For all the jobs I would otherwise use bleach for, I substitute either vinegar, bicarb or borax. I've not used bleach for cleaning for nearly 3 years now.

 

For toilet cleaning, I slosh the water out, sprinkle a handful of either borax (sold in Boots in the washing section) or bicarb (bought in 3kg bags from a chinese supermarket), scrub with a cloth round the bowl and under the rim to get rid of any marks then either spray round with distilled white vinegar or a solution in a sprayer of 3tbsp Ecover washing up liquid, 1/2 tsp tea tree oil, 1/2 tsp lavender oil and topped up with water. Works on everything and it's antibacterial because of the tea tree and lavender oil. Wipe over seat and rim then flush.

 

For baths and sinks, again a handful of bicarb or borax to scrub off the tide mark followed by a spray and wipe with the tea tree/lavender solution then a quick rinse.

 

For floors, a bucket of hot water with a squirt of Ecover washing up liquid and a few drops of any essential oil you like. I'm using lemon or grapefruit at the moment and it smells lovely.

 

Lemon juice is a natural bleach, as is sunlight so white sheets, tea towels etc will brighten if you hang them on the line on a sunny day.

 

What else would you use bleach for? If you can think of anything, I'll see if I can come up with a green alternative for you.

Edited October 23, 2006 by Guest

[bunee1]

Have you tried Ecover's cream cleaner on the work top it's very good...the multi surface cleaner is good for alsorts too.....oh and the limescale remover is fab .....oh just go and by them all

[bunee1]

Oh and get yourself some E-cloths they are made of a special microfibre and work wonders......http://www.enviroproducts.co.uk/index.asp?aid=14