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November 24, 2009

It’s All About the Fizz

About two weeks ago, my sister told me about this new program she’d started watching on the Living Channel about organizing wardrobes and cleaning. My first thought was “Huh! There’s no way I’m getting excited about housework and cleaning!”

While our house is reasonably tidy, it’s not spotless. My opinion is that life is too short to obsess about a clean house. I tend to let things slide when I can, preferring to do fun stuff instead.

Fast forward a few days, and I was channel surfing. I came across the program called Lush House and settled in to watch it. Each week features a different family, along with their cleaning and organizational problems. They might have carpet stains, severe clutter, disorganized rooms, poor ventilation, problems in the garden and other cleaning nightmares within the house. Along comes Shannon Lush to solve all their problems. She uses natural methods of cleaning and dispenses lots of cleaning tips. By the end of the show the family and their pets are organized with their houses all spick and span.

I was fascinated with her basic cleaning supplies—all natural products and inexpensive. I thought about all the expensive cleaning materials underneath my kitchen sink and decided I’d try some of Ms. Lush’s methods. It wasn’t as if I was wasting a lot of money if they didn’t work.

During my next shopping trip, I purchased a packet of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and a bottle of white vinegar. What you do is sprinkle baking soda on the area to be cleaned then spray it with white vinegar. It makes a very satisfying hissing sound when the two items react, lifting dirt and grime at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised at the way it cleaned my sink and stovetop. I’ve also used the baking soda/vinegar to clean my oven with some success. The grime is a bit baked on in my oven so it will take two or three cleaning sessions, but it does work. The baking soda/vinegar can also be used to clean dishwashers, toilets, baths, and showers. I tell you it’s miracle stuff, and the child in me really enjoys the hiss and sizzle the baking soda and vinegar make when they react.

Here’s a link to the fact sheets and the various cleaning problems Ms. Lush has tackled to date.
Ms. Lush has also published several books on cleaning the natural way. I tell you—I’m a believer. I really like using the more natural products. It’s got to be better for the environment and it’s sure easier on the pocket!

Do you like housework? What is your favorite cleaning product?

8 Comments

  1. Nessa

    I used vinegar often to clean but now I’m going to add the baking soda. Makes perfect sense.

    Turkey Butt

  2. Maria Zannini

    I love baking soda and vinegar. I bake them both in quantity.

    Thanks for the link!

  3. Jaime

    I’m definitely going to try this! I wouldn’t call it a cleaning product but we always have baby wet-wipes handy. They work great for cleaning small messes and little faces. :grin:

  4. Kaye Manro

    I hate cleaning, and anything that can make it fun like BS and V is great in my book. I hear it is a disinfectant as well. All the better.

    There is a show in the states called Clean House. It’s probably an extreme version of the one you speak of. But soulds similar.

  5. Shelley Munro

    Nessa – it makes cleaning fun because of the scientific reaction. Every time I clean it’s like an experiment. :grin:

    Maria – the fact sheets at the link are really good.

  6. Mary

    I’ve used baking soda but never with vigegar. I will have to try that.

    I love the Mr Clean Magic Eraser. I remember getting a free one when they first came out, in the mail and then they were only a dollar to buy. Now they are a bit more, but they clean really well.

    I also love using baby wipes, they clean really good and are strong.

  7. sandra cox

    Hey thanks for that tip. Going to try it. Oh and the question do you like housework. That’s a joke right?

  8. Linda Henderson

    Well, I’m not crazy about housework but we must all do it. I like my disinfectant wipes, can’t be without those.