A tip for the stingy ones amongst us

[Barry]

I used to be a fan of a certain proprietary kitchen cleaner but they changed the formula and now it comes out as a kind of foam. Consequently I found I was using a lot more of it and it aint cheap and I'm a stingy old git so.......

 

I had an idea that I've been trying it out for the last couple of months and I'm happy to say that it cleans my kitchen worktops more than satisfactorily for a lot less than the cost of buying a new spray bottle regularly

 

I use the spray bottle the kichen cleaner came in and put a capful or two of good old 'Flash' in and top it up with water.

 

It cleans very well and I reckon a one litre bottle (normally £2.30 in Tesco but one third off now) will last a very reasonable length of time.

 

 

 

Unless anyone knows any different and there is a good reason to not do this I shall continue because these proprietary cleaners are pretty expensive I reckon

[Barry]

I used to be a fan of a certain proprietary kitchen cleaner but they changed the formula and now it comes out as a kind of foam. Consequently I found I was using a lot more of it and it aint cheap and I'm a stingy old git so.......

 

I had an idea that I've been trying it out for the last couple of months and I'm happy to say that it cleans my kitchen worktops more than satisfactorily for a lot less than the cost of buying a new spray bottle regularly

 

I use the spray bottle the kichen cleaner came in and put a capful or two of good old 'Flash' in and top it up with water.

 

It cleans very well and I reckon a one litre bottle (normally £2.30 in Tesco but one third off now) will last a very reasonable length of time.

 

 

 

Unless anyone knows any different and there is a good reason to not do this I shall continue because these proprietary cleaners are pretty expensive I reckon

[BargeeSpud]

A tip top, top tip.

[bizzard]

I used to be a fan of a certain proprietary kitchen cleaner but they changed the formula and now it comes out as a kind of foam. Consequently I found I was using a lot more of it and it aint cheap and I'm a stingy old git so.......

 

I had an idea that I've been trying it out for the last couple of months and I'm happy to say that it cleans my kitchen worktops more than satisfactorily for a lot less than the cost of buying a new spray bottle regularly

 

I use the spray bottle the kichen cleaner came in and put a capful or two of good old 'Flash' in and top it up with water.

 

It cleans very well and I reckon a one litre bottle (normally £2.30 in Tesco but one third off now) will last a very reasonable length of time.

 

 

 

Unless anyone knows any different and there is a good reason to not do this I shall continue because these proprietary cleaners are pretty expensive I reckon

Flash is good, I do my floor and general cleaning with it. Washing soda is also very good especially added to washing up water, it softens the water and will make your crocks and glassware twinkle clean. And there's always paraffin which I believe in Eastern European countries and Russia is still used for general household cleaning.

[Sade]

I use white vinegar a lot. It's cheap anyway but you can still water it down and also add a little washing up liquid to a spray bottle. Also watered down (about 1:6) in a spray bottle its very good for neutralising smells

[Woodstock]

I do the same with Flash- and they've just bought out a more concentrated gel. When did these companies decide that I need 15 different cleaning solutions.My mum used to manage with bleach, vinegar and pink windolene

 

I've noticed you can buy a scent liquid to put in your fabric conditioner- taht just means theyve cost reduced the conditioner by taking some fragrance out and now charge us to add scents- What's that all about

 

 

Why can't you buy pink windolene anywhere now?

 

I work in the food industry and we don't use (or need to) as many cleaning chemicals as the average house

[cheshire~rose]

I have seen pink Windolene around, recently too - I think I may have seen it at a chandlery? Perhaps it is more readily available at hardware type stores than the big supermarkets?

 

I am a great lover of microfibre cloths. I keep inheriting bottles of window cleaner when tenants move out of my properties and have no use for them as I find a microfibre cloth much better. (just remember not to add fabric conditioner when you wash them)

 

I am also a lover of white vinegar (great way to freshen up the washing machine if it gets a bit whiffy) and soda crystals for really tough stuff.

[Naughty Cal]

We use bleach, dettol and EVM. Nothing else on either the boat or at home.

 

In fact we only use bleach at home not on the boat. Just dettol and EVM on the boat.

[Barry]

I have seen pink Windolene around, recently too - I think I may have seen it at a chandlery? Perhaps it is more readily available at hardware type stores than the big supermarkets?

 

I am a great lover of microfibre cloths. I keep inheriting bottles of window cleaner when tenants move out of my properties and have no use for them as I find a microfibre cloth much better. (just remember not to add fabric conditioner when you wash them)

 

I am also a lover of white vinegar (great way to freshen up the washing machine if it gets a bit whiffy) and soda crystals for really tough stuff.

 

 

Fabric Conditioner! I don't use fabric conditioner!

[Barry]

I've just noticed that I've posted the same thread twice so I've reported this one to the moderators and asked to have them merged

[nb Innisfree]

Me mam used Windolene on the car. Dad wasn't very impressed when it rained and he realised she'd used it on the windscreen.

[Ships Cat]

I use white vinegar a lot. It's cheap anyway but you can still water it down and also add a little washing up liquid to a spray bottle. Also watered down (about 1:6) in a spray bottle its very good for neutralising smells

 

Me too. White vinegar costs about 40p a litre if you find it in the right place, and one tiny squirt of washing up liquid costs a nanopenny, and water costs nowt.

 

Est cost of one spray bottle: £0.4p Two to the penny.

[Dyertribe]

The value shop next to our office sells pink windowlene

 

I swear by my own concoction of diluted met

hs with a few drops of washing up liquids in a spray bottle for all sorts of glass and shiny surfaces

Edited August 12, 2013 by Dyertribe

[stickleback]

We use bleach, dettol and EVM. Nothing else on either the boat or at home.

 

In fact we only use bleach at home not on the boat. Just dettol and EVM on the boat.

 

What is EVM?

[cheshire~rose]

EVM is a cleaner people with plastic boats use. I think it is mostly aimed at cleaning the hull but I don't know what other uses it might have?

 

I don't think it is cheap so possibly not of interest to people who do not have a plastic boat and were drwan to read this thread because they fitted the description in the title

[Naughty Cal]

What is EVM?

Environmentally Friendly Boat Cleaner.

 

It is citrus based so cuts through grease easily. We use it to clean the interior and exterior of our boat and also the car. One chap we know swears by it to wash down his fleet of trucks.

 

Cost. Well we get it cheap a 5l bottle of concentrate costs us £10 and lasts us for a few years.

[madcat]

Lidl or aldi general purpose cleaner, a cap full in a spray bottle topped up with water and you are good to go. It's cheaper than flash and just as good.

[boathunter]

A fine spray of spit is a great window cleaner - really!

 

I'll get my coat.

[Jerra]

For glass personally I don't think you can beat a good old fashioned leather and plain water. Works for me anyway.

[Ships Cat]

Glass - old newspaper, scrunched up, to dry windows. Streak free finish (except if you have white frames, they may need a wash down, depends how close you get with the carbon dyes from the paper)

[peterboat]

I will have to ask my cleaners what they use? Well it works for me

 

Peter

[davidc]

half a lemon dipped in white vinegar.

 

Works wonder on a bath or shower unit and leaves a nice smell

[ditchcrawler]

Glass - old newspaper, scrunched up, to dry windows. Streak free finish (except if you have white frames, they may need a wash down, depends how close you get with the carbon dyes from the paper)

Papers aren't what they use to be. Crap for lighting fires, I have not used one on glass for years, does it still work?

[AidanLincs]

Pah. They are all expensive. I judiciously smear a bit of gravy from dinner around the worktop, put one of the dogs up there, and let Nature take its course. The dogs do the dishes, too.

 

Perfect results, every time.

[Biggles]

I find a small amount of truck wash in a spray bottle is great. I also like meths for cleaning things like the granite worktops, and WD40 as a cleaning solvent is brilliant.