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Eco-Cleaning Tips from Biobox

Service News Friday, November 13, 2009: Biobox Water & Wastewater Treatment & Filtration

For any stains, moisten 1 tbsp of powdered starch with a little organic washing-up liquid and apply to the stain. Leave to dry and then brush off with a stiff brush.

Natural Laundry Soap
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
125g baking soda
120g borax
120g powdered castile soap
Add the essential oils to the baking soda drop by drop, mixing thoroughly with a hand sifter. Combine this with the borax and soap and mix again. Store in a tightly sealed container, to use, add 60g to each load of laundry.

Instead of fabric softener you can soften and deodorise our washing by adding 60g baking soda to your laundry during the rinse cycle.

Add 5 drops rose geranium or lavender essential oil to 1 litre of distilled water in a spray bottle and use liberally when ironing your linen.

A combination of 1tsp of natural dishwashing liquid, 60ml of distilled white vinegar and 250ml warm water in a spray bottle will remove many types of stains on carpets. Spray onto stain, leave for a minute or two and blot well with a clean, damp, sponge. Allow the carpet to dry and then sprinkle with baking powder to which lavender essential oil has been added. (20 drops oil to 250g baking powder). Mix thoroughly with a wire whisk. Sprinkle a fine layer over the carpet, leave for a couple of hours. Vacuum thoroughly.

Polish furniture with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil (125ml) and a quarter teaspoon of lemon juice. The olive oil protect the wood and the lemon provides a refreshing scent. To remove white, hazy water rings from wooden surfaces, rub the mark with a half a walnut.

Re-use big fruit bags and fill them with dried eucalyptus, lavender or peppermint to repel moths and keep your garments smelling fresh by hanging them in your cupboards.

Clean mirrors with combination of 170ml water, 90ml distilled white vinegar and 2 drops lemon essential oil, and polish with crumpled newspaper. This works brilliantly on windows too. If your windows are very dirty, rub first with the cut side of an onion.

Borax and lemon juice clean and deodorise toilet bowls and help to remove mineral deposits. For heavier stains, make a paste of the borax and lemon juice, scoop out some of the water in the toilet bowl, apply the paste and leave overnight, then scrub and rinse. For your basin and bath mix up the following:
40g baking soda
50g borax
1tsp natural dishwashing liquid
5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Apply with a sponge, scrub and rinse.

To deal with stubborn mould and mildew, mix 1220g borax, 500ml hot water and half a teaspoon of tea tree oil. Apply the mildewed area, leave for a few hours, scrub with a stiff brush and rinse off.

In the kitchen mix up 3 tbsp baking soda, 1 tbsp borax and 2 drops lemon essential oil and use in your dishwasher for an environmentally friendly alternative.

Spring and summer bring flies but if you put out bowls of fresh orange and lemon peels mixed with dried cloves, plant rue, basil and tansy near your doorway you’ll keep them away. Rub fresh bunches of eucalyptus leaves over your window sills, or use a few drops of essential oil on a cotton bud. The smell repels flies.