I've just about finished replacing my chemicals with natural cleaners

[CrazyLady]

Just found this thread and in a bit of a crisis.

Read somewhere that bi-carb and vinegar can be used as a drain cleaner. I won't have drain cleaner in the house and my laundry sink is blocked something awful. Had to stop washing machine because draining SOOOOOOO SLOWLY that it's flooding the floor.

Anyone know the ratio of bi-carb to vinegar to clear blocked drains? So glad my laundry is external right now >.<

Thanks in advance!

[alioops]

fill the drain with bicarb then add vinegar. the reaction will fizz it up.

[CrazyLady]

Thanks heaps Ali. Hoping it's drained enough by now!

[Astrid]

Just found this thread and in a bit of a crisis.

Read somewhere that bi-carb and vinegar can be used as a drain cleaner. I won't have drain cleaner in the house and my laundry sink is blocked something awful. Had to stop washing machine because draining SOOOOOOO SLOWLY that it's flooding the floor.

Anyone know the ratio of bi-carb to vinegar to clear blocked drains? So glad my laundry is external right now >.<

Thanks in advance!

Here is the Lush House method:

Pour a quarter to half a cup of bi-carb soda (alkaline) onto the drain. Wait 20 minutes and add a cup of white vinegar (acid). A chemical reaction occurs whereby oxygen is forced into the mix and scours the pipe. Wait a couple of minutes and pour a jug of boiling water into the drain to flush it clean.

I have done the same in the past, but never really bothered with measurements and had it still work.

[CrazyLady]

I waited about 3 mins between bi-carb and vinegar. Mainly because forgot the vinegar and had to dash back onto the house and then had to let the vinegar and bicarb mixture sit for about 5 mins while i tried to get DD to open her mouth and eject the twig she was eating :sigh:

Worked though

[Peg]

This site has all the ingredients you need

[CrazyLady]

Thanks Peg. Was looking for a site with a heap of recipes but could only find dribs and drabs!

[Peg]

no problem

amazing how simple making your own cleaners are.

although, i have tried to buy washing soda at coles and couldnt find any in the laundry isle.... i'm also not sure what the natural liquid soap is

[CrazyLady]

Can't you just grate the natural soap, soak it in water and put into a pump pack once sludgy? I read that's what people do with the last slivers of soap to use every last bit.

Or are you talking about the liquid detergent bit? Eco store make one. I was going to check it out to mix with the bicarb for the creamy soft scrubbing paste. Sick of not being able to clean the bathroom when baby around. I'm an ex cleaner so basically had "bleach, bleach, bleach" drilled into me but I really don't like it near DD

[Fleur]

no problem

amazing how simple making your own cleaners are.

although, i have tried to buy washing soda at coles and couldnt find any in the laundry isle.... i'm also not sure what the natural liquid soap is

Peg, are you talking about washing soda crystals? I had a really hard time finding them in Coles too, I eventually found them not near the washing powders, but on the bottom shelf near the pegs - although that was a while ago & my local Coles has rearranged stuff since then.

HTH

[turtleschell]

I am so inspired. I am going to buy a bunch of spray bottles and make all the concoctions suggested by Artechim and chuck out all those disgusting chemical cleaners that make my hands scaly and pollute the air.

[Mum2SweetCs]

Thanks for this thread guys!!!

What other books can I get as a reference for these natural cleaning recipes? I checked the spotless reviews and they didnt seem too good =(

[JLeigh29]

I've been using vinegar in the dishwasher for months and it's great, but when I use bi-carb in the powder dispenser I get HEAPS of rejects. It'll clean the toast plates, but not much else. If I rinse everything so you can't see any marks, that defies the point of trying to be environmentally friendly(ish) as it wastes heaps of water. Any suggestions? TIA