Save with DIY detergents

All-purpose cleaner recipe

• 4 cups hot water

• Quarter cup white vinegar

• 2 tablespoons bi-carb soda

• Juice of half a lemon (strained)

Place all the ingredients together in a large jug or bowl. Let it sit and cool down then pour into a spray bottle using a funnel. To use, give the bottle a good shake, then spray surface and wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Vinegar, bi-carb soda and lemon can also be used in a variety of ways, combined or by themselves. 

More uses for vinegar

• A 50/50 vinegar-water mixture can help to deodorise surfaces.

To clean your microwave, mix one cup of vinegar and one cup of water in a bowl and microwave on high for about 10 minutes. Stains and dried food should then wipe away easily.

More uses for bi-carb soda

• Remove stains from coffee and tea mugs by filling them with one part bi-carb soda and two parts water. Let them sit overnight then scrub and rinse in the morning.

• Sprinkle bi-carb soda over the burnt areas of your pots and pans. Add hot water, allow to sit overnight and then scrub.

• Keep an open box of bi-carb soda in the fridge to eliminate odours.

More uses for lemons

• Shine chrome taps with a cut lemon dipped in salt and then wipe with a dry cloth

• Diluted lemon juice can remove cooking odours from your hands

• Pour half a cup of lemon juice into the toilet and swish with toilet brush for a fresh-smelling loo.

DIY Laundry liquid

There are so many benefits to making your own laundry liquid. All the ingredients are readily available at supermarkets; you are helping our environment by reducing packaging and you can recycle containers to store it in (and you can avoid any nasty chemicals).

• 4 litres of distilled or filtered water

• 1 cup Velvet soap, grated

• ½ cup washing soda

• ½ cup salt

• Essential oils (optional)

Combine one litre of water, soap, washing soda and salt in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the soap is completely dissolved. Let the mixture cool a little and add any essential oils for fragrance (optional). Pour mixture into a bucket, then fill with distilled or filtered water. Stir to combine. When cool, store in a sealed container (we reused empty two litre vinegar bottles). Shake bottles before use and use approx ¼ cup per load.