Introducing… Culture Clean, probiotic cleaning sprays!

May 31, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Introducing… Culture Clean, probiotic cleaning sprays!

You might know my friend (health coach and bone broth goddess) Micheline Andrews from her amazing work with bone broth! Well, she has just released a new range of cleaning products that also hark back to traditional ways.

Micheline is using her Nan’s original secret recipe to make a range of fermented cleaning products called Culture Clean. I thought that probiotic cleaners were a new thing, but once again the old fashioned, natural remedies prove how amazing they really are.

What is Culture Clean?

Culture Clean is a range of cleaning products that are naturally fermented. Harnessing the power of probiotics, Mich makes the sprays all by hand at her home in Tasmania. There are two products in the range at the moment – an all purpose spray and a mould spray.

Unlike some probiotic cleaning products on the market, Culture Clean grows the culture in the cleaning product (see the photo below). Probiotics are not just added into to a mixture. The whole process takes four weeks and results in a powerful cleaning solution full of beautiful, live cultures.

The sprays are non-toxic, vegan, plant based, cruelty free, palm oil free and totally safe to use around children and pets. They are also completely safe for the environment and our water ways. The sprays coincidentally also act as an ant-repellant!

I love that Mich packages Culture Clean in reusable and recyclable amber glass bottles too. My package arrived very well packed with upcycled materials.

It’s perfect for people who are sensitive to chemicals and aromas as it’s made from all natural plant ingredients and there are no nasty toxins. The sprays have a very mild, citrusy scent that you hardly notice.

Why fermented?

We all know we need probiotics in our diet for good gut health and optimal wellness, but what about probiotics for our homes?

Chemical cleaning products and even essential oils will kill everything – good and bad bacteria, leaving the surfaces in our home sterile. Unfortunately that doesn’t help us fight infections and bugs – we need good bacteria and probiotics for that.

Culture Clean fights the harmful bacteria with the probiotics and introduces the good bacteria to our homes. Rather than living in a sanitised environment, we can create a more natural environment in our homes that helps maintain our good health.

What did we think?

I will admit I was rather skeptical about how this product would work. Sorry for doubting you Mich!

My whole family tried out the Culture Clean products (because I make my family clean too!) and all of us were really impressed at how they worked. It’s a very simple spray and wipe. It cut through the grease and grime with one application and left surfaces squeaky clean.

We found it worked equally as well in the kitchen and in the bathroom. I would tell you about how well it went in the kids’ toilet but that would be gross, so you will just have to take my word for it!!

You don’t need to rinse the spray – it’s streak free and leaves no residue. I love that the smell is very mild too – it makes cleaning a much nicer experience.

The sprays come in big 500ml glass bottles so they last forever and they are very affordable too. If you get five, Mich gives you a really good discount, so it’s worthwhile to share with friends and family.

I love that the product is hand-made in small batches by an Aussie mum. Slow living and traditional methods and remedies really appeal to me these days. There’s also a lot of love that goes into every bottle. You don’t get that with Spray and Wipe!! 😉

Want to try it?

At this stage, Mich is selling Culture Clean directly to the public from her website and at her local Tassie markets. But feel free to chat to your local health food store and let them know about Culture Clean.

If you want to give Culture Clean a try for yourself, Mich is kindly giving us all free shipping!!

Use the code: NNAM until 14th of June here.

Follow Culture Clean

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(this post is sponsored)

Eco Mates – Natural Household Cleaners

October 17, 2016 · 4 Comments

Eco Mates – Natural Household Cleaners

I’m so excited to introduce you to natural new age mum, Anna Malcom. Anna has been one of my readers for a long time and she is the brains behind Wooly Mates dryer balls. From that little project, she decided to formulate a natural cleaning range, called Eco Mates.

About Anna:

Anna is a mum of two boys from Victoria. Two unsuccessful pregnancies were a turning point in her life. She started to question what was in products around her home and began reducing the chemicals and toxins. Anna’s frustration with ineffective natural cleaners led her to start researching and create her own range!

About Eco Mates:

Anna’s range is 100% natural and organic, 100% biodegradable, free from animal testing and contain absolutely no synthetic ingredients. They are grey water safe, so you can use your mop water for the garden. All of the products work as natural mould inhibitors with the addition of bioflavonoids (which also kill germs).

Eco Mates is a totally Aussie developed, made and owned family business. Anna also has a love of the planet and she uses eco-friendly printing, recyclable packaging and unbleached boxes.

Why would you use natural cleaning products?

Regular cleaning products can contain some pretty nasty chemicals that pollute your home with toxins and affect the health of your family. Concerns include links to cancer, asthma, allergies, lung issues, hormone disruption, burns and poisoning. If you want to read more, check out the EWG website. These toxic chemicals also affect our oceans and sea life.

What’s the verdict?

Anna sent me her natural cleaning range to try out and see what I thought. I should preface this by saying that I don’t normally even use household cleaners. We just use bicarb soda, vinegar and dishwashing detergent! All of us have our cleaning jobs, so the hubby and teens tested it out as well. This is what we thought:

♥ Spray On Wipe Off All Purpose Spray

The all purpose spray literally is spray on and wipe off. No mucking around. If your surfaces are really grotty or you want to disinfect you can spray, let it sit for a bit and then wipe. We love the way it cleaned – quick and easy, a very subtle smell and no residue to rinse off. We used it in the kitchen and bathroom and it worked well on lots of different surfaces. You don’t have to wear a face mask and gloves with this. It’s very gentle on the hands and there are no toxic fumes.

The only thing I found a bit of an issue with is the handle on the spray bottle – I found it a bit awkward to use one handed (or maybe it’s just me). I don’t know, but I would prefer a different handle!

I love that Anna also sells a concentrated version of this so you can refill your spray bottle five times over! That’s a great eco initiative right there.

♥ Scrub Me Polish Me Marble Paste

This is a marble paste made of marble dust that you would use instead of Gumption. I tried it out on our stainless steel sink – it gets pretty grotty with us cooking a lot and emptying tea pots! You get a bit of the paste onto a wet cloth or brush and give a scrub. It didn’t need too much elbow grease to bring it up really sparkly.

It’s my daughter’s job to do the showers so she gave our white tiled shower unit a good scrub. The tiles came up really great and that grungy product build up you get came off easily. She was impressed it didn’t take as much effort as usual to do it!!

You have to rinse this product but we all preferred it to bicarb which needs loads of rinsing off and makes a bit of a mess. You only need to use a tiny amount, so the tub should last for ages. I’m keen to try this out on some other things around the house like the barbecue – actually I might assign that one to the hubby!

♥ Mop It Clean Herbal Floor Cleaner

We are a bit slack with mopping as our current house has a fair bit of carpet so there is not much mopping to do. We usually just use a squirt of dishwashing liquid. But if we don’t get the quantity right, it can be a huge, bubbly mess!

My son’s job is the floors and he loved the floor cleaner. It was a lot easier for him to use, there was no slippery residue (yeah that dishwashing detergent probably wasn’t our smartest idea!) and the floors came up nice and clean. I loved the fresh subtle scent.

Overall, I think Anna has done a brilliant job with her new range of natural cleaning products. There are very few ingredients and they have been chosen with thought about their effectiveness and safeness. The Eco Mates range are made with great quality ingredients so you only need to use small amounts, making them good value for money. You all know that I much prefer to buy from an Aussie family business with great ethics and passion for the environment so that is a great big tick from me right there!

Many cleaning brands from the supermarket do not disclose their ingredients which is something I find a bit worrying. Hey, I can’t even walk down that aisle at the supermarket without getting a head spin from the fumes! Personally, I think that everyone should be changing over to natural household cleaners for their family’s health. Eco Mates makes the switch pretty easy for those die-hard fans of chemical cleaners. Just do a straight swap out of your products – easy.

Try them out yourself:

Anna is kindly giving us all 25% off everything until the 7th of November so you can try out Eco Mates for yourself.

Just use the code: NNAM25%OFF here.

There is also FREE shipping if you spend over $100, so get together with some friends!

Connect with Anna and Eco Mates:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Have you tried Eco Mates? What did you think?

(this post is sponsored)

20 Practical Uses for Lavender Oil

April 4, 2016 · 10 Comments

If you only ever use one essential oil, make it lavender!

It’s one oil I always have in my handbag and I make sure I take on holidays. Lavender essential oil is a multipurpose oil and it smells amazing too. Make sure you use a pure 100% oil (like Thursday Plantation) to make sure it’s free from synthetics and fillers.

Lavender oil is made from steam-distilling the flowering tops of the lavender shrub.

Lavender has a wide variety of properties which make it so versatile around the home and for first aid. It is antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and a relaxant.

Lavender is one of the few oils that is safe to use directly on the skin – however always use in small amounts and for children under 12 it is recommended to dilute with a carrier oil.

Here are 20 practical uses for lavender oil around your house:

♥ Bug bites. Instantly soothe insect bites with a drop of neat lavender oil straight on the bite.

♥ Sore muscles. Add a few drops to a bath with epsom salts or add a carrier oil and massage in to the affected area to soothe.

♥ Ouchies. Put the lavender oil neat on minor burns and minor cuts and scrapes – it will kill off any bugs, allowing the wound to heal.

♥ Spotty skin. You can dab neat on spots or mix a drop with a carrier oil like jojoba and massage into the affected area. As well as inhibiting the bacteria that grow on the skin, it also helps reduce the sebum production.

♥ So stressed. Inhale a drop of lavender oil on a tissue for any sort of upset, stress or mild anxiety. You can also diffuse it a room or pop it in a bath.

♥ Repel moths. Keep a few cotton balls with drops of lavender in your cupboard to repel moths and silverfish.

♥ Pongy underarms. Just add one drop to a tablespoon of coconut oil and rub into your armpits for a super easy, natural deodorant. As well as smelling nice, it will help kill off the bugs that cause body odour.

♥ Zzzzzz. For trouble sleeping, pop a drop on your pillow or pyjama front or diffuse in your bedroom for a restful sleep. But go easy you only need one or two drops – too much lavender can have a stimulating effect.

♥ Lavender Laundry. I like to add a drop or two to my laundry rinse cycle to freshen clothes and bedding. You can also pop a drop onto a wet clean cloth and pop into your dryer or put the oil straight on to wool dryer balls.

♥ Rub on your lightbulbs. Just one drop rubbed on your lightbulbs (when they are off and cool) will give you lovely scents when you turn them on and also repel insects.

♥ An ache in the head. Massage into your temples and behind your head for headache relief.

♥ Chilled-out playdough. Add a few drops to your homemade play dough for restful and calm playtime for the kids!

♥ Fabric refresher. Add a few drops to a spray bottle and use to refresh carpets, lounges, mattresses and your car upholstery. Just a light misting, not a drenching!

♥ Itchy Eczema. Pop 5 drops of lavender oil into 10ml of carrier oil and gently massage into the affected areas.

♥ Zen Loo. Pop a drop of lavender oil on the cardboard tube of your toilet roll – every time someone uses the roll, it will deodorise the loo and leave you feeling zen too!

♥ Wash your hands! I love to make my own lavender hand wash – I just use castile soap and a few drop of oil in a reusable foaming bottle.

♥ Too much sun? Lavender oil can help soothe sunburns.

♥ Instead of ironing. Okay, this could be my favourite tip ever!! Shannon Lush says to use one teaspoon in a litre of water and spray your clothes after washing. It will relax the fabric and ease out wrinkles!

♥ Shower power. After a hard day at work or running around with the kids, a few drops of lavender oil on your shower base will relax and calm you. Special self nurturing time!

♥ Aroma–Cleaning. As lavender oil is a disinfectant, you can use it to wipe down benches, clean toilets and bathrooms and mop the floors.

If you would like some more tips on how to use lavender oil around the house or for first aid, head over to the Thursday Plantation website and check out their 100+ uses. You may even like to submit your own tip of how you use lavender oil.

Sources:

The Aromatherapy Bible, Gill Farrer-Halls

Natural Remedies, Mim Beim

Like Chocolate for Women, Kim Morrison and Fleur Whelligan

Shannon Lush

1001 Natural Remedies, Laurel Vukovic

(this post is sponsored by Thursday Plantation)

How to replace toxic cleaning products with essential oils

March 14, 2016 · 10 Comments

How to replace toxic cleaning products with essential oils

I love using essential oils for cleaning!

As well as being incredibly effective, they also smell amazing and are not toxic unlike many commercial cleaning products. Of course, you still have to use them with safety and in the correct amounts.

Many cleaning products are very toxic and harmful to our health when in contact with skin or inhaled – things you normally do when you clean!! These toxic chemicals also end up in our oceans and waterways and can cause havoc to our marine and sea life.

If you want to read up about the harmful ingredients, check out this article by Dr David Suzuki.

I use essential oils alongside other natural things like bicarbonate of soda, castile soap and vinegar. Oils provide not only the awesome aroma (which by the way you also benefit from inhaling while cleaning) but the grunt behind the cleaning with their antibacterial and antiseptic properties.

I always use 100% pure and natural oils (like Thursday Plantation) with no synthetics or fillers, even for cleaning. Not only will they do a better job, you don’t want to be inhaling cheap, nasty oils.

My top three oils to use for cleaning are eucalyptus, tea tree and lavender. They all have antiseptic properties and eucalyptus and tea tree kill 99.9% of household germs.The bonus is that these oils have multiple purposes and you can also use them for all sorts of first aid treatments as well.

The power of mother nature!!

Here are some ways you can use essential oils around the house for cleaning.

Make sure you do a quick spot test on surfaces first!
1. Straight eucalyptus oil on a cloth is great for removing stains and scuff marks from walls and floors.

2. A few drops of eucalyptus oil with some bicarb in the toilet bowl will clean it, remove odours and keep your loo smelling fresh.

3. A very easy to make, budget friendly all-purpose spray is simply to combine 1 cup water with 1/2 cup of vinegar, 2 teaspoons castile soap and 20 drops of either tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil or lavender oil.

HOT TIP: I am not a fan of plastic, so I use glass spray bottles, sourced from the health food store. You can also easily make your own by using old glass bottles and fitting an old spray nozzle onto the top. It might take a little trial and error to find a perfect match!

4. Put a few drops of essential oil in your vacuum cleaner bag for a lovely fresh smell.

5. Pop a few drops of essential oils into your mop bucket with hot water and a good splash of vinegar. It will disinfect the floors and get them sparkling clean.

6. Eucalyptus makes a fabulous home-made stain remover. Simply mix 1 cup of water with 1/8 cup of eucalyptus essential oil in a spray bottle. Give it a good shake before you use it and spray directly onto stains.

7. Eucalyptus oil is also fabulous in killing off dust mites. Use a few drops in the rinse cycle of a hot wash when you do your bedding.

8. Put a few drops of lavender oil on the inside of your toilet roll. Every time someone uses the paper, you will freshen the smallest room in the house with a lovely scent!

9. If you have sickness in the house, dilute some tea tree oil in a small bucket of hot water and wipe all surfaces down, including door handles and phones. Diffusing a few drops of oil in a diffuser or oil burner will help purify the air as well.

10. 10 drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle with water and vinegar will deter mould. Spray it in the bathroom or kitchen on those areas where mould likes to grow.

11. Ditch those toxic air fresheners and use a spray bottle filled with water and 10-20 drops of lavender oil. The bonus is that you can also use this mix in the kid’s rooms to help them relax and fall asleep.

12. For an easy to make anti-bacterial hand wash, just mix some castile soap with a few drops of tea tree oil.

13. To make a carpet freshener, mix 20 drops of essential oil thoroughly into 1 cup of bicarbonate of soda. Sprinkle on the carpet, leave for 20 minutes or so and then vacuum up.

Want some more ideas on how to use essential oils around the home?

Head to the Thursday Plantation website to see ideas and tips that readers have submitted! You might like to submit your own tip too.

Safety First! Although essential oils are all natural, they are very potent and must be stored away from children and used with care.

*this post is sponsored by Thursday Plantation

3 “Must Have” Natural Cleaning Products for your Bathroom

May 22, 2014 · 13 Comments

3 “Must Have” Natural Cleaning Products for your Bathroom

The lovely Laura from Sustainahome is here today to share with us her natural cleaning tips for the bathroom.

♥♥♥♥

I distinctly remember cleaning our shower recess with a popular household bleach product while pregnant with my first son. At the time I was using eco products to clean all other areas of my home but I was reluctant to give up this one product because of its stellar performance on shower grime.

This day however, it got the better of me.

Overwhelmed with the smell I had to stop cleaning and get some fresh air. I was giddy, headachy and felt sick. I couldn’t help wonder that if the cleaning product was having this impact on me, what impact was it having on my unborn baby?

Am I anti-chemical? Certainly not!

I just firmly believe that chemicals have a place in our society and that the place is not our homes.

Without a doubt, the ability by humans to extract minerals and indeed, manufacture chemicals, has led to the high standard of living many of us enjoy today.

Whether it is nickel for mobile phones or zinc for skin products, chemicals, or minerals that have been extracted from rock with the assistance of chemicals, are essential for our modern lifestyle.

While chemicals have undeniably improved our standard of living beyond our wildest dreams, their use in a controlled industrial context is significantly different than in our homes.

Strict health and safety policies manage the exposure of industrial workers to chemicals. In a household context, chemicals are often used in and around young children mainly by women, who may be pregnant or breastfeeding. There is a risk that safety precautions may not be taken at a household level to the same degree as an industrial setting.

Our environment is also paying the price for our love affair with chemicals.

Many modern cleaning agents are made from petrochemicals, a non-renewable resource. Each different product we use has been manufactured, transported to market, used, flushed down our drains and then, more often than not, the container disposed to landfill.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Household chemical cleaning products have only been around for about three generations, yet homes were still clean before that time.

Over the past few years I have enjoyed testing many traditional cleaning remedies in my home. I now have a small ‘green cleaning toolkit’ that is a fraction of the size and cost of the chemical alternative and am very happy to say my family enjoys living in a chemical free, yet clean, home.

But what about that trusty bleach product I once used to clean my shower?

It was replaced long ago by the following three “must have” natural cleaning products:

♥ Clove Oil

If you don’t own small bottle of clove essential oil, I suggest you run out and buy some right now. This product is truly amazing.

Clove oil kills mould spores. It doesn’t bleach them white like chemical bathroom cleaners, it kills them.

To apply, simply mix ¼ teaspoon of clove essential oil with 1 litre of water and spray it on the mould. Leave to rest overnight and clean the area with a white vinegar and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) mix the following morning. Your shower will look as good as new. Promise.

♥ White Vinegar

White vinegar is an ecoceptionally versatile cleaning agent. Its acidity makes it effective for killing most bacteria and it is fantastic for removing stains from a wide range of surfaces. In fact, white vinegar alone can replace just about every commercial home cleaning product!

In the bathroom, I find white vinegar most effective to shine chrome sink fixtures and showerheads. Lime build-up around taps can be removed by cleaning with a paste of 2 tablespoons salt to 1 teaspoon white vinegar. To remove mineral build-up on your showerhead detach and soak in white vinegar overnight.

♥ Eucalyptus Oil

Made by distilling foliage from Eucalyptus trees, eucalyptus oil is an excellent natural disinfectant, antibacterial cleanser and deodoriser and can be used to clean every room in the house.

My favourite application for this oil is to clean and disinfect the toilet.

To use place two capfuls of undiluted eucalyptus oil into the toilet bowl and scrub with a toilet brush. Wipe the toilet seat (and door handle) using Eucalyptus Oil spray and a clean cloth and you’re done!

By adopting the three natural cleaning products above in your bathroom alone you can replace several commercial chemical cleaners. Even better, these three products have literally countless applications for other cleaning tasks in your home and will prove their value time and time again.

About Laura:

Laura Trotta is an ecoceptional^TM mum, environmental engineer and founder of Sustainahome. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Engineer, Masters of Science degree in Environmental Chemistry and worked as an environmental professional for 11 years prior to starting Sustainababy in 2009. Laura is passionate about helping parents lead a more sustainable lifestyle and lives in regional South Australia with her husband and two young sons

What do YOU use to clean the bathroom?

method review and giveaway

January 28, 2014 · 172 Comments

Now that the kids have gone back to school (whew!) I am giving the house a good clean up!

All of us have been using the method cleaning range for the last few months and seeing how they perform. I hadn’t really heard of them before and was curious that I had been missing out on an eco-friendly brand!

Okay, so who are method ?

Americans, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, two former roommates came up with method in 2001. They are ‘the people against dirty’. Creating eco-friendly cleaning products that actually work, they have taken the world by storm with their funky, fun packaging and unique marketing approach. In 2008, enjo Australia founder, Barb Di Corti brought them to Australia as an exclusive stockist.

Are they really green?

Let me give you a brief run down:

non toxic
made with naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients
ingredients and packaging materials are assessed by an independent research institute (EPEA)
not tested on animals
packaging is recyclable and made from recycled plastic
actively try to reduce their carbon footprint
use the precautionary principle: unless they can conclude that an ingredient is safe for people and the planet, they don’t use it
low levels of safe, approved preservatives are used

I must say they are very transparent and I am quite impressed at the information provided and the thoroughness of the processes. You can read more here and get a full list of ingredients here.

How does it perform?

Brilliantly!! I was pretty impressed and it’s hard to impress me when it comes to cleaning. I pretty much hate cleaning and using bicarb and vinegar does require a bit of elbow grease and rinsing. These products just whip through the dirt and scuzz really well. No rinsing required, just a wet cloth and a squirt and Bob’s your uncle!

The Natural New Age Dad is the main washer-upperer and he thought the washing up detergent was pretty good. The kids also do a fair bit of cleaning and were loving the bathroom products for how quick and easy they worked. The laundry detergent washed our clothes just as well as any other product we have tried. I really loved how great the glass cleaner was – it cleans well and no streaking!! The floor cleaner was also one of the best I have ever tried. I would definitely use these products again and I am keen to see what their dishwashing tablets are like.

Yeah, we like it!

Positives?

I am really digging the whole eco-friendly philosophy of the company – they really walk the talk.
Totally getting a giggle out of the funny and quirky stuff on the packaging (see photo) – I mean who doesn’t want to make cleaning a bit more fun? Also check out their ‘clean happy’ videos for more laughs.
I loved the easy to use pump on the laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. It’s such a great idea as there is minimal wastage (ie no kids pouring out loads of stuff!)
It’s very reasonably priced and easily compares favourably in the market place with other brands.
It works.

Negatives?

Small amounts of preservatives are still used.
Some of the fragrance was a little strong for me in confined spaces, but I have a strong sense of smell. It didn’t seem to worry anyone else.
It’s a bit hard to get your hands on. There are a small amount of stockists and online purchasing available. I would love to see it a bit more widely available.

Giveaway:

The lovely people at method are giving away 5 packs of their Squeaky Green Starter Packs so you guys can try them out for yourselves. Included is the All Purpose, Glass and Surface, Bathroom Cleaner, Squirt and Mop and a Handwash.

How to enter:

This giveaway is now closed. The winners are Jennifer, Corrine, Rachel, Kareena and Renee.

Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the right hand side box)
Like method australia on Facebook
Leave me a comment on this blog post letting me know what cleaning job you really, really hate doing

[box] Terms and conditions: This giveaway will close at midnite (AEST) on Thursday the 6th of February. Winners will be chosen using random.org from those fulfilling the entry requirements correctly. Winners will be emailed and announced on this blog post. Sorry, Australian residents only.[/box]

Connect:

Website: method australia

Email: talkclean@methodhome.com.au

Facebook: method australia

Phone: 1800 069 192 (toll free number)

Hosted by Kellie O’Brien Media{this is a sponsored post}

Five Favourite Things – May

May 29, 2013 · 23 Comments

Well it’s that time of the month again when I tell you what things I have been loving, what things caught my eye and what things floated my boat!

I would love to hear what things you have discovered this month. Let me know!

Planet-Eco Garden Kits. Anna from Planet-Eco sent me two of her gorgeous kid’s garden kits to check out this month. I am so in love with her business and her products. The packaging is brilliant and they are reasonably priced. The kits make a really unique and eco-friendly gift for kids (and big kids too). I love that it encourages kids to reconnect with the earth and learn where our food comes from. You can get vegetables, herbs, flowers and tea kits! Check it out at the website or keep up to date on Facebook.

Tri Nature Cleaning Products. Lisa from My Enviro Home was kind enough to send me some samples of the Tri Nature cleaning range to road test. They are an Australian owned and made product, using natural ingredients. I really was excited to use the machine descaler on my dishwasher as this was one thing I had not been able to find a chemical-free product for! It cleaned my dishwasher beautifully and there were no nasty toxic fumes in my kitchen! I will definitely be ordering some of this. If you want to know more, please contact Lisa via her Facebook page here.

Pure Poppet Nail Polish. As you know, I have a daughter. She is nearly 12 and very girly. She loves doing her nails on the weekend! I have had to source her natural nail polish though, as normal nail polish is so toxic. Julia from Rudy and the Dodo has recently added the Pure Poppet range to her website, so she sent us some to give the once over. We were impressed. The Natural New Age Girl even did my toenails for me (I will spare you from a photo of my feet though!). What we liked about it was that it was quite durable compared to other natural nail polishes we had tried, even though it’s water based. It stays on really well without chipping. NNAG said she wishes they had more colours! Check it out at the Rudy and Dodo website here.

Dulse Flakes. I was really chuffed to find some dulse flakes this month! I have been putting them in the salt grinder with my pink salt. Cyndi O’Meara, nutritionist says dulse is “high in vitamins and minerals – specifically Vitamins B6, B12, A, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, and Manganese. It helps heal poor digestive systems, rebuilds and maintains all glands in the body and cleanses the body of heavy metals. It’s also high in calcium, fibre, and protein. It helps support healthy brain function. It’s very high in iodine for healthy thyroid function.” You can get seaweed salt already made up at Cyndi’s website, Changing Habits, here.

Flowers. I am still not fully recovered from my broken ankle (nearly two months now! gah!). The stream of flowers from hubby, kids and friends has been so appreciated. Are flowers not the most beautiful things in nature? I do so love. They make me smile and my heart sing.

“I must have flowers, always, and always.” ― Claude Monet

This posts contains some sponsored content and affiliate links.

Got Lemons? Six natural cleaning tips using lemons!

June 15, 2012 · 17 Comments

Got Lemons? Six natural cleaning tips using lemons!

Lemony lemons, is there anything so nice?

Here are some ways you can use them around your house. It cuts down the chemicals and leaves everything smelling fresh! As well as being acidic, lemons have some anti-bacterial properties which make it a perfect degreaser.

♥ Shiny Tapware

Use half a lemon to clean the build up from around your taps. Just rub it in well and rinse off. It really works!

♥ Pots and Pans

Sprinkle some salt onto half a cut lemon and use it to scrub your pots and pans. They will be shiny and new again!

♥ Cleaning the Sink

Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda all over your sink. Using half a cut lemon as a scrubbing brush, scrub hard all over. It leaves your sink so clean and sparkly. You can do the same to your chopping boards to remove stains and deodorize. Finish with a rinse of hot water!

♥ Dishwasher Refresher

Squeezed a lemon? Don’t throw it out. Secure it onto a prong in your dishwasher or in the cutlery basket before you run a load. It will leave your dishwasher smelling fresh and clean!

♥ Fresh Fridge

Put half a cut lemon into your fridge to absorb odours and keep it smelling fresh.

♥ Cleaning Spray

Make your own citrus cleaning spray using lemon peels soaked in vinegar. Found out how here.

DID YOU KNOW? To get more juice out of a lemon, roll it firmly on the bench top back and forth, before you cut it!

RANDOM TIP: Here’s another interesting use for your lemon halves – rub them on your hands after chopping up chillis – it will remove and neutralize the capsaicin (that’s the burny, burny stuff)!

Do you have any other tips for us on how to use lemons for natural cleaning? Please share!

Make your own natural citrus cleaning spray!

February 11, 2012 · 32 Comments

Make your own natural citrus cleaning spray!

I love this homemade natural citrus cleaning spray. It’s so cheap, so simple, free of chemicals, it smells yum and work really well. What a star!

I found this cool idea for making citrus-infused vinegar on a friend’s Facebook status, who had found it here. I had to experiment straight away. After playing around a little, I came up with this all-purpose cleaning spray using the vinegar!

Citrus Cleaning Spray

This is what you need:

Citrus peels (orange and mandarine are best)

Vinegar

Natural dishwashing liquid (Kin Kin and Abode are my favourite brands)

Glass bottles or jars (with a wide mouth so you can get them out again – very important!!)

Spray bottle

Funnel

Large Bowl

Sieve

So, this is how you do it:

Start collecting your citrus peels in your jar.

Tear them up, squeezing as you go (I found this released more of the natural citrusy oils) as you put them in the bottle or jar.

Pour over the vinegar until all the peels are covered. You can add more citrus peels to this mix as you collect them too.

Secure lid and store in a cool, dark place for about four weeks. You can leave them longer if you want – they will start to ferment and you get the extra goodness of good bacteria.

Strain the vinegar.

You may need to do this several times if there are lots of pithy bits.

Look how beautiful the colour is – I used mostly orange and mandarine skins. The peels end up very mushy.

Now, pour the vinegar, using a funnel into a spray bottle. You can repurpose one you already have, just make sure it hasn’t had any chemicals in it or you wash it really well.

Next, add a good squirt (depending on how big your bottle is) of natural dishwashing detergent and give it a good shake.

Now, you are ready to use your own natural citrus cleaning spray.

I use it in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on glass…. anywhere that needs a good clean. You can also use it with bicarbonate of soda for really greasy or grotty stuff. Just sprinkle the bicarb and spray with your magic spray, give it a good scrub and rinse well.

As always, I would love to hear how you go if you decide to make some of your own.

Drop by and chat to me!

You might also like to read:

6 Natural Cleaning Tips Using Lemons

10 Zesty Lemon Recipes