In Lieu of a Cleaning Fairy

This post is sponsored by Bosisto’s.

Those familiar with the Disney Tinkerbell movies will be aware that upon birth each fairy is bestowed a ‘talent.’ Their talent is the equivalent of a gift or career calling. For example, Tinkerbell is a tinker fairy, gifted at problem solving to make tools by re-purposing found items that humans have lost or discarded to make life easier for the fairies. There are also water, animal, light and flower fairies (to name just a few) inhabiting Pixie Hollow.

This concept of talents has led to lots of discussion in our house about what each of us is good at, what our strengths are, what our individual talents would each be. And we just had to laugh one evening when Immy declared that Dad 101’s talent was doing the dishes and cleaning!

In all seriousness I am blessed to have the support of a partner who does so much around the house, especially in the evenings as I use this time to get the majority of my paid work done. Immy also helps out with chores, including unstacking the dishwasher, and we now lovingly bestow upon the person doing any sort of dishwashing the title of ‘Kitty the Kitchen Fairy.’ After all, if we can’t find ourselves a real cleaning fairy, adding a little fairy-ness all of our own at least creates a sense of fun around doing chores  🙂

When it comes to household cleaning we have been fans of using natural cleaning alternatives pretty much ever since the global financial crisis hit Australia. At the time Dad 101 worked in a commission based role within the finance sector and the GFC meant that our belts needed to be seriously tightened for us to continue to make ends meet. I started to explore ways to save on the grocery shopping and it was clear that cleaning products were most often the big ticket items on our weekly shopping list. A short internet browse later and a bottle of white vinegar was promptly added to the shopping list.

We have used white vinegar diluted as a general purpose spray, to clean wooden, tile and vinyl floors, as a window cleaner, a rinse aid in the dishwasher, and in combination with bicarb to clean the oven, shower and drains. In fact, the very last bottle of spray and wipe that I bought all those years ago became the spray bottle I use for our vinegar-based all purpose spray and it is still in use (albeit regularly refilled) almost four years later.

So when Bosisto’s contact me recently to trial their Eucalyptus Oil and Eucalyptus Spray I was interested to see what role Eucalyptus oil could play as a natural household cleaner. A little researched revealed a range of household uses on their website, including everything from cleaning grease and grass stains from carpet to removing chewing gum from clothes and furniture. In fact, Eucalyptus oil can be used as a natural antiseptic, deodoriser, germ killer, degreasing agent and cleaner.

bosistos eucalyptus oil

Our stainless steel kitchen appliances were first on my hit list. The fridge door was decorated with sticky fingerprints and smudges and seemed the perfect place to start. A little Eucalyptus spray and a rub with a soft cloth and my test area around the door handle sparkled. So much so that I then needed to remove all of the magnets, photos, lists and school notices to clean the rest of the door as it suddenly looked awful in comparison. With a little soaking and a bit more elbow grease the spray even removed the stickers that Immy had stuck on the door two years ago! Our stove top and kettle followed, each receiving the Eucalyptus stainless steel treatment.

The bathroom was next – bench top, sink and shower screen, and once that was done I was feeling a little excited about my can of Eucalyptus spray (sad, I know!) so I decided to tackle some of those jobs that annoy-me-daily-but-I-never-seem-to-get-to. Like grubby light switches and the fingerprints all over the playroom’s sliding glass door. A few capfuls of the Eucalyptus Oil were put to work in each of the toilets and down the laundry drain (which had been recently featuring an annoyingly unpleasant smell)  killing germs and bacteria in its wake (or at least, I hope it is!)

Just as I finished Dad 101 came in from the garden, where he had been busy catching up on outside jobs, and commented on how great the house smelled. And I suppose that is the one big advantage Eucalyptus has over vinegar when it comes to household cleaning, that fresh, clean smell that is so uniquely Australian. And that is a win for this little cleaning fairy 🙂

Find out more about Bosisto’s Eucalyptus Oil and Spray and their extensive range of other natural products on their website or Facebook page and read on to…

WIN WITH BOSISTO’S

Bosisto's

I have a great prize pack of Bosisto’s natural products to giveaway! It includes one each of the Eucalyptus Oil 200mL, 100mL and 50mL, 1 x Eucalyptus Spray 200g, 1 x Tea Tree Spray 100g, 1 x Lavender Spray 100g, 1 x Antiseptic Spray, 1 x Eucalyptus Rub 35g, 1 x Nasal Inhaler, 1 x Nasal Spray, 1 x EucoFresh Laundry Powder, 1 x Eucalyptus Drops Sugar-Free, 1 x EucoSteam Inhaler Combo, 1 x EucoSteam Inhalant 200mL, the book: “Eucalyptus Oil – Australia’s Natural Wonder,” an enviro bag, a soft toy parrot and a handy hints brochure.

To enter (AUSTRALIAN residents only) leave a comment on this post sharing your favourite alternative household cleaning solution. Entries close 8PM AEST, Tuesday 7th August 2012.

The fine print:
1. The competition begins at 8PM AEST, 24th July 2012 and ends at 8PM AEST, 7th August 2012.
2. There is one prize to be won, with a total value of $160.00.
3. Entry is limited to one comment per household/IP address. Please register a routinely checked email address in the email field of your entry.
4. The winners will be notified via email within 7 days of the competition closing.
5. Should the winner fail to make contact via return email within 72 hours of notification a new winner may be selected.
6. The winner’s contact details will be passed onto FGB Natural Products and the prize organised directly by them.
7. Entries remain the property of Childhood 101 and may be republished.

114 Comments

  1. I too am a big fan of bicarb and vinegar. We use it a lot in our house to clean the bathroom, toilet and laundry and to clean down the kitchen bench tops. I also make up batched of home made laundry liquid from time to time but I’m not always organized enough to do this. I also find that a couple of drops of essential oil along with a drip of washing up liquid in a spray bottle makes a great air freshener. Our favourite is lavender but I have also used lemon and eucalyptus oil. And when I have a head cold I sometimes drop a couple of drops of teatree oil on the shower floor before I step in to have a hot shower and it is great for clearing the sinuses!

  2. Vinegar, water, eucalyptus,tea tree and lavender oil in a spray bottle!! It’s the only cleaner I have in my house!! Mopping the floors, bench tops, bathrooms all with a microfiber cloth. Works brilliantly. I burn eucalyptus oil in my oil burner too makes the house smell fresh and is sooo relaxing 🙂

  3. A tip I got from my mother is dipping a little bit of tissue in eucalyptus oil (or other essential oil such as lavender) and sucking it up in the vacuum before vacuuming the room. Instead of that stale dusty smell from the vacuum cleaner, the room is left smelling lovely.

  4. Dusting for me means going round the house with a damp cloth; my windows are buffed to a beautiful sheen with crumpled newspaper moistened with a little vinegar (ahem, once a year?); and I love how lemon is a great cleaner and deodoriser – you can pop a few slices in a bowl of water into the microwave and stick it on high to freshen it up…

  5. I’ve just started in the last month using Eucalyptus Oil, dishwashing liquid and water as an alternative to handwash I use this in a foaming pump bottle – this has been so much cheaper and smells much better and plus I’ve found no residue that is normally left behind from traditional hand pump methods.

    I also use Lavender Oil in a spray bottle for wiping benches and tabletops and have been using vinegar and bicarb for a tonne of dirty housework 🙂

    Thanks so much for inspiration on what others use to try to be environmentally friendly and having less toxins in our homes. Best wishes…..

  6. Norwex microfibre cloths and water! Fantastic

  7. Eucalyptus oil is fantastic for removing melted on plastic from the toaster and removing scuff marks caused by shoes on vinyl and laminate flooring.
    To get rid of mould from the shower in a spray bottle mix 2 tablespoons of Borax, 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar & 1/2 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil and lavender essential oil shake well, fill up with water and shake again. Spray the mix liberally onto the shower walls and floor and give a scrub with a soft bristle brush. If you do this every week it will stop the mould from gaining a foothold.

  8. My husband is addicted to spray and wipe etc… And it quickly adds up $$$$. I am going out tomorrow to fill spray bottles with your suggestions! Who would have thought! I am excited about housework!

  9. Bi Carb is a cleaning staple in our house, I use it for almost everything! I especially love how shiny and clean it gets our sinks and taps, I’m always finding new uses around the house for it.

  10. Baking soda is my go to product for cleaning up tough stains.

  11. We use lavender oil and Eucalyptus oil in our floor steamer at my school for the classrooms.
    Few drops in the steamer and away we go!

  12. Baking soda for oders or coconut oil to lubricate things 🙂

  13. I use a recycled spray bottle, fill it half way with filtered water. Top up with white vinegar and add 5 or more drops of tea tree oil. I use this in place of commercial spray and wipe products.

  14. I use a few drops of eucalyptus oil (or other essential oils like lavender) in my home made washing powder to give a nice fresh smell.

  15. Bicarb and vinegar. Half a lemon boiled in the kettle is a great descaler too.

  16. Genine Stubbings says:

    I use vinegar in the fabric dispenser of the washing machine with a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil especially when doing sheets and towels (gives the washing machine a good clean at the same time:-) )

  17. Different combinations of bicarb, lemon juice, vinegar and eucalyptus oil will clean pretty much everything…

  18. Kerry Morris says:

    I use white vinegar and a few drops of lavender oil in the ‘fabirc softner’ spot in a top loader. When the children are sick a add a couple of drops of lavender and eucalyptus oils to the bath water. I’m Inspired to try some of the suggested cleaning tips from others.

  19. Cotton bud tip dipped in clove oil to run around the edge of the sink. It is an anti -mould agent. Can also be wiped on slightly damp cloth and run it over the back of couches or where-ever else you get mould.

  20. Apart from what has been talked about already i love eucalyptus oil for the trouble spots. The last rental property I moved out of had packing tape residue on the polished wood floor thankyou master 2.5 yrs and 3m hook stickyness from all the childproofing in the kitchen and the odd sneaky drawing attempt behind a door or in a quiet corner. Dreading this task was a waste of energy because it seriously took me under 20 mins for the lot and it smelt devine 🙂

  21. Shirley Taylor says:

    I love the bicarb and vinegar for the toilets. No more nasty bleach for the kids to get hold of. And it does wonders for the kids hair to

  22. Bicarb and vinegar for just about everything! Also, my little one loves conducting all kinds of experiments using these two ingredients and a bit of food colouring. Oh and bicarb soda by itself on a cloth works wonders for getting pencil marks and general little kid marks off walls.

  23. I’d love to say that the cleaning in our house happens a la Snow White – the birds and the mice doing the hard yards for us, but in reality it is rarely such a peaceful scene. We are still new to ridding the house of chemical cleaners – my current favourite is orange oil. Thanks to the commenters above for their tips. I’d love to try eucalyptus and cure my husband’s addiction to Ajax – he claims the smell takes him straight back to childhood. I’d love my kids to have a healthier childhood association!

  24. I’ve used bicarb and vinegar to clean my drains for years, and diluted vinegar for window cleaner. But only recently when I was home on maternity leave and really watching my pennies did I stop buying the ‘environmentally friendly’ cleaning products available at the grocery store. I now mix my own laundry stain pre-treatment with vinegar and salt as well as using vinegar as a laundry rinse, and I use bi-carb for anything I used to use scouring powder for. I was amazed that it worked just as well and didn’t require any more effort than commercial abrasive cleaners or liquid bathroom cleaners to get my fixtures clean.

    I have yet to get my husband to go this route though. When he’s in the mood to clean, he goes to the store and buys one of everything he thinks will get the job done, so I end up with bottles and bottles of different cleaning agents under my sink.

  25. I love using diluted metho in a spray bottle and use it to clean mirrors, glass, finger marks on walls, shower screens all with a microfibre cloth. So simple! Might have to add Eucalyptus to the list too

  26. I’ve had bronchitis recently & I swear by inhaling steam from a bucket of hot water & a few drops of Eucalyptus Oil to kill those germs deep in the lungs. Plus I often pour a few drops on the shower floor to let the hot water steam it up while I shower.

    I’ve also ‘made’ my own vinegar: I buy 2L of the cheapest brand, use 1L then fill with water, then I leave it out in direct sunlight to recharge. It does seem to lose strength after a few goes but when 2L is only .99c that is still really cheap!

  27. Chic Mummy says:

    Baking soda – I use it for so many things, and mostly together with vinegar and/or eucalyptus oil.

  28. Katrina F says:

    I love using Eucalyptus spray on top of my range hood, you know where grease and grime congeal together with dust to make the most horrible hard to remove gunk ever. It not only removes the gunk but polishes the stainless steel to leave you with an effortless smudge-free sparkle.

  29. My favourite alternative is for someone else to do it 😉

    (well, one can dream, can’t they?) 🙂

    1. Hilarious Erin. If only 🙂

  30. Bicarb and white vinegar is used regularly in my household. It makes everything sparkle and the kids think the fizz is hilarious! I also love that it means no dangerous chemicals under the kitchen sink.

  31. Oooh, these look great. And how good does Eucalyptus smell? I wonder if it’ll remind me of those Eucalyptus Diamonds that we used to eat as children.
    We are lucky to have an overflowing lemon tree all year round and I hate to see them go to waste so we use lemons to clean just about everything! haha. We just cut them in half and rub where we want to clean. Works beautifully and I don’t have to worry about bubs chewing on anything that’s had chemicals on it. Smells nice too… although, not quite as good as Eucalyptus would… 😀

  32. I use bicarb on my bath it removes all scratches and is much cheaper than Jiff and Bicarb is chemical free which is a BIG BIG thing on our house.I try all sorts of alternitives and Google is my best friend when it comes too looking for new chemical free products. This also saves the Enviroment and $$$$

  33. bubble936 says:

    Lemon, baking soda ,vinegar and borax are the things that i use along with lots of elbow grease to clean my house…

  34. Jess Fuller says:

    To make a fabulous all purpose cleaner, boil 6 soap nuts with 500ml water and simmer for 10 mins, strain into a spray bottle. I also add eucalyptus and tea tree oil. This soap nut cleaner is also brilliant in a self foaming bottle (cheap as chips from Chemist Warehouse or similar) and then used as hand cleaner, body cleaner, shampoo etc. The foaming is not important for the effectiveness of re cleaner but it means you use a lot less and it makes it feel like a “bought one” :D. It is very gentle and has saved us a fortune on QV! Add or remove the oils depending on what you will use it for. It’s also worth noting that lemon oil is brilliant for deterring spiders – this is a big deal for me!! 😀

  35. Hayley Elliman says:

    I always wash my floor (vinyl & tiles) with boiling hot water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil. This is also good for when I feel a head cold coming on as I end up with clean floors and get a steam facial at the same time haha.

  36. I use mainly vinegar, and some bicarb. I added eucalyptus oil to my last bottle of vinegar and it worked way better! DH preferred the smell, too.

  37. Mama used to say: You can remove indoor air pollutants with houseplants such as English Ivy, Chrysanthemums, Boston Ferns and Spider Plants, that naturally freshen up the air, without the use of expensive electric dust filters that just consolidate the problem but do not eradicate it.

  38. When my mum came to visit us in Australia a couple of years ago (from France), she purchased Eucalyptus oil and gave it to my sister who owns a hotel and a restaurant in the south of France. Believe it or not but since my sister has been asking me to send her more of the Eucaliptus oil as she has never came across such a wonderful products to clean at the restaurant and hotel.
    Winning this hamper for her would be a wonderful surprise! I know she would absolutely love it!!!! I haven’t seen her in almost two years and it would be my way to reminder her that I love her and think about her often.

    I myself like to use eco-friendly personal and house care, opting for natural and organic ingredients whenever possible. I’m a tea tree oil fan, I also use a lot of white vinegar for cleaning.

  39. I love a few a few drops of oil of cloves in a spray bottle full of water to get rid of mould in the bathroom

  40. Melanie M says:

    When cleaning your floors, put on an old pair of socks and run your toes over the skirting boards whilst you mop, sweep or vacuum past them. No changing vacuum nozzles, no bending over, and it’s a great workout!!

  41. tam childers says:

    Put some lemon in a cup of water and microwave for 30 secs before cleaning the microwave with a water and vinegar mix, makes cleaning it so much easier. And I always put some eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle with water and spray around windows and door cracks to deter spiders, ants and especially ticks from coming in the house. I also spray the dogs and dog beds, it works great.

  42. I have made it my life’s mission to win this competition – you should see the state of my stainless steel fridge and dishwasher… its just horrific!!! I use bicarb and vinegar when cleaning in my bathroom especially! And I spray water with very diluted lavendar oil to spray in the living room in areas where our cat might be tempted to have an accident! They hate the smell so they won’t ‘go’ there!

  43. Yvette Bowyer says:

    My husbands grandmother gave me a lil advise on my wedding day.. she said no matter what happens.. you can get it out with Bicarb..

    She know’s Im a useless housewife already and said that it will get me through the ups and downs of marriage.

  44. Like lots of other posters I have used eucalyptus oil for cleaning, diluted in a spray bottle, rice water for ironing, vinegar and bicarbonate (I always want fish and chips afterwards), lavender oil, oil of cloves for mould (why do we call it oil of cloves and everything else is xx oil?) and lemon oil ( great for spiders) but the one I usually don’t tell people about is….snake poo. It keeps mice away, no joke. If you ask at your pet shop, they will give it to you for free along with a you have to be kidding look…..also free.

  45. Michelle V says:

    A can of Coke is the perfect toilet cleaner, I swear by it – go try it! Leave it overnight for better results.
    Also I use baby wipes to clean the skirting boards and window sills.

  46. Cleaning with loud music always gets the job done sooner and better! Just try it and see.

  47. Vinegar can be used in hot water for almost any cleaning job, and it won’t affect anyone who has a lung ailment. It works great for cleaing windows as wel and doesn’t leave smears. I also love eucalyptus oil for those sticky jobs, such as trying to remove price stickers from items

  48. Christina says:

    I have always used vinegar and carb soda – safe, cheap and easy! My daughter’s piano teacher is blind and she has a toddler who got into the laundry while she was having a shower, his screams alerting her that he’d found the bleach (she was home alone). Fortunately he was ok, but I did help out with the suggestion of vinegar and carb soda solution to her cleaning problems – she’s now converted due to its safety and dear little Daniel isn’t interested in boring vinegar as a liquid refreshment!!

  49. Melissa K says:

    I add a capful of eucalyptus oil to my washing machine when washing sheets, pillowcases and doona covers. This helps kill pesky dustmites and leaves a lovely fresh scent too 🙂

  50. Home made screen cleaner. Streak free & great on big screens, laptops, most shiny surfaces that attract dust. Combination of distilled water and isopropyl, and better than anything available in the shops.

  51. A wet toothbrush dipped in bicarb, used to brush your teeth instead of toothpaste. If you can deal with the taste (which isn’t that bad), your teeth will look amazing for it.

  52. Marry a good woman, with old world values, who loves (& I mean LOVES) to cook and clean, like I did. The only other alternative to doing it yourself, cleaning solved 😉

  53. I am loving using soap nuts for our clothes washing.

  54. My favourite alternative cleaner is vinegar and bicarb. I just moved into a new rental property which had very tea stained benchtop. Some elbowgrease, a tablespoon of bicarb, a cloth and the odd splash of vinegar to get into the ‘grain’ and the work surface is spotless. I also love using my new steam machine for cleaning fly screens and venetian blinds… the ones at my old rental came up like new and I suspect that was the first proper clean they’d ever had! My final awesome cleaning product isn’t that alternative, but more of a rediscovery – Jif cream cleaner is amazing at cleaning walls – y’know when you’ve moved out and cleaning for the dreaded inspection… well this worked wonders. I tried those mark shifting sponges that disintegrate, and bicarb which just made a mess… Jif got everything off!
    Now I’m looking forward to trying out the eucalyptus cleaners – I’ve not seen them before so am very intrigued, especially as eucalyptus is my all time favourite scent… ah, the smell of them on a warm evening after rain.. bliss! x

  55. natasha andrews says:

    I love my Bosisto’s Eucalyptus spray…perfect for everything you listed AND for smelly school shoes, toilet training accidents (on carpert, shoes and couches) and just to make the house smell awesome.

    I have found on stubbon stains on painted walls is a plain white toothpase, I have found this particularity good for stains like crayons and lipstick.

    lovely giveaway thanks 🙂

  56. kelly jones says:

    Do you mean apart from hiring some one else to do the cleaning?…LOL I’m not sure I love the vinegar and newspaper for cleaning windows, though it is hard to get a simple black and white paper any more, ammonia in the washing acts as a really good softener, I found that out by accident one day, also using chalk instead of those moisture absorbers, I stuck some chalk in the frames of my daughter’s window as it was prone to moisture and mould and it hasn’t come back since putting the chalk in there

  57. Using Cloves to get rid of mould permanently, makes the house smell like the dentist but it’s worth it for getting rid of the mould!

  58. Jennifer B. says:

    Good old HOT water with a squeeze of lemon juice for aroma and elbow grease is still a cure-all for many of my cleaning jobs. It’s the ultimate in a natural solution… especially if you grow your own lemons!

  59. cher haining says:

    Old fashion wool mix – a mixture of pure soap flakes, metho and eucylytus oil is my cleaner for everything, washing mackine, floors, carpets, stain remover, shower, stove, sink, bbq and more. The only product that can remove a whole leaked biro from a pr of new jeans!!
    1/2 pk soap flakes mixed with 100 ml of both meth and Bisisto’s eucylyptus oil, add 1 or 2 cups of boiling water, mix well, store in airtight containers.
    Use full strength or diluted, depending on need.
    I always give a jar of this, withr ecipe attached to everyone who move into their own place.

  60. Vinegar for the cracks between the tiles on the floor. Leave for a minute and then scrub. They come up beautiful. Everyone always says my tiles are so clean. I never tell my secrets.

  61. For a ‘natural insect repellent’… put a few drops of eucalyptus oil on some cotton wool balls – place the cotton wool balls in dark places around the kitchen such as under the fridge, on top of the pantry and in corners of the cupboards to keep insects at bay!

  62. Well trained kids who have set chores and a good reason to complete them – pocket money is a good persuader

  63. My son accidentally got chewing gum stuck on his arm from underneath a park picnic table yesterday (I can’t believe people REALLY do that!).
    It just wouldn’t come off!
    So, when we returned back home. Out with the Bosisto’s Eucalyptus Oil and voila! – gone in seconds 🙂

  64. Rachel Thompson says:

    I’m not normally into all this natural cleaning etc. But one day my little man got a hold of some pencils and scribbled all over our white kitchen cupboards. I had no idea what to do but heard that bicarb was great. I sprinkled a bit on a damp sponge and it wiped straight off, no scrubbing required! I now scrub all marks off the walls like this – so much more effective than sugar soap!

  65. Melissa Jones says:

    Sugar soup is really good assistant for me. Grease in the kitchen, dirt on the wall, with sugar soup, all are so easy to clean, no more mess no more headache for me 🙂

  66. Rosslyn Tadd says:

    Vinegar is brilliant to clean and kill mould. Eucalyptus Oil as a rinse for after cleaning floors, dogs and toilets is great. I only use natural products as chemicals are a health hazard.

  67. Mary Preston says:

    Vinegar is my absolute favourite alternative household cleaning solution. I especially love how a half cup of vinegar added to the final rinse cycle of the wash, softens the clothes & freshens up the machine itself. Naturally!!

  68. I use dishwashing liquid for just about everything and it works brilliantly.

  69. Tea tree oil drops in a bucket of water for your the outside surfaces, tiles etc of your toilet. A few drops into a bucket with some water in it. Throw the water over the toilet and wipe down with a towel. Voila!

  70. Elishia Sanders says:

    My favourites are absolutely eucalyptus oil and vinegar. I use both as a genera cleaner. Eucalypus is great for stained clothes, plus vinegar works well as a rinc in both the washing machine and dish washer.

  71. I loooove eucalyptus oil! Its great for all sorts of cleaning, and it smella amazing!I use it for a stain remover, washing the floors, adding to the wash, cleaning up sticky residue, not to mention how much it helps when little ones have a cold. Coming a close second, Salt and lemon juice are a brilliant combination for removing rust marks from anything! And of course, bicarb and vinegar are amazing as well. Who needs chemicals?

  72. Shower curtains get so greasy so I find soaking in a bucket with washing up liquid for a few days before hosing down and drying in the sun kills the mould and the slime easily.

  73. Belinda Doyle says:

    Recently my 2 year old drew all over my cloth couch (and a pile of clean washing) with all point pen! I left some full cream milk out for a few days until it had spoiled then popped it all over the ball point pen marks, waited a few minutes and dabbed it off with water. The clothes went straight in the machine after I wiped off the milk, both clothes and couch came up a treat! For the rest of the house, you can’t beat bicarb, vinegar, eucalyptus and lavender.

  74. Anita Pender says:

    I am a big fan of Bi Carb Soda – it has so many uses around the home, from deoderising to scrubbing and cradle cap removal!

  75. Stephanie Veljanovska says:

    Shine Stainless Steel Surfaces and Appliances with a little Olive Oil and Micro Fiber Cloth

  76. Penne Ann says:

    Lemon Balm oil in warm water in a spray bottle. I alternate on the strength, depending on the odors, or how strong you’d like the aroma where you have cleaned. Leaves a gorgeous fresh citrusy smell.

  77. Catie fielder says:

    I am a huge fan of bi carb and vinegar for my bathroom and white goods! Citrus is great for sticky items and things that leave residue! I also love using eucalyptus oil and the house smells awesome afterwards!

  78. I use eucalyptus to remove tree sap off my car, and for stubborn stains on the children’s clothes & marks on carpets. My fav natural product

  79. Vinegar goes into our washing machine instead of fabric softener. And I already use the eucalyptus oil spray liberally on anything, any time! Love the smell!

  80. Jody Coomer says:

    I make my washing powder or use soap nuts, vinegar and a could couple of drops of lemon or orange oil as softner. Clove oil on mould. And witch hazel, vegetable glycerine, apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil mixed makes a great hand sanitiser.

  81. sheena grey says:

    I’m a big fan of Ajax & Gumption that stuff will get through any tough dirt & grime,But I absolutely LOVE Bosisto’s Eucalyptus oil!! Not only does it smell beautiful it helps with different cleaning needs around the home,there is so many positive advantages of using BOSISTO’S EUCALYPTUS..I recommend it to anyone and everyone!!

  82. We use a lot of bicarbonate soda and also Eucalyptus oil in our house. I love to use eucalyptus oil neat on a cloth and apply to furniture to remove grime, finger prints and random texts or crayon drawings from the little people in my house! I do love the versatility of eucalyptus oil, especially at this time of the year.

  83. Carmel Corry says:

    I love using salt and lemon juice to clean my kitchen cutting boards! They look great and are so fresh!

  84. Leanne Stansbury says:

    I have a lot of lovely silver items that my grandmother left me. I rarely used them as they were such a task to shine. I discovered a great tip for cleaning silver. Boil a saucepan of water and put some aluminium foil in the bottom of the pan, shiny side up. Place your silver onto the foil and add enough bicarb soda to make the water bubble and froth. Leave for at least fifteen minutes and all the tarnish transfers itself to the foil. Bosisto Eucalyptus oil is also great for getting sticker marks off glass.

  85. Jodie Taylor says:

    bicarb and water in a mug and then put in the microwave and microwave for 40 seconds then all the gunk just wipes off the microwave. Also love rubbing a lemon on my steel sink cleans and makes it smell nice

  86. I add a little eucalyptus oil to my mop bucket instead of using floor cleaner. It cleans so easily and effectively and also freshens the air in the whole house with a beautiful, lingering eucalyptus smell.

  87. I finally converted to vinegar and bi-carb when pregnant with Little Man and it worked brilliantly! Am also pretty devoted enjo and norwex user, and for dusting- damp cloth! Really want to try Euc Oil- I’ve heard and read it works wonders!

  88. Jessie Hay says:

    Vinegar is great for cleaning windows and a lot less nasty than chemical window cleaners!
    I am also a fan of bicarb for all those hard to clean marks in the bathroom and prefer essential oils as a deodoriser rather than chemical scents 🙂

  89. Nicole Warner says:

    I just can’t get enough of vinegar. I have vinegar and water in a spray bottle that I use to wipe down benches and wipe out the microwave and oven. I use vinegar in my washing machine instead of fabric softener and also use it to clean the toliet. I also love using eucalyptus oil mixed with hot water to mop my floors.

  90. Wipe out the fridge with vanilla and it will always smell sweet!

  91. I absolutely love Eucalyptus in a spray bottle with water and a bit of dish washing liquid. It makes all my mirrors and showers streak free and shiny. I use it with a paper towel on my stove top and it still amazes me how that even comes up streak free. So much cheaper than other stove cleaning items. I do also love that I can still breath properly when I spray it.

    Oh and nothing beats a cup of vinegar in the microwave turned on for a minute or two to give that a clean. So much easier than anything I have tried. I think I nearly did cart wheels in the kitchen when I very first tried this.

  92. Spray your aircon/central heating vents with eucalyptus oil. Fills the entire house with it’s beautiful smell and cleans the filter of nasties =D

  93. Michael Potter says:

    Vinegar rocks in our house! It’s great for cleaning just about anything! (And… it also goes great with fish and chips!)

  94. Hi, I don’t know any of these products, but would really, really like to try.

  95. Lemon juice in water seems to work on most things, but failing that, my husband!

  96. Kathryn C says:

    I love using vinegar, lemon juice and Eucalyptus oil in my house. Not only are they great cleaners they leave a nice fresh clean scent 🙂

  97. I love this stuff! My little girl got a sticker for something at school during her first few weeks.

    When she came home I gathered all the mess and threw it in the washing machine. The result was that I washed that sticker right into the uniform, could not get it off. Until someone suggested the Bositos oil lightly rubbed on it. Done! Uniform saved and laundry smelling great.

    We also used tea tree oil when I worked at World 4 Kids a million years ago to get the layby stickers off the bike seats at Christmas time – that was A LOT of bikes!

  98. Kimberley Belford says:

    I have a never ending supply of bi carb and white vinegar in this household it seems 🙂 The kids also know mums always got vinegar for an ant bite when they come screaming in the back door after telling them for 20 minutes to put shoes on as they will get bitten by an ant .

  99. Dawn Taylor says:

    Eucalyptus oil is great for getting rid of all those shoe, and wheel scuff marks off the floor.

  100. Rachel Griffiths says:

    With two toddlers, mealtimes can be fairly messy … My alternative household cleaning solution is …. Get a dog! He not only cleans the floor but also stands on his back legs and cleans the seat of the highchair and if William stands still for long enough …. He licks him clean too.

  101. Julie-anne says:

    My cleaning cupboard consists of vinegar & water in a spray bottle a basket of essential oils (incl eucalyptus oil, clove oil, lavender oil, etc) and a basket of Enjo microfibre cloths

  102. Bica soda and white vinegar and tea tree oil and eucalyptus are the best for keeping your home as well as clean as safe for your whole family!no nasty chemicals in your home no nasty chemicals in you food an body either!you can use the above for health issues as well as cleaning the fruit and veges off bad pesticides in a case you cannot get organic!we have just discovered the eucalyptus oil to keep the home clean off germs and we found it works great on keeping the cockroaches off your home too!!!finally natural stuff to keep them off!!!so relieved!and plus it smells zoo fresh!love it!!!great stuff!

  103. For stains from hard water..a mix of dishwashing liquid, ammonia, metho and eucalyptus oil! Just good on stain generally…but test patch first!!!

  104. Vinegar to clean up all of the scum and residue from cooking and boiling electrical items especially jugs, let them soak in the vinegar for a couple of hours and the scum and residue is completely removed, required at least every two months

  105. I remove laundry powder build up from my front loading washing machine with a cup of white vinegar added to the laundry powder reservoir and allow the machine to run.

    Equal parts of: Bi-carbonate of soda and white vinegar may also be used to try to remove grease build up from stainless steel sinks.

  106. The best one I have an use is to dab a little bit of Eucalyptus oil or essential oil on your heating duct, when it comes on it leaves a refreshing scent and freshness through your house.

    Eucalyptus Spray is a favourite in our house and its a bit like WD-40 or duct tape, If it doesn’t help its unfixable!!

  107. For dusting, I use a damp cloth rather than a duster, it takes all the dust away with it instead of simply moving it 🙂

  108. Pauline Stacey says:

    Baking Soda with freshly squeezed lemon juice for a antibacterial and nice fresh scent for an alternative to harsh chemicals 🙂

  109. My favorite thing to use is some essential oils in a spray bottle of water which I use for everything, a quick clean up, smooth down boychild’s bed hair, spray on the ironing to moisten it, I use it when dusting down surfaces. It leaves a nice smell.

  110. Shellie R says:

    Bosisto’s natural cleaning products! ~Everyone a sensation!
    Fragrant Eucalyptus oil, my favourite creation!
    Environmentally friendly. Used with ease.
    Versatile, affordable, with results that please!!

  111. The best thing to get grease off clothes is Eucalyptus oil. Put Eucalyptus oil directly on to the grease stain and rub. It comes off. Guaranteed!

  112. I luv Jiff it works on everything!!! Eucalyptus oil is good too with the bonus of the good smell. But I can use it in the kitchen!

  113. I am a great fan of Eucalyptus oil – not a day goes by that I haven’t had a use for this wonderful product – it’s simply the best.

Comments are closed.