The Big Co-Op Clean #BigCoopClean

With the recent events highlighting deep seated divisions in Britain, now is the perfect time for communities to unite and show the power of standing together for the greater good. Joining together to help improve our local neighbourhoods and showing pride in our communities, is a wonderful way to give back to society in a positive way, showing that we can achieve more together than we can on our own. One simple way we can do this, is by taking part in the annual Big Co-Op Clean.

As part of the Co-Operative fortnight, there are some big events planned, where co-operative societies, friends, neighbours and colleagues can come together to help clean up local areas. The next event is in Wrexham on July 1st at 10am with an organised clean up of Caia Park.

Or you can organise your own Big Clean event involving family and friends, or simply do something yourself from home to help support the campaign. There are lots of ways to help and if we all come together and play our part, we can make a positive difference to where we live.

You can help by picking up litter to clean up your local streets or beauty spot. Or maybe volunteer to tidy up an elderly neighbour's garden or help spruce up a play area. You could even have a declutter of your own home and donate your unwanted things to a British Red Cross Shop or hold a car boot sale and donate your funds directly to a Co-Op charity partner. Whatever you do, however big or small, you can be sure that you are making a difference.

You can buy cleaning products that meet the Cruelty Free Household International Humane Household Products standards and pick up a pair of rubber gloves and some bin bags from your local Co-operative, ready to take part in any big clean up jobs that you get involved in this weekend.

You can follow the #BigCoopClean hashtag on Twitter for inspiration.

Find out more about the campaign, events and ideas for getting involved at:

 www.co-operative.coop/membership/coopclean/

Greener Spring Cleaning with Astonish

I am a big fan of Astonish products for greener cleaning all year round, including the big spring clean.  Astonish is a British brand, with a strong emphasis on cruelty free, environmentally friendly and ethical production. The products are certified vegan and come in recyclable packaging. And as if those credentials weren't enough, the products are also really, really effective. In fact the Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner is my favourite cleaning product ever - I use it for so much more than just cleaning the hob or oven.

I received a selection of Astonish products so I could have a green spring clean.

Astonish Mould & Mildew Remover 

When unslightly mould and mildew grows in damp places, this spray can kill the spores and prevent regrowth, working in just 2 minutes. It works well in the bathroom on areas of fresh growth, keeping the horrible black spots away. Unfortunately nothing can shift the black mould that has grown into my silicon sealant around my shower, but for the mould on the tiles and on the plastic shower door it does a good job. I've used it on walls, window surrounds and on the ceiling with good results.

Astonish Bathroom Cleaner

Limescale, soap scum and stains can be removed using this trigger spray bottle of cleaner. It is effective on chrome, taps and shower heads. It works pretty well and doesn't have the harsh, chemical smell of other products. It gave a good shine to my taps and spruces up the shower unit. This is a useful everyday spray to keep limescale at bay or for removing light build up.

Astonish Kitchen Cleaner

Cutting through kitchen grease and grime, this fresh fragranced spray leaves no residue. The spray on, wipe off formula works on tiles, work tops and other surfaces. It is a good everyday cleaner to keep surfaces fresh and clean. It works well to keep surfaces clean and is a good everyday product.

Astonish Window & Glass Cleaner

This formula, which contains vinegar, does a great job on windows and also on mirrors. It leaves a lovely, clear finish without smudges. It is really easy to use and keeps greasy finger prints at bay. It is easy to use and wipes off to a good shine. I also use this on my glass TV shelving unit to remove Freddy's sticky finger marks. It really does clean it up nicely.

Astonish Floor Cleaner

For cleaning floors and repelling dirt, this Lime and Bergamot formula is really good. It leaves floors clean, lifting dirt and grime and smells pleasant. It is good for both our tiled kitchen floor and for our laminate flooring. I also use it neat on a cloth if I find something sticky and gross that the kids have dropped on the floor and not told me about! It is good for getting up dried on splodges of food.

Astonish Oven & Cookware Cleaner

For enamel, porcelain, ovens, cookware, plastics, glass, tiles, chrome and metal, this is a super effective deep cleanser. It lifts stains out really well, working when other cleaners let you down. I find it absolutely brilliant for getting rid of water marks and for removing limescale from sinks and baths. I've also removed Sharpie Marker from a table using a bit of this paste on a cloth. It is also brilliant for removing the brown stains from stainless steel sinks and for shifting rust marks made from leaving tins on the work surface by the sink or in the bathroom. It is also excellent for cleaning the surrounds on my uPVC window frames. I have also used it to clean the burnt on greasy build up on my oven's glass door, something that no spray can touch. With a good cloth and a bit of elbow grease, I made it look like new, buffing it up after rinsing away the residue.

I cannot praise this product enough, it has so many uses and it is my go-to cleaning product when I see a stain that sprays won't shift. The slightly abrasive formula really is a miracle worker when it comes to cleaning things other products struggle with.  Every home should have a pot!

The Astonish products really are great quality and brilliant value, delivering good results and a perfect finish. You can buy them online with an RRP of £2 but many are available for just £1 each in Poundland and so buying a selection of products to carry out a spring clean needn't be expensive. Plus, by choosing Astonish you are being kinder to the planet. 

www.astonishcleaners.co.uk

Is It Worth Paying More For Cleaning Products?

Testing Scotch-Brite Against Cheaper Products

Scotch-Brite is a company that produces cleaning products that are a little more expensive than many other  brands on the market.  In this economic climate, I have been challenged to find out if it is worth paying a bit extra for cleaning products and whether buying cheaper brands is a false economy.

I was sent a selection of Scotch-Brite's products, along with some of their competitor's products so I could test them for durability and efficacy.  I want to find out whether it is sometimes worth paying a bit more initially and whether I'll be saving money in the long run.

Heavy Duty Scourers

Scotch-Brite's Heavy Duty Scourers retail at £1.15 for a three pack, which makes them about 38p each.  I was comparing it against Product A which sells at 30p each as part of a four pack and Product B, also 30p but sold in a three pack.  The first difference that I noticed was that the Scotch-Brite scourer felt much thicker and denser than the two other products.  I personally hate the feel of scourers, they make me cringe, so I usually leave scoring to my husband, but in the name of reviewing I gave them all a try!  The biggest difference was that the Scoth-Brite scourer was much more absorbent than the competitors, which really came into its own when scrubbing down the work surfaces.   It was also very effective and hasn't yet shown any signs of disintegrating.  I am still not a fan of the feel of these scourers, but for an extra 8p, the quality and usability of the Scotch-Brite was definitely better.

Multi-Purpose Non-Stick Scourers

The Multi-Purpose Scourers had the biggest price difference of all the products.  Scotch-Brite's premium Non-Scratch Scrub Sponge cost £1.15  The others cost 15p each for Product A and 17p for Product B.  A and B are almost identical (except for the colour) with a synthetic sponge base and a stuck on white scouring layer.  The Scotch-Brite scrub sponge is a very different product.    The wave shape makes it very ergonomic and easy to hold.  The sponge side is thick and dense and the scourer feels strong and claims to scour 50% faster than other scourers and is recommended for use on premium cookware.  It works a treat with its delicate cleaning sponge side and its tough scouring side.  It takes up the bubbles from the washing up water and makes a good foam for cleaning up.  It is really gentle but a powerful cleaner! The scourer is easy to rinse through after use.  The cheaper ones seem to clog and disintegrate after a few uses. 

It is definitely much better than the flimsy, lightweight cheaper products, but you have to take into account the fact that you could buy seven cheaper ones for the cost of one Scotch-Brite one.  Will seven cheap ones last longer than one premium one?  Or does the quality of the longer lasting, tougher scrub sponge justify the expense?  I think if you have some top quality cookware that you want to protect and keep clean, it is worth the investment, but for everyday lightly soiled plates you can get away with using the cheaper ones, although they are nowhere near as nice to use.

Sponge Cloths

The Sponge Cloths from Scotch-Brite cost £2.49 for a multi-coloured pack of five.  With a stripy finish on one side and a spotted finish on the other side, they are thick and really soft to the touch.  Product A and B, both retail for £1.30 for a four pack equating to 33p each, as opposed to 50p each.  A was noticeably thinner and felt drier and less springy.  It only had one textured side.  B was almost as thick but less soft and had a waffled texture on both sides.  When it comes to absorbency, I put the three sponge cloths to the test using a glass full of water 'spilled' into a tray, replicating a common household accident that occurs regularly in our home!

Product A performed quite poorly sucking up only about half of the water.  It also didn't hold the water it had absorbed very well and it run from the bottom corner.  The Scotch-Brite sponge cloth and Product B both did really well, mopping up and holding the water well with just a little bit of leakage when picked up.  The Scotch-Brite product actually claims to hold ten times its weight in water which I'd say is pretty accurate.  However, the one big difference between Product B and the Scotch-Brite sponge cloth was the flexibility.  It was far more easy to wring out and felt nicer to use.  Product B was a bit stiff and felt slightly brittle on drying out.  The Scotch Brite sponge cloth is definitely more durable and out performed the competition.

 Conclusions

It's been quite an eye-opener testing these products against each other.  Saving money is a huge consideration to me and my family.  We can't afford to be frivolous anymore, but sometimes paying a few extra pence can be more cost effective in the long run.  Using cloths that are not up for the job will end up being a waste of cash and make household chores more difficult. Taking environmental impact into account, I'm happy buying products that last a long time rather than constantly re-buying and disposing of cheap alternatives. Weighing up the pros and cons and making an informed choice is the wisest plan of action.  But sometimes, it definitely pays to go with the better quality, more expensive product if it is going to outlast and out perform the cheaper alternative.

E-Cloth Green Clean Challenge Part 3

Oven Cleaning The Green Way!

I've been challenged to switch my chemical cleaners in favour of natural alternatives and harness the cleaning power of water with e-cloth's great products! Up until now, most household cleaning products have been easily exchanged.  I am amazed by the effectiveness of vinegar solution as a cleaner for most surfaces when used with a general purpose e-cloth.  Environmentally friendly laundry tablets and washing-up liquid are just as good as my usual brand.  Going green is proving so much easier than I thought it would be.

But this week, I needed to turn my attention to the interior of my oven.  This is a horrible job!  Chemical cleaners are so harsh.  They stink out the house and are terrible for my hands.  They are generally very expensive and also don't live up to the promises on the packaging.  All in all...this makes oven cleaning very high on my list of least favourite jobs!

The e-cloth hob and oven pack consists of two clothes.  One is heavy and slightly abrasive for tackling burnt on grease.  The other is a light cloth for shining up the stainless steel and glass.

Using just water, the heavy duty cloth picked up a lot of the grease and black deposits from the walls and shelf edges of the oven.  It is far less mucky using the Oven e-cloth than when cleaning with a spray on chemical foam cleaner.  The bottom of the oven had some really stubborn marks. To assist in the job, I made up a paste of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to help shift the burnt on grease. 

Using the bicarb and vinegar paste really helped cut through a lot of the muck.  It fizzed up, eating through the grease.  It was odourless once dried and did not effect the skin at all.  After a quick scrub, a wipe off with an e-cloth cleared away most of the mess.  As it is not toxic, I didn't feel paranoid about any residue remaining in the oven and was happy to cook again straight away.

The end result as you can see was pretty good.  There are some slight burn marks still visible in the enamel, but there is nothing nasty lurking at all.  It was much simpler using the cloth and some bicarbonate of soda paste rather than a shop bought chemical oven cleaner.  The peace of mind knowing that it was 100% harmless was a real bonus...I hate those smelly, expensive, noxious, toxic, psoriasis inducing oven cleaners! 

The oven e-cloth rinsed clean with some hot water and once dried was ready to put away, ready for the next oven cleaning day.  

The polishing e-cloth was really effective in buffing up the stainless steel and glass door.  

I also used the oven clothes with plain water on my microwave which was a much easier job than cleaning my oven.  The  heavy duty cloth lifted off the food spatterings really effectively and the polishing cloth made the exterior shine.

It came up really clean.  The polishing cloth is great to get a smear free finish.  I also buffed up my stainless steel finish fridge freezer, toaster and food processor.  It polished them up easily using no chemical cleaners at all.  Knowing that the e-cloth lifts away over 99% of germs, I am not worried about that aspect of my cleaning.  I am getting a hygienically cleaned kitchen without spending money on unnecessary chemical cleaning products...plus it is safer for my family and better for the environment!  There is no compromise involved in going green...it is a win/win situation!

For more information on the products check out www.e-cloth.com.

E-Cloth Green Cleaning Challenge

Time To Come Clean and Go Green!

I am not one of these women who dons a pinny and headscarf and effortlessly floats around the house making everything sparkle and gleam with a smile on my face.  I am instead someone who finds housework a necessary evil! I hate the idea of using gallons of chemicals to keep my home spick and span.  Everytime I pour some harsh cleaner down the loo or down the plughole, I wonder where it is going to end up and what effect it is having on the environment.  I also suffer from psoriasis on my hands which flares up whenever I so much as look at a bottle of bleach!

Last year I discovered e-cloth  and was impressed that I could clean my home using nothing more than the power of water!  99% of germs can be removed without having to use chemical cleaners.  Using my e-cloth to clean up the bathroom sinks and polish the taps has been my contribution to green cleaning.  I feel like I am doing my bit, I'm saving money on cleaning products and it is quick, easy and effective on everyday messes.  However, I've not been brave enough to completely turn my back on the off the shelf products that temptingly promise to turn your greasy kitchens and limescale ridden bathrooms into sparkling clean spaces. 

This year however, my dedication to going green is being tested further with the e-cloth Green Cleaning Challenge.  Can I say good-bye to chemical cleaners for a whole month?  Using a range of e-cloth products along with a host of natural alternatives to chemical cleaners, can I keep my home hygienically clean?  

E-Cloth have sent me everything I need to go clean and green for the next four weeks.  Using some everyday items such as lemon juice, salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, alongside some eco-cleaning products and my e-cloth collection, I'll be testing just how easy it is to go green.

Coming Clean and Going Green!

I'll be sharing some hints and tips on how you can clean your home naturally.  I'll also be interested to see how much I could save from my weekly shopping bill by making the switch.  Apparently we spend on average £109 a year on cleaning products.  The initial investment in e-cloth products could soon pay for itself several times over!  So wish me luck as I embark on this challenge!

Take a look at e-cloth's website to see the range of products specific to different household cleaning needs and maybe do your bit in coming clean and going green.

Top Tips For Housework (a.k.a. Domestic Chores Made Easy!!)

The job of a stay at home parent can become a never ending cycle of household duties. As soon as kids come on the scene, domestic bliss can become replaced by domestic drudgery.  From the ever growing washing pile that sometimes threatens to consume the entire house, to the dust that taunts you by returning to your surfaces almost immediately after you have dusted, housework is quite simply a chore of monumental proportions.

Over the years I have learned tips, hints and short cuts to make my life easier and my house cleaner.  Any technique to reduce the hours spent on housework means I can free up hours to do my own thing!  This blog doesn't write itself you know!!

Here are my top ten tips for easy, breezy cleaning and happy housework!

1: Top To Bottom...In any room that you are cleaning, work from the top down.  Tackle cobwebs first (unless it's Halloween when you can pass them off as 'au naturel' room decorations).  Then lamp shades before dusting your blinds or curtain rails, polishing surfaces and finally vaccuuming the floor.  Otherwise you will be showering yourself and your previously cleaned furniture in dirt.  Don't make more work for yourself!

2: Washing-Up...My biggest tip is to put all your cutlery dirty end down into a jug of soapy water.  By the time you have finished washing up, your knives, forks and spoons will be sparkling clean with minimum effort, plus you won't be chasing them around the bottom of the sink!  None of that fiddly cutlery cleaning.

3:  Oven Cleaning...Avoidance is Better than Cleaning!  Simple rules like not overfilling pans or casseroles, covering things with foil to avoid greasy splashes and using a baking sheet underneath the shelf that you are using, will avoid the burnt on messes that are so difficult to clean!  Simple.

4:  Cleaning Windows or Mirrors...Forget using fluffy cloths which make this job so frustrating, use a scrumpled up  piece of newspaper to polish up your glass.  It is much easier and less messy to get a good shine.

5:  Toddler Spills...Your baby has spat a mouthful of juice onto the laminate.  Fear not!!  This is why God invented socks!!  Whip off your shoe and mop up the spill in an instant...no one will ever know ;)

6:  Delegate!  Write out a list of little jobs and get the kids involved.  Even the tiniest tot will enjoy being armed with a duster or a dustpan and brush.  When they've completed their chores reward them with a film night or a trip to the park.  It works everytime with the younger kids!  Older ones get more cynical and refer to this as slave labour!

7:  De-Clutter...if you haven't used it for six months, if it isn't precious or beautiful and if it serves no purpose, get rid of it!!  Charity Shops are crying out for good quality items to sell.  You get a tidy house, you get to help others and you get to feel good about yourself in the bargain! Win, win, win!

8:   Ironing...Don't Do It!!  Tell everyone that you are boycotting it from an environmental standpoint to reduce your carbon footprint.  Instead of looking at you as a scruffy and dishevelled individual, they will see you as an eco-warrior on a one woman mission to save the planet!

9:  Crayon on Your Paintwork??  WD-40 will do the trick.  It is also useful for removing stickers, chewing gum, chair marks, glue and felt tip.  Keep a can handy...it is a secret weapon against a multitude of messes!

10:  Leather Sofas:  For sprucing up your leather sofa use a baby wipe.  They bring it up clean and also smell good!  Baby wipes are definitely for more than just babies' bottoms!  They are also great for toilet seats (don't flush them though!!), cleaning car dash boards, polishing the leaves of a rubber plant and for cleaning gloss paintwork.  They also wipe away grubby fingerprints on window sills, door frames and light switches.  In fact, in our house it is an unwritten rule that any baby wipe used for a minor hand or mouth wipe goes on to clean down at least one surface on the way to the bin!

I'm sure some people will see my lack of domestic prowess as lazy...but I just see it as creative housewifery, freeing up time for the better things in life, like spending time with my precious family.  Why would I want to spend hours making my house pristine, when I could be having a tea party with my toddler?  I want a happy, lived in, comfortable, welcoming, clean-enough home...not a show home where children fear to tread!  Time is precious, use it well!

*This is my entry into the Morphy Richards Innovators competition with Tots 100.*

E-Cloth

E-Cloth is a range of environmentally friendly cleaning products that allow you to clean around the home using nothing more than water!  Research has shown that using an e-cloth with water removes over 99% of harmful bacteria.  This is excellent when you have small children in the house, keeping things hygienically clean without the need for harsh chemicals.

If you were to ditch the chemical cleaning products you could save over £100 every year!  Using an e-cloth is quicker, easier and more environmentally friendly.

When I was sent an e-cloth to try Inside the Wendy House I was a little sceptical.  We are so used to using chemical sprays, creams and liquids that the thought of using water alone to clean seems quite strange.  However, I was more than willing to give it a go, especially as I suffer with psoriasis on my hands which is made worse on exposure to cleaning products.

The General Purpose Cloth costs £4.99 from stockists including John Lewis, Lakeland, Homebase and Tesco.  It is suitable for cleaning all hard surfaces and can tackle thick grease.  It is a versatile all round cleaning cloth.

I've been using it instead of using chemical cleaners.  This video shows how I've got on.

As you can see I am really surprised at how well it did the job using only water. I've used it on a whole range of different surfaces and it is really effective.  It even removed the grease on my extractor fan.  Impressive!  It saves time and money,   is kinder on my family and the environment and gives great results, killing over 99% of bacteria.  They are machine washable.

For more details visit the website where you can also purchase from the range. (Free p&p when you spend over £10).

Follow e-cloth on Twitter for chat, news and competitions.

Cleaning up with the GTech Power Sweeper

One fact about me...I am not the best housewife in the world.  My friend bought me a fridge magnet that said "Dull women have immaculate houses!"  I take comfort in that and by that reasoning think I must be a really interesting woman!

Clutter is one thing...I can cope with lived in mess, it's a sign of a healthy, happy household.  However, cleanliness is something which is extremely important, especially with an inquisitive toddler in the house.  So I don't shirk my responsibilities as a housewife when it comes to dirty floors.

I hate lugging around our oversized vaccuum cleaner from the cupboard upstairs and instead usually end up on my hands and knees with a dustpan and brush sweeping up the carnage that our family leaves in his wake.  This is not the best method of cleaning up (for my knees as well as from a hygienic point of view!)  But we do generate a lot of mess.  From Freddy's lunch which is scattered liberally on the laminate, to Kizzy's arts and crafts debris on her bedroom carpet, to kitchen spills on the ceramic floor tiles.

I was delighted when GTech offered me the chance to receive one of their rechargeable floor sweepers for review.  The rechargeable, lightweight and portable SW18 Power Sweeper is suitable for all floor types and can be used to remove pet hairs.  It also has the benefit of being protected by Germ Guard.  This is a silver ion antibacterial additive blended into the plastic.  It is over 99% effective against bacteria including MRSA, Listeria, E-Coli and Salmnonella.  This is something which impressed me greatly having children in the house.

The Gtech Power Sweeper was easy to put together and looked modern and stylish.  (Very far removed from the old style, unreliable push along carpet sweepers my mum used to use!) It had to be charged for 16 hours before use so we plugged it in overnight, so it would be ready to test!

Product Information

• The Power Sweeper has a fully adjustable telescopic handle which I found plenty high enough for myself at 5' 11". 
• The head of the sweeper is attached to a dynamic steering joint which gives good mobility for ease of use. 
• The low profile and long reach allows for easy under furniture cleaning.
• It has an easy to empty 0.5l bin.
• Removable handle and visor for effective stair cleaning.
• Patented edge cleaning wheel.

Once it was fully charged I put the Gtech SW18 Germguard Power Sweeper to the test.  It was easy to find jobs for it.  After preparing their toast in the kitchen, the older girls leave a lot of crumbs on the tiles.  The Power Sweeper cleared up the debris right to the edge of the kitchen cupboards.  It was very easy to manoeuvre and was very effective.

I tried the Power Sweeper on the laminate floors in the hallway and the living room.  Again it was effective and fitted into awkward places really well.  It worked well on the carpet in Freddy's playroom, removing all the dust and crumbs! The removable bin stores the dust and debris inside, there is no bag needed.  It slides out easily and can be emptied directly into the dustbin.  

The reassurance of knowing it is protected by Germguard is a definite plus.  This is a feature exclusive to Gtech.  

Overall, I loved having the sweeper on hand, charged up and ready to spring into action whenever a mess appeared.  It is so lightweight and easy to use.  The fact that it is cordless made it so convenient to use in any room.  It was manoeuvrable and very effective in picking up the dust and debris that is generated on a daily basis Inside the Wendy House!

The Power Sweeper does make a bit of noise, but nowhere near as much as a vacuum cleaner.  My little boy who is quite wary of our hoover was not upset by the noise at all. The charge lasts for 30 minutes of usage and then the sweeper needs recharging for 12 hours. I've used the sweeper on and off for two days to clear up messes as soon as they happen, and it's still going strong.  The visor and handle can be removed to make a handheld sweeper for stair cleaning, which is a real plus, but I haven't tried that feature as yet.  

Here is a demo video of the Gtech Power Sweeper taking on the remnants of Fred's cheese pasty!

Pretty impressive!  And just for a bit of fun, here's my my children 'helping' with the housework. It does show how light and easy to use the sweeper is!

The Gtech SW18 Germguard Power Sweeper retails at £44.95 on the Gtech website.  It is a perfect helping hand for a busy parent.  I would also recommend it to students like my daughter who has a room at university.  It would be very useful for keeping her room clean!  

It gets a definite thumbs up from Inside the Wendy House!