Spring Blossom Persil Washing Up Liquid

It may be cold and wintry outside, but you can bring the scent of springtime floral freshness into your home with Persil's limited edition Spring Blossom Washing Up Liquid.  With hints of freesia, white rose, vanilla and dry fruit, it's the perfect aroma to remind us that spring is just around the corner.

I was sent a bottle to try and have to confess that I am actually a bit of a fan of seasonal washing up liquids.  (Yes...I am very easily pleased!) Washing up isn't a fun job, but having a choice of fragrances to match the season definitely adds a little something to the task, making it slightly less of a chore.  It's a little pleasure in my dish-doing life!

Persil does a good job on the dishes and makes plenty of scented bubbles in the sink.  It costs £1 for a 500ml bottle which lasts pretty well and does exactly what it says on the bottle!

Warm Spice Persil Washing Up Liquid for Christmas

Just because it's Christmas, it does not mean that the household chores get to stop.  Pots, pans and plates still need washing-up!  It's nice to know, however, that with a bottle of limited edition Warm Spice Persil Washing Liquid, doing the dirty dishes will not dampen your Christmas spirit.

With notes of ground cinnamon, hints of cloves and the scent of citrus, the Warm Spice washing up liquid adds a festive twist to doing the Christmas dishes. With its warming fragrance and rich red colour, it is perfect for this time of year.

Not only is it Christmassy, it is also really effective at removing stubborn grease and dried on food, leaving crockery clean and bright, adding some extra sparkle to the festive season!

The 500ml bottle is available from  all major supermarkets for just £1.00.

Things I Love - April Edition

It is the end of yet another month in 2013 and I am reflecting on some of the things that I have discovered, used or done, which have made me smile over the last few weeks in my monthly round up of things I love!

De-Cluttering

Now that spring has almost arrived, I am thinking about projects that I would like to do to my home.  We decided that this is the year that we are going to reclaim space in our house that has previously been given over to the accumulated clutter generated by having had five children.  So last week I  blitzed my wardrobe, clearing out six sackfuls of clothing.  I was pretty ruthless deciding that if I hadn't worn it recently or if it was looking a bit tired, it had to go.  It felt quite therapeutic sorting out my wardrobe space.  I had had so many landslides in recent weeks as my irregularly arranged piles of t-shirts, vests, jumpers and nightwear slid over one another as they vied for freedom from their fabric prison.  Making rows of neatly folded articles of clothing and removing the dozens of empty coat hangers from my hanging rail has given my wardrobe a new lease of life.  I found long forgotten clothes so it felt like I'd been on a shopping spree!  Now I just have to apply this principle to the rest of my house!

Springtime 

I love that we are finally beginning to believe that the UK has another season other than winter and there are a host of seasonally themed products appearing in the shops to remind us of this fact.  For instance, you can make your washing-up chores fit in with the season by using new Spring Blossom Persil Washing Up Liquid.  Featuring hints of freesias, white rose, vanilla and dry fruits, the pretty pink washing-up liquid has the perfect aroma to welcome spring into your home.  With its burst of fragrance it makes the kitchen smell fresh, and the sparkling results make cleaning up less of a chore.  It is especially pleasing if your husband is the one who does the washing up!  It retails at £1.00 for a 500ml bottle making it great value too.

I was sent one to try!

Window Blinds

I have always been a curtain-person.  I have only ever had blackout blinds for the kids' rooms and have never previously thought of them as being anything beyond functional.  However, curtains are quite frankly a bit of a pain.  They are a nightmare to hang, the hems fray, the fabric billows in the breeze knocking things over and they are such an all or nothing method of light control.  Recently I have begun to covet the array of blinds that adorn the windows of my neighbours' houses.  They look so stylish and modern with their clean lines that I am thinking that this is the way I should go when I revamp my bedroom.  I love the way that they allow in as much light as you want and they give you privacy.  (I'm forever flashing the neighbours when the curtains are open and the bedroom light is on.)  I really love these Dark Chocolate Vertical Blinds from Web-Blinds which  can be bought online made to measure.  I always enjoy adorning my home with things that are named after food.  I have Pecan paint in my living room, Toffee Fudge in my kitchen and Mint in my hall. It sounds utterly delicious but is totally calorie free.

Dark Chocolate Vertical Blind  #sp

Birthdays

In our family April is a month of celebrations as both Ella and I have birthdays two days apart.  This year we had a weekend of chaos and fun when everyone descended to help us celebrate.  Then to continue the birthday fun we have had cakes, meals out and made favourite dinners at home.

Ian took me on a date to see The Evil Dead at the cinema!  He is such a true romantic!!  Even Google got in on the act giving me a personalised home page on my special day.  This really made me smile :)

TV Finales

Two of our absolutely favourite TV series are coming to an end and we are both excited to see how things pan out and feeling bereft that we will be losing them over the summer.  Dexter and The Following have both had us totally riveted for the last few weeks. Ian, Ella and I have our weekly dates where we join together on the sofa for our fix of our favourite serial killer and our favourite FBI agent who battle it out in their own respective shows.  How will they end??  I can't wait to find out.  I hope some new shows come along to fill the gap.  I have high hopes for Hannibal which starts on Sky Living soon!

Five People You Meet in Heaven

Ella bought me this book for my birthday.  It is by Mitch Albom.  The story follows Eddie, a fairground maintenance guy who dies while trying to save a little girl from being crushed by a ride that has malfunctioned.  He is sent to heaven where he meets five people who significantly impacted his life.  I read it in one day because I didn't want to put it down.  It is a beautiful and powerful book that made me think about how everything that we do impacts on others and reminds us what is important here on Earth.  I highly recommend it for comforting the soul and bringing a little faith and light into your life.

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 4

Ever since starting the E-Cloth Green Clean Challenge, my eyes have been opened to the benefits of ditching chemical cleaners in favour of natural alternatives or simply using e-cloth products with water to tackle household cleaning jobs.  It is amazing how good a job you can do without having to resort to using products that can damage the environment and cause potential harm.  Plus you can save money.  Going green with your cleaning really is a good choice to make.

By using the e-cloth range I've got sparkling stainless steel and glass in my kitchen.  My work surfaces are hygienically clean.  My bathroom mirrors are shiny and my sinks and taps are looking good.  My laminate and tiled floors are being kept clean with the e-cloth mop.  It's all very quick, easy and effective!

This week I'm focusing on washing up.  We used to have a dish washer but decided that after our two eldest  kids left home, that we should go back to washing up by hand as we were creating far less dirty plates etc.  I believe that our decision has reduced our water and electricity consumption, plus we no longer need to buy expensive dishwasher products.  Could we go any greener?

E-Cloth has a Washing Up Pad which is a good sized pad with a cloth side and a scouring side.  The scouring side is for scrubbing off stuck-on food and stains, while the cloth side cuts through grease and grime using just water.  They also have an E-Towel for super fast, streak free drying up.

We have been using the Washing Up Pad to tackle our washing up.  For lightly soiled crockery or glassware, it works brilliantly with water alone.  When washing up greasy pans it worked really well with a squirt of environmentally friendly washing-up liquid.  I must admit that having the lemon scented  bubbles made it feel more satisfying, because that is what I'm used to.

Washing Up

The abrasive side was really good for scrubbing away burned on food and stuck on stains.  It was excellent on my husband's stained coffee mug!  The size of the pad is excellent for making short work of washing up and it feels very sturdy in your hand.  I hate scouring sponges where the abrasive section peels away or disintegrates with use.  The pad is still perfectly intact.

Using just hot water and the pad for much of our washing up is working really well and has made our bottle of environmentally washing up liquid, which we use for greasy plates and pans etc,  last much longer.  This is very cost effective.

The E-Towel is a tea towel that is made with a material with super absorbent fibres that is four times more absorbent and effective than regular cotton drying up towels.   It came in a Country Classic design and was 70 x 40 cm in size.  I didn't really appreciate just how poorly cotton tea towels perform until using this!  Just one wipe leaves things dry, streak free and grease free.  It is exceptionally good on glassware.  I hate it when glasses get smears and white residue on them from being washed up.  The e-towel literally left them crystal clear, completely dry and sparkling with one quick wipe!

Drying Up

The packaging says you will never use an ordinary tea-towel again.  I can see why!  It also wipes down surfaces to a dry, streak-free finish with a single, once over!  It is definitely a very effective cloth!  Ian was really impressed with the e-towel as it cut the drying up time down considerably and left everything completely dry ready for putting away in the cupboard.

The Washing Up Pad is £2.99 and the Country Classic Tea Towel is £4.99.  A small price to pay to revolutionize the way you wash up!

Find out more at e-cloth.com

Messy Cooking with Kids and Cleaning Up

Cooking with kids can make a big mess of the kitchen!  Work surfaces, bowls, baking trays and stove tops can end up splattered in food residue and covered in stubborn stains. Cillit Bang have come up with an All In 1 Dish and Surface Cleaner which promises to make cleaning up quicker and easier.

The convenient automatic dispenser delivers the right dose of the intelligent cleaning agent direct to your sponge, ready to tackle any surface you wish to tackle.  There are 160 doses of the concentrated liquid, which is twice as efficient as regular washing up liquids.  The solution removes burnt on grease and food residue without the need for scrubbing.  However the formula is gentle on hands and the scent leaves the kitchen smelling fresh. 

We put the Cillit Band All In 1 to the test with a baking session!  Holly Bell, the Great British Bake Off runner-up has come up with some very messy recipes.  The cleaning up afterwards puts this product to the test with sticky work surfaces and bowls to contend with!

Cornish Ginger Fairing Biscuits

4oz butter

6oz SR flour

3oz caster sugar

1 tblspn golden syrup

1 tspn ground ginger

1/2 tspn bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to GM5.

Line two baking sheets.

Melt the butter and syrup in a pan.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.

Now here is the fun bit...

Form the Play-Doh type mixture into walnut sized balls.

Put them well spread out onto the baking sheet.

Put into oven for 12-15 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Take a look at our video to see how we got on baking and cleaning up afterwards!

The Cillit Bang really did the job!  It cut through all our messy pans and bowls and brought the surfaces up sparkling clean.  The dispenser gives you a measured dose of the cleaner so you don't waste any or make a mess squeezing too much out.  It looks good by the sink and as it does the job of various cleaning products it is space saving too.  Check out www.facebook.com/CillitbangUK for more information.

The biscuits that we made were delicious too! It's a fabulous recipe, give it a try if you like melt in the mouth cookies that are dangerously moreish!

Starter Kit includes automatic dispenser, 3 X AA batteries, 250ml Lemon Burst refill.  RRP £9.99 for a limited time.  A pack of three refills are £7.99.

***WIN ONE OF FIVE CILLIT BANG ALL IN 1 STARTER SETS HERE!***