I am always interested in new websites and this one was given to me on my comments. It is  lovley website called eco mum and baby. There are lots of brands that i have used like bio-D  cleaners, earth friendly kids (my boys like the smell of these).  take a look i think you will like it.

I have just been given a link to this website on cleaning without chemicals, you can even become a consultant and make some money. take a look and see what you think.

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I used to be a little bit of a product obsessive, i used to love going around the supermarket looking at the cleaning products but now it is totally avoided. My cleaning cupboard is getting very empty which is a really exiting thought.

This is great as a parent because my cleaning cupboard is no a longer toxic dangerous place. I am enjoying the cleaning now, i’m now proud of my home were i was not at all last year.

My cupboard now consists of

Soap nuts

white vinegar

tea tree oil

Orange oil

Lavender oil

Bicarbonate of soda

borax

spray bottles

• In a heavy saucepan with a lid add 4 cups of water and 7-8 soap nuts.
• Bring to the boil and then gently simmer, covered for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered at leaset until cool. (leaving the liquid over night will result in a stronger solution).
• Strain the liquid with a cheese cloth (or you can use your wash bag) to remove any pieces of shell.
• Add your favorite essential oil if you would like a sent to your soap nuts.

This batch will last for about 8 loads of laundry. (use 1/4 to 1/2 a cup for each load). Your soap nut liquid will keep for about 4 weeks. If it is kept covered, and away from direct sunlight.

I have found a really nice website called the laundry tree were i found the recipe and there are different things you can use this recipe for with alterations to the recipe to suit the type of cleaning you want to do

I have just bought a carpet sweeper and for the first time tried it out on my hall carpet. It is really good i was so impressed with the amount of dust it picked up. It takes up hardly any room but so easy to use and empty.

I think this is such a great idea because it goes straight back to baciks, no electricity needed and it costs me £230 less than my vacuum cleaner. it is a great workout but does not take that much effort. I am now looking for a mettle and wooden household dustpan and brush for the edges were there seems to be little pickup.

My son really enjoys this sweeper because its really light weight and fun to use i hope from now on that he will be hovering his own room.

I have found a website called Treehuggaz and it sells one litre bottles of soarnut cleaner which can be used on anything. Even the washing up.

You can use it for washing the dishes, cleaning surfaces including floors, glass, bathroom, kitchen and even in your car as a windscreen wash! Rather than use preservatives.

Once all my ecover squirtico has been used up i am going to give this a go. I like the idea of not needing a trigger spray because i have not found anywhere to recycle them. It is a really great space saver one product for everything which means my cupboard can be used for something else.

My kitchen cleaning cupboard is looking so much better at the moment it has a few ecover products which i think are great. Could do better and i will keep surching for things until i find the best to suit me. looking to minimise waste.

Update

Treehuggaz no longer sell the one litre bottle of cleaner but they do sell a biodegradable bottle, soap nuts and oils they even have a recipe to make your own which is really easy to do. So why not give it a go. I am going to start making it because then i do not have to pay for the transport and this will take my carbon footprint down.

It should cost you no more then £15 a year for all the ingredients how great is that.

Soapods are easy to use, So organics sell them with a small bag that you put 6-8 pods and then simply pop in with your washing. You can use them up to three times. And because they have a completely neutral odour, you can add essential oils to the water to give your washing a personal fragrance. When you’ve finished with the pods simply through them in with your compost. Summer naturals sell them in bulk with out the bags so you can save on materials.

Environmentally friendly: Completely natural & biodegradable. No excess packaging & No harmful waste products.
Saves you money: Up to 50% cheaper than other washing products & No need for fabric conditioner.
Allergy Free: Good for your skin. No added perfume or chemicals at all!
Sustainable & Eco-Friendly: Soapnut trees live up to 90 years. The wood and foliage are also used, making Soapods a sustainably cultivated product. .By using Soapods products for washing your clothes, you are taking one simple step towards making your household truly Eco-friendly. Natural & Pure: Soapods support a ‘greener’ lifestyle, help in protecting our planet & our products are good for your clothes & for you!

I am really looking forward to trying these out, at the moment i really do not like the strong smells on my laundry and conditioner is a big no no in my home now.

I am a great lover of Anthea Turners Perfect Housewife and this recipe was on one of her programs.

Anthea Turner’s (perfect housewife) recipe for washing-up liquid:

2 ltrs boiling water
2/3 drops tea tree oil
8 gm soap flakes
8 gm of soda crystals
tsp vinegar

Mix and put in soap dispenser

My tea tree oil, soda crystals and vinegar are bulk bought from summer naturals. Organic soap fakes are from so organic.

My first to try will be

the washing up set which consists of

1 x Washing Up Pad (11 x 16cm)
1 x General Purpose Cloth (green)(32 x 32cm)
1 x Tea Towel (40 x 70cm)

Washing-up Pad – To be used for general washing-up. It cuts through grease and grime, with a slightly more abrasive side for those harder, stuck-on stains.

General Purpose Cloth – The General Purpose Cloth cleans and shines the sink area for the perfect finish. Great on stainless steel.

Tea Towel – The absorbent tea towel leaves glass and crockery smear free and dry in seconds.

A full E cloth range

I found these in Robert Dayas a few months ago and thought they were great. You just put one capsule into the bottle add water and watch it dissolve. Then its ready to use.

They do one for the kitchen, glass and bathroom.

When it runs out you just buy new capsules there is no need to buy any more bottles, it does say up to 20 usages but i will try and get as much out of the bottle as possible.

My only issue is that there is no were to recycle the plastic surrounding the refills. However this is smaller than bottles and lids on refills.