A few years ago, I decided to try some of that aerosol oven cleaner - just the regular stuff you buy at the supermarket.
I took it home and happily sprayed it on my oven... and oh-my-goodness!
Within 10 minutes, it had eroded parts of the metal!
Pitted it like orange peel.
My brother, who was staying with us at the time, came home right after this and was absolutely horrified. Apparently he used to use the same stuff to clean shovels and machines when he worked at a concrete plant…
Aaaanyways, it was about this time that I became a big fan of limiting harsh cleaning chemicals in my home!
I know household cleaners seem safe, they’re advertised as fairly harmless, and everyone uses them… but... you know... once upon a time they thought DDT was safe too…
Anyway, these days I make what I can. Not everything – I know enough chemistry not to mix up my own detergents or anything, but I do make this little spray all the time and it’s fabulous.
Not only is it a disinfectant, it’s an odour neutralizer and air freshener, so I use it liberally throughout our home - it's lovely and mild on the skin which is great too.
So here's how to make it:
Take a clean, empty spray bottle and add:
1 cup vodka
1 cup white vinegar
A few drops essential oil (peppermint, lemon or eucalyptus are lovely)
Top your bottle up with water (no more than a cup), give it a shake and it’s ready to go.
I like to use filtered water – the stuff you can buy for your iron – just so I know it won’t mark any fabric it gets sprayed on. Any vinegar scent will also disappear pretty quickly too.
Also, the essential oil I use for this is actually an edible one I bought for flavoring chocolate years ago, and if you can find yourself an edible one too, you won't have to worry about where you use it.
So there you go! Once you use this spray, you’ll never go back to the supermarket ones!
All the best,
Eliza.