Spring cleaning - the environmentally friendly way

Julie Biship set up Living Clean in 2002, having researched the harmful effects cleaning products were having on her family.  “I found a direct link between my son’s asthma attacks and the toxins in products and was shocked by what I discovered as I looked further into the issue,” she explains.  

Julie became convinced that there was a need for an environmentally- friendly, health conscious cleaning service which used a combination of traditional cleaning methods and effective natural products.  She has since launched her own range of Living Clean products, won two prestigious Green Apple Awards for environmental best practice and has developed a franchise system to spread the company across the UK.

Here are Julie's top tips.

Be systematic

• Allow plenty of time and tackle each room one at a time - don’t be tempted to flit from job to job. 
• Move furniture and ornaments into the middle of the room so you can get to walls, cornices and skirting boards. 
• Wash down all surfaces, working from left to right and top to bottom. That way you won’t miss anything.

Stinky sinks

If your kitchen sink becomes blocked with grease, avoid dangerous, corrosive chemicals and try a natural alternative. Pour plenty of boiling water down the plughole, followed by two cups of bicarbonate of soda and an equal amount of white vinegar until it begins to fizz. Then get to work with a plunger and things will quickly get moving.

Greasy cupboard tops

Treat oil with oil, tackling that layer of grime that covers the top of kitchen cupboards with a little olive oil and lemon juice on a cloth.  Oil gets the grease moving and lemon with cut through the dirt.

Limescale taps

• Soak cotton wool or tissue in white vinegar and wrap it round the taps.
• Cover them with a plastic bag and then hold in place with an elastic band, or use tin foil.
• Leave the vinegar to cut through the limescale for a couple of hours and then wash off.

Mouldy tiles

Use hot water, vinegar and a toothbrush to get rid of unsightly mould around bathroom tiles. 

Nasty smells

Place a dish of bicarbonate of soda and a few drops of lavender oil near smelly areas such as the bin and the dog basket to soak up unpleasant odours.

Fabric and carpet stains

Spray soda water onto the tablecloth then wash and dry as normal. 

For carpets, spray on the soda water then blot the stain until dry. Vinegar will do the same job. Bicarbonate of soda will act as a freshener for your carpet, neutralising nasty pongs.

Room freshener

Avoid spraying chemicals directly into the air you breathe.  Instead, make a solution of one part white vinegar to three parts water and add a few drops of peppermint oil. Pour it into a spray bottle and spritz around the room.

 If you have a particular cleaning problem, then the Living Clean website, www.livingclean.co.uk has an Ask the Expert section. Submit your question and Julie and her team will come up with a natural solution.

For more information about Living Clean products or Living Clean franchise opportunities call 01603 219966 or visit www.livingclean.co.uk