The green line: A South African guide to green living
Compiled by Riaan and Michelle Garforth-Venter
Issued by Lapa Publishers, costs R245.
We tend to use too many chemical cleaning products in rather large quantities in our homes.
In their first book, The Green Line: A South African Guide to Green Living, Riaan and Michelle Garforth-Venter say we should be more conscious of the amount of non-organic cleaning products we use, using less wherever possible.
“We often use more than we need,” they write, also advising: “Add water to your cleaning agents to dilute them, so they last longer.”
The book contains a useful chapter on making your own cleaning products, which is not only better for the environment but also kinder to our wallets. In an excerpt below, they list what can be done with just two common household items – bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar.
In the same section, they provide practical, step-by-step ideas to create sustainable living in your environment, be it at the office, your suburb or township, high-rise apartment or townhouse.
Other sections deal with the plight faced by the natural world and give facts as to why we must urgently learn to make sustainable lifestyle choices.
The book has been released to coincide with their new Greenline TV series being screened on SABC 3 and their new website www.thegreenlinetv.com
BICARBONATE OF SODA
This mild alkali powder can be used to:
* Remove stains from tiles, glass, oven doors and porcelain.
* Gently scour windows to remove stains.
* Freshen any area – place it in an open container (it works great in the fridge).
* Remove odours – sprinkle it on carpets, leave for 20 minutes before vacuuming.
* Remove grease stains on carpets – rub it in, leave it for a while and vacuum or brush.
* Clean burnt pots – sprinkle some on the burnt area, add a teaspoon of lemon juice, cover with 5mm of water and leave overnight.
* Clean the oven – spray with vinegar, sprinkle with bicarbonate, leave for 20 minutes and wipe off. Stubborn patches can be scrubbed with extra bicarb.
* Safely remove crayon marks from most surfaces – make a thin paste of bicarbonate and water.
* Polish silverware – make a paste and use an old toothbrush to get into grooves and difficult-to-clean areas.
* Clean tile grouting – mix 750ml (three cups) of bicarbonate with 250ml (one cup) warm water to form a smooth paste and scrub it into grout with a sponge or toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly and dispose of leftover paste when finished.
* Clean stainless steel, chrome, fibreglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures – dissolve 60ml (4 tbsp) bicarbonate in one litre of water. Wipe on fixtures, then rinse.
* Remove rust from cast-iron pots and pans – mix bicarbonate with vinegar.
* Use as an alternative to chlorine scouring powders by mixing bicarbonate of soda and dry table salt. Simply put either on a sponge or the surface, scour and rinse.
WHITE VINEGAR
White vinegar can be used for cleaning most things, to soften water and to get rid of odours.
* Drain cleaner: Pour 125-250ml (½-1 cup) bicarb down the drain, followed by 250ml (one cup) vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes. Flush the drain with three litres of boiling water.
* Fabric softener: Use 125ml of vinegar instead of fabric softener.
* Lime deposits: Those around taps can be softened for easy removal by covering with vinegar-soaked paper towels. Leave the paper towels on for about one hour before cleaning. It leaves chrome clean and shiny.
* Mildew: Dissolve 125ml vinegar and 125ml borax in approximately 500ml warm water. Soak the item overnight, or, if using on tiles, apply and leave overnight before rinsing.
* Rust stains and hard-water deposits: Apply full-strength vinegar and leave until the spots disappear. Rinse and repeat if necessary.
* Shower heads: To remove deposits which may be clogging the shower head, remove the shower head, combine 125ml (½ cup) white vinegar and one litre water, then completely submerge the shower head and boil for 15 minutes. Or simply fill a plastic bag with vinegar, tie it around the shower head and leave overnight.
* Stains on laundry: Make a mix of white vinegar and water. Apply the solution to the stain and blot with a clean cloth. Repeat the process and then wash as usual.
* Sticky labels: Use vinegar to dissolve most common adhesives.
* Tiles: Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Use 60ml (4tbsp) vinegar and two litres of water in a spray bottle. Squirt on and wipe off with newspaper. - The Star