Back to Basics

I would tend to agree with Liza. When you have to bother to make "short cuts" for your "short cuts" is it really worth it? Then I realized that Liza moved from England to France... do we really want to take her advice? (Just kidding)

I couldnt agree more!!!!People here keep spending more and more to be "more efficient" and quicker at housework and then have to work longer hours so they can pay for all those extra gadgets! I,too, get much more satisfaction from handwashing the floor,etc..but I am not without empathy for the women who work outside the home and are short on time.In that case ,a balance can be achieved.

Everybody has different likes and dislikes, opinions, and lifestyles. We are all seeking to find and share ideas and ways of being frugal and to get the most satisfacion from our money and time. Because of this I think that there are many ways of doing things. I live in a big city and work full time. I would be the laughing stock of my city if I tried to hang my clothing in the back yard of a high-rise building.

Good onya Liza! I used to buy a lot of cleaning lotions and potions, spray polishes, scented/antibacterial cleaners and try new things when they came out. Over a period of time I realised they were all a con to get us to part with our money. In theory, for basic cleaning all that's needed to clean in the home is water, a rag and elbow grease! For stubborn stains/marks I would add a smear of mild abrasive such as bicarb or Gumption cleanser on my rag. The advertised, (which we pay for in the final price of the product!), wonder cleaners are no better than the above and antibacterial products are harmful, helping to breed resistant superbugs. Anyway it is neither possible nor necessary to 'sterilise' surfaces in the home - this is another manufactured need by the advertisers! My recycled spray bottle with 2-3 tbs of ammonia, a couple of tsp of washing up detergent and water is all I need to clean most surfaces in the home except for fine wood furniture.

Have to disagree with you on the Swiffer type mops though! My Sabco mop - the simple kind with the pad attached with velcro is a miracle for quick thorough floor cleaning. I'm still using the original 2 pads I bought with it by covering them with a pinned on towelling face washer which then goes in the wash. My other piece of 'modern' cleaning equipment is microfibre window cloths, with a plain water spray bottle. Much quicker and less streaky than any of the window cleaning preparations I have tried. And the cloths can be washed and reused again and again.

Regards

Jo

I agree! I really hate to think of all of the chemicals in and out of the home around my 4 children. I clean almost everything with baking soda, vinegar and sometimes lysol if I need to really disinfect something.

The only tips that "horrify" me are ones that are illegal, unsafe, or unethical. Otherwise, I think they are all valid, for various people at various times and for various reasons. What seems basic and obvious to one person may be a whole new concept to somebody else. And if we criticize or belittle the tips sent in by others, we're losing a chance to learn and work together to improve as a group.

martine

June 23, 20040 found this helpful

I also agree with liza, probably because I'm European aswell (Belgian actually), I guess we sort of have the same habbits. I still work 4 days a week and have 3 children (between 6 and 9) and still do the whole household in the "oldfashioned" way. I also cook fresh every day, no junk food for us !! Of course everybody has different customs and as long as you feel comfy with them, stick to them and just use tips that are usefull to you or adjust them to your lifestyle.