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Household Cleaners

I am trying to rely on the following 4 products: baking soda, borax, washing soda, white vinegar for all of my household cleaning needs. In order to do this in a cost effective way I want to find out where I can source these products in large quantities rather than the 100gm packs of baking soda for example I now purchase at the supermarket. Does anyone have any suggestions??

Submitted by Sue Macdonald on 21 July 2008 17:51:52

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hmmm... good question. I just use what I buy at the supermarket, but I can see why you would want to buy in bulk. Have you tried bulk stores like the Bin Inn? I thought maybe a rural supplies store might have bulk stuff like this, but I certainly can't find any on-line.

I admire your effort to use environmentally-friendly cleaners. I will only use cleaners in my home if I would be happy to have the residue in my fish tank! That narrows it down to baking soda, vinegar and salt. (The exception is dish-washing liquid. I will use that to clean my dishes but not my fishes.)

Personally, I find the enviro-cloths very effective. These are the ones you can buy at the supermarket and don't need any chemicals with them at all. Something about the weave of the cloth cleans the surface.

Good luck in your search.

Submitted by Lindis on 21 July 2008 21:13:17

Hi Sue! Thanks for your contribution and welcome to our community. You certainly raise an interesting question. The Bin Inn is a good start and you could also try talking to some local cafes/restaurants. They might be able to put you in touch with a bulk supplier. Alternatively, if you have a local envirocentre nearby, they might know.

You also might be able to help me with a problem. I've got a white shirt I'm keen to whiten, and I'd really like a natural alternative to using bleach. Any suggestions? Maybe something involving baking soda?

Submitted by Andrew on 22 July 2008 08:48:34

Andrew, there's this great product called elbow-grease! ;)

Seriously though, if it's only the collar and cuffs that need whitening then some standard laundry soap and a bit of scrubbing can do wonders. Or try a simple paste of baking soda and water, smeared onto the problem areas and left to sit for a while, then wash the shirt as usual.

If the whole shirt needs whitening, try soaking it in oxygen whitener from somewhere like the eco store:
http://www.ecostore.co.nz/products/laundry/pure-oxygen-whitener.cfm

Submitted by Lindis on 23 July 2008 11:22:13

Thanks for those tips Lindis. I'll be picking up some oxygen whitener this week!

Submitted by Andrew on 28 July 2008 08:49:59

You can buy Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) in bulk from places like Bin Inn - that's where I buy mine. I have been making and using the following general purpose cleaner for the past year and it works great :
2 litres water
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
I mix it all together in a large jug and dispense into spray bottles. It works well on floors, bathroom sinks and in the kitchen. It can be use on just about anything. Very important point: DO NOT MIX THIS SOLUTION WITH BLEACH.

Submitted by GreenGemini on 8 August 2008 16:32:27