But it’s not just for cleaning: vinegar has a host of uses around the home. So here are 12 tried-and-true ways to use vinegar.

1. Clean your kettle

You know those unsightly scorch marks in the bottom of your kettle? Well, if they really bug you, you don’t have to live with them – vinegar to the rescue once again! Just pop some in the bottom of the kettle and it’ll take care of the marks.Ìý

Let it soak overnight and it’ll come up like new!

2. Deep clean your dishwasher

Once a year, pour a couple of cups of vinegar into a bowl on the bottom rack of your dishwasher when it’s empty. Then run the dishwasher on its hottest cycle. This will help deal with grease, limescale and deposits in the pipes, and will knock out unpleasant odours.Ìý

3. Clean the carpet

Our homemade carpet cleaner costs just 42 cents per 100mL!

Here’s how to make it:

• 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• ¼ cup water.

Work the combined mixture into the stain, being careful not to over-wet the carpet. Then blot dry with a clean towel.Ìý

4. Polish glass

For a cheap (and ammonia-free) window cleaner, mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray on the window or mirror, then wipe off with newspaper, paper towel or a dry cotton cloth.Ìý

This also works a treat on ceramic-glass surfaces such as cooktops. (A microfibre cloth is your best bet for these.) Vinegar isn’t suitable for some surfaces, including marble, so do your research before you spray.Ìý

ÌÇÐÄVlog tip: You can use this solution as a regular surface cleaner. If you want it to smell nice, you can steep some citrus peel in the vinegar, then strain it out. Orange rind works nicely, as does lemon.

5. Use as a fabric softener

According to our laundry experts, fabric softener is one product you can do without. It’s expensive, largely unnecessary, reduces the fire retardancy of clothing, and reduces moisture absorbency – not great news for your towels.Ìý

If soft, fluffy towels are a must for your household, you can pop your towels in the dryer for a few minutes or just give them a good shake out. Or you could just use vinegar! Just add ½ a cup of white vinegar to your fabric-softener dispenser. Not only is it cheaper, it’ll also help clean away scrud and other deposits in your washing machine.Ìý

According to our laundry expert Denis Gallagher, it can even help brighten up faded whites.

6. Freshen flowers

Someone bought you flowers? You lucky thing! Keep them looking fresh and perky for longer by adding two tablespoons of white vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar to the water. Change every few days.Ìý

7. Lift your loaf

If you’re a keen baker, here’s a hack for you: “Adding a tablespoon of vinegar to bread dough helps the bread to rise as well as giving the loaf better keeping qualities,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog home economist Fiona Mair.Ìý

8. Kill odours in your cooker

Multi cookers and pressure cookers can get a bit whiffy after use – the rubber seals can trap odours. Vinegar can take care of any unpleasant odours.Ìý

“Just dilute vinegar in warm soapy water, 1L of water to half a cup of vinegar, and soak,” says Fiona.Ìý

9. Freshen up your Dutch oven

If your Dutch oven or ceramic slow cooker bowl is stained or smelly, you can sort them out with vinegar. Add half a cup of vinegar to a litre of water, and soak.Ìý

10. Clean stainless steel

Vinegar and hot water work a treat on stainless steel BBQ exteriors. And if you’re cleaning a stainless steel oven exterior, try vinegar and a paper towel for a streak-free finish.Ìý

The post 10 things you can do around the house with vinegar appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Used by themselves, these two versatile products:

• are extremely cheap and abundantly availableÌý
• can do pretty much anything in your home when it comes to making things clean and not stinky
• are safe and non-toxic. You can generally let the kids get involved and make cleaning fun without worrying about calling the poisons hotline.

Now, it’s worth noting that while used individually these two simple substances can tackle an amazing range of grime, mixing them together causes a chemical reaction that releases a gas resulting in foaming and bubbling. This can be handy for unblocking drains, but is not much use for cleaning anything else.Ìý

Read on for our top tips for using vinegar and bicarb around the home.Ìý

Vinegar

Not only is vinegar a delicious seasoning for hot chips, in my household it doubles as a magical multipurpose cleaning liquid. And did I mention it costs less than $1 per litre?ÌýHere are some of the ways I put my super cheap and tangy liquid bestie to use around the house.

Multipurpose spray

My kitchen spray and wipe is simply a mixture of warm water, Castile soap (bought in bulk online) and white vinegar. Every time it runs out I quickly top it up and carry on – no need to add anything to the shopping list.Ìý

Glass cleaner

When it comes to cleaning windows and glass, I use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water and wipe down with a microfibre cloth for sparkling streak-free glass every time.Ìý

Deep cleaning

When the microwave gets grimy I fill a small bowl with water, add a couple teaspoons of vinegar and zap it for a few minutes, then let it steam with the door closed for a few more and wipe out.

You can also pour a couple cups of vinegar in a bowl, pop it in your dishwasher and run a hot cycle to give it a freshen up. (Our testers would probably want me to mention that some manufacturers advise against using vinegar, so maybe check first).Ìý

I also sometimes run an empty wash cycle on my washing machine with just some vinegar in the dispenser to give it a freshen up (some also claim vinegar can be an effective fabric softener).Ìý

Carpet cleaner

Mix 2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 1/4 cup water to make your own emergency spot cleaner for carpet. It might not be as good as most store-bought stuff, but it does work – and it costs a lot less.ÌýFor this recipe and more tips, see: How to get stains out of carpets.

Bicarb soda

As well as helping cakes and baked good rise in the oven, if bicarbonate soda, or baking soda, was a beauty product it might be both a dry shampoo and an exfoliating mask. When dry, it’s pure powdery whiteness seems to suck up odours and yuckness and neutralise them into nothingness. And when wet, it forms a gritty paste ready to scrub away grime.

Here are my favourite ways to use this cake-raising agent to freshen things up around the home.

Deodoriser

Bicarb has the extremely useful ability to absorb odours and liquids. You can sprinkle it on your carpet or rugs and then vacuum it up instead of using one of those overpriced carpet deodoriser powders.Ìý

It’s also super handy for removing stains and bad smells from mattresses. You can even sprinkle some in your ugg boots and leave it overnight before tipping it out in the morning for fresh-smelling feet.Ìý

Oven cleanerÌý

Caustic oven-cleaning products are not only horrible to use (those fumes can’t be good for you), they’re also expensive. Luckily, your trusty box of bicarb can be used to clean your oven.

Just mix it with water and spread the paste around the oven cavity (not the elements) and leave it to sit for a few hours, then spray with your old friend white vinegar and wipe away the grime! No fumes or rubber gloves necessary.

Drain cleanerÌý

This is probably my favourite use for bicarb and vinegar because it makes me feel like a kid doing a science experiment. My kitchen sink regularly gets pretty stinky and clogged up with a mixture of rotting food tidbits that make it the stuff of nightmares.Ìý

To return it to something that feels hygienic enough to wash my dishes in, I firstly pour boiling water down the drain, then sprinkle in half a cup of bicarb, followed by a generous slug of vinegar. The fizzing is super satisfying and the reaction itself does a great job at eating away at grime.Ìý

The post The cheap cleaning products everyone should own appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• 1. How to clean the oven
• 2. How to clean a washing machineÌý
• 3. How to clean your TV
• 4. How to clean the dishwasher
• 5. How to clean an air fryer

But then the weeks and months pass, and it might start looking a little grimy or greasy.Ìý

While a quick wipe-down never goes astray, the task of actually cleaning the thing properly might leave you wondering where on earth to start.Ìý

You find yourself putting it off because you’re unsure how to tackle it, and you’re busy, or worried that you’ll damage it if you don’t get it right.Ìý

Each time you use your appliance, you experience a tiny jolt of guilt that you’re not looking after it as well as you should be. Sound familiar?Ìý

We researched which cleaning tasks people are searching for info on and found there’s a mountain of household jobs that Australians are avoiding on a daily basis.

Top of the list? Most of all, you want to know how to clean your oven, washing machine, TV, dishwasher and air fryer.Ìý

So we’ve put together these handy tips from our experts. Combined with a little elbow grease, you’ll have your appliances back to their sparkling best in no time.

1. How to clean the oven

With nearly 14,000 online searches a month, it’s apparent that many people are grappling with how to restore their grimy oven to sparkling form.Ìý

According to ÌÇÐÄVlog home economist Fiona Mair, as with many things, prevention is better than cure.Ìý

“Getting into the habit of wiping down your oven surfaces after it’s cooled will keep the grease and grime at bay,” she says.

You can make it even easier by placing a bowl of steaming hot water in the oven while it’s still warm after cooking to help loosen any build-up and make the cleaning easier. A good-quality microfibre cloth can then be used to finish the job.Ìý

If things have gone beyond the stage where a light wipe down will do the job (hey, we’re not judging), you may need to turn to more heavy-duty options.Ìý

Try making a paste of bicarb soda and water, apply it to the stained areas, leave it to sit for half an hour or so, then use a non-scratch scrubbing sponge to gently scrub the area.

“Only use an oven cleaner as a last resort, as they can be very harsh,” warns Fiona. “If you get them on your skin or in your eyes, they can cause severe irritation, deep burns or even blindness.”

To safely use an oven cleaner, make sure the area is well-ventilated, follow instructions, wear appropriate safety equipment such as safety glasses or a face mask, wear a long-sleeved top and gloves, and don’t go overboard with the cleaner.Ìý

And remember, it takes time to work, so give it a chance to do its job before adding more.Ìý

If you’re looking for more information on how to clean your oven, including guidance on removing and cleaning doors, how to clean the racks, and how to treat the exterior of your oven, read ourÌýcomprehensive guide to oven cleaning.

2. How to clean a washing machineÌý

At the top of the category best described as ‘how to clean things that clean other things’ are washing machines. There are more than 9000 searches in Australia each month for advice on how to tackle this job.Ìý

ÌÇÐÄVlog appliance expert Denis Gallagher says the key to keeping your washing machine in mint condition is to split the cleaning into regular tasks to be tackled after each use, every month and once a year.Ìý

“Simply wiping out the inside of the door and leaving it ajar after every wash will help prevent mould and extend the life of your door seals,” says Denis. “It will also help prevent scrud (residue from detergent and fabric softener) that can build up inside the machine and affect its performance. This is even more important for owners of front loader machines compared to top loaders, as there’s more rubber moulding around the door to collect soap scum and mould.”

If you have a top-loading machine, you should clean the lint filter after every wash.

Once a month or so, wipe away any mould on the door seals and other surfaces with hot soapy water, using a soft cloth or sponge. Any scrud deposits you see inside the machine should also be tackled this way, though you may need a bit of elbow grease.Ìý

If you mainly wash in cold water, you should run the machine empty on its hottest cycle, using only a bit of detergent. This will also help clear out scrud.

About once a year, it’s worth checking to make sure your machine is still properly levelled and adjust the feet if necessary. You should also get rid of any stray detergent build-up with an old toothbrush, and don’t overlook the detergent dispenser.Ìý

For more on keeping your washing machine in top shape, read what our experts have to say in our comprehensive guide to cleaning your washing machine.Ìý

3. How to clean your TV

Unlike the other appliances on this list, your TV doesn’t cook or clean anything, so you might think it would require little in the way of cleaning. But around 8500 people a month are asking the internet for advice on how to clean a television.Ìý

“Start by unplugging your TV and dusting the screen with a soft, dry, microfibre cloth. This will remove any loose dust and may well be all that’s needed,” says Denis.ÌýÌý

If there are stubborn marks, like smudges or fingerprints, dampening your microfibre cloth with distilled water or a screen cleaning solution may be necessary. Don’t use too much liquid and avoid spraying anything directly onto the screen.Ìý

4. How to clean the dishwasher

It is undoubtedly one of the main household labour savers, but if you want your dishwasher to last, you need to maintain it and regular cleaning is part of that. If you’re perplexed about how to tackle this chore, you’re not alone: nearly 4000 people are searching for advice on how to clean their dishwasher each month.Ìý

The good news is that keeping your dishwasher looking and smelling fresh doesn’t need to be onerous.Ìý

As with your washing machine, giving the door seals a quick wipe down with a soft cloth after use will help prevent mould and odours. It will also clear away any obstructions that could stop the door from properly sealing. Regularly removing and cleaning the filter is also important.Ìý

There are plenty of dishwasher cleaning products on the market, but according to our expert, they may not be necessary.Ìý

“Unless you’re dealing with a decade’s worth of grime in one go, plain old white vinegar might be all you need,” says Denis.Ìý

Vinegar can help get rid of discolouration, unpleasant smells, and any build-up in your pipes. However, use caution. Some manufacturers advise against using vinegar because its acidity can potentially damage sensitive internal components. Just be sure that you use a low concentration of vinegar or even dilute it before use.Ìý

To use vinegar, put two cups of vinegar in a bowl and place it in a rack of your otherwise empty dishwasher.Ìý

Run the machine, pausing the cycle about halfway through for around 30 minutes to let it soak.Ìý

If you’re still finding the machine to be a little smelly, throwing in a handful of bicarb soda and running it again may help.Ìý

Denis also suggests taking extra care if your dishwasher will be unused for an extended period.Ìý

“Dishwashers are an appliance that works best when used often, so if you haven’t used it for a while, run a cleaning cycle to clear the system before using it again,” he says.Ìý

If your dishwasher doesn’t offer this type of cycle, running it on empty is another way to refresh it before you load your dishes.

Our ÌÇÐÄVlog experts have lots more advice on how to keep your dishwasher running cleanly in ourÌýcomprehensive dishwasher cleaning guide.

5. How to clean an air fryer

If you’re not cleaning your air fryer after every use, you’re running the risk of ruining the next batch of food you cook at best, and causing a fire, at worst.Ìý

So, given their huge popularity, we’re not sure whether we should be alarmed or comforted by the fact that each month only slightly more than 2000 Australians are searching for advice on how to clean their air fryer.

“Failing to clean after every use can leave residue and crumbs that can burn, and leftover oil that can smoke, all of which can affect your food’s flavour and even pose a fire hazard,” warns Fiona.Ìý

She advises that as well as cleaning the air fryer basket after every use you should also clear around the fan and wipe inside the unit with warm soapy water and a microfibre cloth. If you do this while the machine is still warm it will be easier.Ìý

When it comes to washing the basket, resist the urge to clean it in the dishwasher if it has a non-stick coating.Ìý

“Putting a basket in the dishwasher can damage the non-stick surface quite quickly due to the harsh detergents and prolonged exposure to hot water,” she says.

Our experts have put together a comprehensive guide onÌýhow to keep your air fryer spick and span, if you’re looking for in-depth advice on cleaning this popular appliance.

The post The cleaning jobs you might be neglecting appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

Or perhaps you’re thinking of putting funds aside to invest in a shiny new stick or robot vac in order to make those dreary cleaning jobs easier, and you’re wondering whether they’re really worth the cash.Ìý

ÌÇÐÄVlog experts review a range of popular cleaning products and appliances in our labs so we can give you the low-down on the cleaning products that deserve to be knocked off your shopping list.

1. A different cleaning spray for each room

Do you have a cupboard bursting with different sprays for different surfaces or rooms of the house?Ìý

We test a wide range of these sprays, and our results show virtually no difference between multipurpose cleaners and kitchen sprays, which means they’re both going to do roughly the same job, no matter which room you’re in.Ìý

So, our experts say, you can save your dosh and stick with just one product (you might even be able to save more by buying it in bulk).

As the name suggests, a good multi-purpose spray will do the job on multiple surfaces around the house – so you don’t need to spend money on a specific spray for the kitchen and another for other surfaces.

There is one room you will need a dedicated spray for though: the bathroom.

Bathroom cleaners are designed to specifically tackle soap scum, which is a tricky customer. Unfortunately regular multi-purpose sprays generally don’t remove soap scum well, so our experts say it’s one dedicated cleaning product you should have in your cupboard.

2. Floor cleaners

Grubby floors getting you down? Surely one of those brightly coloured floor cleaners with images of sparkling tiles on them are the answer? Not so, say our lab experts.Ìý

When they reviewed 15 popular brands of floor cleaner, they found that no floor cleaner was good enough to recommend. In fact, some performed no better than plain water.Ìý

So grab a mop and bucket, and put in some elbow grease with water instead. It’s chemical-free and will cost you less, too.

3. Poor-performing (and pricey) cleaning products

We’ve tested hundreds of cleaning products in our labs here at ÌÇÐÄVlog and found plenty of cheaper products that rival or outperform products that cost significantly more – so you can ditch those pricey duds for cleaners that actually work while reducing your shopping bills.

We’ve also found that some are just a plain old waste of money, with some even performing no better than plain water.Ìý

In our recent review of the best and worst surface cleaners, the following sprays received the same ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating as plain water (45%), which means they’re not worth spending your cash on.Ìý

• Diggers Multi-Purpose Surface CleanerÌý
• Jif Antibac & Shine Multi-Purpose
• McLintocks Vanilla Fresh
• White King 4 in 1 Multipurpose CleanerÌý

And in our glass cleaner review, we found plenty of products that are the equivalent of tipping your money down the drain.Ìý

Koala Eco Natural Glass Cleaner and Wash Wild Glass Cleaner cost $2.49 and $2.17 per 100mL respectively (that’s more than twice as much as the top-performing glass cleaners we tested) but scored the same as or less than plain water.

So, don’t spend your cash on pricey products that are going to give you disappointing results – check ÌÇÐÄVlog cleaning product reviews before you buy.Ìý

4. Very cheap stick vacuums

ÌÇÐÄVlog experts have tested a lot of stick vacuums in their time. While we often find that price is not an indicator of performance, when it comes to stick vacuums, it’s a fairly sure thing that a very cheap product is not going to give you a great result.

The average price of the stick vacuums we recommend in the latest ÌÇÐÄVlog stick vacuum review is around $1300, and the cheapest stick vacuum we recommend costs around $600.

“We often find that stick vacuums that cost around $150 or less do not perform well in our testing,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog small appliance expert Kim Gilmour.

“That’s not to say that expensive stick vacuums are always better, but we do see that cheaper stick vacuums tend to be far less powerful and are usually made of cheaper components that mean they’re not likely to do a great job.Ìý

“Buying a cheaper stick vacuum will also likely mean that you can’t easily replace batteries or other parts when they deteriorate or fail, which means your appliance may have a shorter life and end up in landfill more quickly.”

5. Robot vacuum cleaners

Robo vacs have come a long way since they were first introduced and now there are many models with smart features, mopping capabilities and self-emptying functions that promise to be the answer to all your cleaning dreams.Ìý

However, they are incredibly expensive – the models in our latest review range from $249 up to around $2000 –Ìýand our experts say they’re not suited to every home and every cleaning need.ÌýÌý

Yes, they’ll do your dirty work for you, which is an undeniable benefit. But, despite the fact that on average they cost more than barrel or stick vacuums, our extensive expert testing has found they generally don’t clean carpets as well.Ìý

Their smaller motors can’t generate as much suction as normal vacs, so they struggle to get deep into carpet or pick up as much pet hair.Ìý

Although some do perform very well on hard floors, many robot vacs in our tests performed very poorly for carpet cleaning.

Plus, they can frequently get stuck under furniture, on door thresholds or thick rugs, or get snagged on things including stray clothes, phone chargers and toys. This means that before letting your bot loose, you’ll effectively have to clear your floor first anyway (although some owners do admit it’s a real incentive to put their life debris away).Ìý

“ÌÇÐÄVlog has been testing robot vacs for years and their overall cleaning performance has definitely improved a lot,” says Kim.

“At the same time, many are expensive and our tests show they still have a number of issues and limitations. So it’s vital to do your research to see if they’ll suit your household and cleaning needs.”

6. Top loader washing machines

They may be generally cheaper to buy than front loaders, weigh less and wash faster, but top-loader washers tend to use a lot more water, are harsher on your clothes, and as a rule don’t wash nearly as well.

Plus, they use more washing detergent and cost more to run, so in the long term, a top loader isn’t likely to give you the best bang for your buck.

And while some people may have the perception that you can fit more clothes in a top loader than a front loader, this isn’t always the case, mostly due to the ‘agitator’ that sits in the middle of most top loader drums taking up space.Ìý

On average, we find that front loaders have a slightly larger capacity, meaning you can fit more washing into each load, saving you time and money.

ÌÇÐÄVlog head of reviews and testing Matthew Steen says: “While everyone’s requirements are different and there may be genuine reasons why a top loader is better for you, on the whole we’ve found front loaders perform better, are gentler on clothes, take up less space and are more energy- and water-efficient.”

“Yes, they cost a little more to buy and take longer to complete a cycle, but the trade-off is cleaner clothes, and cheaper running costs for the life of the machine, which helps to offset the purchase price,” says Matthew.Ìý

“So if you want better washing, then your future is likely to be front loading.”

The post The cleaning products that might be a waste of your money appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• What is The Pink Stuff?
• Do The Pink Stuff products work?
• The Pink Stuff surface cleaners
• The Pink Stuff stain removers
• Where can I buy The Pink Stuff products?
• Which products are in The Pink Stuff range?

The cleaning aisle can be overwhelming: there are so many brightly coloured products vying for your attention, promising the best and easiest clean you’ve ever had in a jiffy.Ìý

One brand in particular might’ve caught your eye: The Pink Stuff. Or perhaps you’ve seen or heard some of the hype around the range of products on TikTok or other social media platforms.Ìý

Along with its attention-grabbing name, the loud, bright-pink label on The Pink Stuff range of products is hard to miss. The product has garnered an international cult following and boasts endless five star reviews by customers online. The products all bear the name “miracle” – perhaps the most ambitious promise of all the products on the shelf.

We’ve probably all wished that someone else would do the cleaning for us – could these so-called miracles be the answer to your prayers?

What is The Pink Stuff?

The brand started out in the UK in the 1930s with a product called The Miracle Paste, which came to be known as ‘The Pink Stuff’ due to the paste’s pink colour and packaging.

Now it’s owned by Star Brands and its full official name is Star Drops The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste, which is quite the mouthful – you can see why people shortened it to just The Pink Stuff!

The original Miracle Paste is touted as an all-round cream cleaner for an array of common household surfaces. It’s a mild abrasive that is supposedly “gentle on surfaces but tough on stains”. The Pink Stuff range has now expanded to include a huge range of laundry products such as stain removers and household cleaning products such as toilet cleaner and window cleaner.

In Australia, it’s distributed by the company that distributes the famous Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy products – you’ve probably seen the sponges that have a face in them – which explains why you can buy The Pink Stuff/Scrub Daddy bundles on some sites.

Do The Pink Stuff products work?

Yes and no. We have tested a number of The Pink Stuff products, including surface cleaners and stain removers, in our labs, and a ÌÇÐÄVlog journalist has done a trial of The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste in their home.Ìý

Some products scored better than others when we tested them, but overall, we feel the brand’s claims about them being a ‘miracle’ are a bit overstated.

In our rigorous lab tests, The Pink Stuff products usually sit around the middle (and in some cases towards the bottom) of the pack.

And even the higher-scoring ones aren’t so far ahead of their competitors that you’d call them miraculous.

Let’s take a look at The Pink Stuff products we’ve tested and how they compare with their competitors on performance and price.

The Pink Stuff surface cleaners

We’ve tested several The Pink Stuff spray and foam cleaning products, assessing how well they perform as surface cleaners.

Our testers give each product a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating based on how well they clean dirty tiles. For glass cleaners, we also check whether they leave streaks behind.

Here’s how the brand’s products scored:

• The Pink Stuff The Miracle Bathroom Foam Cleaner: 76%
• The Pink Stuff The Miracle Window & Glass Cleaner: 67%
• The Pink Stuff The Miracle Multi-Purpose Cleaner spray: 55%
• The Pink Stuff The Miracle Toilet Cleaner: 45%

In each case, our expert found that there were many other products that performed better in our testing, for a fraction of the price.Ìý

The Pink Stuff stain removers

No longer just for cleaning surfaces, The Pink Stuff range now encompasses laundry products as well.

There are two powder stain remover products for soaking – one for whites, one for colours – and a pre-wash treatment spray.

Will these work miracles on your washing? While The Pink Stuff products fell only a few percentage points short of being recommended by our experts in our stain remover reviews, there are cheaper products that had better results in our performance testing. For example, our top scoring stain remover soaker –ÌýSard Whiter and Brighter Stain RemoverÌý– scored 74% and costs just $1.10 per 100mL so we rate it as a better buy.Ìý

The Pink Stuff The Miracle Laundry Oxi Powder Stain Remover Whites

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 69%
• Price per 100mL: $1.49

The Pink Stuff The Miracle Laundry Oxi Powder Stain Remover Colours

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 67%
• Price per 100mL: $1.49

The Pink Stuff The Miracle Laundry Oxi Stain Remover pre-treater spray

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 67%
• Price per 100mL: $1.96

Where can I buy The Pink Stuff products?

There are plenty of places to find The Pink Stuff. Some products are available off the shelf and online at Coles, Bunnings and Chemist Warehouse, and in some Reject Shop stores.

It doesn’t appear to be available in Woolworths stores, but you can buy it through one of Woolworths’ Everyday Market Partners.

It’s also sold through a number of online retailers such as Amazon, Catch, eBay, Kogan, CleanHQ, Big W and more.

Which products are in The Pink Stuff range?

From the one pink paste product, the brand has expanded to include:

• The Miracle Multi-Purpose Cleaner
• The Miracle Cream Cleaner
• The Miracle Window Cleaner with Rose Vinegar
• The Miracle Bathroom Foam Cleaner
• The Miracle Toilet Cleaner
• The Miracle Foaming Toilet Cleaner
• The Miracle Wash Up Spray
• The Miracle All Purpose Floor Cleaner
• The Miracle Floor Cleaner Spray
• The Miracle Foaming Carpet & Upholstery Stain Remover
• The Miracle Laundry Oxi Powder Stain Remover – Whites
• The Miracle Laundry Oxi Powder Stain Remover – Colours
• The Miracle Laundry Oxi Stain Remover Spray
• The Miracle Laundry Fabric Conditioner
• The Miracle Laundry Bio Liquid
• The Miracle Laundry Sensitive Non Bio Liquid
• The Miracle Laundry Sensitive Non Bio Gel
• The Pink Stuff Miracle Scrubber Kit

The post Are The Pink Stuff products worth buying? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Planning your clean
• Cleaning products
• Vinegar
• Mould
• Kitchen
• Cleaning your appliances
• Mattresses
• Pet hair
• Electronics

We’ve asked the ÌÇÐÄVlog team to share their top tips for making cleaning almost as easy as making the mess in the first place. (Almost. We’re not miracle workers!)

Before you get cracking though, we have some wise words from ÌÇÐÄVlog household expert Chris Barnes: “Do whatever you can – better to tick something off the list than do nothing.”Ìý

Planning your clean

If you have a big cleaning job to tackle or you’re just feeling overwhelmed by the day-to-day tasks, having a plan can make it seem more manageable. Here are a few tips to help you break it down so it seems more manageable.Ìý

• Try ‘chore-snacking’: do smaller chores daily, rather than a deep clean once in a while. It’ll help you stay on top of the cleaning.Ìý
• Set yourself an achievable time limit – an hour, for instance. An hour of cleaning is better than no cleaning at all.Ìý
• Delegate! Split up jobs between household members so it’s less overwhelming. If you have a friend who lives for reorganising kitchen cupboards, invite them over to attack your pantry. If you don’t have an equivalent skill to trade, you can always offer to babysit or dog walk for them.Ìý
• Prioritise high-impact jobs. Some cleaning tasks are thankless and definitely don’t spark joy. Just spent an hour dusting the skirting boards? Chances are no-one will notice. But some jobs give you an instant boost: cleaning the outside of your windows, for instance, will make your home seem cleaner, quick smart. And that might inspire you to keep going!
• Room sketching apps allow you to make a floor plan of your house; you can then circle areas you’re going to tackle. This can help give you an overview of what needs doing so you can either break it down into smaller chunks or even allocate specific rooms or tasks to other household members. Then you can tick off areas once they’re done, which will give you a nice sense of accomplishment.Ìý
• Don’t forget to include high-touch fixtures and items like remote controls, light switches, door handles and phones in your to-do list. They have grubby hands on them every day, and especially in Covid times it’s important to ensure they’re clean.Ìý

Cleaning products

• Been using the same brand for years? Consider switching. We’ve found many supermarket own brands have performed well in our tests – and some expensive products haven’t performed well at all.Ìý
• But do be careful what you buy: we’ve found that some cleaning products are no better than plain water. Here are the best and worst surface cleaners.Ìý
• Spending money on floor cleaners? Don’t bother: we don’t recommend a single one of the 16 floor cleaners we tested. In fact, we think that floor cleaners are so bad that we awarded them a Shonky in 2020. “If you want your floors clean, just use a plain old bucket of hot water,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog home cleaning expert Ashley Iredale.Ìý
• Our cleaning product reviews are all free to access, so take a look to make sure you’re using the best products. Our surface cleaner reviews include multipurpose cleaners, kitchen cleaners, floor cleaners and more.

Vinegar

This old-fashioned cleaning product deserves its very own section. Here’s how to use it:

• Use it to clean and descale your kettle and coffee machine
• Pop some in your dishwasher to give it a thorough clean
• For streak-free windows, try white vinegar and water in equal parts with newspaper, paper towel or a dry cotton cloth
• Use it as a cheap and effective alternative to fabric softener (which we’ve found doesn’t do the job anyway – seriously, just stick with the vinegar!)
• Kill mould (see below for a how-to)
• Freshen up kitchen gear like pressure cookers, multi cookers, Dutch ovens and stainless steel

Mould

Yes, we’re going to gush about how good vinegar is again. And while it might not seem high-powered enough to spell the end for mould, we promise you it is.Ìý

Many mould-removal products contain bleach, which does appear to do the job. Bleach just takes the colour out of the mould, but doesn’t usually kill it – so even though it looks like it’s been taken care of, it’s still lurking there.Ìý

A solution of 80% vinegar, 20% water, three buckets and a microfibre cloth are the best tools for the job. (Just don’t mix bleach and vinegar – it can create dangerous chlorine gas.)

Mould is a tricky issue, so before you get spraying, learn more about getting rid of mould.Ìý

Kitchen

• Using a dishwasher? Don’t bother pre-rinsing your dirty dishes – just pop them straight in. (Scrape the chunky bits off first, obviously.) Pre-rinsing can trick your dishwasher into thinking your dishes are cleaner than they are, so it won’t clean as well. Not to mention, pre-rinsing uses lots of water, which negates the water efficiency of your dishwasher.Ìý
• Give your dishwasher some love from time to time: add a few cups of vinegar to a bowl on the bottom rack of your (empty) dishwasher and run the hottest cycle. It’ll take care of any unpleasant smells, grease, limescale and other gunk.Ìý
• And clean your dishwasher filter regularly – at least every three to six months, depending on how much you use it.Ìý
• Keeping your chopping boards clean is vital for food safety, especially if you’re chopping meat and poultry. Plastic chopping boards are your best bet for deep cleaning, as you can pop them in the dishwasher, but wooden chopping boards will need a little extra TLC as they can’t be submerged in water. A hydrogen peroxide solution can help.
• To stay on top of baked-on gunk in your oven, wipe it down after every use. It might seem like a pain when you have a sink full of dishes to clean too, but those few minutes you spend wiping over the oven will save you hours of cleaning down the track.Ìý
• Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of cleaning the oven you could look at buying a self-cleaning pyrolytic oven to do the job for you!Ìý
• Cleaning your microwave is much easier than you might think. “Place lemon slices in a microwave-proof bowl of water and heat on high for two to three minutes, before allowing to sit for five minutes while the steam gets to work deodorising,” ÌÇÐÄVlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair says. Wipe the walls and door and voila: a clean, lemon-scented microwave.Ìý

For tips on how to clean kitchen appliances, read on.Ìý

Cleaning your appliances

While we expect them to work hard for us, we occasionally need to give our appliances some care too. Here’s what you need to know:

• Don’t forget to clean your cleaners! Here’s how to care for your vacuum cleaner.Ìý
• To clean your washing machine, run a very hot empty cycle with just a little bit of detergent from time to time. Here’s more on how to clean and maintain your washing machine.Ìý
• To keep your washing machine extra clean (so you won’t need to work quite as hard to clean it), leave the door ajar between cycles so air can circulate. It’ll help you avoid mould and foul odours.Ìý

Just want a rundown on a specific cleaning job? Check these out:

• Our guide to cleaning your oven
• How to clean your coffee machine
• How to clean your air conditioner
• How to clean a ceramic, induction or gas cooktop
• How to clean your fridge
• How to clean your barbecue

Mattresses

You spend a third of your life on it, so it’s worth showing your mattress some love.Ìý

Our mattress experts recommend cleaning your mattress around twice a year. And you’ll probably only need some regular household items to do the job.Ìý

“A hefty handful of bicarb can help keep your mattress smelling fresh, and most people will have a box of it at home,” says Peter, one of ÌÇÐÄVlog’s mattress experts. (You’ll need to vacuum it up afterwards, obviously.)

Read our article on how to clean a mattress for more tips on a deep clean.

Pet hair

If you’re a dog- or cat-lover, you’ve probably come to accept pet hair as an inevitable part of your life. But if you’re trying to keep on top of the dog hair tumbleweed and the cat hair adorning every surface in your house, here are a few tips to get you started:

• Lightly dampen a pair of rubber gloves (the kind used for dishwashing) and run them over your soft furnishings. This creates static energy, attracting the pet hair. Rinse off and repeat.Ìý
• Buy an effective vacuum cleaner. Not all ‘pet’ vacuums actually do a great job of sucking up the pet hair, but we’ve compiled a list of the best vacuum cleaners for removing pet hair that’ll sort out the fluff in no time.Ìý
• Sweep your hard floors with a rubber broom, and get yourself a smaller rubber broom for furniture and clothing. The electrostatic charge they create helps to pick up pet hair.
• Try a lint roller, sticky tape or anti-static spray to keep clothes and soft furnishings hair-free.Ìý

Electronics

ÌÇÐÄVlog tech expert Peter likes to give his electronics like soundbars, game consoles, computers, etc., a thorough clean each year. Here are his cleaning tips:

• Dust is the enemy of electronics so it’s worth lifting them up and giving the area under and around them a solid clean.Ìý
• Clean out the ventilation and fan ports as well. You can dust them or gently vacuum them.Ìý
• Keep an eye out for dead insects too. Cockroaches love warmth and they’re known to crawl into electronics then die, which can cause heating issues and even cause them to short out.Ìý
• If you’re feeling confident, and the warranty allows it, unplug your electronics and take the case off. Sucking up the dust and dead critters will extend the longevity – and they’ll probably run a lot more quietly too.Ìý
• A feather duster and gentle vacuum should do the job, but cotton-tipped ear buds are also really handy for getting into the hard-to-reach places where dust can accumulate.Ìý

“Cable management can make a huge difference to how cluttered a room looks,” he adds.Ìý

“Re-usable velcro cable ties are more useful than plastic ones, and more environmentally friendly too.”

And if they’re at the end of their life, don’t forget to recycle your electronics.Ìý

“It’s really important not to throw them in the bin. Just remember to format or factory reset any devices with data storage like phones, laptops, etc,” says Peter.

The post Cleaning habits you should adopt right now appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about undertaking a good clean and clear out of your home. Research shows that ridding your home of dust, dirt and clutter can boost your mood, improve your focus and help you feel more in control of your surroundings.

With a growing desire in many to protect our environment by using non-polluting products, coupled with the urge to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, we wanted to know if an environmentally friendly spring clean was possible. To find out, we looked at the best-performing eco-friendly products in our tests and spokeÌýwith experts about what to consider before you tackle the task.

Do environmentally friendly cleaning products work?

If you want to be a lean, green, cleaning machine the first thing you can do is reduce the amount of products you purchase. Our lab tests have found that multipurpose cleaners and kitchen sprays do essentially the same thing, so you really only need to pick one.Ìý

Deciding which surface cleaner to pick is another challenge. With so many options available, how do you choose one that performs well without polluting the planet?

In our most recent multipurpose cleaner test, four of the 11 products that are recommended withÌýa ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 85% or over, claim to be either plant-based or made without things like ammonia, chlorine or phosphates.ÌýThese are:Ìý

• Earth Choice Antibacterial All Purpose (95%)
• Earth Choice Undo This Mess with Grease Blaster Multipurpose (95%)
• Koh Universal Cleaner Ultimate Multi Purpose (90%)
• Bosisto’s Multipurpose (85%)

All of these products make their claims regarding their environmental credentials in different ways. The Earth Choice products are “plant-based and biodegradable”, Bosisto’s is also “plant-based” but Koh is the only one to boast eco-certification to the .

Unfortunately, not all the ‘green’ products in our test performed so well. Of the 30 products that earned a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 50% or less, 15 made green claims.Ìý

Watch out for greenwashing

Apart from their performance as a cleaning product, knowing how eco-friendly a product really is can be tricky. A 2023 report from the ACCC based on a sweep of 247 businesses found that 57% were making concerning claims about their environmental credentials.

They identified these eight issues that could be signs of greenwashing:

• vague and unqualified claims
• lack of substantiating information
• absolute claims
• use of comparisons
• exaggerated benefits
• use of aspirational claims
• misleading use of third-party certifications
• using images that appear to be trustmarks.

All of this means you need to carefully assess any claims regarding green credentials and seek evidence to support them when you can.

Our testing doesn’t include assessment of environmental claims. The type of chemical analysis that would be necessary is extremely costly and doing so would mean we could not conduct the wide range of tests that provide help to our members and all Australian consumers.Ìý

Bathroom cleaners

While a multipurpose spray can be used in the bathroom, cleaners that are specially formulated to handle the particular challenges this part of your home presents often do a better job. This is because they will contain active ingredients that can tackle mould, soap scum and other issues you might encounter when tackling your shower or bath.Ìý

Seven of the 15 bathroom cleaners with a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating over 85% that we recommend in our most recent bathroom cleaner test make green claims, including the top scorer:

• Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner refill concentrate (90%)
• Aldi Green Action Plant Based Formula Bath & Shower Cleaner (89%)
• Earth Choice Antibacterials Bath & Shower Cleaner (89%)
• Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom and Shower Cleaner (89%)
• OzKleen Shower Power (87%)
• OzKleen Shower Power Gel (87%)
• Simply Clean Simply No Mould (86%)

As is the case with other cleaners, there were also some poor performers making green claims. Watch out for Re.stor Concentrated Cleaning Tablets Bathroom (40%), Bosisto’s Bathroom & Shower Cleaner (54%), Saba Organic Bathroom Cleaner (55%), Cleanery Bathroom Antibacterial Cleaner (55%) and Resolv Bathroom Cleaner (57%). All scored less than 60%, so it pays to read all the results in our Bathroom cleaner reviews before you buy.

Reducing plastic packaging

Of course, it isn’t just the product in the package you need to consider. The packaging itself is something many of us think about when choosing what we buy.Ìý

According to the Australia Institute, on a per capita basis each Australian was responsible for 148kg of plastic use in 2020–21. Very little is recycled and if plastic waste is to be reduced, consumption will need to decline – and many of us are trying to do just that.

While the Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner refill concentrate topped our bathroom cleaner tests, a number of concentrated cleaning products in the form of dissolvable tablets didn’t fare so well. We included a number of these in our tests from brands such as Cleanery, Resolv and Re-stor and most of them delivered mediocre results.

Can you clean without store-bought products?

Many of those seeking a more environmentally friendly cleaning option will forego store-bought products altogether and opt instead for homemade solutions.Ìý

Planet Ark’s head of communications, Liam Taylor, says homemade options can be a great alternative.

“Making your own cleaning products through DIY methods reduces reliance on plastic-packaged commercial cleaners and minimises the use of harsh chemicals. Ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and essential oils (optional) can often be found in your pantry,” he says.

Other popular homemade cleaning concoctions can include borax, lemon juice and pure soap.Ìý

“These homemade solutions probably are better for the environment because a lot of the manufactured cleaning products will use petrochemical feedstocks to get the components. Manufacturing, packaging and transport will also have environmental costs associated,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog director of reviews and testing Matthew Steen.

“It will likely be more effort to clean with these homemade ones, rather than chemicals which are engineered to clean stains. In particular, oil and grease will be very challenging without some kind of emulsifier.”

Can an appliance help you clean without chemicals?

Appliances that promise to clean your home without the need for extra polluting chemicals are also being spruiked to eco-conscious consumers. These include steam mops and robot vacuums with mopping functions.

While appliances such as these may help reduce the need for chemical-based cleaners, it’s important to consider that they will ultimately contribute to the problem of e-waste.Ìý

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water reports that Australia generated 511,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2019 and that figure is projected to rise by nearly 30% by the year 2030.

For that reason, choosing a moreÌýtraditional, simple mopÌýmade from natural, renewable materials may be more sustainable. If you have your heart set on a steam mop or a robot vacuum look for one that scores well in our expert reviews. Also, look out for theÌýÌýrating we include with our reviews if you want to know how the manufacturer scores for their environmental and social record.Ìý

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Part of the joy of a good spring clean is getting rid of unwanted stuff, but before you fill your rubbish bin, consider how you might extend the life of something you no longer need or want. When it comes to thinking about what to do with stuff you no longer want, you should make landfill the last choice.Ìý

Liam suggests we rethink our relationship with waste based on what is best for the environment.

“If you have a bunch of old clothes, furniture or electronics you no longer want but are still in good condition (this is important!), consider holding a swap with friends and family or donating them to charity before sending it all to the dump,” he says.Ìý

“If you have electronics that no longer work they can be recycled so that the valuable materials in them, such as gold, silver and copper, aren’t wasted in landfill.”

Planet Ark’s provides recycling options for a range of materials and you can search for services in your local area.Ìý

Liam suggests that staying informed about recycling options rather than sending stuff to landfill is one of the best ways to make your clean-and-declutter session more environmentally friendly.Ìý

“There are loads of product stewardship schemes in Australia that offer greater access to recycling and safe disposal services for products once they have reached their end of life,” he says.Ìý

“Just a few of the items that you can’t recycle through kerbside services, but you can recycle through schemes like this, include mattresses, light bulbs, batteries, paint, blister packs and coffee pods.”Ìý

If you can’t recycle, donate or sell unwanted items, you may need to dispose of them through your local council’s hard rubbish collection. Some councils run these at specific times of the year while others give you the option to book a clean-up at a time that suits you. Bear in mind that most of this (as much as three quarters or more) will end up in landfill, so try to find a new home for whatever you can.Ìý

Other tips to help make your cleaning more sustainable

• Reuse scraps of clothing as rags instead of buying new cleaning cloths.
• If you are purchasing new supplies, opt for reusable cleaning cloths instead of things like single-use wipes or paper towels.
• Repurpose items around the home like old toothbrushes for cleaning.
• Think about the amount of water and energy your cleaning routine requires and reduce your use of these resources if you can.
• Dispose of chemicals responsibly. Your local council will be able to provide details of where, when and how to do this.Ìý
• Extend the life of products whenever you can. You may be able to tackleÌýsome repairs yourselfÌýand if not, look for community repair groups in your local area who can help.

The post Kinder cleaning: How to clean your home and care for the environment appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

And there are probably some things you use regularly that you’d never even thought to clean.

Life’s too short to bother painstakingly removing every single crumb from your toaster, but some cleaning jobs are worth the time investment: they’ll make cooking easier, safer – and some can even save you money.

Here’s what our kitchen experts say are the must-do cleaning jobs that you probably don’t realise need doing.

Washing your air fryer basket every time you use it

Air frying is all about speed and convenience, and you probably want to tuck into your chicken nugs as soon as they’re ready, rather than worrying about cleaning.Ìý

But when you’re tidying up after your fast-food-at-home lunch, spare a thought for your next air-fried meal. Your tastebuds (and your smoke alarm) will thank you.Ìý

If there are any crumbs left behind, they could burn the next time you use your air fryer. And oil residue can start smoking once your machine heats up. Worst case scenario: it could start a fire.

Smoked chicken nuggets are unlikely to be the next food fad, and who wants to see a batch of those delicious golden chunks end up in the bin? Then there’s the smell of burnt nuggets that’ll linger for days, reminding you of the error of your ways.

Wiping around your air fryer’s fan and element is a good idea too, for similar reasons.ÌýTake care of your air fryer and it’ll reward you with many more years of air fried food. Read more tips on how to clean your air fryer.

Cleaning your dishwasher filter regularly

Yes, dishwasher filters are disgusting, and no-one likes cleaning them: they’re slimy, stinky, and shoving your hand into a gross, greasy hole that contains who-knows-what is the worst kind of Russian roulette.Ìý

(Well, probably not worse than actual Russian roulette, but it’s up there.)

But if you love not having to wash your dishes by hand and hate paying for appliance repairs, it’s a must-do. It’ll prevent your dishwasher clogging up (which creates an even more disgusting sludge puddle you’ll have to shove your hand into) and can keep your dishwasher running happily for longer.Ìý

So once a month, be brave, don some gloves if you have to, and get into that slimy hell pit. Maybe throw some chicken nuggets in the air fryer beforehand so you have a nice treat to look forward to when you’re done.

Wiping out your oven each time you use it

What? Every single time? Yep. If you want to save yourself hours of scrubbing in future, that is.

Just give it a quick wipe over after you cook and oven-cleaning day will be a breeze (and you won’t need to use those caustic cleaning products as often).Ìý

It’s best to wipe over your oven while it’s still warm, before any spills and splatters bake onto the surface.Ìý

To make things even easier, pop a bowl of hot water onto one of the racks and close the door for a few minutes. The steam will loosen up any crusty bits and make them easier to wipe away. (You can also put some lemon juice in the water to get rid of any smells.)

Bear in mind that grease will build up over time and you will need to use a home-made or store-bought cleaning mixture every so often. Luckily, we have a comprehensive guide to cleaning your oven, including a recipe for DIY oven cleaner.Ìý

If cleaning after every use seems too much (totally understandable), cleaning your oven at least once a month is okay, but if oven-cooked dinners are on high rotation in your household you might need to do it more often.

De-fuzzing your fridge’s coils

You probably haven’t seen the back of your fridge since you first bought it, but it needs some love occasionally, too.Ìý

The condenser coils on the back of your fridge get covered with dust over time, and this can affect the way it runs. If your fridge’s compressor starts switching on and off more often, that can be a sign that the coils need cleaning.Ìý

Pull your fridge out from the wall and wipe or vacuum the dust away. (Just make sure the coils aren’t hot before you start wiping.) Some coils are covered by a grille; don’t forget to put it back on after you’ve finished.

While you’re there, make sure your fridge has enough room to breathe. Leaving at least 5cm between the back of the fridge and the wall means that heat can dissipate, taking the strain off.

A fridge with dirty coils and not enough space will have to work extra hard to keep your food cold, which will hit your pocket twice over: first in power bills, and then when you have to replace your fridge sooner than expected. Suddenly that quick clean sounds like a good investment, doesn’t it?

Degreasing your rangehood filters

Yawn, right? Rangehoods aren’t the most exciting appliance in the first place, and since the filters are out of sight, they’re usually out of mind too.Ìý

But if you neglect them for too long, your kitchen could go up in smoke – literally. The combination of built-up grease and heat can start a fire. Yikes.Ìý

The good news? It’s not a big job. Depending on your rangehood, you may be able to put the filters in the dishwasher (but definitely check the manual before you do). Otherwise, just leave them to soak in hot, soapy water for ten minutes, then wipe or scrub, rinse and dry.Ìý

Some rangehoods have carbon (charcoal) filters as well as the metal grease filters. These can’t be cleaned, so you’ll need to replace them periodically. (Washable ‘life-long’ carbon filters do exist, but they’re not common and they’re quite expensive.)

Binning old cloths and sponges

Sponges and cloths aren’t just great for wiping up spills: they’re also great at breeding bacteria. The warm, wet environment is perfect for germs, and the scraps of food trapped in them give these little nasties plenty of sustenance.Ìý

You might think you’re cleaning your benches when you wipe them with a sponge, but you could actually just be spreading bacteria around. Yuck.

So how do you stop your kitchen turning into a petri dish?Ìý

First up, don’t leave them sitting in the sink: rinse them well and hang them to dry. Get rid of old sponges on the regular, or if you want to keep them out of landfill longer, put your sponges and cloths in a washing bag and run them through the washing machine.

Giving chopping-board bacteria the chop

You probably give your chopping board a good clean after cutting up raw chicken, but is it good enough?Ìý

Unfortunately, warm water and dishwashing liquid aren’t quite enough to sort out the bacteria that could make you sick.Ìý

Using plastic chopping boards? Cleaning is a cinch: just put them in the dishwasher on a hot cycle. Wooden chopping boards need extra attention such as a hydrogen peroxide solution.Ìý

If your chopping board is getting whiffy from foods like onion and garlic, soak it in boiling water and rub a cut lemon on the surface to help remove any odours.

The post The kitchen cleaning jobs you should be doing (but probably aren’t) appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• What is an eco-friendly product?
• What's a Shop Ethical rating?
• The top performing eco-friendly bathroom cleaners
• The eco-friendly bathroom cleaners to avoid
• Homemade cleaning alternatives
• How we test eco-friendly cleaning products

In the past, cleaning greener usually meant concocting DIY homemade recipes or buying expensive ‘eco’ products that just didn’t do the job as well as ones based on harsh chemicals.Ìý

But if you’re looking to overhaul your cleaning regime, we have some great news for you.

In our most recent bathroom cleaners test, not only did we find plenty of eco cleaning products that performed well, but they even outperformed some traditional cleaning products.

Unfortunately, there were also some that weren’t up to the job, so there are some products we suggest you avoid, no matter how good they are for the planet.Ìý

We’ll show you which products will give you a clean bathroom – as well as a clean conscience – and which are best left on the shelf.Ìý

What is an eco-friendly product?

There aren’t many rules around ‘eco’ labelling. Unlike free-range and organic labels which require certification, terms like “natural”, “green” and “no nasty chemicals” aren’t regulated.

, but there are still plenty of products out there spruiking vague, generalised claims that are difficult to prove or disprove.

So as consumers all we have to go on is what the packaging tells us – and manufacturers don’t have to list the ingredients of their cleaning products, so you could be in the dark about what’s actually in the bottle and how it’s made.

Here are some things you can check for to make sure you’re buying a product that actually does have less of an impact on the planet.

• Try to buy products packaged in recycled plastic – and even better yet, buy concentrates and refills as they create less plastic waste.
• Look for biodegradable cleaning products: these break down readily and don’t hang around in our waterways as long as some surfactants, and don’t degrade into harmful chemicals.
• Avoid those products that list chlorine or ammonia as active ingredients, and detergents containing phosphates.
• Look for products made from plant-based ingredients and those that have specific ingredient information listed on the pack so you know exactly what you’re buying.

“While you should take eco claims with a grain of salt, there are also other things to consider,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog cleaning expert Rebecca Ciaramidaro.

“Where is it made? What is the environmental impact in terms of shipping and transportation? Is the product locally made? Is the packaging made from recyclable materials? Are the ingredients non-toxic and biodegradable?Ìý

“All these aspects combined make a product ‘eco’ friendly.”

It’s not just what’s inside the bottle that matters: even products with more eco-friendly ingredients will still have an environmental impact from packaging, production and transport.

A company’s is one way to help you make a more sustainable and ethical choice.

What’s a Shop Ethical rating?

Some of our reviews include something called a Shop Ethical rating. Here’s what that means.

The top performing eco-friendly bathroom cleaners

Our recent testing really shows how far eco cleaning products have come.

Of the six bathroom cleaners that topped our test, four of them have eco claims.

“These results are really eye-opening – for some eco products to perform so strongly and even outperform chemical-based cleaning products shows how much these products have improved,” says Rebecca.

“Many people are sceptical of eco products, seeing them as expensive and ineffective, but our test results show that this is no longer the case for all enviro-friendly cleaning products.”

Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 90% (Recommended)
• Cost per 100mL: $1.10
• Shop Ethical rating: A

Aldi Green Action Plant Based Formula Bath & Shower Cleaner

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
• Cost per 100mL: $0.50
• Shop Ethical rating: C

Earth Choice Antibacterial Bath & Shower Cleaner

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
• Cost per 100mL: $0.69
• Shop Ethical rating: B

Ecostore Antibacterial Bathroom & Shower Cleaner*

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 89% (Recommended)
• Cost per 100mL: $1.20
• Shop Ethical rating: A

*Note: This is the pre-made version of the ecostore concentrate product above

Simply Clean Simply No Mould

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 86% (Recommended)
• Cost per 100mL: $2.00
• Shop Ethical rating: NA

The eco-friendly bathroom cleaners to avoid

They may have good environmental credentials, but these products will only leave you with a clean conscience, not a clean bathroom.Ìý

Among the bottom performers are several cleaning tablet products – soluble cleaning products in tablet, powder or pod form that you dissolve in water to create a cleaning spray.Ìý

They’re many times smaller than pre-made spray bottles, so they don’t have as big a carbon footprint in terms of packaging and transport.Ìý

While they’re a great idea, unfortunately they didn’t perform well in our testing. Here’s what you need to know about cleaning tablets.

Here are the sprays and dissolvable products that are best left off your shopping list:

Re.stor Concentrated Cleaning Tablets Bathroom (tablets)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 40%
• Price per 100mL*: $0.70

Bosisto’s Bathroom & Shower Cleaner (spray)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 54%
• Price per 100mL: $1.10

Saba Organic Bathroom Cleaner (spray)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 55%
• Price per 100mL: $1.19

Cleanery Bathroom Antibacterial Cleaner (powder)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 55%
• Price per 100mL*: $0.72

Resolv Bathroom Cleaner (pod)

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 57%
• Price per 100mL*: $0.53

*When diluted to manufacturer’s instructions

Homemade cleaning alternatives

If you’re looking to make more sustainable choices when it comes to what you’re cleaning your home with, you can make up your own cleaning products with minimal fuss by using some simple ingredients.Ìý

There are many home recipes you can find that use ingredients such as bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), white vinegar, pure soap, borax or lemon juice.Ìý

These are often the greenest options – not to mention the cheapest. But you may need something more to cut through (say) soap scum in the bathroom, which is where a store-bought cleaning product is a good option.

How we test eco-friendly cleaning products

We test eco cleaners exactly the same way we test other bathroom cleaners. We use tiles coated with soap scum (sourced from the Centre for Test Materials), spray them with the bathroom cleaner and let it sit for as long as the instructions recommend.Ìý

Then we use a mechanical scrubbing apparatus to scrub the tile for exactly 10 cycles. After that we use a fancy tool called a spectrophotometer to measure how much soap has been removed.

We give each bathroom cleaner a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating based on how much soap it removes, so you can be sure that highly-rated products will do a great job on your bathroom.

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On this page:

• Why buy tablets instead of sprays?
• Why ÌÇÐÄVlog tests cleaning tablets
• What are cleaning tablets made from?
• Do cleaning tablets work as well as traditional sprays?
• Are cleaning tablets worth buying?
• Glass cleaner tablet test results
• Multipurpose cleaner tablet test results
• Kitchen cleaner tablet test results
• Bathroom cleaner tablet test results

And then there was the inevitable hair stuck in it, which I’d try to remove as quickly as possible without thinking too much about where it came from. (Shudder.)

Maybe that was just my family. If it was yours too, you have my sympathies. (#SoapTraumaSolidarity)

Those memories are probably what sent many of us running for bottles of liquid shower gel as adults.Ìý

We quickly adopted liquid soap for handwashing, too, and all the hand scrubbing during COVID cemented it as a permanent fixture in our bathrooms.

It’s not the only plastic-packaged product in our bathrooms, of course: open the bathroom cabinet and you’re likely to be greeted by a sea of plastic.Ìý

But in an effort to curb my plastic use, I’ve been returning to my roots and using bar soap again. It still gets mushy (shudder) but a soap saver bag deals with the paper-thin wafer situation.Ìý

It turns out there’s quite the market for plastic-free products. Plastic is out; bar soap is in. And it’s not the only solid on the block.

You can pick up shampoo and conditioner bars, solid deodorant, and even powder toothpaste, all packaged without plastic. And the trend has now moved out of the bathroom and into other areas of our homes.

Enter dissolvable cleaning products: tablets, pods and powders that you mix with water to create a cleaning spray. Generally packaged in recycled paper or cardboard, they’re touted as an environmentally-friendly alternative to sprays packaged in plastic bottles.

They’re a great idea in theory, but will they make your home as clean as your conscience?

We’ll explain how they work, why you might choose them, and whether they’re worth switching to.

Why buy tablets instead of sprays?

How do you package a liquid product without a plastic bottle? You take out the water, of course!Ìý

If you think about it, when we buy cleaning sprays, we’re actually paying for a lot of water – the active ingredients often make up a tiny proportion of the overall volume.Ìý

When you remove water from the equation, there’s far less physical product to package and transport, which leads to big savings on materials and freight, both financially and environmentally.

Concentrated products were the first step in this direction: you only need half as much as regular products to do the same job, which creates less plastic waste and fewer emissions from transport.Ìý

But solid cleaners take the concept all the way, completely doing away with water. You’re paying just for the active ingredients and none of the stuff that comes out of the tap (almost) for free.

One manufacturer says that one full truck of their soluble cleaning product replaces 12 trucks full of traditional cleaning sprays. If their calculations are correct, that’s a lot of carbon that’s no longer going into the atmosphere, and a lot of plastic that’s not ending up in the bin.

Why ÌÇÐÄVlog tests cleaning tablets

Each year our experts assess the market to decide which cleaning products to test, and this year pods, tablets and powders appeared on the market.Ìý

Our job is to keep shoppers informed, so we added some of these products to our surface cleaner tests to help you decide whether they’re right for you.Ìý

This year we tested 73 surface cleaners (including glass cleaners) and 44 bathroom cleaners. Of these, 13 were dissolvable products from four brands: Cleanery, Eco Turtles Cleaning, Re.stor and Resolv. That’s about 10% of all products tested.

We assessed them alongside traditional spray cleaners to see whether they did as good a job as the pre-made sprays you find on the shelf in the supermarket.

How did they do? We’ll reveal the results below.

What are cleaning tablets made from?

“Natural”, “environmentally friendly” and “green” are big buzzwords used to sell ‘eco’ products, but what exactly do they mean?

It’s hard to say, really. They’re not regulated terms like “organic” or “free range”, so manufacturers can use them however they like.

A number of the cleaning tablets we’ve tested make claims such as “99.9% of ingredients from natural origins once diluted” – an easy claim to make when water (a natural product) is the main ingredient!

The problem is that manufacturers aren’t obliged to list the ingredients on their cleaning products, so it’s difficult to compare the ratio of ingredients to water in a traditional cleaning spray and a spray made from dissolvable tablets or powders.

And unfortunately, ÌÇÐÄVlog can’t test the enviro claims of every product that comes through our labs. They’re difficult to substantiate, and the cost is prohibitive – spending all our money on chemical tests would mean we couldn’t test other products for our members and other shoppers.

We always suggest you take eco claims with a grain of salt – and don’t believe everything you read. Read more aboutÌýhow to tell if a product really is eco-friendly.

So, how do the ingredients in cleaning tablets compare with traditional cleaning products?

Cleaning products, whether eco-friendly or not, usually contain several key ingredients.

“Surfactants can dissolve in both water and grease, which means they can draw greasy stains out, making them easy to wipe away,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog cleaning expert Rebecca Ciaramidaro.

“In our testing, we often find that the products that perform well tend to have higher levels of surfactants.

“Other key ingredients include acids (like citric and lactic acid), alkalines and alcohol.”

The cleaning tablets we tested include surfactants such as sodium coco sulphate, ceteareth-25 and non-specified “anionic surfactants”, and acids such as fumaric acid, citric acid, sulphuric acid and acetic acid.

Our multipurpose cleaners review includes all the details of the ingredients listed on the pack.

“Unfortunately, dissolvable products have lower levels of these key ingredients than traditional cleaning products, which might explain why they just don’t pack the same punch,” says Rebecca.

Do cleaning tablets work as well as traditional sprays?

In short: no. Or at least, not the products that our experts have tested in our labs.

In our tests, the best cleaning sprays tend to score 90% and above – but most of the dissolvable cleaning products scored between 35% and 55%.

Unfortunately some brands made regular appearances at the bottom of the leaderboard, coming in either dead last or among the lowest scorers.

Many of them were pretty much on par with plain old tap water, so even though you’re creating less plastic by using them instead of traditional sprays, you’re not doing your housework routine any favours.

“The lower level of active ingredients in soluble cleaning products means they just don’t have the cleaning power to tackle tough stains,” says Rebecca.

Are cleaning tablets worth buying?

From a performance perspective, dissolvable cleaning products are not a great buy.Ìý

But from an environmental perspective, they might be worth considering.

Cleaning tablets, powders and pods are a relatively new product category, so with some development they may end up being great, but for now our test results suggest they need work.

Ultimately, you’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons. If sustainability is your main goal, then the extra scrubbing time may seem like a reasonable trade-off to reduce your carbon footprint.Ìý

Keep in mind, though, that if a product performs only marginally better than water, then you’d save a lot of money and effort (and a few extra carbon miles) by just using water. And perhaps a natural homemade cleaner.Ìý

If you just want the job done well and done quickly, though, we recommend other options: you could use ‘eco’ sprays packaged in recycled plastic bottles, opt for refills rather than buying a whole new pack each time, buy in bulk, or even make your own cleaning products from products you probably already have at home.

Glass cleaner tablet test results

Here’s how soluble glass cleaning products performed compared to plain water and the top-scoring glass cleaner in our tests.

To put these products’ performance into context, plain water scored 55%. That’s right: you’re better off using tap water than these cleaning products.Ìý

And in the case of the Re.stor Cleaning Tablets Glass Mirror, you’ll actually end up with worse results – it ranked a full 20 percentage points below plain water.

At $1.40 per 100mL (once mixed with water), it’s not cheap either. That’s one of the most expensive glass cleaning products we tested, for the lowest score overall.

The top-scoring glass cleaners in our review cost between 76 and 96 cents per 100mL, and they all scored 90% and higher. So if you buy the Re.stor tablets, the only thing you’ll be cleaning out is your wallet.Ìý

The Resolv Window & Glass dissolvable pod is far cheaper at 53c/100mL, but it only cleans as well as plain old tap water, so you’d be better off just not spending the money at all.

They may not create plastic, but the Re.stor and Resolv products still create carbon emissions through their manufacture, packaging and transport – but since they don’t do the job these emissions are pretty much all for nought. You could say that that’s less environmentally friendly than sprays in plastic bottles.

Multipurpose cleaner tablet test results

Here’s how soluble multipurpose cleaning products performed compared to plain water and the top-scoring multipurpose cleaner in our tests.

The top-scoring multipurpose cleaners from our test are actually also products that make eco-friendly claims: Earth Choice Undo This Mess with Grease Blaster Multipurpose andÌýEarth Choice Antibacterial All Purpose both received a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 95%.Ìý

Koh’s refillable Universal Cleaner and Bosisto’s Multipurpose also made the list of ÌÇÐÄVlog expert-recommended multipurpose sprays.Ìý

Unfortunately none of the soluble tablet cleaners made the cut – and in fact they missed out by quite a long way. None of them performed a great deal better than tap water, and all but the came in second-last place. (Not that the Cleanery product scored much better.)

The multipurpose cleaners category now includes plenty of products boasting more eco-friendly credentials, and even some of the more traditional cleaners come in recycled plastic bottles, so even mainstream manufacturers are moving towards more environmentally friendly practices.

Kitchen cleaner tablet test results

Here’s how soluble kitchen cleaning products performed compared to plain water and the top-scoring kitchen cleaner in our tests.

There’s a big difference between the best and worst scoring kitchen cleaners: the top products scored 95%, but the next highest score is a big step down at 65%.Ìý

Sadly, all the soluble and ‘eco’ products landed towards the bottom of the pile in this test, with three of the four soluble products scoring just 55% and below – not much better than plain water.

Bathroom cleaner tablet test results

Here’s how soluble bathroom cleaning products performed compared to the top-scoring bathroom cleaner in our tests.

Bathroom cleaners are quite a different product to the other surface cleaners we’ve looked at: they need to cut through soap scum rather than just dirt.Ìý

The soluble cleaners we tested were no match for the soap-covered tiles we use to assess their cleaning performance, and once again they were at the back of the pack.Ìý

But plenty of ‘eco’ products did quite well in this test, with four of these products recommended by our experts. The highest overall score went to an ecostore concentrate refill.Ìý

A 50mL bottle of the ecostore concentrate makes up 500mL of cleaning spray, which the company says reduces plastic by 90% compared to buying a whole new bottle each time.

If you’re looking to reduce your plastic use and carbon footprint, this is a good option.Ìý

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