Disinfectant Disaster & Other Cleaning Tales

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Posted on August 2, 2011

On the weekend I was picking up a couple of things at the local supermarket and I noticed that they had small bottles of disinfectant concentrate. My current bottle (that I have had for a few years) is nearly finished so I decided to buy some more. I do not routinely use disinfectant but I usually use a couple of drops when I am cleaning the compost bucket and the kitchen bin.

I was putting the new bottle away in the laundry cupboard and managed to drop it with catastrophic consequences. The hard plastic bottle cracked when it hit the tiled floor and quickly began to leak. I grabbed the bottle and put it in the bowl I use for handwashing, which happened to be on the laundry bench. Nevertheless, there was an amount of disinfectant concentrate on the laundry floor.

Rather than waste it, I got a bucket of very hot water and decided to mop the floor of the laundry and toilet . The fumes were dreadful, the floor ended up spotless and I had a debilitating headache for 48 hours. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I decanted the remaining disinfectant from the bowl into the almost empty bottle so I have enough for another few years but I know I will be VERY careful when I am handling it.

I was reading this post on Frugal Downunder yesterday and noticed that the first comment mentioned using tea tree oil. Why didn’t I think of that? In the future that is what I will be using instead of disinfectant.

Most of my cleaning consists of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. I buy the cleaning vinegar from the supermarket and put 1 litre in in a 2 litre bottle then top-up with water and allow to stand for a couple of weeks. This way you get twice as much for the price. I found this savings tip on Simple Savings. The bicarb is bought in bulk from Simply Good so no packaging is generated.

I have a selection of re-usable cloths, some are microfibre and some are cotton.

I use beeswax furniture polish which I buy locally at a market.

The main problem we have is mould as we live in a high rainfall area with very high humidity during the summer months. Clove oil kills the mould spores and I was able to buy some this year in bulk. It is expensive but you need very little (5mls in 500ml of water) in a spray bottle. I am gradually treating all of the walls, ceilings, furniture and even shoes and it certainly has made a huge difference. The syringe is so that I can accurately measure out 5ml.

I do not have a lot of chemicals and the disinfectant disaster reminded me of the reasons why we are better off without these chemicals in our homes. In almost all cases there is a less toxic option.

Weekly Challenge – Week 12

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Posted on August 1, 2011

Week 12 – I am getting heartily sick of this challenge, or to be more precise, writing about it. However, since it is a challenge I guess it is not meant to be easy. So here we go for another week.

What I have done so far. Scroll to the end of the list to so the new additions for this week.

1. Clean car inside and out -DONE

2. Finish making sandwich wraps for Miss O and Izz – DONE

3. Create a spreadsheet for future holiday packing needs

4. Make trackpants for Miss O and Izz – DONE

5. Send emails to book accommodation for New Zealand trip – DONE

6. Buy and plant seedlings for winter vegetables – DONE

7. Email friend to arrange to meet for lunch – DONE

8. Finish knitting dishcloth and sew ends in on first two – DONE

9. Make dressing gown for Miss O – DONE

10. Upload music to my iPod

11. Declutter and clean bathroom cupboard – DONE

12. Plan birthday celebration for Missy – DONE

13. Make an appointment to have our tax done – DONE

14. List 2 items on Freecycle – DONE

15. Clean kitchen windows – DONE

16. Book train trip for New Zealand holiday – DONE

17. Follow up what I need to do to change my superannuation

18. Assemble the required paperwork for our tax appointment – DONE

19. Finish pinafore for Izz – DONE

20. Discuss 80th birthday celebration plans with my mother – DONE

21. Clean patio using high-pressure cleaner – DONE

22. Clean back wall of the house using high-pressure cleaner – DONE

23. Organise quote to have poinciana tree lopped and mulched

24. Plant seeds in seed-raising mix – DONE

25. Clean windows on southern side of house

26. Clean paths using high-pressure cleaner – DONE

27. Trace sewing patterns for my mother – DONE

28. Read 5 outstanding magazines & file or re-home – DONE

29. Clean out bottom drawer in the kitchen – DONE

30.Dust furniture in the front entry – DONE

31. Read and re-home 5 more magazines – DONE

32. Thin out and re-pot bok choy seedlings

33. Sand and paint window frames in laundry and bathroom – DONE

34. Clean fronts of kitchen cupboards – DONE

35. Make a vinyl cover for the newly-created day bed

36. Buy birthday gift for Izz

37. Sew 5 souvenir badges on a blanket

38.Look at accommodation options for weekend in Melbourne

39.Arrange to close a bank account that is no longer required

40. Read and re-home 5 more magazines/articles/booklets

41. See accountant re tax returns – DONE

42. Book a massage – DONE

43. Make food for shared morning tea – DONE

44. Defrost small freezer

45. Clean all of the screens – TV, computer, laptop, Kindles

46. Try to find a small chest of drawers on Gumtree/Freecycle etc

47. Take glass jars to op shop

48. Take boots to be re-heeled

………..and of course I must keep plugging away with the UFO’s from further up the list.

Tomorrow I will be back with a cautionary tale from my traumatic weekend with the disinfectant.

The (Semi) Neglected Garden and A Menu Plan

A One-Off Designer Original

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Posted on July 30, 2011

I did not post last night as I was having a blitz in the sewing room. I keep promising myself that I will sort everything out and store my very projects and stash appropriately.

I have achieved quite a bit in this room over a period of time but one of the things that always seems too hard is the dressmaking patterns. I bit the bullet yesterday and decided that the majority of the patterns would not be used again – outdated style, wrong size etc. I checked all of the pieces to make sure they were complete and then put them in a bag and they went to the op shop this morning. There are probably still a few that should not have made the cut but they can wait for another day.

With the room a bit clearer I decided to start on my latest project – bags for Miss O and Izz for Christmas. We have bought tickets for them to go to the Wiggles concert but as we all know, 2 and 4 year olds need something to open on Christmas morning.

This is the bag I made for Izz. It truly is a designer original. I think you will agree that you won’t find one like that in the shops. I made the entire bag from scraps. The main fabric is blockout curtain material that I used to make curtains for Miss O’s nursery. The redtrim and tab was a small piece in my stash, the handles are lined with calico and the tab has a velcro fastening.

Here are a couple more views of the bag.

I have started one for Miss O with different fabric so will show you that another day.

I have almost finished a summer blouse for myself from fabric I bought over 2 years ago and cut out last summer. I still have to do the binding on the armholes as well as the buttons and buttonholes. Since I do not have any suitable buttons I will go to Lincraft during the week and see what I can find.

Speaking of buttons I did find some in my op shop expedition yesterday. I found these in the jumble in a big basket.

They cost me the princely sum of $1.30 (5c each). Here they are all sorted out.

I finished the hand-sewing on the oven mitt and am pleased to report that I used it tonight and the old towel that I used as wadding was very effective in resisting the heat while removing a Pyrex dish from the oven. I have cut out all of the pieces to make 2 more mitts. The one thing worth remembering is that you need 100% cotton fabric when making the oven mitts.

Neither Organised nor Sustainable

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Posted on July 29, 2011

This is an extra post which has nothing to do with the general topics I write about. I want to tell you about a link that I have added to a very new blog.

Trine describes herself as ordinary but nothing could be further from the truth. In a world where so many people think only of themselves, she is setting out to give something back. Something to help people at a time when their whole world is falling apart. Please have a look and consider whether you can help make a difference.

There Is Something Wrong With Your Child…………

Perhaps you have a story to tell or you could help to spread the word to those who may have their own stories that they are willing to share. You could add a link on your own blog or discuss this project with family and friends.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Running Repairs

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Posted on July 28, 2011

We all know that “a stitch in time saves nine” and, being competent with the use of a sewing machine I regularly repair and refashion clothing and linen. However, from time to time I actually repair something else.

Last week we had a day of high wind and my clothes hanger blew down from the large hook under the verandah. When I picked it up I found that one of the spring-loaded pegs was missing.

It was in pieces – 2 on the floor of the verandah and one piece had blown over the edge. I collected up the bits and set to work to see if I could resurrect it.

With the aid of a small screwdriver to stretch the metal ring I got it back together.

Then it was a simple matter of re-attaching the peg to the metal clip.

It is now as good as new. I have seen these type of things for sale in Australia, however, I bought this one in Japan when we were there in 2009. It is just another example of how the Japanese have adapted to their limited space in so many ways. I find it very useful as I can hang it in a variety of places to catch whatever sun or breeze there is and it is a simple matter to bring it inside to dry things in front of the fire.

Have you repaired anything? Was it a success?

Exciting Electricity News

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Posted on July 27, 2011

We have finally received our refund from Origin Energy for the electricity we fed into the grid from the first 6 months of our solar panels. This has taken 8 weeks from when our meter was read, so I am not happy with the tardiness of Origin but I am happy with the result.

Just over $600 for 6 months! This is in addition to $0 electricity bills. I am sure that we will be able to improve on that, especially since we had a very wet and cloudy summer .

The last few weeks of clear, cloudless days have been perfect for generating power so the next account may be even better. This is what the sky looks like on these endless, clear, winter days.

We are saving money and making a positive contribution to the environment so I am really pleased.

I plan to make a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman regarding the time taken to receive the refund and the convoluted process. I rang Origin to find out why I had not received my account 3 weeks after the meter was read and I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer to that question. This is in direct contrast to receiving the bill within 3 working days for all of the years that we paid electricity bills.

If I want my refund more than once per year I have to specifically request it. I cannot have the payment credited directly to an account. I cannot make a standing request for any credit to be paid each quarter. I have to ring up each time and spend 30 – 45 minutes on hold before I even get to speak to someone. You would think that they would welcome the opportunity to streamline the process and reduce call volumes, wouln’t you? After all that, it took 4 weeks for my request to be actioned, processed and sent.

I guess Origin have enjoyed the free use of my money in the interim. It is a pity that they are not willing for me to take 8 weeks to organise payment of bills when I owe them money.

What are your experiences with electricity and other utility providers?

Weekly Challenge – Week 11

Christmas is Coming

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Posted on July 26, 2011

I did not get a chance to post my challenge list yesterday (Monday) but I will do it tonight.

In the meantime here is a thought for you to ponder. Yesterday was the 25th of the month therefore it is now 5 months till Christmas. Whilst this is a terrifying thought for some, others have already finished their Christmas shopping!

I fall somewhere in the middle of the 2 extremes. I have made some notes for my Christmas letter, and I am pleased to report that I bought 2 Christmas gifts. I received an email about pre-sale of tickets for ‘The Wiggles’ so after speaking with Belle I have bought tickets for Miss O and Izz to see the show. This is in keeping with my attempts to minimise the amount of ‘stuff’ given and received as gifts. It is also perfect for Miss O who has a birthday in December.

Over to you. What preparations do you do for Christmas? When do you start?