Once I hit twenty, I started to do more things for myself. Since mum was very hands off in terms of housework (we had cleaners), I wasn’t ever allowed to learn. In fact, one time I tried to help our cleaning lady with the dusting and mum gave me an earful- mostly because she thought the dust would enter my delicate lungs, or I’d rub my hands bare with some dangerous cleaning acid.
Then I realised the other day that I know nothing about cleaning. Or sanitation, really. So I gave it a Google and picked up some tips from online videos I found. One day I’m going to have to run a home, and having the ability to knit a dragon-shaped beanie isn’t going to keep the toilets clean.
Drains interest me. You can’t really reach down and give them a scrub, but I was watching this video of Melbourne drain unblocking and I found something incredible. Actually it was more like a sewer, but the same principle applied. To unblock, they just dumped a load of baking soda and vinegar, and I think a bit of salt, down the hole. There was a lot of bubbling and fizzing, like I’d seen sometimes in my chemistry classes at school…and the drain was clear!
Two simple ingredients, like those you’d find in an ordinary cupboard, and the drain was unblocked in a spectacular fashion. I’d love to try it, but all our drains are clear and I might just blow something up. I followed all these links, and found out how to mix my own floor cleaner, bathroom scrubber, all with a few lemons and vinegar (it seems to be a mainstay).
That drain cleaning video opened up a whole new world to me. When I get a place of my own, I’m definitely going to use these- I’ll never have to buy chemicals again. Meanwhile, I’ll have to wait to move out. Jean the clean does such a good job here that there’s never a surface that doesn’t sparkle.