Did you know that you can do almost all household cleaning with just baking soda, lemon juice, vinegar and hot water? And…that it actually works!

Say no to expensive and harsh cleaning products – and hello to your very own, personalised mixtures of non-toxic and eco-friendly grime busters!

We’ve pulled out some of our fav super simple cleaning recipes from Tips From Your Nana (Random House, RRP$36.99), to inspire you to make your very own cleaning products. These tips come straight from the personal household maintenance notebook of Marcella Cotton – they are tried and tested, and really do work! Give them a go – you’ll love them!

Easy-off Oven Cleaner
Ingredients
Baking soda (several Tbsp)
Water (enough to make thick paste)

Judge the quantities according to the size of your oven.

1) Place the baking soda in a bowl, and add a little water until it resembles a thick paste.

2) ‘Paint’ this onto your oven with a pastry brush or — if you don’t have a brush — smear on with a paper towel. Paint it generously everywhere apart from the elements.

3) Heat the oven to a moderate to high temperature for at least half an hour, leave to cool, then give it a good scrub and wipe off! No need to rinse.

Marcella says: ‘The paste will look disgusting, but don’t worry, it works.’

TIP: Paint the paste on just before you cook or bake something, and simply wipe off when youíre done. The paste is non-toxic, doesnít smell, and wonít affect your food.

TIP: This paste is also great for removing tough dirt or grease on kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Sparkling Windows
Ingredients
Squirt of dishwashing liquid
Hot water
Old newspapers

1) Combine a dash of dishwashing liquid with hot water.

2) Crumple a piece of newspaper, dip it into the mixture and give your windows a good rub.

3) Crumple another piece of newspaper to dry and polish.

Newspaper will not only give you streak-free windows, but it also leaves a residue that acts as a dust repellent. Plus you’re recycling! Why buy glass cleaner?

Wonder Wash
Ingredient
White vinegar

White vinegar is also the unsung hero of the laundry.

1) Add ½ cup white vinegar to your rinse cycle in place of fabric softener to soften, brighten and reduce the lint on clothes. Excellent for sensitive skin.
2) Soak whites and smelly or stained clothes in a bucket of warm water with 1 cup white vinegar before washing. Especially great for sweat stains, smelly socks, grease, and whites that are greying or yellow.
3) Clean your washing machine now and then to remove grease and soap build-up by running it through an empty wash cycle with 1 cup white vinegar.

No, your clothes won’t come out smelling like vinegar! Even if traces of the vinegar smell do remain, they will quickly disappear as the clothes dry.

Clear Drains
Ingredients
2 Tbsp baking soda
lemon juice or vinegar (optional)
hot water

Avoid pouring bleach down your drains. It can damage pipes, leave toxic residue and is on the environmental no-no list. Keep your drains free flowing and sweet smelling by using baking soda once a fortnight.

1) Spoon the baking soda into the drain.

2) Chase it with a dash of lemon juice or vinegar, or just enough hot water to wash it down.

3) Leave overnight, and flush with hot water in the morning.

Extracted from Tips From Your Nana, Robyn Paterson, Random House (RRP $36.99).