It was five years ago today that Spotless was born, and as I thought about that today it made me happy to think that I am building a legacy of tried and tested tips, encouragement, reflections and useful information that I hope and believe will help make the world a better place than it otherwise […]
Category: Household cleaning
Lavender, part two – Lavender vinegar
Infusions are an incredibly simple, direct way to capture the essence of herbs and plants and enhance the properties of whatever you’re infusing them with. They can turn a very basic substance into something really special, and one of the best candidates for making infusions is Lavender. Add fresh Lavender flowers and leaves to a […]
Talking on eggshells
I love eggs – they are one of nature’s miracle foods. But did you realise that the shells of eggs are an incredible resource too? They are so useful and versatile, they definitely deserve a place here on spotless. Here are ten ways to use them. (Many uses for eggshells require them to be crushed. […]
The dirt on soap, part 1
The history of soap is long and fascinating. Soap has been made and used for thousands of years in various forms and by various people and much has been written about them all. However, it was really only from the 1800s onwards, as people began to understand the link between cleanliness and health, that the […]
Citrus cleaner, part one: How to make it
As anyone who has looked around this website will know, I use a lot of vinegar in my household cleaning, and also in personal care, and you may too if you’re implementing the spotless approach in your home. I often mention infusing the vinegar with citrus peels to boost its cleaning powers and improve its […]
The aisles
Every now and then, out of morbid curiosity, I take a wander down the two aisles I otherwise avoid in the supermarket: you guessed it, household cleaning and personal care. In both, I am overwhelmed by a couple of impressions. First, and especially in the cleaning aisle, is the air, laden with artificial fragrances that […]
Citrus cleaner, part two: Household cleaning uses
If anything deserves the title “all-purpose cleaner”, it is citrus vinegar. You can use your citrus cleaner for any of the cleaning jobs that ordinary vinegar can be used for, and it will perform them even more efficiently. In other words means, it has many uses. Look through our household cleaning and personal care pages […]
Beeswax DIY 3 – cleaning up
If you intend to use beeswax often, it is worth having a separate set of utensils designated for the purpose. This means you won’t have to be a perfectionist when it comes to getting every last speck of wax off your favourite pot, jug or spoon. That said, I don’t have a separate set myself, […]
Lavender, part four – dried Lavender
To dry Lavender, make bunches of a dozen or so flower stalks and tie them together with string or an elastic band. Hang the bunches upside down in a dark and airy place. Depending on the weather, the Lavender will dry in about a week or so. Once dried you can store the flowers in […]
Beeswax DIY 2 – how to melt it
Although beeswax needs to be melted in order to be mixed, it has a relatively low melting point of 62-64 degrees centigrade. This means that while double boiling is required, it’s a standard home kitchen affair. Also, you won’t need to heat the other oils in your mixture to a temperature that will damage them. […]