Multi use household products By Claire

I found an old 'household hint' book. What a revelation; loads of natural hints on first aid, beauty, and loads of cleaning. All using normal household products.  I have tried some of the tips and was surprised at the results.
Lemon juice: most people have lemon juice in the fridge, mine is always left over from pancake tuesday and rarely used again. It is a really handy product with many of different uses for around the home.

It is useful for cleaning and has a lovely fresh smell (make sure you rinse it though!). It is apparently also good as a beauty product..lightens blonde hair, helps tightens pores. Mixed with egg yolk and olive-oil it makes a good face mask! I have tried the face mask found it ok; there was no major beauty transformation, didn't have allergic reaction (and I still have a face...always a good sign!!). My skin did feel softer. Must rinse properly or else you will be smelling raw egg all day! Verdict lemon juice is definitely a useful and versatile household product and is very underestimated in my opinion.

Vinegar is another handy product. It is excellent for cleaning, the brown vinegar smells more than clear but if you rinse, that deals with the smell. It is apparently great for cleaning windows and mirrors, haven't used myself though, windows are my husbands job. Vinegar is also great for cleaning hairbrushes. It is also meant to be great to give hair a lovely shine; apply after shampoo, rinse and use conditioner if you have dry hair. (Don't know about coloured hair). I do intend to try it, so I will let you know.
But the best product with most uses has to be Bicarbonate of Soda or Baking Soda. This has so many uses that every home should have a few boxes. Cleaning- put a bit on a damp cloth to wipe surfaces, then rinse off with a damp cloth. As it removes tough grime you can use it on garden furniture etc after winter storage. Similarly for cleaning the floor make sure to rinse, I googled this and it's is suitable on all types of floors.. but you might want to check that yourself. You can also make up a solution of bicarbonate of soda and water for cleaning silver, burnt on food in pots (steeping required) and greasy spills. Stubborn bathroom stains come off with a strong solution.. and a bit of elbow grease..and not a 'cillit bang' in sight!

My favourite use for bicarbonate of soda is de-odourising, I use it in the fridge or sprinkling it in the bin to keep away any nasty smells (really handy if you have baby nappies). If there is a smell of stale smoke or if you just want to freshen a room..try sprinkle some on a carpet or rug leave 20 mins and then hoover. I also add a little to the powder tray in washing machine, to ensure a really good clean. It can help unclog drains as well and better for the environment than other products.
Bicarbonate of Soda is a good beauty product.
 Helps whiten teeth and eliminates bad breath, makes an excellent face scrub, mix with shampoo to stop build up of hair products, use as a Foot soak or Bathing. I sprinkled a bit in the bath when my 7yrold had chicken pox. It cooled down her skin and eased the itching. Baking soda is apparently also great to quench grease and electrical fires. Thank god I can't comment on that one and don't want to ever find out! That is just a brief overview of some multi purpose products, all safe, non toxic and very reasonably priced! I have not tried all their uses yet...but I will.