Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Oily Rag Column : Cleaning from top to bottom, and more

Cleaning from top to bottom, and more
By Frank and Muriel Newman

This week we have something for everyone.

Tam and Soph's Mum from Taupo has this recipe for fabric softener. "I have had more than one washing machine repairman tell me that commercial fabric softener is their 'dream product' as it stuffs your machine and pipes! I now mix half water with half white vinegar in a 1 litre bottle, add 1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil and few drops of your favourite essential oil. Shake up, and use in the fabric softener compartment. So cheap and clothes smell lovely. The bonus is the white vinegar solution also cleans your machine and pipes!"

Last week Paul from Northland asked about keeping pesky rats and mice out of the house without having use expensive poisons. Jackie from Auckland has this rather unusual suggestion. "My son-in-law plays loud music to get rid of rats, the kind with a heavy, thumping base. The rats take off and run away." Can't say we have heard that one before but we know Barry Manilow music has been used to scare off indolent souls from public places!

Margaret from Invercargill has this pet tip. "This is a good and cheap flea remedy for cats and dogs that works. Mix 225 ml cider vinegar with 112 ml of warm water. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Shake well, put into a spray bottle and apply."

Margaret also has laundry and cleaning tips. "Here's a tip to prevent the wires coming out of your bras in the washing machine: wash them in a pillow case! Tie the top and wash on a gentle setting. I wash all our underwear on a gentle wash setting. Here's a recipe for a cheap laundry powder. Use 1 kilo of washing soda, 1 bar of sard soap, 1/2 a cup of borax. Chop up the soap and put into a kitchen whiz. Add the rest of the ingredients and whiz to a powder. Use about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup per wash. For a toilet cleaner I use baking soda and white vinegar. "

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Some may have noticed recent publicity about a supermarket price war over nappies. The bottom line is they are discounting the price of disposables to lure mums down their isles so while they are buying up large on the discounted product they are also filling their shopping carts with the everyday priced goodies (the same ruse they use with discounted milk).

A quick search of prices does indeed show there is some hot competition in the nappy department. The best price we could find for a standard line product (a basic nappy for an infant) was from one of the major supermarkets. It was on special at a unit price of 33 cents compared to 45 cents from other outlets for the same item.

There is a remarkable range of products and pack sizes so young mums and dads could be forgiven for finding the task of a meaningful price comparison a little difficult. As a general rule we found buying in bulk was significantly cheaper. For example, in one case buying the 160 pack instead of 108 reduced the unit price by about 25%. Bulk buying does not always result in savings so one does need to have their calculator handy, but in this case the bulk buying made sense - and you never know when you will have a run on nappies(!) so having some spares may come in handy.

We also found a remarkable range in styles and prices. The designer nappies with high street brands (like Versace - just kidding) were typically around a dollar per unit.

As a general guide, we found the best value when buying nappies was bulk packets of house branded products at around 30 cents.

Thank you for your questions and tips – please keep them coming! You can send in your ideas and join the Oily Rag mailing list, by visiting www.oilyrag.co.nz - or you can write to us at Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

*Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Read our wealth of tips at www.oilyrag.co.nz.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.