 Nature's
Way
with Alan Hayes
Keeping your Car Clean - and Nappies
Without doubt, the car has become an integral part of our lives, and is lavished with a multitude of chemical products. They polish, clean and deodorise, can be very expensive, and maybe not always necessary. Yet we mere mortals continue to revere this icon-like member of our modern society.
However, they can be kept looking like new without the need to spend large amounts of money on the seemingly endless array of care-care products. One reader who was looking for a safe and environmentally safe alternative to some of these products asked, "Is there something natural that I can use to wash my car, as well as preserving the vinyl interior and wood-grain trim?"
Soft, green soap (available in 500 gram containers from pharmacies) dissolved in a bucket of water is an effective and suitable alternative to detergents containing phosphate. Use a bucket of water to rinse, and a chamois cloth to remove any film.
Wood-grain areas of the car can be polished with a mixture of equal parts strained lemon juice and olive oil. Bottle and label. Vinyl trim can be preserved and kept pliable by rubbing petroleum jelly into it using a soft cloth. To clean vinyl and remove odours from seats and lining panels, wipe over with a solution of bicarbonate of soda and warm water.
Other unpleasant odours, including the smell of stale cigarettes, can be eliminated by placing a container of dry bicarbonate soda in the car.
Quite often the interior of new cars will smell strongly of plastic. If you find this offensive, wash the vinyl and plastic surfaces with a solution of one tablespoon of vinegar to one cup of water, rinse well, then leave the car in the sun with the doors open while it dries.
Another reader was reluctant to use disposal nappies for her new baby and said, "I prefer to use the old-fashion cloth nappies for my baby, because they don't pose the same health hazards as the disposal ones. Can you tell me what safe alternative there is to clean the cloth variety?"
Presoak soiled nappies in a solution of warm water and bicarbonate of soda, then wash in hot soapy water. A cup of white vinegar or one capful of eucalyptus oil may be added to the soapy water as a disinfectant and freshener.
Rinse urine-soaked nappies in clean, cold water, and then wash them in very hot soapy water. Rinse clean and hang in the sun to dry.
Hot water at 60-65 degrees Celsius will kill any bacteria. Try to dry nappies in the sun whenever possible.
Many other readers frequently ask questions about softening water and natural fabric conditions.
Hard water can be softened with the addition of a handful of washing soda (available from supermarkets) or bicarbonate of soda to the wash and rinse cycles.
For a natural fabric softener, soak garments overnight in a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water, then rinse well in clear water before washing.
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