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During the
wartime, Britons were allowed only a small ration of soap – just a few ounces each week per person – to wash clothes, wash dishes, clean the house and wash one’s body and hair. Women
soon learned to improvise –
salt for
scrubbing wooden work surfaces;
vinegar as
a weak solution for wiping enamel and formica worktops and for washing up
glasses, cups and saucers as well as for cleaning paintwork;
splashes of milk for polishing linoleum
floors;
bicarbonate of soda for all
kinds of stain removal;
damp newspaper serewed
up for cleaning windows and wiping out greasy pots and pans; and
whiting mixed with a tiny amount of
water used as a scouring powder for cleaning baths, sinks, pots and pans.
HOW CAN I
APPLY THE ABOVE INFO TO MY LIFE?
I won't be boiling towels and sheets in a "copper" with a wood fire to heat the water as my mother did, and I won't be squeezing wet clothes through the two rollers of a mangle, turning it by a handle. However, the time saved by using today's amazing automatic washing machines will give me more time to do some internet research about safe and hygenic home-cleaning methods - for I intend to stop using chemicals for cleaning within our home.