Stain Removers and Smelly Fridges – The French Alternative
In our segment Jackie French demonstrated how to make a stain remover for clothing, which works like magic on all kinds of stubborn stains including tomato sauce, soy sauce, chocolate, beetroot, curry and red wine. Jackie also had some tips on dealing with unpleasant odours in the fridge!
Jackie’s foaming stain remover
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons citric acid
2 tablespoons methylated spirits
2 tablespoons glycerine
2 tablespoons detergent
2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda
1. Mix together the salt, citric acid, methylated spirits, glycerine and detergent.
2. Add the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will start to foam – this mechanical action helps it get down into the fibres and dislodge the stain.
3. Spoon the mixture onto the stains, rub in, leave for a couple of minutes then wash it out.
4. Repeat as necessary – tough stains, such as red wine, will need repeated applications and extra elbow grease!
Jackie’s tips:
Remember, the sooner you treat a stain, the easier it will be to remove – removing very old stains may also remove the dye. Jackie’s stain remover can be used on fabrics that are washable in water, but make sure you test a small, inconspicuous area first, just in case it fades the fabric. Never use stain removers on very delicate fabrics. Only mix up as much as you need immediately and keep away from children and pets.
Fridge deodoriser
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1 cup soda water
1 pack bicarbonate of soda
1. Add the vanilla essence to the cup of soda water, then use the mixture to wipe over the inside of the fridge.
2. Open the packet of bicarbonate of soda and leave it in the fridge to slowly absorb odours. When it starts to smell, replace it with a new packet of bicarb.
Further information
All the ingredients for Jackie’s homemade products are available from your local supermarket.