No need for expensive cleaners when you have baking soda

Spring is in the air so it's time to get cleaning. The best cleaner we know is called elbow grease - and best of all, it's free.
But when a few everyday household ingredients are added, it can provide a low-cost alternative to expensive cleaners.
In their latest issue of Barrel Talk, the people at the Bin Inn have produced some great old-fashioned homemade cleaning recipes using baking soda. Baking soda is a magic ingredient when used as a cleaner.
Toilet cleaner: Use one cup baking soda and one cup white vinegar. Pour the baking soda and vinegar into the toilet bowl. Leave for 10 minutes then clean with a toilet brush and flush. It's as simple as that.
Oven cleaner: All you need is a cup of baking soda and water. Sprinkle the baking soda on the base of the oven. Mix with enough water to make a paste and spread the paste over the walls and door. Leave it overnight then wipe clean.
Fridge cleaner: Mix baking soda and water to form a thin paste. Apply to a sponge and use to wipe the inside of the fringe.
Tile grout cleaner: Mix three cups of baking soda with one cup of warm water to form a smooth paste. Scrub the paste into the grout using a toothbrush, then rinse clean with water.
Drain cleaner: Mix two cups of baking soda with two cups of salt and a cup cream of tartar and store in a container. Pour cup of the mixture down the drain followed by one litre of boiling water. Leave for five minutes then flush the drain with tap water for a few minutes.
Chopping board cleaner: To clean and deodorise wooden chopping boards sprinkle baking soda over then spray with white vinegar. Leave for five minutes then rinse clean with water.
Auto dishwasher powder: Mix one cup of baking soda, one cup of washing soda, a quarter cup of salt and a quarter cup of citric acid. Store in a sealed container. Use one tablespoon per load.
Use white vinegar as a dishwasher rinse aid. According to Bin Inn, other cleaning products can be made with borax and vinegar as the magic cleaning agents.
Mix a quarter cup of borax with two litres of hot water and wipe on floors and walls.
To make a timber floor cleaner, pour 2 cups of strong black tea and cup of white vinegar into a bucket and add warm water.
Scouring powder: To make a scouring powder for sinks and bathtubs, mix half a cup of borax with quarter cup of baking soda and one and a half cups of hot water.
Kettle limescale cleaner: To remove the lime scale, fill the kettle with water and add half a cup of white vinegar. Leave it overnight then rinse thoroughly the nextday.
Shower door cleaner: Mix one cup of water and one cup of white vinegar. Place the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray on, leave for an hour and wipe.
Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips online at www.oilyrag.co.nz