Eco Cleaning Tasks For May
The recent sunny weather has got us all in the mood for some outdoor living and there are some key tasks that need our attention in May now that the weather gets more reliable.
Laura Harnett, founder of eco cleaning brand, Seep, has these top tips for what to clean this month in an eco friendly way.
Top tasks this month:
CLEAN THE GARDEN FURNITURE
“Mix an equal amount of white vinegar and warm water in a bucket. Then take a Seep bamboo brush and scrub to remove the most stubborn dirt. This will remove algae and grime that has become engrained over the winter.
“Then add a squirt of eco friendly washing up liquid to a fresh bucket of warm water. Using an eco sponge cloth wash away all the remaining debris and leave them looking like new. Don’t forget to clean in between slats on the back of chairs or benches.
“For the cushions and other fabric items such as parasols, it’s best to use a soft cloth and warm soapy water. Try and do this on a bright, sunny day so they can air dry and don’t saturate the cushions, simply swipe and spot clean where needed.
POLISH CHROME LEGS OF TABLES AND CHAIRS
“After using the white vinegar and warm water mix to wipe down the chrome legs of tables and chairs, let them dry and then use half a lemon to rub over the surface. This will bring up a lovely shine so they will gleam in the sun.
REMOVE BLACKSPOTS FROM THE PATIO
“The black spots that appear on patios over winter are caused by lichen and mould spores from leaves that multiply on the surface causing black marks. Most people think that bleach will remove mould, but it’s a harsh chemical and it actually doesn’t kill the mould spores so the mould will keep coming back.
Black spots can be easily removed from patios in an eco-friendly, low cost way, with white vinegar. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties and so will stop the mould or lichen from growing back.
“Mix a paste in a bowl using one part baking soda, one part white vinegar and one part hot water. Take a scrubbing brush or an old Seep bamboo brush and scrub this paste onto the affected patio areas with circular movements. Rinse with fresh water and then spray white vinegar onto the area at risk and let it dry as this will prevent the spots from coming back.”
CLEAN THE BBQ
“If the BBQ is coming out for the first time this year and it’s got gone a bit rusty then use baking soda to scrub it off. Pour some fresh water over the rusty area and shake it to remove most of the water. Then sprinkle it with baking soda, which will stick to the wet parts. Make sure the rusty bits get a good coating. Leave this for an hour to let the baking soda soak into the rust and then take an old copper scourer from Seep and scrub the rust away.”
COPPER SCOURER SLUG STOPPER
“After the BBQ has been cleaned and the copper scourer has well and truly come to the end of its cleaning life it can be used to protect plants from slugs and snails. They hate the metal as it gives them a small, harmless electric shock when they encounter it and so they will avoid the area rather than being killed with harmful garden chemicals. Instead of buying expensive copper tape for your pots and plants, simply unravel your copper pan scourer when it’s no longer useful and this will have the same effect. The Seep copper scourer costs £7 for a pack of three and save 10% if three packs are bought together (£19 reduced from £21).”
Seep is an award-winning start-up bringing pioneering products to a dusty cleaning category, continuing to rethink traditional materials and innovate. https://theseepcompany.com/