Home Tips: DIY Homemade Cleaners

Over the past few weeks, I've been experimenting quite a bit with home-made cleaners for the home. So I thought I'd share with you my favourite (and the ones that work the best) recipes so you too can get on your way to using home-made cleaners. Not only is it a hell of a lot cheaper to make your own cleaners, it's better for the environment and it's better for your health. I cleaned my entire bathroom (scrubbed grout and mould...gross, but that comes with the territory of living in a rented house) without the use of any bleach or chemicals. And now our bathroom is sparkly and white. YAY! Even better was not having to run from the room every 20 minutes because of the fumes. 

So, the ingredients you will need are:

White vinegar (also known as cleaning vinegar), rubbing alcohol, dishwashing liquid and water. 

I have also started to rely on bi-carb soda quite a lot in my cleaning adventures, so you may want to have some of that on hand, even though it's not required for these recipes (I will do another post that details my bi-carb use)

You will also want to pick up some spray bottles. I got mine from the local Woolies', and decided to go with different colours to easily differentiate between them. It's also probably not a bad idea to label them either. 

To make glass cleaner, you will need:

equal parts white vinegar to water. I used a cup of each. 

This glass cleaner also works really well for mirrored surfaces. It helps get rid of any smudge marks and evaporates quickly, leaving no streaking. 

To make a de-greaser and scum fighter you will need:

This is a tricky one to give a recipe for because the quantities can change depending on what dishwashing liquid you use. This particular dishwashing liquid is quite a high concentrate so I used about 6 tablespoons, to one cup of white vinegar. If your dishwashing liquid is not concentrated, I would use equal parts dishwashing liquid to white vinegar. 

This is a really, really powerful cleaner, and is a great one to keep in the kitchen. It's especially useful for cleaning stovetops and ovens, as well as bench-tops. When I cleaned my bathroom I used this on the tiles and glass to get rid of any built up soap scum. I also keep a spray bottle of water nearby to easily clean off any soapy residue. 

To make a household disinfectant you will need:

Equal parts rubbing alcohol to water. Again, I used a cup of each. This is really good for cleaning down computers and phones, spritzing yoga mats, wiping down cutting boards and bench tops...basically anywhere that might need a bit of a germ kill. I personally feel that soap and water (see the de-greaser recipe up above) is more than adequate for cleaning, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to disinfectant. The alcohol ensures that the product evaporates quickly and easily, meaning it won't cause damage. Just be careful around open flames.

And that's it! Of course, I'm not advocating completely getting rid of all store-bought cleaners. (I still regularly use JIF on our steel counter, for instance) I think everything has a time and place, but if you can swap to using these home-made cleaners more often it will be better for everyone.
At first, the smell of the white vinegar seemed a bit strong, but with continued use of these products I barely notice it any more. The 'vinegar scent' also dissipates really quickly and doesn't build up (like chemicals can) so it will be over before you know it. I have actually noticed since switching to these that when I give our bench-tops a quick clean with some spray-and-wipe, the smell of that product is way too strong for me now. Interesting, huh?

Have you ever dabbled in home-made cleaners? Do you have any recipes to share with me? Next week I'll share my favourite uses for bi-carb soda!


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Haul: Priceline 40% off Sale

Recently, Priceline had a 40% off all cosmetics sale. There were some fantastic deals to be had, but rather than head on in store (and risk overspending and impulse buying) I selected a few products online that I had been wanting to try for a while. This also meant that I didn't have to leave the house on my day off, which was also a win because I was feeling particularly lazy that day.

I finally got around to picking up Revlon Colourstay foundation and the Australis Curve Ink Eyeliner. I've used them both quite a bit the past few days and have to say; I love the coverage of the foundation even though it seems to have broken me out a bit, and I love the formulation of the curve eyeliner. I struggle a bit putting it on my left eye...I thought the curve is supposed to make application easier? Or does the fault lie with me? I'm not too sure. Any thoughts? 

I picked up the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip crayon in Red Sunrise and me oh my do I love this product! I've received compliments every day that I've worn it...the first application tends to wear off kind of quickly, but upon re-application it stays quite nicely for a few hours. 

I also got another of Rimmel's Lasting Finish by Kate, this time in number 11. Sadly, when it arrived it had all melted and gone a bit gross so I need to get that exchanged. 

The Lipstick Mattifying Base from Australis was really interesting, so I grabbed that too. (at 40% off, how could I not?) Haven't tried it yet but will keep you updated once I do. 

I decided to try out Maybelline's Line Express Eyeliner and got another one of their Colour Tattoo's. I love the normal range, so thought I'd try out the metal range; I went for Inked in Pink which is a gorgeous rosey colour.

Did you pick up anything from the 40% off Priceline sale?


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Top 6: Red Lipsticks for Summer

Although it's hard to make a definitive decision on what is my favourite make-up product, I think a red lipstick is definitely way up there. I especially love a red lip over Summer and the festive season. A red lip is so easy to accomplish, looks great on everyone (regardless of skin colour and undertones etc) and is so bright and cheerful; just like this time of year!

So I bring you; my top 6 favourite colours in my collection. I tried to go for 5, but I could not narrow it down.



Rimmel Apocalips in 'Stellar' is a great glossy red, perfect for Christmas parties and summer evenings. This product is a lip lacquer, which is kind of a hybrid between a lip gloss and a lipstick. (Read my full reviews on the Rimmel Apocalips here and here)
Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 'Romantic' is a hybrid between a lip balm and a lip stain, packaged in an adorable chubby pencil. It goes on kind of sheer, but is really easy to build up. Perfect if you're new to the red lip and a little bit wary of it.
The Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick has a great colour payoff but is a bit of a 'greasy' formulation. It does slip around on your lips quite a bit (unless you set it with something like lipcote). So if you're a red lip novice or want a no-fuss lip I would steer clear of this one. The colour '09' is a beautiful deep, berry red so if you don't mind a bit of maintenance, this one is fantastic.

Maybelline's ColourSensational in 'Are you red-dy' was one of the first red lipstick colours that I ever owned. This is a true red that makes your lips pop and your teeth appear whiter. 

L'oreal Infallible Lipstick in 'Ravishing Red' is also a gorgeous, bright red.. This one is a bit more 'berry' coloured than the Maybelline. Whilst I love the colour, the staying power of this isn't amazing and the time it takes the lipstick to wind up the tube is ridiculous. 

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Candy Apple' is a cross between a lipstick, a lip stain and a lip balm. The lip butters really are the best of every world when it comes to lip products. This colour is a little orange-based. It's also quite a sheer red, but it is easily buildable and lasts for hours. This colour is perfect if you're venturing into the world of red lips as it's such an easy one to work with. 

What's your favourite lip colour?

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Book Review: The Vogue Factor by Kirstie Clements

Not too long ago I was browsing Dymocks on my lunch break and came across this book. I remember it coming out and people talking about it after it was first published, but hadn't heard much about it since then. I love Vogue, and have always had a deep respect for Kirstie Clements so thought I'd give it a read. 

Clements is a fantastic writer, and tells analogies so well I felt I had to keep reading. The book is an easy, (mostly) light-hearted read and I finished it in about a week and a half. 

The book begins with a prelude and comments on the well-publicised, unceremonious sacking of Clements from the editor role at Vogue Australia. In one of the most memorable quotes from the book Clements remarks that "[h]ow you conduct yourself on the way out is more important than how you went in". And, staying true to this, if you are looking to read this to catch up on what happened, or hoping for any dirty goss on those in the magazine and fashion industry, then you will be disappointed. Not a bad word is spoken about anyone (except for maybe Nicole Kidman), and when someone is given a less than favourable review, they are not named.  

From there, the first chapter details Clements' first job as a receptionist at Vogue, and how by taking initiative, less than six months later, she was away from that front desk and working as an assistant in Vogue promotions. To be honest, I thought the book would be more about Clements' rise to editorship, and the inner-workings of Vogue Australia magazine. The book's byline "From Front Desk to Editor" certainly led me to think so. 

Rather, the book was more about the fantastic job opportunities Vogue afforded the team, although Clements makes a point (several times) that it is actually hard work running a magazine, despite all the perks everyone thinks they receive. It was moments like this in the book that weren't that great to read, as they seemed overly defensive. The constant name-dropping also got very tired by the end of the book. I can completely understand that Clements is proud of what she has achieved (and she has every right to be!) but the name dropping was excessive, and most of the time didn't add much to the story except to reiterate the amazing lifestyle a Vogue editor has. That being said, the chapters where Clements discusses getting Karl Lagerfeld to guest edit the December 2003 issue, and her interview with Princess Mary of Denmark were my favourites. They were so filled with imagery, excitement, and so well-written that any fashion lover will devour them. 

I was disappointed there was only one mere mention of her twin boys: their birth. I was really hoping Clements would discuss more about being a working mother (and one in such a senior role). 

There is a chapter where she addresses the controversy of "too-thin" models, and I remember this chapter getting plenty of attention when the book first came out. This chapter was also one of the better ones in the book; it was refreshing to finally hear someone in the industry admit to what was really going on. However, the cynic in me can't help but be irritated she didn't speak out when she was actually in her role as editor, when perhaps her admissions and opinion could have done more. 

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and I think anyone who loves or reads fashion magazines will also enjoy it. Rating: 3/5

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