How to clean just about anything...

Most nursery items are designed to be easy to clean. But it helps to have a few tips to make it as easy as possible, and when you have little ones around you will want to use products that are completely natural.

You won't believe how effective a simple mix of baking soda and Castille soap is - we call it Magic Pixie Dust.

Make a solution of baking soda and Castile soap (50/50), thin it with a little water. You can make as little as a tablespoon at a time - how much you make depends on how many things you have to clean. Baking Soda is active so it’s best to make and use immediately - the mixture is not effective if you hold it over.

Prams

Prams get especially dirty on the leading edges and the fabric can go shiny and grey - this is dirt. Rub the paste in to the fabric of your pram with your fingers. Leave it for five minutes and then scrub with a hard bristle brush. Then you simply hose down and sun dry.

This mixture will lift dirt and stains right out of pram fabric - so that you don't have to remove the sling or hood from the frame.

Highchairs

It also works wonders on highchairs - you can push the mixture into all the nooks and crannies, and use an old toothbrush to really get in once the mixture has loosened all the dirt. 

Once it's scrubbed clean hose it down to get in all the sides etc. Do this on a sunny and hot day so all the parts dry very quickly.

Carseats

Magic Pixie Dust will remove stains from the fabric of your car restraint. Remove the cover, paying careful attention as you will need to put it back on and its easy to forget!

Rub it in, give it a gentle rub (not hard wire in this instance) and pop it in the washing machine on a hot wash. While it is washing and drying you can hose out the plastic frame, using an old toothbrush to remove the raisins from the corners.

Again the mixture will lift any crusted on dirt (especially in the base). Sun dry and replace the fabric. 

Bassinets

Sometimes the white fabric of a bassinet can look very grubby around the leading edges, or milk from a bottle can stain the sides. Remove from the frame, rub in the mixture with your fingers, leave for 5 minutes and pop in a hot wash.

Other uses

Magic Pixie Dust will remove grease stains from clothing, and is easy to use for spot cleaning also. 

I use this very same solution to clean my bathroom, the kitchen sink, take dirty fingerprints off paint - you name it. The great thing about it is that I never worry about the kids getting into my stash of cleaning products. Baking soda is a cooking ingredient, and the Castille Soap is what we have in our bathroom*!

Written by Jessica Macpherson


*In earlier centuries, an all-vegetable based soap was made in the Castile region of Spain from local olive oil. By the turn of this last century, "Castile" had come to mean any vegetable oil-based soap. Castile Soaps are a pure and simple liquid soap, not a complex blend of detergents. Castile Soaps do not contain any synthetic foaming agents or detergents. It is vegan because it does not include the addition of animal fats as some other soaps might and is available in bar or liquid form.

We are supported by Dr Bronner's who donate a generous supply each year. You will find Castile soap at your local health food shop.

 Castile Soap Dr Bronner