Do as the Dutch & save on kitchen spray

For years I thought it was just me.
The way I hoard old spray bottles instead of buying new ones.
The way I have opinions about how anything – everything! – should be cleaned, and especially how often. (Hint: more often than my family agrees with, as a rule.)

Then I found out: it’s not me. It’s the Dutch.

As it turns out, my countrymen have a centuries-old reputation for two things.
The first one is being obsessively clean.
The second one is being famously careful with money (‘zuinig’, we call it: frugal, thrifty, allergic to waste).

Historians even trace the cleaning obsession back to dairy farming: keeping things spotless so the milk and cheese wouldn’t spoil. Which, considering I’m now doing this on a horse farm in Norway, feels almost poetic.

The kitchen counter: a particular obsession

So, there you go, family: it’s not me being difficult. It’s four hundred years of Dutch housewives judging you through my eyes. You’ll just have to accept it.

Clean kitchen surfaces are a particular obsession of mine. Especially in a household with many people who regularly work with animals, manure, earth, farm machines etc.
Besides a long list of handwashing rules, the rule for the kitchen counters is to clean them before AND after each use. Using kitchen paper and kitchen spray.

Which means we use a lot of kitchen spray.
True to my Dutch genes, I refuse to buy a new bottle every week. As long as the old one is intact, I refill them with my own cleaning mixture. Works a treat – costs a fraction.

The ‘Dutch Touch’ Kitchen Spray Recipe

• Take an empty spray bottle (mine is 750 ml) – reused, obviously, see above about the frugal ancestors.
• Carefully twist or screw off the top with the sprayer attachment.
• Make sure the bottle is empty and clean (rinse it thoroughly if necessary).
• Fill it with lukewarm water but leave a bit of space.
• Add this to the water:
  1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid
  1 teaspoon of general cleaning liquid (nothing with chlorine!)
  2 teaspoons of window-washing fluid.
• Screw the top back on, turn the bottle upside down a few times to mix. Done.

Want it stronger for greasy spots? Add a bit more dishwashing liquid.
Dealing with real grime? Increase the general cleaning fluid, for example to 2 teaspoons.

If you have a larger or smaller spray bottle, just adjust accordingly. This mixture is very forgiving – it’s not like baking.

There. Now nobody in this house (or yours) has an excuse.

WARNING!

A word of warning: NEVER combine cleaning products containing chlorine bleach with ammonia-based cleaners or with acidic products (vinegar, limescale removers, some toilet cleaners). These combinations release toxic gases and can cause serious harm.

Always check all the labels. If you are at all unsure, do not attempt to make this mixture.
This particular spray only uses dishwashing liquid, a chlorine-free general cleaner, and window-washing fluid. Keep it that way, and never add bleach or other desinfectants ‘to make it stronger’, for example.

If a mixing accident does happen: leave the room immediately, get fresh air, and don’t go back in until it’s fully ventilated. If anyone has trouble breathing, seek medical help.