Volunteers have been busy in Bathurst’s major shopping centres collecting money for the annual Red Shield Appeal. 

Parade thought it was wonderful for these residents to give their time to assist with a really important cause. 

However, acknowledgement also has to go to the kind people that stopped to drop a few coins or notes into the buckets. 

At the time, it only seems like a few dollars, but that money all added up goes to supporting people who are struggling. 

The Salvation Army can help people who are homeless, people that are struggling with addiction and people in financial crisis, not just locally, but right across the country. 

AS usual, Parade spent a lot of her Saturday getting the house into shape.

There are a lot of cleaning products out on the market, each one targeted at a specific room or specific job. 

While Parade does have quite a collection of them under the sink, she always finds herself reaching for her favourite cleaning machines that don’t often get much attention. 

One of her favourites is Gumption, a product she first discovered while a child living with her parents and then started to use regularly when she moved out into her own home. 

It doesn’t smell like a harsh cleaner and can be used in so many different places.

Parade has often used it to clean sinks, bathtubs, showers and even the cook top and oven – it even once removed a stubborn sticky spot on the kitchen bench that was there when she moved in, which other cleaners had failed to budge. 

Parade’s other favourite cleaner is a combination of vinegar and bi-carb soda.

On Saturday, it worked wonders to get the cook top sparkling and also made the glass shower door cleaner than it has been in a long time. 

Parade would love to hear other people’s underrated cleaning machines they can’t live without.