HOUSEHOLDERS are being asked to abandon their kitchen and bathroom sprays and return to vinegar and newspaper to clean their windows.

The people of Middlesbrough are being asked to use elbow grease and methods which went out the window decades ago to clean their mucky panes.

The borough council says cleaning sprays contain harmful chemicals, while the use of some perfumes in air fresheners and after-shaves have been linked to hyperactivity in children, ear infections in babies and post-natal depression.

Healthy Homes project officer Susan Lee said: "Before we stretched for the aerosol spray there were many household cleaners using everyday alternatives, which were just as effective and didn't harm indoor air quality."

One such remedy was using vinegar in water to clean windows before shining them up with a newspaper.

In a bid to encourage housewives to turn back the clock, Middlesbrough Borough Council is offering book vouchers for the five most effective or innovative ideas.

Depending on the size of the postbag the town hall receives, the result could even be a book.

Ms Lee said: "We want people to remember their earlier days, or ask their parents and grandparents and tell us those old fashioned household hints.

"The competition and book are ways of making sure we don't lose these everyday tips that didn't take a lot more time than many of our so-called convenience cleaning products."

Her suggestions have not received universal approval. Professional cleaner Beryl Farrow, from Middlesbrough, said: "These old fashioned alternatives are time wasting.

"I wont be throwing away my aerosols and air fresheners. They make your rooms fresh and kill the smells coming in through your window from outside."

Old style cleaning remedies should be sent to Household Hints, Susan Lee, Healthy Homes Project Officer, Public Protection and Planning Service, Middlesbrough Council, PO Box 65, Vancouver House, Gurney Street, Middlesbrough.