The smell came first. In the hallway of an old apartment on the third floor, there was a faint smell of vinegar, soap, and something I couldn’t name. The kind of hallway where the tiles have seen three generations of feet and a thousand family fights. At the end, a small woman in a cotton apron was pushing a worn-out mop and humming softly while the radio crackled in the background. The floor behind her was different. Not only clean. It had that soft, satin glow that you can’t get from bottles of “extra-brilliant ultra-shine” from the store. She saw that I was interested, laughed, and pointed to an old glass bottle on the counter. The liquid inside was yellowish and cloudy. “This is my mom’s mix,” she said. “We’ve been using it for fifty years.”
The way the light hit that floor stuck with me.
The quiet strength of a mix from the past
You can almost see your day on a floor that is honest. There are crumbs from breakfast, mud from the dog, and dried juice on the table. Tiles know better than anyone that real life has no filter. You quickly mop the floor, and it looks clean for ten minutes, but then it gets dull again. The surface is just kind of tired, with no sparkle or depth. That’s when people usually start looking up cleaning tips and buying the first “miracle” product that comes up on their phone.
But in so many old homes, the same simple, tried-and-true mix has been quietly doing its job for decades.
Picture a Sunday afternoon in a little house in the country. The shutters are half-closed, and the heat outside is buzzing. In the kitchen, a grandmother puts three things in a row: white vinegar, black soap, and a few drops of oil. Not much. No fake lemon smell or neon colors. She puts hot water in a bucket, adds a little vinegar and a spoonful of black soap, and then stirs it slowly with the mop handle. At first, her granddaughter rolls her eyes. There was no foam or “fresh” smell, just that clean, slightly sharp smell. But as they work on room after room, the tiles change. The stains will go away, but so will that chalky, gray veil. The floor doesn’t look “coated” by the end. It looks like it’s awake.
And she quietly says that it cost a small amount of what she usually sells.
This old mix makes sense in a simple way. Vinegar cuts through soap film and mineral residue that build up over time and dull shine. Black soap, which is made from vegetable oils, gently breaks down grease without hurting the surface. A little oil can bring back the shine to dull tiles or wood without leaving a sticky layer. Modern cleaners often use too many polymers and synthetic scents on floors, which only cover up the problem instead of fixing it. After a while, you’re walking on layers of product that have been stacked on top of each other. That’s why even “clean” floors feel sticky and look dull. This grandmother mix does almost the opposite. It takes off the layers, rinses them off, and then leaves just enough protection to catch the light.
Old-school chemistry that works quietly and doesn’t need a complicated label.
The simple way, one step at a time
This is the version that a lot of grandmothers in Europe use for tiles, vinyl, and sealed parquet. Put about 5 liters of hot water, but not boiling, into a bucket. Add 1 small glass (about 10 cl) of white vinegar, 1 tablespoon of liquid black soap, and 3–4 drops of neutral vegetable oil, such as olive, linseed, or rapeseed. Gently mix. Take a well-wrung mop or microfiber cloth and dip it into the mix. Then, work in sections, starting at the back of the room and moving toward the door. The most important thing is not to flood the floor. You want a sheen that is a little wet, not puddles. Let it dry in the air. No rinsing, no extra step. The floor will look shiny and clean, but not like plastic, when done right.
As it dries, the smell goes away, leaving only the feeling of fresh air.
Most people who “try everything” on their floors end up tripping over the same things. Too much stuff. Water is too cold. The mop is too wet. Or a crazy mix of different cleaners that end up fighting each other on the surface. Then they ask why there are streaks, why there are footprints, and why the shine only lasts a few hours. Let’s be honest: no one really does this every day. We clean quickly between two things, like a meeting, dinner, or a crying toddler. That’s why a simple, forgiving mix is such a relief. It doesn’t have to be as exact as an experiment in a lab. It forgives a lot as long as you follow the rules: use small amounts, hot water, and a well-wrung mop.
And you can really read the “ingredient list,” which isn’t the case with many store-bought goods.
Maria, 78, who still lives in the same apartment she moved into in 1969, says, “When my floor starts to look sad, I don’t buy something new.”” I just go back to the bucket my mom taught me. It never told me a lie.
Vinegar that is white
Cuts through limestone and detergent residue that make a dull film, especially in places with hard water.
Soap that is black
It cleans and degreases without scratching, making it great for everyday dirt from shoes, cooking, and pets.
Oil from vegetables
It gives tiles and sealed wood a soft, natural glow without making the floor slippery.
Water that is hot (not boiling)
It makes the mix work better at cleaning and helps it dry faster with fewer streaks.
Mop or microfiber that has been well-wrung
Keeps too much water from getting on the floors, protects them, and gives you the smooth, satin finish you want.
A small ceremony that says a lot about home
There’s a bigger story about how we live in our homes behind this simple mix. We’ve all been there, when the afternoon sun hits the floor and all the marks show up. The smudges, the sticky spot by the fridge, and the dusty corner behind the plant. You could sigh and open a cleaning app, or you could think of it as a little reset button. This recipe from Grandma gets you out of the habit of buying and throwing things away. You use what’s already in the cupboard, and you move slowly across the room. The change is almost like meditation. The floor starts to move under your feet.
And oddly, that surface that is a little shiny makes everything around it feel calmer.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Simple 3-ingredient mix | White vinegar, black soap, a few drops of oil in hot water | Low-cost, easy-to-remember recipe you can use for years |
| Gentle but effective cleaning | Removes residue and grease without stripping or coating floors | Long-lasting natural shine, fewer streaks, floors age better |
| Flexible, real-life routine | Works for quick weekly mops and deeper monthly clean-ups | Fits busy schedules while keeping the house visibly fresher |
Why France is putting money on advanced nuclear right now
About two-thirds of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power plants. The new wave isn’t about starting over; it’s about not getting stuck.
A number of factors come together:
- Old reactors that need to be replaced in the next 20 to 30 years.
- EU climate goals that push coal and gas out of power and industrial heat.
- Concerns about energy security after gas prices went up and tensions between countries.
- There is pressure to deal with nuclear waste in a smarter way than just storing it.
Some of these problems could be solved by fast reactors, molten-salt designs, and microreactors. For example, they could use fuel more efficiently, give factories more options for burning waste, and allow factories to be built in more flexible locations.
What could go wrong, what the risks and benefits are
There are real technological and political risks that come with advanced nuclear. New coolant systems, like lead or molten salts, need new materials and people who know how to use them. Corrosion of components, the chemistry of coolants, and maintenance in tough conditions are still areas of active research.
Regulatory fatigue is also a problem. The ASNR has to keep an eye on existing plants while also looking at new, complicated designs. Delays could make things take longer and cost more, which would test investors’ patience and the public’s trust.
On the other hand, a successful rollout would have many benefits, such as low-carbon electricity that can work with renewables, reliable industrial heat that doesn’t use fossil fuels, and new jobs in engineering, construction, and fuel-cycle services.
There may also be changes in how we deal with waste. If fast reactors like Newcleo’s reach maturity, they could use up some of the spent fuel that is already in storage. This would reduce the amount of highly radioactive materials that need to be stored in the ground and make them last longer.
Important ideas behind the news
What is an SMR or an AMR?
Small modular reactors are made in small parts, often in factories, and then sent to the site where they will be used. Instead of building huge, one-of-a-kind power plants, they want to lower the risk of construction by using standard and repeatable designs.
Advanced modular reactors take things a step further by using new coolants, fuels, or neutron spectra that aren’t used in today’s most common light-water designs. This can allow for higher temperatures in industry or better fuel use, but it also makes licensing and engineering more difficult.
A possible future for France
Picture France in the middle of the 2030s. A few big new EPR2 reactors share the grid with groups of SMRs on industrial sites. Microreactors like JIMMY are inside chemical plants and replace gas boilers. Heavy industry gets both power and very hot steam from Alvin-type units. Newcleo’s fast reactors quietly process recycled fuel, which cuts down on the amount of long-lived waste.
That situation is still up in the air, and a lot of projects will miss their deadlines or fail. But the three filings with the ASNR show that France is not just talking about these kinds of futures. It has begun the long, detailed, and often boring work that will make or break them.
