Clean & Green: 101 Hints and Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Home

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Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home.

Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle

Works a treat on my pine kitchen table, cleans silver and also removed red wine stains from tile grouting – just add a blob of my cream cleaner directly to the stain, rub in with an old toothbrush, leave for a minute or two then wipe off! Most importantly, I feel, are those little hits and tips which make such a difference in the kitchen and within the home. These nuggets of knowledge have proved super popular amongst my followers and I have weaved them in throughout the book. I learned many of these hints and tips from my grandmother, but I have also found other little gems hidden away in very old 19th century literature. Stir until the liquid is clear and the crystals have dissolved, then simply add the eco-friendly washing-up liquid and tea tree oil and mix well using a small whisk.

Note: If your oven shelves have been sprayed or coated with ‘self-clean’ substances, do not use this method. The chemical coating can be damaged by soaking. This method is not suitable for aluminium trays or shelves. Aluminium can be cleaned using bicarb or washing soda, but long soaks cause oxidization. In a bowl large enough to take the woollen jumper when folded, give 2–3 squirts of hair conditioner and add the vinegar then fill with lukewarm water. Lay the folded jumper onto the bowl of water. No need to submerge it – leave it to absorb the water in its own time and sink to the bottom of the bowl, then leave overnight. The vinegar and hair conditioner will soften the woollen fibres, making them lax and pliable. The next day, pour the water off the jumper and gently squeeze it to remove the excess. Do not rinse, wring or spin. Birtwhistle says she “lived for years and years” with stains on the inside of her cast iron casseroles. “Then it just took a tablespoon of sodium percarbonate and a kettle of boiling water and it was clean.” Brightening whites

Green Living Made Easy: 101 Eco Tips, Hacks and Recipes to Green Living Made Easy: 101 Eco Tips, Hacks and Recipes to

It takes years and years to break down, is toxic and the fumes can irritate the eyes, throat, lungs and skin.We are all aware now that the chemical-laden cleaning products encased in excess plastic and lurking under our sinks are not just bad for our health and the environment, they also often cost a fortune to boot. After a run-in with a rubber parking bollard (“These things happen”), Birtwhistle dabbed some bicarbonate of soda on the mark with a damp cloth and it was as if it had never happened. It also works on walls, skirting boards and appliances. Home-brew pesticide Whether you have a sprawling garden, a modest patch of grass or just a spare windowsill, this handbook with over 100 tips will help you embrace the joy of growing and eating from your own garden. When ready to use (and I suggest you do this outside), take off the lid, give it a stir and the smell will send you reeling – it really is awful, but plants love it! Strain off the leaves, using simply the lid as an aid, then strain again using an old fine tea strainer. Fill the spray bottle, then add the eco-friendly washing-up liquid and clove-bud oil. Give it a good shake then spray away!