General Tips

1. In order to maintain oxygen levels keep some live indoor plants in your home. They brighten up the room too!
2. A can of cola in the loo overnight helps remove limescale and discolouration.
3. Help the Bees. Don’t mow the lawn, leaving even part of your garden to grow wild, can help pollinating insects, like bees, thrive.
4. Plastic bags are appallingly wasteful to the environment. It is believed that 100 billion plastic shopping bags are used in America each year, and only 1-3% of worldwide plastic bags are recycled. This means a huge amount of waste, much of which ends up in landfill and wild areas.
   
5. Use banana skins chopped up to put around your roses giving them a potassium rich tonic. The skins can be soaked in a jam jar with water for a few days then, drained and the water added to the plant water for a tonic for indoor plants too.
6. The power of peel - l You will never throw away your orange peel again after discovering three great things you can do with it! By simply boiling orange peel in water for 15 minutes, leaving it to cool and pouring it into a spray bottle, you can create a clever mixture to use around your house. Spray liberally around your home to repel insects in summer, or use it as a natural insecticide by misting it over your plants. You can even use it to shine wooden surfaces by spraying it on and buffing with a cloth. Amazing!
7. If you are planning on using frozen food, defrost it ahead of time in the fridge or on the worktop to both halve the cooking time and avoid using the energy of the microwave to defrost more quickly.
8. When your paths are icy avoid using rock salt as its very corrosive and when melted it can kill plants and damaging to pets’ paws. Instead use non-clumping cat litter to give you a good grip.
9. House plants – You can never have too many. Certain plants are best for certain rooms – Mother-in-law’s tongue gives off oxygen at night making it best suited to the bedroom. Peace Lilies thrive in rooms with high humidity which is ideal for bathrooms. Weeping figs are the best plants for removing formaldehyde from carpets and furniture, making them good for living areas.
10. BIO DEGRADABLE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS: These products dissolve due to contact with bacteria and fungi i.e. they won’t cause environmental harm as they disappear through natural processes. They include recycled toilet paper, natural ingredients shampoos and soap, natural deodorant, bamboo toothbrushes and dishcloths made from hemp or agave fibres.
11. Help Bees and other pollinating insects with hydration during the summer months by filling a shallow dish with water and adding pebbles to create different levels. Pop it into a shady area and keep it clean, refilling regularly.
12. Draft proof doors and windows before the winter.