LIFE live it well Eco h penni Ome hacks to save ies and the planet

Nancy Birtwhistle reveals her top tips to spruce up your pad on a budget

There are times we feel the pinch even more than usual. But there are some clever tricks that can help you cut corners to make things less of a challenge and an expense. It’s possible to be eco on a budget too, and I’m here to tell you how.

The key is to arm yourself with hacks – smart swaps and approaches that we can apply to our daily lives that maybe hadn’t occurred to us before.

And once they become part of our everyday habits, we will wonder why we hadn’t always done things this way.

The appetite for living a greener life is increasing, and people are realising there is an utter joy in saving money while they’re at it.

What’s not to like?

Below I will share a box of tools to help you do what you already do but in a more cost-conscious and green way.

Whether you want to get savvy with even the most difficult of stains or discover ways to deal with the inevitable everyday household accidents, problems and tasks, I’m here to help.

Queen of Green and Bake Off star

MAKE YOUR OWN SCREEN WASH

You will need: 2-litre plastic bottle; digital weighing scales; funnel; fine-mesh tea strainer; 1.5 litres clean rainwater; 125ml surgical spirit; 3ml eco-friendly washing-up liquid.

1

Capture clean rainwater from a water butt or under the downpipe when the rain is falling fast. 2 Place the empty bottle on to the scales with the funnel in the neck and zero the weight.

3

Filter the rainwater through the tea strainer, straight into the bottle.

The tea strainer will capture any debris. 4

Zero the scales again and add the surgical spirit, which will not only keep the water clean and prevent it turning green, it will also clean the screen quicker than using water on its own. It will also prevent freezing up to -5C.

5

Finally, add a little washing-up liquid – only a few drops – which will help to dissolve greasy deposits on the windscreen.

6

Shake the bottle and the mix is made. Label the bottle – I keep mine in the garage and top it up when required.

DIY REUSABLE WIPES

You will need:

20 x 15-20cm squares of thin cotton fabric scraps; bowl; 20ml aloe vera gel (mild cleanser and skin moisturiser); small whisk; 120ml water; 30ml surgical spirit (anti-bac cleanser); 2-3 drops organic lemon essential oil for fragrance (optional); small plastic box with airtight lid; small plastic bag; permanent pen or label; funnel; small plastic or glass 500ml bottle or jar with lid.

1

After cutting the fabric squares, wet them thoroughly with cold water and wring them out completely.

2

In the bowl, add the aloe vera gel and beat with a small whisk with a few tablespoons of the water to emulsify and take it from a thick gel to a runny solution.

3

Add the rest of the water followed by the surgical spirit, then the organic essential oil, if using. The solution will turn milky white.

4

Drop the dampened fabric squares into the solution, ensuring they absorb the liquid, then wring them out. Fold each one separately and lay it into the plastic box. Cover with a folded plastic bag so that you have somewhere

t the soiled wipes to bring home. The residual liquid can be used for he next batch of wipes – simply he funnel to decant into a small e and keep it on the shelf for later. Label the box and keep it in the car r in your bag. To wash the wipes, n the laundry as required.

MOVE BIRO, WAX AYON & PAINT STAINS

fixed non-washable items of iture, and things like shoes, dbags, upholstery will need: A cotton pad (I use a n reusable make-up pad); an rned bowl for small items; an old l for clothing; surgical spirit. mpen the cotton pad (using a mall cotton pad is better than a big because the whole pad can be ed in the alcohol whereas a ing cloth absorbs too much). Using the pad, gently dab at the tain – no rubbing. A wet patch almost immediately evaporates along with the smell of the alcohol and, thankfully, the stain.

3

When removing a stain from leather or upholstery, gently dab at it until it fades and finally dissolves. Don’t rub or scrub at the stain – take your time.

For clothing and washable items You will need: Small bowl or egg cup; a bowl; small spoon; artist’s paintbrush; 1tsp green bleach; 1-2tbsp just-boiled water.

1

Place the bleach granules into the egg cup, add the just-boiled water and stir until the granules dissolve, leaving a milky coloured, concentrated green bleach solution.

2

Lay the stained area over an upturned bowl, then dip the small paintbrush into the hot solution and paint over the stain. 3

Repeat at half-hour intervals until the ink stain has thoroughly faded and gone.

4

Green bleach isn’t brutal like chlorine and will slowly take its time to dissolve the stain, but remember it only remains active for a few hours so it isn’t worth keeping the mix to use later. Use what’s left to clean your teapot, tea-stained cups and sink, or pop into the washing machine with your whites.

CLEAN WOOD-BURNING STOVES & FIREPLACES

For a wood burner

You will need: Cold wood ash; newspaper or used brown paper.

1

To clean the glass, simply scrunch up a piece of dampened newspaper or used brown packaging paper, then dip it into cold wood ash from the fire. 2

Rub this over the glass – you will see it remove any soot and burned-on deposits – then polish with a second piece of dry paper.

3

When finished, you can throw them both into the grate to burn later. Job sorted.

For an open fire hearth

You will need: Glass jar with a screw top lid; spoon; cleaning cloth; soft sink brush; half quantity of cream cleaner (see box, right); warm soapy water.

1

Apply the cream cleaner to the stone or slate area then dip the soft sink brush in the warm soapy water and brush the cream into the stone or slate.

2

Rub well in, then wipe away using the cleaning cloth, rinsing well. Leave to air-dry naturally.

3

Always try this out on a test area first, though, choosing a spot that is out of the way so it is less visible.

SORT STEAMY WINDOWS

You will need: Kitchen paper or dry absorbent cloth; eco-friendly washing-up liquid.

1

Mop up any condensation present on the glass using a piece of absorbent paper. Then take a slightly dampened cloth or the same slightly damp piece of kitchen paper with just a blob of washing-up liquid and wipe over the glass.

2

This invisible film will prevent the moisture immediately condensing on to the glass and stop windows from steaming up.

■■The Green Budget Guide by Nancy Birtwhistle is out now in hardback

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There is an utter joy in saving money while living a greener life along the way