I decided to change how I used plastic, single-use products and chemicals in my home and share my tips online. Place all ingredients into the recycled jar or tub, stir to a thick smooth paste and it is ready to use.

Green Living Made Easy by Nancy Birtwhistle | Waterstones Green Living Made Easy by Nancy Birtwhistle | Waterstones

The bicarbonate of soda cleans and gently rubs away stains, the washing-up liquid, while assisting with the clean, also emulsifies the ingredients, and the vegetable glycerine, as well as having gentle cleaning properties (it is used in many skin products), treats and feeds. 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.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! Leave the liquid in the jug to cool completely, uncovered, for a few hours to prevent crystallisation, then pour into a spray bottle and it is ready to use. Most importantly, I feel, are those little hits and tips which make such a difference in the kitchen and within the home. From making her own eco-friendly cleaning solution to descaling a kettle, Nancy's tips are easy for everyone to try at home.

Nancy Birtwhistle shares her eco-friendly Pure Magic: Nancy Birtwhistle shares her eco-friendly

I rubbed and scrubbed at this stain, only to find when everything had dried that the stain had disappeared but was replaced by a permanently damaged scuffed carpet pile. Birtwhistle’s recipe is 150ml water, 60ml white vinegar and 40ml surgical spirit, with essential oil for fragrance. 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. 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.Her main ingredients include bicarbonate of soda, “because that’s used a lot”, a big bag of citric acid, a bottle of surgical spirit, sodium carbonate (known as washing soda, which can be a skin and eye irritant) and a bag of sodium percarbonate (known as “oxygen” or “green” bleach; it’s not as toxic as chlorine bleach, though you still have to be careful with it, as you do with all these ingredients, which, while considered acceptable natural cleaning alternatives, aren’t entirely benign. Clearly explained, accessible and beautifully illustrated with black and white line-drawings, Green Living Made Easy is the perfect guide for anyone looking to pursue a more sustainable lifestyle but unsure where to start.

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Going green in the garden has never been easier with Nancy's sustainable, eco-friendly tips that will help you make the most of your space, and what it can grow. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Nancy Birtwhistle not only won the fifth series of The Great British Bake-Off, but has built up a huge online following of devoted fans – including Gigi Hadid and Jonathan Van Ness – who love her sustainable, eco-friendly cleaning and gardening tips. 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. Pop your metal shelves into the hot solution making sure they are submerged and leave them overnight.She says: 'This is my favourite jumper and although it's quite new, it's starting to bobble under the arms due to friction. In a video on her Instagram, Nancy explains that you can easily descale a kettle by twisting a lemon on the spout and leaving it for a few minutes.