Any life hacks to share please?

[Esther Knapicius]

use baking soda to clean on certain items. re-cycle paper and plastic. have well water but careful with its usage.

 

[CanadianLori]

This is so useful. I wonder what can be used to get rid of limescale on taps or shower hose ..

Nice tips, @Larisa !

Vinegar. It can also go in the toilet. I use it for washing foors and windows too.

 

[alp]

Yes. That's right. That hotelier only allowed his stuff to use vinegar to washing windows .. I used a bit as rinse for my dishwasher.

Raj: Petrol is not good for the environment.

Raw honey can be used instead of growth hormone for dipping cuttings. A lady also put some willow sticks next to new cuttings. Apparently, they help rooting.

Yes, Esther, baking soda seems to have some magic qualities. I used it to wash away the pests smothering my strepts in very lukewarm water.

 

[MaryMary]

Have you got any life hacks to reduce our footprints on this globe? Anything that's ecologically friendly and it can be anything that you care to share ..

In the winter I don't want to cover all of the windows with plastic, so I cut cardboard to fit the ones I don't, and use it to insulate the glass at night. I left tabs to make it easier to put up and take down. If it's very cold at night, I have to move the plants off the sill, so I'm at the window anyway...

If you have a window you don't look out of, ( ... or don't want anyone looking in!) cover the cardboard with something black and leave it up all the time. The black will absorb any heat from the sun and help to heat the house.

The same way people are warmer in layers, if it's going to be very cold that night, I'll throw a sheet over my curtains. That extra layer on cold nights helps save energy.

I don't do this... but you can also keep your house warmer by hanging cloth "wall art" of some sort in winter. Castles used tapestries, but I've seen it nicely done with an area rug, and also a handmade quilt on a frame.



I also use less energy (electric) to heat the house in the winter simply by hanging a curtain on a tension rod between the living room and the rest of the house. This keeps my living room 5-10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house, so I can set the thermostat lower.

The house is built long and narrow, with the front door in the middle, in a small entryway. The living room is to one side, the kitchen and bathroom are to the other. The front door is metal, with a large window in it, and it radiates cold in the winter. For some reason, they put the thermostat on the wall across from the front door.

The bathroom and kitchen are chillier, but if I'm spending any amount of time in those rooms, it usually involves heat.

 

[alp]

@MaryMary I use yoga mat or similar material to line my windows. So people from the street can see several green windows.. I don't mind. I also add a thick layer to my curtains. They were so heavy that ex said that they might pull the curtain rails down!

I agree with you. When it is winter, I don't really care what other people think. I just want to keep the heating bill down, the place snug and warm. If I were to stay here, I would add 100mm thick insulation boards to the walls. But as I am moving, I don't want to spend any more money. My son says when we move, we will take the curtains with me! I cackle as they are terrible sewn.. I so wanted to add insulation boards to the lean to, but again, no point if we are moving as they will have to be taken down.

Your suggestions have started me thinking: I will put up the bubble wrap to line the windows in the lean to and leave some hot water bottles in the lean to to raise the temperature a bit. Every little helps..

 

[alp]

The magic of vinegar

Very useful video. Don't like the bit about repelling ladybirds though

 

[alp]

Cinnamon to fight damping off

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

The magic of vinegar

Lovely white lotus at the end, I thought there would more advice about lotus

fungi grow better in acidic medium, please correct me if I am wrong.
spray vinegar might repel ants, but it might kill plants.

 

[alp]

Yes. I wouldn't want to use vinegar on plants .. a bit over the top.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I have lived in places north of you good people, and I will tell you I know curtains can be made of bed comforter thick materials that simply end the cold issue.

 

[alp]

I have lived in places north of you good people, and I will tell you I know curtains can be made of bed comforter thick materials that simply end the cold issue.

What a brilliant idea. I have quite a few of my older duvets .. Is that what you mean, DirtMech? I add some throws inside my curtains and they were sewn in badly. My son suggested that when we moved, we would take them with us!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Yes, I was far enough north that there were no trees, so not only cold, but they stop leaking cold air as well.

 

[alp]

Nowadays, houses in Scotland need to have a air leak test and if a new house leaks too much air, remedial actions need to be taken to fall below the figure suggested. I think new regulations are good for the environment. I am interested in the spray foam insulation method. Apparently, some houses in the States have been sprayed with toxic substance and houseowners need to wear masks before entering the house .. No laughing matters!

 

[DirtMechanic]

Use only a closed cell foam.

 

[alp]

@DirtMechanic I did a bit of research and a lot of builders suggest avoiding like a plague. They said that it glued to everything and was very difficult to get rid of .. I saw it applied in new build and for new build, it seems to be a good way to seal the house against outside foul airs.. This reading has dented all my enthusiasm.