Does your kitchen cleaner have added lemon? Avoid the chemicals – the lemon is all you need! Save the ends of lemons and rub over ceramic surfaces and rinse with clean water.

The natural bleaching agent in lemons magically lifts many stains clean away.

– Cut down on washing up detergents. If the dishes have had no contact with grease, they probably only need a rinse in hot water. And they won’t need drying if there’s no washing up residue. Just leave them to drain.

– Invest in a decent polishing cloth. You can make the furniture shine without piling on commercial polish every time you dust. Find a soft, non-abrasive cloth that doesn’t fluff up when you use it.

– Instead of buying tumble dryer products to get that ‘just hung out’ aroma, try hanging out the washing for real – time, space and weather permitting of course! The laundry will smell fresher and you’ll also save on the electricity the tumble dryer isn’t using.

– Look for user friendly products. Liquid detergents are often better for your washing machine than powders – they don’t clog up the works so quickly – less need to call a plumber.

– Skin care products can be reduced dramatically if you choose to use a simple solution. A big tub of (food grade) coconut oil can replace moisturizers, hair conditioners and even lip balm.

Cut down on the cleaning products and your health, your environment and your pocket will be a lot better off.

Linda x

P.S. If you’d like to give the Beauty counter a wide-berth as well as the cleaning products, check out my recently published book – digital and available from lots of online stores.

Find out more about this handy download on the At Home page.