Galleon Stores

Back in February we shared tips from one of our customers on making your own natural, non-toxic cleaning products. As we move into a new season, Jacqui has shared her tips for greener Spring cleaning using simple household ingredients that you may have already. There’s no fumes or toxins involved, nor packaging or transport and doing so can save you money. Like her eco-friendly gift ideas for Mothering Sunday and Easter, it’s also a creative and fun way of making your home smell of your favourite scents. 

Many of the ingredients below are also available to purchase at Galleon Stores.  

Spring cleaning

Make rags from old cotton textiles, e.g. curtains, table cloths, tea towels or clothes. You can use the homemade cleaning recipes from our previous post for floor cleaner and surface spray.

Windows

An old but greener method – use old newspapers scrunched up and a vinegar spray. Make up 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water and shake together in an old spray bottle. Optional: add sieved lemon juice or lemon essential oil for a fresh scent. The vinegar smell evaporates. Do this on a dull day as sunshine produces streaks. Leaves windows sparkling and lets the light in!

Wooden Furniture

Damp dust with a wrung out rag. Make a polish (either in a jar or a spray with a big enough nozzle) using 3 parts olive oil to 1 part white vinegar and your choice of essential oil e.g. lavender, orange, lemon, alternatively sieved lemon juice. Shake together in a jar, dip a rag in and apply to wood. Use a clean rag to buff. Make this fresh as it doesn’t keep long. Cleans and moisturises wood beautifully. Rinse rags under a hot tap and then put in with laundry for reusing.  You can also simply use coconut oil.

Mothering Sunday/Easter/birthdays

Some eco-friendly gift ideas you can make at home:

Plants: grow seeds and root cuttings from your garden e.g. fruit bushes, flowers, interesting veg, shrubs, herbs. Use peat free UK compost. Herbs benefit from topping with grit to keep them well drained. Put in a beautiful upcycled pot e.g. terracotta, china. You can save these from your spring declutter or pick up cheaply from charity shops. Make labels from slate from the beach or recycle card. Tie with a piece of old ribbon, raffia, twine, strip of material (e.g. from an old dress). Add a brown luggage label with the name of the plant and any instructions.

Chocolate: melt chocolate and pour in small pools on to a tray lined with baking parchment. You can use dark and white swirled together too for a marbled effect. Add dried fruit and nuts e.g. cranberries, sultanas, glace cherries, flaked almonds, pistachios. Leave to set in fridge. Wrap in recycled baking parchment and twine or put in an upcycled tin and decorate.

Bath salts: mix together any of following – Epsom salts, Himalayan pink sea salts, coarse sea salt and your choice of essential oils. Layer in a clean, dry jar with dried flowers e.g. rose petals, lavender, marigold, camomile. Attach a label with instructions to sprinkle 1 tbsp under a hot running tap.

Posting

Needing to send gifts by post? Use brown paper and brown paper tape (both available at Galleon Stores) for a more sustainable alternative (sellotape has to be removed before composting/recycling).