Natural Cleaning

Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, has a multitude of uses, with the most common including home baking and household cleaning.  

For cooking:

It has leavening properties, best used to raise soda breads, muffins, cookies and cakes, leaving a light and fluffy texture.

'Bicarb' is a store cupboard essential and one of the best (and cheapest) cleaning ingredients out there. It is a great 'natural' cleaner, deodouriser and mild abrasive.

Allergens: no allergens

Top tip: An acid (as well as moisture) activates it best, so combine it with cream of tartar, yoghurt, or milk. 

Other uses:

This versitile product has so many uses, some of which we have listed. At the end we have included some recipes for some of these uses.

Uses include dental (mouthwash replacement and teeth whitener), deoderant, fridge odour neutraliser, air freshener, whitening agent in laundry, kitchen/bathroom cleaner, garbage odour eliminator, carpet stain remover, pesticide remover in fruit and vegetables, silverware polisher, pot cleaner, weed killer, shoe odour neutraliser.

Make your own:

Mouthwash - Add 1/2 tsp bicarb soda to 120ml (1/2 glass) warm water, gargle, spit out

Teeth whitener - Add onto your toothbrush, and brush as normal after brushing. Not to be used as an alternative to toothpaste/toothpaste tabs, but as an addition. 

Kitchen/bathroom cleaner - Make a paste by mixing baking soda with equal amount of lemon juice and a bit of water. Apply the paste to the desired surface, and scrub/wipe with a cloth as normal

Carpet stain remover - Cover the carpet stain with a thin layer of baking soda. Fill a spray bottle with a 1-to-1 mixture of vinegar and water, and spray some over the stained area. Wait up to an hour or until the surface dries. Scrub the baking soda loose with a brush and vacuum up the reside, and here you have a clean carpet! If there's any residue left from the baking soda, wipe it with a clean damp towel.

This natural borax substitute is a great all-purpose cleaning solution for cleaning many household items and surfaces all around your home.

A multipurpose cleaner, stain remover and water softener, this natural, eco-friendly borax substitute is also known as Sodium sesquicarbonate - a mineral compound crystal of soda crystals and sodium bicarbonate. It has a similar pH to borax, making it ideal for cleaning and laundry. It combines the abrasive power of Bicarbonate of soda with the instant degreasing powder of soda crystals.

Sodium Sesquicarbonate is a great all-purpose cleaning solution for cleaning many household items and surfaces all around your home. It effectively removes stains from clothes, boosts laundry detergent, softens water and aids with overall cleaning. It is also highly effective at removing limescale, cleaning surfaces and floors, baths, sinks and bins.

• Made in the UK
• Plastic-free and home compostable packaging
• Vegan friendly
• 750g

Storage: Reseal bag after use and store in a cool, dry place.

Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth.

Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home, with helpful tips from bestselling author and Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle.

This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that have a massive positive environmental impact. In Clean & Green, Nancy shares the simple recipes and methods she has developed since making a conscious effort to live more sustainably, many of which are faster and easier than the go-to products and methods most of us use now.

From everyday cleaning and laundry tips to zero-effort oven cleaner and guidance on removing tricky stains from clothing and furniture, these economical, practical methods are perfect for anyone looking to reduce their use of plastic and throwaway products. Nancy shares her tried-and-tested recipes for all-purpose cleaners, replacements for harmful chemicals that will keep both your home and the planet clean and green for future generations.

Lots of you have been asking for Epsom Salts and we have been able to sustainably source it from our household cleaning supplier SESI.

Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate) are used in baths to soothe sore muscles, you can also use it as a bathroom scrubbing powder by mixing with soap and baking soda or bicarbonate or to clean toilets by mixing with some washing up liquid and leaving in the bowl for 20 minutes before scrubbing with the toilet brush. 

Vegan, cruelty free and biodegradable. 

One change, any change, will make a difference to our precious planet.

We all want to do our best for our homes and the planet, but it's often hard to find the time and energy to think of alternatives. Nancy Birtwhistle makes it easy with 101 indispensable tips, ideas and recipes that will help you to live a more eco-friendly life without giving up on any home comforts.

Natural bleach - how to use:

Stain remover - Use 2-4 tablespoons in a bowl of warm water as a pre-soak to remove stains. 

General cleaner and disinfectant - To make a solution - add 4 tablespoons in 1 litre of hot water. Brilliant to clean ovens, bins and toilets. For wood: brush with the solution, wait for 10-15 minutes then brush again and rinse well. 

To unblock and clean a sink drain - Pour 2-3 tablespoons in a hole of your sink, add boiling water on top. Wait a few minutes and rinse. 

Ingredients: Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate.

Origins: The earliest records show castille soap was first produced and traded from the city of Aleppo in Syria fom the 1100s and it has been a popular vegetable soap ever since.

Storage: Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Add fragrance: Add up to 1% by weight of your favourite essential oil and stir in thoroughly.

Ingredients: Water, Saponified Oils of Sunflower* and Coconut*, Vegetable Glycerin*, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid.

*products of organic origin.

Care in Use: High pH 10.4 to 11.5. When using this product avoid contact with eyes. Wash with plenty of water if splashed in eyes and seek medical advice.

Vegan, cruelty free, biodegradable, unscented, undyed, derived from organic sunflower and coconut oil.

Sodium carbonate also known as soda ash/ washing soda is a white crystalline powder, which is a great natural cleaner, effectively tackling dirt and working as a stain remover. The abrasive nature cuts through grime/grease and cleans various items around the household.

Bathrooms

Mix up a teaspoon of soda ash with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and apply to porcelain bath and sink fixtures. This will break down the soap residue and will help rid of any water marks.

Dirty tea towels

Use strong solution of soda and and hot water to remove dirt and grease.

Laundry boost

You can pre-soak dirty clothes in a bucket with 1 cup soda ash and 1 L of warm water, this will remove the dirt and stains then you can rinse as normal.

Slippery/slimy paths

Sprinkle on slimy paths and driveways, dampen, then leave for at least 12 hours, brush off.

Saving money doesn't have to cost the earth.

How can you remove even the toughest stains? How can you make the best use of your microwave and keep meals healthy and tasty? How can you remove mould safely? Sunday Times bestselling author Great British Bake Off winner Nancy Birtwhistle is here to answer all of these questions and more, featuring 101 thoughtful, cheap and time-saving tips and tricks on how to run a budget home – all while protecting the environment.

Going green in the garden has never been easier with Nancy Birtwhistle's sustainable, eco-friendly tips that will help you make the most of your space, and what it can grow. Whether you have a sprawling garden, a modest patch of grass or just a spare windowsill, The Green Gardening Handbook has over 100 tips will help you embrace the joy of growing and eating from your own garden.

This beautifully illustrated guide is packed with advice on everything from composting, clothing and basic equipment to seasonal recipes and guides to freezing, storing and preserving that will help you save money and reduce waste. This practical book from the former Great British Bake Off winner and Sunday Times bestselling author of Clean & Green and Green Living Made Easy is for anyone, green-fingered or not, looking to discover the delights of growing and eating food they've grown themselves.

Food grade. Please note, the glycerine is kept in the cleaning area of our shop. 

Vegetable Glycerine is a clear, odourless, sweet liquid produced by hydrolysis- a complicated extraction technique. Direct Chems provides Vegetable Glycerine which is a GMO-free and allergen-free product made only from vegetable oil. It is 100% pure, natural and premium EP grade suitable for a number of applications.

Vegan, Halal, Kosher approved.

Please note- Packed in a warehouse where soy wax is handled.

Vegan, cruelty free and biodegradable plant-based formula from Sesi Refill.

Not food grade.

A versatile and effective thickening agent, xanthan gum is a must-have for gluten-free baking, helping to create the perfect texture in your recipes. Beyond the kitchen, it’s also a fantastic addition to natural cleaning solutions - use it to make a thick, sanitising cleaning spray or a powerful washing machine cleaner. Practical, multi-purpose, and easy to use!