The Drain

Page last updated: 18th Aug 2008

What I was aiming for here was to make sure that everything I put down the drain was as free of nasty chemicals as possible. When I started, this seemed a daunting task and I did not know what to do.

By chance I came upon this book "Natural Stain Remover" by Angela Martin. With a few natural ingredients, most of them already in your kitchen cupboard, I could stop using chemicals and still have a clean house - or so she said. I was up for the challenge.

Lime Scale

In common with most of in Southern England, Chesham is a hard water area. If you are not sure what this means, check the kettle: Do you get a lime scale build up? What's the soil like? Is it a light brown clay with chalk and flint? If so, you are living in a hard water area! I was sceptical that anything that didn't have hobnail boots and pickaxe teeth would ever manage to clean my bathroom and kitchen. But, Angel Martin's recipe for Borax and Baking Soda did a pretty good job though it works better with warm water and you do need to rise thoroughly to get rid of the borax. But there were still some stubborn limescale stains that would not come out. Fortunately, Healthright's sell a large range of Ecovert products and I found that they had a lime scale remover. IT WORKS!

Glass and Stainless Steel

Then I tried adding white vinegar to the window washing water (1 part vinegar to 8 parts warm water) along with a few drops of essential oil and I had clean windows with no smears. Try cleaning your stainless steel with white vinegar - brings it up a treat.

Drain Management

The reason drains get smelly or blocked is generally down to organic matter getting caught and rotting in the drain. What you need it something that thinks this rotting vegetation is yummy scrummy and sets about eating it.

Earth Enzymes does just that. I get mine from 'Spirit of Nature'. You mix the enzymes with warm water and pour it down the drain. It keeps it clear of any build up of organic matter and takes away any smells they might cause. Once a week does the trick. But you can clear a blocked drain with it is you leave it for a hour to work.

The Laundry

Ever heard of laundry balls? There are several environmentally friendly alternatives to washing powders. I am using Codewash - I got mine from Spirit of Nature (www.spiritofnature.co.uk) who also offer many other soap alternatives. Codewash works by ionising the washing water thereby making it more effective as a cleaning agent. I have no idea what that means but it works for me! I have also experimented with using it in cold water washes. We tend to wash our clothes to 'freshen them up' after a day's wear, they are not really 'dirty'. A cold wash works fine - and saves heating bills and unwarranted energy consumption.

The Flush

We must remember that anything we excrete is bio-degradable. We have been bought up to be a bit squeamish on this level, preferring to flush it all away, but we should face the fact that this only makes it someone else's problem. Human urine, after all, is full of nitrogen which is good for the land, so nipping out into the bushes is a really good idea - it also helps to break down the compost. I read recently that it is also very good for getting rid of athletes foot but I can't vouch for that!

If you have the space and want to go really green, you might think about installing a compost loo.