Guerilla Pothole Gardening.

Based on the original Guerrilla Gardening movement of recent years, Steve Wheen has taken it to a new scale. The gardener creates miniature gardens using potholes on quiet streets, a project which is some where between artistic expression and making a point to local authorities that they should probably sort out the hole in the road.

You can follow Steve's continuing pothole gardening adventures on his blog.

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Natural, non-toxic mold killer.

It's a problem we all come across from time to time. That horrible black mold that creeps along the grout between the bathroom tiles not only looks awful but can be harmful, causing serious breathing troubles and allergic reactions. A lot of folks rely on bleach to do the hard work of getting rid of the mold but in truth it doesn't remove it completely. While it does remove the discolouration from the grout or sealant, it doesn't kill the spores.

So let's pull out the Green Clean kit and see what we can do. 

Utensils:
- 1 fresh spray bottle
- Rubber gloves
- 1 old toothbrush you'll never put near your mouth again!
- Scouring sponge (soft cloth for painted walls)
- Old towel

Ingredients:
- Distilled white vinegar
- Baking soda/bicarbonate of soda

Let's get to work:

1. Put your ever so attractive rubber gloves on and fill your spray bottle with the vinegar. Do not dilute.

2. Spray the moldy areas with the vinegar until it's well covered and leave it to work for half an hour, longer if it's stubborn mold.

3. Using your fingers, paste baking soda over the mold and vinegar covered areas.

4. Spray the baking soda with a coat of vinegar. The soda should start to foam.

5. Brandish your old tooth brush, shout "Mold-be-gone!", and scrub the mixture into all the nooks and crannies. Scrub it some more with a scouring sponge if cleaning grout or sealant. (Give it some welly but be gentle on painted walls, you don't want to scrub the paint off! I would suggest swapping the scourer for a soft cloth like an old tea towel in this case.)

6. Rinse away the residues and dry down with an old, but clean and dry, towel. If you are using this on painted walls do not use water to rinse, simply remove the residue by drying down the wall with the towel.

If you have stubborn mold in the bathroom you may need to repeat this process. You could also try adding a few drops of tea tree oil to the vinegar if you don't like the vinegary smell. Tea tree is also known for it's mold killing properties.


Try this recipe out and let me know how it works for you.

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A green clean plus the basic ingredients for homemade cleaning products.

Let's talk about green cleaning products for a moment. I used to be a cleaner and there is no doubt that I've probably cleaned some of the grottiest houses imaginable. Yes, I've cleaned that... and that and scraped that off the bathroom wall too. When it comes to cleaning power we mainly used mainstream brands that you find in a supermarket and they worked, but we would end a job coughing and spluttering and feeling like our lungs had been scraped of their lining. Try doing that six times a day, five days a week and you'll soon want to switch to chemical free products!

I've generally used plant based cleaning products from a store, but recently I gave making my own products a go and to give credit where it's due they work just as well as the commercial brands. Sometimes it can take 5 minutes to let it work, however I never have minded putting my feet up for a moment and having a cup of tea and I've often had to do this with chemical products anyway.

A common issue with homemade products is the smell. It's not surprising that people don't want their house smelling of vinegar so I add a drop of tea tree oil or even lavender and it's wonderful. The same is true of normal cleaners with scent names like Ocean Fresh and Blossom Breeze. The reason why they have such strong fragrances is due to the awful stink of the chemicals and they smell a heck of a lot worse than vinegar.

So if you want to start with the basic ingredients for a green clean check this out:

-Liquid castille soap
-Baking soda/Bicarbonate of soda
-Soda crystals
-White vinegar
-Essential oil (Tea tree works well for an antibacterial spray)


Coming soon: Essential green cleaning product recipes.

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Plastic Ain't My Bag and other awesome reusable shopping bags.

Last year Wales made it mandatory for shops to charge 5 pence for single use plastic bags. The first time I went to my local supermarket and forgot to take some reusable bags, I kicked myself as I handed over my money for those plastic rotters (non-rotters is probably a more fitting name). I didn't want them and I certainly didn't want to pay for the privilege. But it was my own fault. The first time I went into a clothes shop and was asked to pay for a bag I realised it was high time for a behavioural change.

Most of us have reusable bags for food shopping, occasionally we forget to pick them up on our way out. So I always keep at least a couple of the larger sturdy  bags in the boot of my car and a smaller one in my handbag. The canvas ones squish up lovely and small so they don't take up precious space and it really helps me out of a pickle when I'm being forgetful.

1. "Plastic Ain't My Bag", £7.50 from WeAreWhatWeDo; 2. The Eco Carrier Bag, £1.25 from EcoCarrierBag; 3. Fleur Rose Handheld, £2.99 from Fizbag.


I confess, the one I carry around with me is the orange "Plastic Ain't My Bag" bag, bought purely because I thought the slogan was hilarious. It's the little things in life!


What do you think about paying for single use plastic bags?

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