I’m a big believer in hygge, which was something that I thought only I knew about, hah, until it went viral in 2016. Since I am a winter snuggler, hygge is key to helping me get through the dark days that are now upon us, both literally and figuratively. There’s no real translation for hygge – it’s kind of welcoming… Read more »
If your house, like most houses, has more than one floor, consider making yourself cleaning caddies that have a permanent home on each floor. Our house has a converted attic, so it’s three stories high – one of my huge extravagances is having a vacuum cleaner on each floor: no more lugging this heavy appliance up and down the stairs. I… Read more »
Blurgh. Window cleaning is a tough job and not one I much looked forward to until about a year ago, I hit on a solution – clean one at a time. Voilà. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me earlier. I’m used to splitting up other jobs, after all – I don’t vacuum the whole damn house in… Read more »
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” – Pablo Picasso
Briochin is a French household ‘natural’ products brand – they make all manner of cleaning products with a retro, olde-worlde look and feel. The packaging is generally retro, usually navy-blue cardboard with white lettering and most of the products are certified by Ecocert as not harmful to the environment. I value them too for their pleasant, natural smells, often based… Read more »
Few people get everything they want or even all they need.
Falun is a pretty esoteric French household product. I first came across it at a garden fête and quickly got addicted. I buy a few tubs of it per year and in between, I make my own from scented sand. So what is it? Falun is a type of absorbent limestone. Sold in the form of rough sand, manufacturers impregnate it… Read more »
Placing an inch-thick layer of cat litter at the bottom of your kitchen bin, under the bag, helps absorb odours and drips. The fuller’s earth type works well, but makes the bin heavy to move, while the crystal type or pressed pellet type is lighter weight. Almost all types can be placed on the garden when they become soiled and will… Read more »
The things I have around me need to feed my soul and not possess me. Anon
Personally, I dislike using commercial air-fresheners, which often contain some nasty chemicals such as benzenes and phthalates. Products with antibacterial powers, such as Febreze, are useful for items such as the dog’s bed, but simply making the air smell sweeter doesn’t really require bactericides. Obviously, your main treatment for stale smells is to open the windows and, if you can,… Read more »