Antibacterial Spray Alternative

A fresh smelling, homemade alternative to commercial antibacterial sprays.

Easy to make, and using the natural antibacterial and antifungal properties of essential oils this will save you money, be kinder to the environment and you will reduce the amount of plastic you use by making your own.

I also think it smells much nicer, and it doesn't get to the back of my throat when I spray it!

I first started making this nearly twenty years ago and recently recovered my recipe in a box of old things, so thought I would record it on my blog for future use (so that way I can't use it again!). It's very easy to make, you just tip a few bits into your bottle, give it a shake, and off you go!

N.B. If you want a quick look at the science, you can find the abstract from an article on the NBCI website here which looked at the antibacterial and antifungal properties of certain essential oils. And of course there is lots more evidence all over the interwebs readily available.

Easy Foaming Handwash - only 3 ingredients and 30 seconds!

A really quick recipe for foaming handwash that you'll use again and again as it's so easy!

Many years ago, I used to make lots of my own eco-friendly cleaning products for around the home. Somehow (maybe a house move and a second baby on the way and other things?) I got out of the habit, and it was only recently, when clearing out some old boxes, that I found some of my old 'recipes' and started again as part of my efforts to reduce our usage of plastic.

Not only will you stop having to buy expensive plastic bottles of handwash, you'll also SAVE money, because it costs less than 20p to make each 300ml bottle yourself, rather than the £1 it usually costs to buy a 250-300ml bottle! Below, you'll find the recipe for handwash, together with the links for the lovely glass foaming bottles I found and the organic pure castile soap I use. If you have to buy in the ingredients to make this, they will soon pay for themselves with the huge saving you'll make on every bottle of handwash you make for yourself from now on.

Another unexpected benefit - after only a couple of days of using this handwash, there was a visible difference to the skin on my hands - particularly the back of my hands. I kept doing a double take, as my previously rather dry, and sadly a bit wrinkly hands had become noticeably smoother looking and softer. What's not to love?!

Anyway, enough eulogising, here's how to make it!