Inspired to protect the planet for her ten grandchildren, Nancy decided to change how she used single-use plastic and chemicals in her home and began to share her environmentally friendly, innovative ideas and time-saving swaps with her followers. Lifestyle & Wellbeing What is the Planetary Health Diet? Everything you need to know about this environmentally friendly diet 17/12/2020 Stir until the liquid is clear and the crystals have dissolved, then simply add the eco-friendly washing-up liquid and tea tree oil and mix well using a small whisk. Another one of Nancy's clever tips revealed how she makes her own toilet cleaner. To make her solution, she adds 250g citric acid in a small pan with 125ml water. Then, she stirs it together to form a clear, thin syrup. Once it has been left to cool, Nancy then adds 10-20 drops of lemon or tea tree oil and transfers it into a spray bottle. Take a look at her video to see how it's done... Whether you have a sprawling garden, a modest patch of grass or just a spare windowsill, this handbook with over 100 tips will help you embrace the joy of growing and eating from your own garden.

The green cleaner: 15 natural ways to spruce up your home

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. The next day, pour the water off the jumper and gently squeeze it to remove the excess. Do not rinse, wring or spin. Lay a large clean towel onto a flat surface and on top place the very wet jumper. Gently pull at it lengthways and sideways, stretching the fibres as you go. Take your time in gently remoulding your favourite jumper to its original size and shape. Citric acid will dissolve limescale and kill germs. Photograph: kali9/Getty Images Deep-clean the loo This is what Birtwhistle uses in her iron, rather than buying expensive distilled “ironing water” or using hard tap water, which can fur up an iron with limescale. She takes it from her water butt a litre at a time. “Boil it and, when it’s cold, add two or three drops of lily of the valley essential oil.” Make an all-purpose cleanerIt was a filthy washing machine that prompted Nancy Birtwhistle to embrace the power of eco-friendly cleaning. “I was nearly at the point where I thought I needed a new washing machine, because it was a disgrace,” she says. “And that’s the sort of culture we’ve become: ‘I’ll replace it.’” Instead, she gave it a thorough clean and switched to homemade detergent. She says her machine no longer gets gunked up from chemical overload. Here, Nancy shares some natural swaps to boost your budget and banish harmful toxins from your home. Toilet cleaner Note: If your oven shelves have been sprayed or coated with ‘self-clean’ substances, do not use this method. The chemical coating can be damaged by soaking. This method is not suitable for aluminium trays or shelves. Aluminium can be cleaned using bicarb or washing soda, but long soaks cause oxidization. When ready to use (and I suggest you do this outside), take off the lid, give it a stir and the smell will send you reeling – it really is awful, but plants love it! Strain off the leaves, using simply the lid as an aid, then strain again using an old fine tea strainer. Fill the spray bottle, then add the eco-friendly washing-up liquid and clove-bud oil. Give it a good shake then spray away!

Nancy Birtwhistle shares her eco-friendly Pure Magic: Nancy Birtwhistle shares her eco-friendly

Pop your metal shelves into the hot solution making sure they are submerged and leave them overnight.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. A horrible job – and one for which Birtwhistle used to use harsh chemicals in a big plastic bag. There are two methods, she says. “One is to simply put them out on the lawn overnight. The best results I’ve had is to do it when the grass has just been cut, and cover the shelf with grass clippings as well. It creates a sort of steamy environment and then the next day they just wipe clean.” One of her social media followers from South Africa gave her this tip. However, if you don’t have a garden or grass, “submerge them in washing soda overnight”. Stained casserole dishes I have been posting ‘Hints and Tips’ and Recipes daily on social media platforms for over 2 years and this book contains many of those daily posts. I have included around 100 recipes within the book, among those recipes is a whole section on ‘free from recipes’ such as gluten free, fat free, low sugar, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options. Nancy Birtwhistle at home … ‘I made the point of making it affordable.’ Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer Bulk-buy ingredients

Green Living Made Easy: 101 Eco Tips, Hacks and Recipes to Green Living Made Easy: 101 Eco Tips, Hacks and Recipes to

The bicarbonate of soda cleans and gently rubs away stains, the washing-up liquid, while assisting with the clean, also emulsifies the ingredients, and the vegetable glycerine, as well as having gentle cleaning properties (it is used in many skin products), treats and feeds. To get your sheets looking whiter than ever, Nancy explains: 'All you're going to need is table salt, citric acid and a sunny day.' After soaking the sheets and pillow cases for 20 minutes, Nancy says all you do is let them drip dry outside. You'll be amazed at the results!

Nancy Birtwhistle's cream cleaner

Birtwhistle says she “lived for years and years” with stains on the inside of her cast iron casseroles. “Then it just took a tablespoon of sodium percarbonate and a kettle of boiling water and it was clean.” Brightening whites The complete guide to growing your own veg from former Bake Off winner and Sunday Times bestselling author Nancy Birtwhistle. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. Pop the article in a plastic bag (a used one) to keep everything moist. Leave for an hour – or overnight – then remove from bag and pop in the washing machine set at 20°C (yes, 20°C!) Works a treat on my pine kitchen table, cleans silver and also removed red wine stains from tile grouting – just add a blob of my cream cleaner directly to the stain, rub in with an old toothbrush, leave for a minute or two then wipe off!

Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle

In a bowl large enough to take the woollen jumper when folded, give 2–3 squirts of hair conditioner and add the vinegar then fill with lukewarm water. Lay the folded jumper onto the bowl of water. No need to submerge it – leave it to absorb the water in its own time and sink to the bottom of the bowl, then leave overnight. The vinegar and hair conditioner will soften the woollen fibres, making them lax and pliable. The next day, pour the water off the jumper and gently squeeze it to remove the excess. Do not rinse, wring or spin. Great British Bake Off winner Nancy has plenty of sustainable tips to share (Picture: Elizabeth Clarke) It takes years and years to break down, is toxic and the fumes can irritate the eyes, throat, lungs and skin. Once you are satisfied that it looks as it used to, take the towel and start rolling from the bottom, nice and tight, until the jumper is concealed in a huge towel and jumper sausage. Rolling tightly will extract much of the remaining moisture. When the towel feels quite wet, unroll and transfer the jumper to the second towel, which again has been laid out on a flat surface. Nancy Birtwhistle’s plant feed with added benefit Most importantly, I feel, are those little hits and tips which make such a difference in the kitchen and within the home. These nuggets of knowledge have proved super popular amongst my followers and I have weaved them in throughout the book. I learned many of these hints and tips from my grandmother, but I have also found other little gems hidden away in very old 19th century literature.

Conkers … contain natural detergent. Photograph: Katie Shires Photography/Getty Images Remove scuff marks Mix a thin paste and dab it over the stain, massaging it in circular motions with gloved hands. The residual stain will lift and so will the odour. If you can air-dry the item, even better.