Useful Mulches

Mulching is a useful technique in the vegetable garden to save on weeding and help conserve moisture. There are various products around, so which is best?

Straw: can be effective, especially for conserving moisture but in a wet summer it will harbour slugs. It does keep your boots nice and clean, though.

Grass clippings: free and effective. Just cut grass can get too hot for growing plants as it breaks down, so lay it out in the sun to dry, cool it down and spread it around. Especially good round potatoes, squashes, pumpkins and courgettes. As it rots it will add valuable nitrogen to the soil.

Strulch: a mineralised straw product. Not cheap but it suppresses weeds incredibly effectively and has a poor capacity to hold water so rain runs straight through to the soil. This means the surface stays dry, which helps keep the slugs away.

Bark: not a good choice for the veg patch as unless its properly rotted down it can cause nitrogen lock-up and it harbours slugs.

Alys Fowler in The Guardian Weekend, 2011

Keeping Water Clean

Although we often don't think about it, we add a number of chemicals into the waste water system simply through use of everyday products.

Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory drug. As with the contraceptive pill, our bodies do not use all of the active ingredients and the excess is excreted in our urine. Water companies are looking at working with pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs that our bodies can absorb better.

Triclosan is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal found in soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, mouth washes and cleaning supplies. Surprisingly it is also increasingly found in other items such as kitchen utensils, toys, bedding, socks and rubbish bags. The American Food & Drug Agency found that soap is just as effective in the home, except in mouth wash, or in hospital to reduce the spread of MRSA.

The cost of removing Triclosan at sewage works in the UK is about £32bn. Denmark's public awareness campaigns have seen a 54% reduction in use. Some UK supermarkets are now eliminating it from their own brand products.

TributylTin (or TBT) is a highly effective fungicide. It is used in sports clothing to reduce odours from sweat but a small amount is enters the sewer system every time an item is washed. It's difficult to know if your kit contains TBT, but there are restrictions on importing products with high levels.

[Wessex Water Magazine Autumn/Winter issue 2013]

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) is the normal activity we do in everyday life – climbing stairs, folding laundry, walking around house, etc. But we are less active than previous generations as more people work in an office, drive taxis, lorries and buses for a living, and watch TV or use a computer in our leisure time. Consequently many people now spend 80% of their day sitting.

Research has shown that the more you sit, the greater your risk of diabetes and heart disease. And taht applies even if you do a gym workout every day and then spend the rest of the day sitting.

But it is easy to make changes and become more active and increasing movement can burn 500 calories a day. All these little things add up, so we need to get active.

• Try standing: to use the phone, to use the computer, have standing meetings at work.
• Walk rather than use the car, use the stairs instead of the lift, or walk to someone's office to talk about an issue or a decision instead of phoning or emailing them.
• Wiggle your toes or legs while watching TV, and get up an walk around in commercial breaks.
• Never have a duvet day.

Vinegar for cleaning

Vinegar is useful for various cleaning purposes. It removes white deposits from glassware, can be used to descale kettles and shower heads, and for cleaning windows.

Clean bathroom and kitchen tiles with a mixture of 1 part water to 1 part vinegar - it leaves them sparkling.

But you need to use distilled white vinegar and not malt vinegar - even white malt vinegar - as these contain sugar, which will leave a sticky residue on surfaces unless you rinse them thoroughly afterwards.

If you can't find it in shops, try Natural Collection (natural.collection.com) which sells Dri-Pak distilled white vinegar in 500ml sprays.

Good Housekeeping 2013

Currency cards

Currency cards are more convenient than traveller’s cheques. You load money onto the card by phone or internet – meaning you can upload extra money while on holiday.

If your card is lost or stolen, your money is protected, just like cheques; call your card company to block your account, reimburse any lost money, and post out a new card. 

As money is loaded onto the card, if it is stolen the thieves can’t get hold of your bank details. 

No expiry date, and money can be converted back to sterling on return if wished. You can also opt for a secondary card, if you and your partner both want one.

(Clipping dated 2013)