Naturally Goode

Tag: eco friendly

  • Water Saving Tips for Summer

    Water Saving Tips for Summer

    How to save and recycle water around home

    As we head into what’s shaping up to be a long, hot and very dry summer, I thought it was a good time rehash and extend my list of water saving tips for you.  I have added to this list as people have shared their ideas and tips with me so please, keep them coming and I will keep adding to the list for you all!

    Obviously, my number one tip is to use all Tri Nature products throughout your house.  That way, ALL your grey water can go on your garden!

    Laundry

    • In our house, the washing machine hose goes out the window of the laundry and all water from the washing machine goes straight onto the grass and the garden.  This isn’t an issue for the grass or plants because I use Tri Nature products. The hose we have is really long so I can move it around as needed.
    • An alternative is to have the hose, and all the water, go into a wheelie bin with a hose connection fitting on it.  Then you can wheel the bin around the house and use the water wherever you need it on the garden.  We made our own version of this but you can buy these wheelie bins with hose fittings on them from Bunnings and other hardware stores.
    • Always do full loads in your machine.  Don’t waste water to wash one or two things.  It’s never hard to fill up the washing machine in our house.
    • Soak stained clothing in a bucket instead of the sink.  Use Tri Nature and then you can throw the water onto the grass or garden when you have finished soaking, instead of down the drain.

    Bathroom

    • Keep showers to a minimum.  4 minutes is always the goal.
    • Bath or shower small kids together.
    • Have a bucket in the shower with you, or more than one, if you have them.  This will catch lots of shower water before it goes down the drain.  You can then use it to water the garden or flush the toilet (you can “bucket flush” the toilet by just tipping the water into it with the same force as a flush would use).
    • If you have a motorised pump rig, you can pump water from bath into a wheelie bin for use on the garden.  If you don’t have one of these, you can bucket the water out onto the garden.
    • When it comes to the toilet, in our house, we apply the saying “If it’s yellow, let it mellow.  If it’s brown, flush it down.”.  We don’t flush unless the loo is getting too full of toilet paper or it’s smelly.  Flushing less often saves water and using the half flush at every opportunity saves a bit more.
    • Don’t leave the tap running while you brush your teeth.  Wet your toothbrush, turn it off, brush your teeth and the turn it on to rinse your toothbrush.  Use a cup with some water in it to rinse your mouth.
    • When washing your hands, apply hand wash and rub all over, then turn on the tap to rinse off.  Don’t leave the tap running while you apply soap.
    • Turn off the shower while you shampoo your hair or lather yourself.
    • Replace shower heads with water saving models.  Many water companies and councils have these available for free if you swap them for existing ones, or at a reduced price.
    • Hang your towels up to dry and reuse instead of increasing washing.  You don’t need a clean towel every time you wash.  You have only used it for drying off clean water.

    Kitchen

    • Use your dishwasher for everything.  Dishwashers use much less water than hand washing your dishes does.
    • Don’t rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.  Use cutlery to scrape off any excess food and then load them up in the dishwasher.  There’s absolutely no need to rinse something clean before if goes into the machine designed to clean it.
    • Again, full loads only.  Or half loads if you have a machine that only washes half.
    • If it takes a while for your hot water to come through, catch the cold water in a jug or a bucket and use it on the garden or in the kettle instead of letting it run down the sink.
    • If you can, set your dishwasher up the same way as the washing machine above.  Send the hose connection outside so the water goes onto the grass or garden or into a wheelie bin for distribution later.
    • Put your glass under the tap before you turn it on so you make sure you catch every single drop.
    • Reuse water from boiled or steamed food for other food, or wait til it cools and use it on the garden.
    • Put leftover ice cubes from your drink into a pot plant instead of in the sink.
    • Soak all your fruit and veggies in one sink together instead of rinsing each piece as you are about to eat it.

    Garden

    • Any water that hits our roof goes into rain water tanks and is used on the garden.  We have evaporative cooling which dumps water onto our roof every 3 hours when it’s on, so even though it hardly ever rains here, we still get water in the tanks.  It’s easy and affordable enough these days to buy IBC’s (old 1000L plastic shipping tanks in cages) off marketplace or Gumtree and divert your rainwater into those instead of the drains.  You don’t have to invest in big, expensive water tanks and a plumber.
    • For any plants in pots, put a saucer or tray underneath.  This will catch any water that drains out and the plant roots can suck it up as they need.
    • Water your plants at night.  Watering in the morning or during the day means you run the risk of much of the water evaporating before it can be absorbed by the plants.  Wait until the earth has cooled down of an evening and water your garden then.
    • If you mulch around your plant base, this helps retain moisture in the soil.
    • Many studies have been done that show planting into grassy ground, instead of tilled and harrowed soil, actually benefits the plants you’re planting.  Grass, rather than competing with your plants, actually helps to put more nutrients back into the soil and improve the soil’s water retention.  This can be harder to get your head around, especially because it looks messier than your conventional garden.
    • Indigenous plants are generally less thirsty than imports.
    • Native grasses are also less thirsty and far more drought tolerant than others.  If you know what to look for, you can gather up seeds from the side of the road and spread around your grassy areas to encourage it to grow.
    • Mow your grass long.  Taller grass retains it’s water better so you don’t need to water as often.
    • Fertilizers increase water consumption so use the minimum amount required if you must use them at all.  Consider making your own fertilizer with a worm farm.

    General

    • Leave your flowers growing in the garden rather than cutting them for display.  Fresh cut flowers can use up a lot of water to keep them alive. Consider living pot plants instead.
    • Check all your taps, hoses and fittings for leaks and repair them as soon as you can.
    • Eat foods with a higher water content to help keep you hydrated without needing to drink as much!
    • If you are washing your car at home, make sure you do it on the lawn so the grass benefits from the run off.  And make sure you are using Tri Nature products so you don’t kill the grass.
    • Wash pets and cars using a bucket, instead of a running hose.
    • Use a broom instead of a hose for cleaning tiles, driveways, etc.
    • Turn taps on slowly, not straight to full blast like my kids seem to do every time.
    • Teach your kids to be mindful of their water use and to be less wasteful.
    • If you have a pool, get a pool cover to reduce evaporation.
    • Report any broken pipes in public areas.
    • If you have to buy any new equipment or machinery, consider and compare water efficiency.

     

    Try doing just one thing each day and remember that Every Drop Counts!

  • Killing it in the Kitchen

    Killing it in the Kitchen

    5 eco-friendly tips to save hours of time, stress and mummy-guilt each week.

    Time for me to let you in on some secrets about how I kill it in the kitchen.  In our house, meals are my responsibillity.  This is, at least in part, by my design.  If it were up to my partner, we would be eating store-bought meatloaf with a side of two-minute noodles every night.  I was raised on a lot of veggies and salads and I wanted my kids to have the same, so I took over meals.

    I work 3 days a week in my job, a least another 2 days a week on my business, volunteer for canteen duty and school excursions where I can plus try and keep on top of the rest of the housework for a partner, 2 kids and up-to 4 part timers.  In other words, I’m as busy as every other mum out there.

    My kids have been in childcare since they were 7 months old, when I had to go back to work full time after each of them.  My job back then demanded long hours and we were often not home until after 6pm for the dinner/bath/bed routine.  We were getting up at 5.30am to start the next day so they really needed to be in bed by 7pm.  Frozen, ready-to-eat meals were a staple.

    While things have improved sightly over the years there was still a large amount of pre-preared foods involved.  I have still been wracked with mummy-guilt that I don’t give my kids enough of the right foods, that I don’t prepare their food from scratch so that I know exactly what’s in it, that I am contributing waaaaay too much packaging to landfill, etc. etc.

    I made some big commitments to myself for this year that I would cook from scratch, eliminate as much pre-prepared food and packaging as possible, feed my kids more veggies and the right kinds of foods.  I have had to make some big changes to achieve those goals.  I’m pretty happy with how things have turned out so far.

    1. Meal Plan

    I know, I know.  Super nerdy and one of those tasks that sounds like just one more thing on the never ending to-do list.  BUT I spend less than half an hour on this once a week and it saves me at least that much time on a daily basis.  I know what we are having for dinner each night for the next 7 days.  No more getting home from work and spending ages staring into the fridge or pantry trying to figure out what I’m going to make for dinner.  The decision is already made so I can just get on with it.

    I have thousands of recipes.  For someone who never really cooked much before kids, I seem to have accumulated quite the collection of cook books.  Each week I pick 3 books and I flick through and choose our week’s meals.  I generally go for some meat based meals, some with eggs, beans or lentils, one from another country (my youngest “visits” a different country in her class room each week so we talk about the food and which country it came from) and, especially in winter, a soup.  Friday night usually involves something easy and not necessarily healthy like home made pizza or sausages.

    2. Shop to a list

    I make my shopping list while I am doing my meal plan.  “Hello Fresh” love telling everyone how much their food packages save wasted food.  Well, so does meal planning and shopping to a list and you don’t have to pay extra for it.  I reckon I have knocked between $50 to $100 per week off the cost of our weekly shop just by meal planning and shopping to a list.

    I used to go to the shop and wander the aisles while I tried to remember what we needed plus work out what we might eat for the week and what I needed for that.  I would always end up forgetting something, spending too much time in the store and getting frustrated and just grabbing whatever was easiest because I didn’t want to think anymore.

    With my list, I buy only what I need to make the meals for the week.  I don’t end up grabbing stuff off the shelves “just in case”.  It saves wasted food, it saves wasted money and it saves me so much time in the store because I know what I need to get.  Having a list also stops me impulse buying a bunch of stuff that we will never use, just because I was hungry while I was in the shop.

    There are a couple of exceptions worth noting here.  I will sometimes buy bulk or a whole item instead of just what I need, to save getting additional packaging.  For example, if I need 500g of pumpkin for a recipe, I will buy a whole pumpkin so I don’t have to deal with the plastic wrap and the styrofoam tray (not to mention the additional cost per kg).  I find that the produce I buy whole seems to keep much longer than any pre-prepared produce from the stores.  There are also some great reusable produce bags you can get that make your fruit and veggies last even longer in the fridge.  Then I’ll make sure next week’s recipes include those ingredients so nothing is wasted.

    3. Tools

    4 years ago, my uncle and auntie bought me a 5in1 multicooker.  It does slow cooking, pressure cooking, rice cooking, steaming and soup.  I don’t think I really appreciated the value of this little gem until this year.  It is bloody fantastic.

    The 3 days I work, we generally have slow cooker meals.  I can’t tell you how good it is to come home after a day of work and an evening of rushing kids between dancing and karate to a cooked meal ready to be served.  The amount of stress this has taken out of my life is huge!

    I have a bumper womens weekly slow cooker cook book ($20 from the book man at before school care, thanks very much) and another slow cooker 365 cook book.  Between the 2 of them, I haven’t run out of new meals to try yet.  There are so many amazing things you can do.

    On my non-job days, the pressure cooker function still lets me whip up a risotto in less than half an hour including prep.  I also have a Thermomix which has been a terrific complement to my kitchen and helps me cook some amazing meals from scratch in under half and hour.

    If you can’t afford to splash out on the 5in1 or a Thermomix, a plain old slow cooker is a must have.  I would also highly recommend a good food processor.  You can save a lot of time, money and waste by preparing your own veggies.  For example:

    • chopping up your own tomatoes instead of using tinned ones
    • growing your own herbs, drying them and blitzing them and keeping them in old vegemite jars for whenever you need them

    Blitzing onions in the food processor has also saved me many tears and cut fingers.  If you want to get even more eco friendly, Tupperware have the Smooth Chopper, which is a people-powered food processor, no electricity required and you can work out while you’re cooking!

    4. Re-purpose the left overs

    I have 2 kids of my own plus between 0 and 4 part-timers.  Especially in the 4 years after my first daughter was born, my partner would turn up with up at dinnertime with any or all of them without notice.  I got really good at the fishes and loaves trick, making a meal for 4 into a meal for 8.  Perhaps as a hangover from then, I still tend to over-cater for dinner most nights.  This actually works out really well because we re-purpose our left overs.

    Generally, my partner and I will take some for work at lunch for at least one day.  Where there is a lot left over (like when I make soup), I divide it up into portions in containers and freeze it.  That way, we have ready meals for days when there are no leftovers for lunch and for times we may be away for the weekend and come home to no food.  This also gives me a backup options for the nights I can’t be bothered fighting my kids to eat on the meal I have cooked.  If the freezer ever starts to get too full, I just plan a few less meals for a week and use it up.

    5. Use your Dishwasher

    I know I say this often but honestly, if you have a dishwasher, you’d be mad not to use it.  In our house, everything goes in the dishwasher.  If it doesn’t survive the dishwasher, it has no place in our kitchen.  The dishwasher saves time and is more environmentally friendly.  Dishwashers use less water than hand washing dishes, as long as you don’t rinse the dishes frst.  Scrape food off into the bin and load the dishes up.  Use an eco friendly powder like Tri Nature Citrus Dishwasher Powder (then you don’t need to worry about toxic residue on your plates or killing the fishies).  I also use Tri Nature Rinse Aid. I have solar power so the dishwasher goes on one the eco cycle right before I walk out the door each day.  By the time I get home, the dishes are clean and dry and ready to use again or be put away.

    So there you have it!  My top 5 on how I get through the days and weeks without totally losing my mind over meals.  I would love to hear if any of this helps you or if you have any other tips you would like to share.  Please feel free to comment or get in touch and let me know!

  • A little bit of Tri Nature History

    A Little Bit of Tri Nature History

    I was watching a Facebook video about a new eco cleaning company and how they got started.  It reminded me that Tri Nature has a history that dates back to 1979 and two amazing Australians who set out to change the world!  I thought I would share a little bit about that.

  • Tri Nature Catalogue

    TriNatureCatalogue090318_FLIPPINGBOOK

  • 7 cleaning hacks to get your house holiday ready in a hurry!

    7 cleaning hacks to get your house holiday ready in a hurry!

    I think we have established by now that I am super efficient (lazy) when it comes to domestic duties but I lack the financial ability to hire someone to do it for me.  Plus they wouldn’t do it the way I Iike it done.  So, here are some of my favourite cleaning short cuts to help you get and keep your house Christmas/Holiday/Visitor ready this summer!

    Fridge and Pantry

    Use old tea towels and pillow cases to line shelves in your fridge or pantry.  If something spills, you can just throw the pillow case or tea towel in the wash instead of going through the trauma of cleaning the shelf.  Fabric will soak up the spills on the shelf where they happen so you have a better chance that only 1 shelf will be dirty, instead of the back of the fridge and every shelf below it as well.

    Tea towel fridge shelf liners
    Tea towel fridge shelf liners

    Upcycle your old jar lids and use them upside down as coasters for new jars in the fridge and pantry.  These will catch any drips before they get to the shelves. This comes in especially handy in the pantry if you have an ant invasion.  Just put some water in the lid before you place the jar in it and the ants can’t get across the water and into your honey or jam!

    Recycled Jar Lid Coasters
    Recycled Jar Lid Coasters

    The Loo

    Keep a little disinfectant concentrate in the bottom of the toilet brush holder to keep it as germ-free and odour free as possible. If you choose Sphagnum Moss or Sanazone Lemon Myrtle, you get the added bonus of an air freshener as well!

    If you need to clean the limescale out of the bottom of the toilet bowl, don’t worry about scrubbing or bleach.  Tip about 50ml of descaler into the water and let it sit (the longer the better so overnight at least).  Then flush and you’re done!

    Disinfectant in Toilet Brush Holder
    Disinfectant in Toilet Brush Holder

    It’s amazing what you can put in a dishwasher!

    Your dishwasher is much more of helper than you realise.  There are so many things you can throw in the dishwasher for cleaning and sanitising.  It saves a whole lot more water than washing the old fashioned way in the sink.  It uses much hotter water than your hands can stand for improved germ killing power.  And you don’t have to stand there while it’s on.  What’s not to love about that?

    Here are just some of the things you can toss into the dishwasher for a clean and freshen up:

    • the sponge!
    • plastic brushes
    • stove knobs
    • mop heads

      Dishwasher Crocs
      Thongs and crocs go in the dishwasher no worries.
    • kids plastic toys
    • soap and toothbrush holders
    • plastic flowers
    • light cover fittings
    • potatoes and root veggies (don’t use detergent in this cycle)
    • plastic or metal gardening tools
    • thongs and crocs

    For any metal or glass that needs an extra boost, add descaler to the load.  This is a great way to get rid of some rust, calcium and limescale build up in your machine as well as on your stuff.  You can do this with:

    • the shower head
    • cloudy glasses
    • the shower caddy
    • metal gardening tools

    Shower

    If you can’t get the shower head off to get it in the dishwasher, put some water and descaler into a strong bag and tie it over the shower head.  Leave it there for as long as possible (overnight or a day or two if you can).  This will clean up the outside and inside so any little holes blocked by calcium, limescale or rust buildup will clear up as well!

    Showerhead bagged with descaler and water
    Showerhead bagged with descaler and water

    Microwave and Oven

    Nuke a glass of water in the microwave for 2 minutes to get everything damp and steamy for an easy clean, then wipe it out with a cloth.

    Half fill a deep baking tray with hot water and bake it till the inside of the oven is damp and steamy.  Wipe out with cloth.  For extra dirty ovens or microwaves, spray with multipurpose or oven cleaner once it’s all steamy, then leave for at least 10 minutes before wiping out.

    steamy microwave
    Nuke a cup of water to steam up your microwave for an easy wipe out

    Food Processor/Blender/Thermomix

    Clean your blender or food processor quickly using this trick I learned from my Thermomix consultant.  Once you’re finished using it, add drop of dishwashing liquid and half fill it with water.  Then turn it on full blast for 3 seconds.  The quicker you do this after you have finished using it, the better, especially if you have been making dough.  Then whoosh the scrubbing brush around inside to get any extra sticky bits off and rinse.  If you use eco responsible Dishwashing Liquid like me, you can tip this water on your garden instead of down the sink!

    Rangehood Filters

    Put a couple of inches of hot water into the bath and mix in some dishwasher powder or pre soaker.  Throw in your rangehood filters, jiggle them around a bit and then leave them for a few hours.  You will come back to sparkling filters.  Rinse off, let them dry and put them back in the rangehood!

    If your filters aren’t that bad, you could put them through the dishwasher instead, provided they are not too big to fit.

    Citrus Dishwasher Powder Rangehood cleaning trick
    Citrus Dishwasher Powder Rangehood cleaning trick

    Got any tips?

    If you have any cleaning hacks you don’t mind sharing, please leave them in the comments below!

  • My Laundry Powder Science Experiment

    My Laundry Powder Science Experiment

    I did a little Laundry Powder Science Experiment the other day with a couple of supermarket brands of laundry powder.  Both are Australian made and both claim to be the super eco friendly.  Aware also claims to have no added fillers.

    I mixed a front loader dose of powder from each brand into a (recycled but clean) pasta sauce jar and added warm water.  I used half cold and half boiling water so let’s call it 50 degrees, hotter than my washing machine anyway.

    I stirred and I shook until my arms were tired.  Then I left them to sit for a while.

    At first, I thought the Aware powder had dissolved quite well but a couple of hours later I came back to it to discover that was not actually the case.  I don’t know what’s in it but it looks like shards of plastic.

    The Eco Choice just looks like it has bits of sand in it.

    Tri Nature’s Alpha Plus Laundry Powder is completely dissolved and clear all the way through (of course)!

    You can watch the video of me doing the experiment.  It goes for 10 to 12 minutes.

     

    And YES, I fully encourage you to TRY THIS AT HOME!

  • What is Gentle Chemistry?

    The Philosophy of “Gentle Chemistry”

    Gentle Chemistry: A review of why we established Tri Nature and what sets us apart from the mainstream by Brian McLean, Tri Nature Director and research chemist.

    It is timely to review our history: many newer distributors, customers and members are only aware of today’s Tri Nature and may benefit from hearing the “Tri Nature story: the beginning to the present day”.  The article is based around the most frequently asked questions and responds to the perennial question “what makes Tri Nature different from the rest ?” It features in part in the February issue of The Natural Health and Vegetarian Society (NHVS) Magazine.

    A brief history…

    Hammersley Industries, Tri Nature’s parent company, was founded in 1972.  At that time I had been in the chemical
    industry for 12 years and had been involved in the manufacture of high quality, chemical specialty products with a large multi -national corporation.  Our new company grew well, in industrial and commercial sectors, through the 1970s . Its success was based on providing highly efficient products and personal attention to the individual needs of our customers. It was this personal attention that awakened us to the notion that people in industry were not being served well.

    This was a period when ‘sledge-hammer’ chemistry was practised by many companies and seemed to be the easiest
    way to tackle industrial cleaning and maintenance issues. Developing products using sledge-hammer philosophy does not take a lot of talent and the use of strong caustic alkalies, strong mineral acids or powerful chlorinated
    hydrocarbon solvents was common.

    We began to understand that industry had little choice in what they used, as most chemical suppliers just offered
    more of the same. We also considered that, because we were a small company and closely involved with our customers, maybe we were in a good position to provide alternatives.  Developing products ‘with a difference’ was the germination of the ‘gentle chemistry’ philosophy.

    Particular problems…

    An example of our concerns in the industrial arena was the use of chlorinated hydrocarbons in electrical solvents . Chlorinated hydrocarbons are superb de-greasing solvents. They were and still are used for the cleaning of electric motors and small parts. They are very strong solvents and have very low boiling points, which means they evaporate quickly and leave no residue. They also have the advantage(for electrical work) of being non-conductive and non-flammable.

    Are they the perfect solvents? Yes indeed – as long as the safety of the people handling or using them and the
    safety of the earth’s atmosphere is disregarded! The toxicity of chlorinated hydrocarbons ranges from ‘quite
    concerning’ to ‘downright scary’!  They evaporate quickly and the vapours are absorbed readily through the skin or
    by inhal ation. They reside and build up in fatty tissues. They are nervous system depressants and can damage the
    liver and kidneys. Back in the 70s and 80s, many were also ozone layer depleters.

    The most toxic types of the ozone depleters have since been banned – but many other toxic CHCs reman in popular use throughout a broad spectrum of industry – one of the most concerning circumstances being the extensive use of large quantities of perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene) in commercial dry cleaning operations.  This is one of the most toxic CFCs still readily available.  New, liquefied carbon dioxide technology may one day make the use of perchloroethylene obsolete – but, until then, I urge you to air all drycleaned items thoroughly before bringing them into your home.

    Hammersley was the first chemical company in Australia to formulate away from chlorinated hydrocarbons in
    industrial electrical solvents – and first to develop solvent-free degreasers, plus an entirely solvent -free industrial hand cleaner. Hammersley continues to provide safer industrial technologies to industrial and commercial accounts.

    The Phosphate dilemma…

    In the more general arena, we had become aware, through our investigations of international trends, of the increasing number of countries desperate to arrest a growing eutrophication problem in their inland water systems and their consequent legislation against the use of phosphates in laundry powders.

    A laundry powder’s efficiency has always been strongly dependent on its phosphate content , with normal supermarket brands generally containing 30-40% of a phosphate compound. Sodium tripolyphosphate, the main phosphate used, i s an import ant part of the building system of all regular laundry powders. Cost effective and very hard to replace, it is non-toxic and highly efficient in providing not only gentle alkalinity, but water softening, soil suspension, anti-redeposition and free rinsing qualities.

    The only unfortunate feature of this ingredient type is that it provides phosphorus as a nutrient to the effluent water. This nutrient effluent remains unchanged through all wastewater treatment processes and acts as a fertiliser for the suffocating growth of weed and algae in our water systems (the process called eutrophication).  Laundry powders share responsibility with automatic dishwashing powders for being the greatest household contributors of phosphate nutrients to our waterways.

    We were aware of the growing general alarm at the deteriorating health of Australia’s inland water systems and increasingly concerned about the very  visible effects of the polluting phosphates and nitrates in our local,
    Hunter region waterways. These observations led us to believe that it was highly likely the Australian government would also legislate against the use of phosphates in laundry detergents.

    The greatest challenge…

    Because of our personal concerns about the environment and the desire to preempt legislation that we believed  was inevitable, we set about the task of developing a high-quality, phosphate-free laundry powder. This was the most difficult task we had ever undertaken. European and American technologies revolved around the use of zeolites
    (insoluble alumino-silicate compounds that caused so many problems in some countries that legislation banning phosphates was repealed) or nitrogen compounds, a farcical replacement of one pollutant nutrient with  another.

    These technologies produced powders that were less efficient and more expensive than their phosphated predecessors.

    The breakthrough…

    We had to do much better than had previously been done anywhere in the world. The research took a number of years , many frustrations and substantial funding, but resulted in our gentle and highly effective Alpha Plus Laundry Concentrate powder. Besides its ‘phosphate free’ status and proven efficiency, our laundry powder also offers many other benefits – both environmental and personal:

    • It contains two very gentle surfactants , alpha olefin sulphonate and alkylpolyglucoside, which cause no skin irritations. (Sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate, alcohol ethoxylates and sodium lauryl sulphate are most often used in ordinary powders and can cause irritations. )
    • It is concentrated and contains none of the useless sodium sulphate or sodium chloride that bulks out and extends normal powders (these and other fillers increase salinity in effluent , make the product less acceptable for grey-water uses and increase the usage rate needed for the wash).
    • It is extremely free rinsing (the addition of fillers to the chemical load of the wash makes it more difficult to ensure free rinsing.  Consequently, skin irritation from the washed garments is more likely).
    • It is very gentle and is suitable for all washable fabrics.

    As it transpired, the Australian government did not legislate against phosphate/nitrate laundry detergents. The status quo was maintained, along with the problem of eutrophication. It would be appropriate to mention at this point that our more recent Alpha Plus liquid products – Laundry Liquid and Gentle Wash – have negligible salt content and, being liquids, are also free of phosphates and nitrates.

    For suburban grey-water gardening and the inevitable, future need to recycle wastewater on a grand scale, Peter Shepherd-Wilson of Waterwise Systems, a grey-water system manufacturer in Victoria, has declared that they are probably the best laundry products available in Australia. The ramifications of high salt levels in wastewater are that salts destroy garden soil and that large-scale desalination is, currently at any rate, a very expensive process.

    Peter is very concerned about the high salt counts recorded at Melbourne’s wastewater treatment plants. Both he and the plant engineers estimate that, at the Werribee plant , where a lot of industrial effluent is treated, 10  percent of the salinity is attributable to household products.

    At the Carrum Downs plant , which receives far less industrial waste, they estimate that 30- 50 percent of the salt count is caused by household products, mainly laundry powders.  The remainder would come from industry and the fertilisers used in agriculture, but this high household percentage provides an indication of just how much difference could be made by using truly  environmentally responsible household products.

    The birth of Tri Nature…

    Back to the 1980s. Our company now had this ground-breaking, fantastically gentle, effective and economical powder to make available to the laundries of Australia. However, it was a product with qualities and features which needed to be explained – and, through our work with the laundry powder and other development projects, we also had many more ideas for equally gentle and superior household products ‘waiting in the wings’. This was the genesis of Tri Nature.

    A network of independent distributors and specialist retail outlets was developed, so that the benefits and advantages of our products could be fully explained to customers and users. In October 1989, Tri Nature was officially launched, with a ‘ small footprint ‘ philosophy. A philosophy of harmlessness to humans , flora,  fauna, ecology and environment, and a passion to replace harsh and aggressive chemical products, petroleum  solvents, phosphates and other environmental pollutants with gentle, naturally based, high performance products. A philosophy of ‘gentle chemistry’ .

    Since then, Tri Nature has extended from the 13 original products to a full range of household specialty and personal care products. Sometimes the additions to our range have been slow to emerge, because a lot of our work is not easy. Each product must be the very gentlest and the very best available. Each product must provide real advantages, in usage, safety and environmental terms.

    Law and folklore…

    In the past few decades, Australian legislation covering poisons, dangerous goods and health and safety issues  has gone a long way in making the chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis reasonably safe. While care still needs to be taken when choosing and using household cleaning products, they are much better controlled than in 1989 when Tri Nature began.

    There is , however, considerable use of deplorable scaremongering and  misinformation tactics used by some
    specialist manufacturers who consider it necessary to market their products by convincing people that using anything else may jeopardise the health and safety of themselves and their family.  This is dishonest and brings no honour to our profession.

    The Tri Nature difference…

    So, if things aren’t as bad as they were, what now gives Tri Nature the edge? What is it today that sets Tri Nature apart and why do so many users report so many beneficial results since switching from supermarket to Tri
    Nature products?

    I believe that the ‘Tri Nature’ difference is a result of the difference between Tri Nature’s philosophy and that of the companies which develop products for sale through supermarkets. If we analyse the products available to us on the supermarket shelves, we find that, despite the advertising hype, supermarket cleaning products are all very  similar to each other. They are all pared down to the lowest common denominator in order to achieve the lowest possible price.

    We normally don’t go supermarket shopping for something of special quality. If we are after a special item, we go to a specialist shop. In the area of household chemicals and personal care, the lowest common denominator approach means manufacturing a barely workable, often irritating product for the lowest possible cost…in stark contrast to Tri Nature’s ‘best and gentlest’ approach.

    Dishwashing Detergents…

    Let me take just one simple example of the most used household liquid product – dishwashing detergent: All  supermarket dishwashing liquids are based on sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate. This detergent agent, manufactured from an aromatic petroleum solvent (dodecyl benzene), offers good foam and grease-cutting properties, but is very harsh on the skin and leads regularly to irritation and redness of users’ hands.

    These  formula types have changed very little since the advent of biodegradability legislation in the 1970s, and while they are not inherently dangerous, little consideration if any is given to making the product gentler or to creating the most  efficient product possible. Cost is the overriding factor.  Sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate is easily thickened with common salt. Products in the cheaper price brackets, with very low active contents, are made to look more concentrated by this method.

    Tri Nature uses a very different approach: Chamomile, our liquid dishwashing product, is highly concentrated and built from very gentle, cosmetic grade materials. All our surfactants are vegetable based, very readily  biodegradable and more usually found in high quality shampoo type products. Only 4 ml of Chamomile is needed to
    provide excellent results, and reusable pumps are available to eliminate wastage.

    It is a very versatile product that can be used for many light-duty jobs around the home, and, with up to 250 washes  in each one-litre bottle, is extremely economical. We are continually working on improvements, and our work with  alkyl glucoside technology is currently being used to create an even gentler and more efficient Chamomile product.

    …And other non-toxic products

    Chamomile is just one of the products in the T ri Nature range demonstrating that quality, gentleness and economy can exist in the one package.  It is important to understand that the best cost-efficiency level for any product type is never found in the cheapest possible product.

    Similar comparisons can be drawn with all of the relatively safe supermarket product types.

    The real dangers…

    At Tri Nature we have had many people speak to us of the headaches and dizziness they experience when using some leading brand products for general cleaning around the home and especially in confined spaces like shower and toilet areas.

    Let me indicate a few freely available household chemical types that pose a real threat to health and safety in the home, and for which Tri Nature offers much gentler and safer alternatives.

    Chlorine bleaches

    The active ingredient in liquid bleach is sodium hypochlorite, which is freely available in supermarkets in concentrations from three to six percent. These products are stabilised with caustic soda and can have pH levels over 12.5 (highly alkaline).  A number of these product types are thickened and used on the vertical surfaces of  showers and toilet bowls.

    Sodium hypochlorite is a potent oxidising agent, which accounts for its bleaching effects, destruction of body fat and soap scum in showers or baths and its corrosiveness to human tissue. Concentrated solutions can produce severe tissue injury. Skin or eye exposure produces local burning and irritation and can cause serious  corneal damage.

    Inhaling sodium hypochlorite fumes  may lead to sore throat, cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs).  Ingestion of household bleach can cause oral, oesophageal and gastric burns, as well as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

    Acidic Products

    Toilet bowl cleaners often contain various concentrations of corrosive agents, including sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid or sodium bisulphate. Symptoms following exposure to any of them will depend on the route, concentration and duration of contact.

    Acids directly damage the surface layers of tissues. Effects on the  skin can range from reddening and swelling to blister formation and overt skin destruction. Eye exposure may result  in burning, pain, redness and corneal damage.

    Inhaling acid fumes can cause sore throat, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Severe exposure can cause
    pulmonary oedema (although this is not likely with most household cleaning products). Ingestion can lead to severe
    oral, oesophageal and gastric burns, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

    Alkaline cleaners and ammoniated products

    One nationally advertised product for shower cleaning is an alkaline liquid with strong, penetrating and choking volatility when sprayed. Products of this type contain volatile organic compounds that act as solvents for  soap scum and greasy soils.  They are inhaled in mist form when sprayed and can easily irritate the nose, mouth, throat and chest. More severe exposure can cause hoarseness, coughing and difficulty in breathing.

    Ammonium hydroxide is another caustic ingredient found at levels between four and six percent in common  ammoniated cleaners. It is highly volatile and gives off choking fumes with similar detrimental effects to other alkalies.

    Skin contact with alkaline solutions can produce a soapy feel because of their ability to solubilise skin fats and proteins.  They can produce severe pain, blister formation and tissue destruction. Eye exposure may bring burning, pain, redness and severe corneal injury. Ingestion can lead to severe oral, oesophageal and/or gastric burns, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

    While casual exposure to any of these products can be dangerous, other commonly used cleaning products that contain low concentrations of bleach, corrosives or caustic substances corrosives or caustic substances are mostly not likely to be serious health hazards, if used according to instructions.

    Fatal mistakes

    However, exposure to the toxic effects of a combination of them can be deadly. In an attempt to make cleaning  products work better and faster, people have been known to mix multiple cleaning agents. This is an extremely dangerous activity, as indiscriminate mixing of products can lead to the release of toxic chlorine or chloramine gases.

    Mixing bleach with acidic, ammonium, or nitrogen-containing products can be fatal and everyone should be discouraged from mixing any cleaning products.

    Some specific alternatives…

    Tri Nature’s approach to cleaning in shower and toilet areas is much gentler on both the person cleaning and the
    environment. One of two products is generally recommended:

    Optimate is a mildly-alkaline cleaner built around several highly efficient vegetable-based detergent agents. It contains a dual solvent system derived from orange oil and sugar. This three faceted attack (of mild alkalinity,
    efficient detergency and natural-based solvency) deals with the oily and proteinaceous soils of the shower and bath areas easily – and safely.

    Excel is a mildly acidic cleaner that is highly effective and safe to use. Excel is based on citric acid that is potentiated (or activated) with a small amount of acetic acid. Both are organic acids derived from sugar and both  are readily biodegradable.  The formula also includes efficient, vegetable-based surfactants and a sugar-based  solvent. The organic nature of Excel has a strong affinity and solubilising action on soap scum and body fats. The  product is also efficient in the removal and prevention of water staining in toilet bowls and basins.

    Automatic dishwashing powders present another potential household hazard. Their high alkalinity and chlorine content has proven to be a dangerous combination, as many reported domestic accidents have attested.

    Tri Nature’s alternative, Citrus Dishwashing Concentrate, is the greatest safety breakthrough ever within our range of household products.  With the lowest pH of any powdered dishwashing product, it contains none of the caustic,  alkaline or chlorinated compounds that have caused so much harm to children around the world.

    A child who breaks through all the household safety precautions to get to it will survive the experience without sustaining permanent, irrevocable harm to the digestive tract or internal organs, which would surely be the result of
    ingesting other powdered dishwashing products on the market.

    The health and safety advantages of our other products over their supermarket counterparts are not so extreme.  Nevertheless, each and every product in the Tri Nature range is very efficient and exceptionally gentle to the user  and the environment.

    This is Tri Nature’s philosophy – the philosophy of gentle chemistry.

    Note from co-author Janet Saxton, of Victoria:

    Brian McLean has written several articles for the New Vegetarian and Natural Health magazine. As an industrial and manufacturing chemist, having majored in organic chemistry, the publishers feel that he has a vast background and experience upon which to draw when answering general questions on potential safety issues surrounding the cleaning products present in today’s marketplace.

    Brian’s previous articles are presented in NVNH on page 42 of the following issues – Winter 2003, Spring 2003 and
    Summer 2003/4. Each of these issues is still in stock in the NHS Bookshop.

    Acknowledgement from Brian McLean and Tracey Freinberger:

    Thank you, Janet Saxton, for your tireless efforts to bring truth and enlightenment on issues such as these to the readers of NVNH – and your assistance with both subject matter and content.

  • The Term Organic and what it means for Tri Nature products

    Organic

    I am often asked whether Tri Nature products are organic or not. If the definition of Organic is applied in the same way as it is for other businesses, then the answer is Yes.  However, Tri Nature doesn’t play by the same rules as most other companies.  Tri Nature Chemist Brian McLean’s requirement for absolute and brutal honesty can, in very rare instances, make things more complicated for customers.  Use of the word organic is one of those instances.

    Below is an article written by Brian (in roughly 2012 I believe) in which he explains his reluctance to get the products Certified as organic.

    The term “Organic”: a conflict of integrity and profitability

    Author:

    Brian McLean, Research Chemist, Tri Nature Pty Ltd

    Brian McLean is one of the Managing Directors of Tri Nature Pty Ltd. Brian’s knowledge and expertise
    have won Tri Nature many manufacturing awards, most recently the Australian Business Award for Best
    Eco-Friendly Product in 2011. His dedication to environmental technologies has identified him as an
    ‘in-demand’ author of many published articles on this industry.

    Article:

    There are two broad classes of chemical ingredients in nature – organic and inorganic.
    As a general rule, organic (carbon based) compounds are animal or plant based, and inorganic compounds are mineral based, although many plants contain inorganic minerals in their structure. Both types are essential to our existence and survival, and neither can be considered either “good” or “bad” simply because of their chemical category.

    Unfortunately, in seeking to create an awareness of good ecological practice, the environmental movement chose the term “organic” to indicate a safe and sustainable method of agriculture. This created a confusion of terms.
    How is it for example, that a vegetable, which is a blend of organic and inorganic compounds, if treated with an insecticide (an organic compound) cannot then be deemed “certified organic”?

    To further exacerbate the situation, numerous organisations around the world set themselves up as self appointed guardians of what was and what was not “certified organic” and created benchmarks by which products could be labelled accordingly with their support and authority. The rules, individually and collectively, changed and evolved as various pressure groups asserted their influence until now the original concept has been lost and the certification process has become ludicrous.

    To consider that a cosmetic or specialty product that has gone through numerous chemical processes can be “certified organic” is ridiculous, and to consider that a product marketed this way is considered any safer or more effective is equally absurd.

    Australian government authorities are currently assessing the situation, with a view of legislating guidelines that will bring some reason to this dilemma that has led to a great deal of misinterpretation and misleading marketing.
    It should be clarified at this point that Tri Nature supports the growing of vegetable and other plant crops without the use of pesticides or artificial fertilisers. It is the terminology and the corruption of the original purpose that we find unpalatable.

    Tri Nature is very careful in its choice of raw ingredients. We do not use products sourced from genetically modified crops. In the majority of cases, and where it is possible to do so, we ensure that crops from which our ingredients are made are grown without the use of pesticides or weedicides. In all cases we guarantee all our ingredients are free from any chemical residues by a certificate of analysis or individual testing.

  • How GREEN are you?

    How Green Are You?
    How Green Are You?

    The other day, as I was hopping in my 4 wheel-drive soccer-mum car that I purchased brand-new and runs on diesel, I pondered just how green I really am.  I like to think I am pretty environmentally friendly but, without question, there are many areas in which I could improve.

    While my car isn’t the greenest choice, there are other reasons why I drive it.  I have to be able to tow a horse float, which limits my options.  Within that small group of cars, I absolutely look at fuel economy as one of the most important factors.  I do a lot of driving.  Picking a car with good fuel economy is one of the ways I can improve my “greeness” and it also improves my budget.

    I tell you this story because I believe that it’s not how green we are that matters most.  It’s about how we factor our concern for our environment (whether just in our homes, or the earth in general) into our lives each day.  It’s about constantly making changes and adjustments to improve the way we impact the planet, each other and our future generations.  Every little bit helps.  It doesn’t matter what you change or how big a change you make, it just matters that you make start.  Do what you can in the space you are in and with the resources you have.

    Each day I find a different way to approach things in my life that will improve my impact on the planet.   For me, any changes have to tick 3 boxes.

    1. Must be better for the planet than what I’m doing now,
    2. Must not negatively impact my family, and
    3. Must not be more expensive than what I’m doing now.

    Here are some examples of big and little changes I have made:

    • I use Tri Nature products everywhere I can (obviously)
    • We changed over our 2 electric hot water services to heat pump services which slashed our energy consumption and bills (you can read more about this change here)
    • I use green/reusable shopping bags for any shopping.  I have the smaller ones that fold up into tiny bundles in my handbag at all times so I am never caught without.  These are also great for using in the supermarket instead of plastic bags for items like apples and tomatoes.
    • I buy in bulk where possible to save on packaging
    • I buy “nude” wherever possible.  I can’t stand the trend towards packaging on fresh produce. Drives me crazy and I would rather buy a whole pumpkin and find ways to use it than just a half wrapped in glad-wrap on a styro-foam tray.
    • I always ensure packaging is recyclable on everything I buy
    • I grow my own food as much as possible with the time and space I have available
    • I buy locally made wherever I can (if I can’t get Australian fruit and veg I won’t buy it at all, which really hurts with avocados and asparagus and I am now growing my own garlic)
    • I reuse as much as I can, especially packaging, for example:
      • I donate all cardboard to kinders – it’s amazing what they can make out of a cornflakes box
      • packing material from Tri Nature is shredded paper which I use to line my chook house and then compost once they’re done with it
      • glass jars and solid plastic containers are washed and used for
        • gifts (filled with home made goodies or decorated and filled with other gifts)
        • leftovers or home made food
        • temporarily housing “pet” bugs from the garden
        • home made slime storage
    • recycle everything I possibly can that can’t be reused
    • I carry a small bag with a metal travel fork and spoon so I never need plastic or take-away cutlery
    • I recently invested in some metal straws which live in my handbag so the kids never need to get the plastic ones (because it’s never just one of the plastic ones either)
    • I take my 1L refillable water bottle everywhere so I don’t need to buy bottled water
    • I take my 2 travel mugs with me everywhere so I don’t need to use disposable cups for tea or hot chocolates
    • I recycle as much water as I can from our house
      • the washing machine hose goes out the window of the laundry and all water from washing goes straight onto the grass and the garden.  This isn’t an issue for the grass or plants because I use Tri Nature products.
      • any water that hits our roof goes into rain water tanks and is used on the garden.  We have evaporative cooling which dumps water onto our roof every 3 hours when it’s on, so even though it hardly ever rains here, we still get water in the tanks.
      • bathrooms and kitchen I have yet to figure out.

    Hopefully I have given you some ideas about what you can do differently that will help you and our planet.  I would love to hear your ideas!  Please comment below, email me or drop me a line on facebook and let me know what you have done in your space.

  • 6 Ways to Save Money at Home

    It’s the time of year where all our car insurances are due.  I have an annual process I follow and it occurred to me that it would be nice if I shared it and several other ways I save money at home. Here are my top 5 tips.

    1. Insurances

    I thought I would start with the inspiration for my post.  Insurance is a very competitive market and prices change and get reduced all the time.  Your needs can change from year to year as well, so I find it best to do a review of most insurances every 12 months.  This can be a little time consuming but well worth the effort.

    Every year I get a renewal notice from my insurer with my new insurance rate for the upcoming year.  Every year I get online and get quotes from a range of other insurers and my current insurer.  Every year my current insurer comes in as the cheapest quote (for me) and they generally beat their own price by at least $150.  So I cancel my existing policy and take up the new, cheaper one.

    No one at my insurer has been able to explain it to me as the product is exactly the same in terms of excess and what the policy covers.  It would seem that my insurer prefers to reward new customers over existing loyal ones.  I have checked with several other people and this seems to be the standard across the industry.  Well worth the 30 minutes spent online getting quotes (and the 10 minutes spent unsubscribing from all their email databases later).

    Another thing worth noting is that if your circumstances change during your insured period, you can call your insurer and tell them of the changes and you may get a reduced rate.  For example, if you pay off your car loan, let your insurer know and your premium should reduce effective from the date the loan was finalised.  Don’t wait til next year.

    The life insurance market is similarly structured and it’s worth a review of your policy at least every 2 years.  The same goes for your health insurance, with some potentially big gains.  I have used iSelect to find a new health insurer and been really happy with them, even though their ads annoy the daylights out of me.  Changing over health insurance is pretty easy, as long as all your waiting periods are waived.  This change saved me about $50 a month!

    2. Electricity

    I managed to halve our electricity bill in the space of a few months using  a couple of different strategies.  The first thing I did was a review of our provider and their rates.  This isn’t always an option but if it is, you should be doing it once every 2 years as a minimum.  It’s really important to ignore claims about percentages and do the maths on what the bottom line prices are.

    What I mean by this is, company A may be offering a 50% discount and company B may only be offering a 5% discount.  What they don’t make very clear in most cases is that company A charges you $100 per unit and company B only charges you $50 per unit.  Company A will be pushing the point that their discount is bigger BUT 50% off $100 is $50.  5% off $50 is $47.50.  So even though company B has a lower discount, they actually cost you less.

    The best thing to do is get your hands on the rates for the new company, get an old bill and go through and work out how much that bill would have cost you with the new company.  Then you have a solid comparison.

    I called EnergyWatch to find out who the cheapest providers were in my area and then got the rates for those people and did my comparison.  Switching providers saved me about $150 per quarter right off the bat.

    The other big thing I did was switch our electric hot water services over to heat pumps.  This saved another couple of hundred per quarter.  You can read more about that here.

    There are, of course, lots of little things you can do as well.  These include:

    • replacing all globes in the house with energy saving globes
    • getting the TV attachments that turn the TV off properly instead of leaving it in standby mode
    • getting the special adapters for plugging other appliances (such as the DVD player, DVR and XBox) into so they are also turned off properly instead of sitting in standby more
    • turning off lights when you leave the room (it is worth noting here that we have flouro tubes in our kitchen light.  I know it uses roughly 1 hour’s worth of energy to power that globe up, so I actually leave the kitchen light on when I know I will be back there in less than an hour).
    • daylight harvesting, which is a fancy term for leaving your curtains open and letting in as much natural light ass possible

    On their own, these things don’t save much but they all add up.  The fact that saving electricity helps to save the planet as well as some cash is the icing on the cake!

    3. Mortgage Review

    I have literally just completed one of these and it has saved me around $400 a month.  That’s $400 a month that can now go towards paying off my house faster!  I was well overdue, not having done a review since before my first child was born over 7 years ago.  Ideally you should do this every 2 to 3 years.  The best part about this is, it’s free!  Any good mortgage broker can conduct this review for you and make sure your mortgage product meets your needs and you are getting the best possible deal for you.

    Personally, I can highly recommend Lisa from The Loan Room.  She made the whole thing so easy, and obviously got me the results, that I am totally going to give her a shameless plug!  You can get in touch with Lisa on 0418 174 003 or lisa@theloanroom.com.au.

    I honestly can’t believe I waited so long to do this.  Don’t make my mistake and get onto it today.  You have nothing to lose.

    4. Cleaning

    Okay so this one’s not a surprise to anyone.  I save an absolute BUNDLE on cleaning products using Tri Nature.  It’s one of the many reasons I switched to these products 7 or so years ago.  Of course, once I realised I was going to keep using these products, I joined so I could get the bigger discount and save even more money.  Many people do this with Tri Nature and just buy for themselves.  Now, obviously, I have ended up selling the products so my products pay for themselves and then some which is just a bonus.

    Product wise, the big ticket savings for our house come from these products:

    Dishwasher Powder

    Tri Nature directions on the Dishwasher Powder say to use a full scoop but my dishwasher always leaves about half behind so I only use half a scoop and that’s plenty.  So at full retail price, this costs about $0.23 per load.  Compared with supermarket brands it’s a saving for me of roughly $10 per month.  $120 is a night away (or two if we’re camping) for us.  Happy days!

    Laundry Liquid/Powder

    Again, I find half of what Tri Nature recommend is all I need to get great results so this also costs me around $0.23 per load.  This is at least half the cost of using the supermarket “sensitive” brand I was using before.  With 8-10 loads a week, I save roughly $100 per year on laundry powder/liquid too.  Both the Tri Nature liquid and the powder are equally effective and thy both work out to roughly the same cost per wash.  I am fundamentally a lazy person so I mainly use the liquid.  It’s easier to pump the liquid into the machine than to fiddle around opening the bucket to scoop out the laundry powder.

    Multipurpose Cleaner

    I buy the concentrate and mix it up myself.  At full retail price, a 500ml made-up bottle of Supre works out to $1.25.  Supermarket equivalents are roughly $5 to $8 for the same amount.  We use this spray a lot.  I use it on the bench, stove, walls, bathroom bench, shower, oven, the outdoor table, getting bug guts off the bumper bar and even for cleaning the patio tiles.  It still takes about 2 months to use a whole bottle.  A modest saving of around $22 per year but that’s still 4 or 5 take away hot chocolates.

    Disinfectant

    Again, I buy the concentrate and mix it up myself.  At full retail price, the Sphagnum Moss works out to $0.65 per 500ml made-up bottle.  Again, supermarket equivalents are roughly $5 to $8 for the same amount.  In our house, Sphag Moss is used for cleaning toilets and bins and as an odour killer in shoes, teenage boys’ rooms and in the bathroom.  I also add the concentrate to the mop bucket for the indoor floors for yummy smell, germ killing power and odour neutraliser.  This saves me around $50 a year.

    Handwash

    I keep a 5L of the Tri Nature handwash in the shower and my partner and kids use it as a body wash.  I have Cuisipro Foam Pumps on the sinks in both bathrooms and the kitchen and laundry.  These things are the BEST!  You put in a small amount of handwash and then fill up the rest of the bottle with water and it turns your handwash into a foam.  It saves 75% of handwash, according to their label.  if you have a high traffic area, or you have young kids, these foam pumps will save you a mint.

    Moisturising Hand Wash and Foam Pump
    Moisturising Hand Wash and Foam Pump

    5. Food

    We take our own food absolutely everywhere we can.  With up to 6 kids on any given day, buying food for everyone gets pretty expensive pretty quickly.  Any time we go out and I know we are going to be out past meal time, I pack a ton of sandwiches.  Everyone must take a water bottle with them (we have lots of reusable ones from various sports groups and associations).  Obviously I am happy about not putting more plastic into the environment wherever I can too.  If we find ourselves out without the necessary preparation, I will always try and find a supermarket to grab a roast chicken and a loaf of bread.  $15 at the supermarket beats $50 on sandwiches or $150 on dinner for everyone.

    Examples of places I take our own food include sporting events, day trips, adventure parks, long drives, the local park and even if we are just going to the shops for the day.  I also take our own snacks to the movies.  I make popcorn at home.  Not microwave popcorn but proper “old fashioned” popcorn that I make in the saucepan.  A big bag of corn kernels costs around $1.50 from the supermarket and makes the rough equivalent of about 6 large serves of popcorn from the movies.  If you don’t have time to make it (although it literally take about 6 minutes), again, the supermarket has pre popped bags for a lot less than the movies.  Chocolates, lollies and even ice creams are all much cheaper from the supermarket than at the cinemas so I stock up and take them in with me.

    “Old fashioned” popcorn is a cheaper and healthier alternative for a movie night snack than a bag of chips and is also a great playlunch snack in the kids’lunchbox.

    The rule is that lunches get taken from home for work or school.  Lunch orders or take away are the rare exception.  This also helps me improve food choices.  A lunch made at home in advance is always much healthier than any choices I make on an empty stomach in the take away shop.  The kids will always choose “sometimes” foods for their lunch orders, instead of healthier options.  Ultimately I am sure there’s a benefit in less money spent on doctors and medication flowing on from this.  I find I save roughly $40 a week by taking my own food to work, compared with what I used to spend before.  That’s over $2000 a year!

    Popcorn
    Home cooked Popcorn

    6. Water

    Obviously a great way to save money spent on water is to use a little water as possible from the water company. Cathcing rainwater  is a great way to supplement and reduce any dependence on town water. If you can’t afford a rainwater tank, it doesn’t hurt to use whatever containers you have to capture as much as possible from the sky.  Buckets and containers under downpipes or even left in the open when it’s raining can help.

    Recycling water you do use is another great way to reduce your need for town water.  Some ways I do this are by re-using as much “used” water as I can on the garden or in the compost heap.  This includes:

    • any part finished drink bottles of water that have been sitting around for a few days
    • water from steamed or boiled veggies
    • cold water from my hot water bottle (yes, I totally have one and use it ALL the time in winter)
    • bailing the bath water out
    • having buckets on the floor in the shower to capture whatever I can before it goes down the drain

    This house was built long before we got here and is on a concrete slab, so there’s little I can do about the shower and bath water that runs down the drains without spending a fortune.  My neighbour’s house has all the grey water running onto the garden which I think is terrific.  If you have the luxury of designing your house from scratch, it’s definitely worth considering.

    What I have done with the washing machine is have the outlet hose running straight out the window into a wheelie bin.  The wheelie bin has a hose attachment on it down the bottom.  This allows me to wheel it around the garden and use the water where I need to.  In reality, it’s always full and too heavy to move so I find a long hose to attach and drag the other end to wherever I feel is best.  I just leave it to dribble out.  This has been especially great for encouraging grass to grow back where we had nothing but dirt in the backyard.  I plan to follow suit with the dishwasher soon.

    Here’s a quick video showing you what I did:

    So there you have it.  Hopefully I have given you some simple ideas about how to save some money around your house.  If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them in the comments below.