Creative packaging design: Eco laundry detergent

Selection of eco laundry sheets

Washing powder is one of those long-time stalwarts of marketing and advertising – alongside toothpaste, beer, cigarettes and foreign travel. Detergents were always “new & improved” giving you “whiter whites” and “brighter brights”.

Things have come a long way since the Mad Men mid-century era and before. The 21st century eco laundry detergent buzz words are now ‘plastic free’, ‘refillable’, ‘ocean friendly’, ‘biodegradable’ and ‘cruelty-free’. We’ve never had so much choice! Furthermore, we don’t even have to go to the shops to buy those bulky, heavy boxes of washing powder. Light-as-a-feather laundry strips can be bought on subscription, popping through our letter boxes on a regular or flexible basis.

Sheets & strips

  1. The Lab Co. laundry strips
  2. Wablu laundry sheets
  3. Freddie laundry detergent sheets
  4. Simple Living eco non-bio laundry detergent sheets

Selection of eco liquid laundry detergent

Olive green dotted horizontal line

Selection of eco liquid laundry detergent

Liquid

Image 1:

  1. Eco-Me natural concentrated liquid laundry detergent, Lavender Blossom
  2. Mulieres natural organic laundry liquid – Rose Garden
  3. miniml eco-friendly laundry detergent

Image 2:

  1. Kit & Kin laundry bundle
  2. Faith in Nature aloe vera & rosemary laundry liquid
  3. eco-mate laundry liquid

Selection of eco laundry capsules / pods

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Selection of eco laundry capsules / pods

Pods & capsules

Image 1:

  1. Ocean Saver non-bio laundry detergent pods
  2. Ecover non-bio laundry capsules
  3. Wyx ecological laundry liquid capsules
  4. Laundrythings eco laundry pods

Image 2:

  1. Grab Green, Stoneworks, laundry detergent pods, birch branch
  2. Wilton London botanical eco laundry capsules
  3. smol concentrated laundry capsules

Creative packaging design: Furniture polish

The Original Wood SilkBriwax furniture waxAntiquax Original Wax polish

The preferred furniture polish in my childhood home was Mr Sheen. I can smell its distinct fragrance now!

Now, with a house of my own, I choose to use Wood Silk; a non-silicone beeswax based spray with a wonderful smell.

When it comes to the vintage and antique furniture that we sell in our shop, we apply dealers’ favourite, Bri-wax and buff to bring out the grain and shine in the wood.

Below, we’ve chosen a few of our favourite, eye-catching receptacles for furniture polish in liquid, aerosol and wax forms.

Method Wood PolishHoward Feed-n-Wax wood polishWheeler's Furniture Polish

Left to right:

Method wood polish

Howard Feed-n-Wax wood polish

Wheeler’s Furniture Polish

Rhoose Point Remedies Beeswax Wood Polish & TreatmentAntiquax Original Wax polishFurnitureClinic Beeswax Polish

Left to right:

Rhoose Point Remedies Beeswax Wood Polish & Treatment

Antiquax Original Wax polish

FurnitureClinic Beeswax Polish

The Original Wood SilkMr Sheen Multi surface polishBest Shine Plus furniture polish

Left to right:

The Original Wood Silk

Mr Sheen Multi surface polish

Best Shine Plus furniture polish

Natural cleaning remedies you need to try

Natural cleaning remedies you need to try

If you were to look at your current cleaning products and read what’s actually in them, you’ll find an incredibly long list of chemicals. Some of which can be pretty toxic. More and more people are turning towards natural remedies; they’re cheaper, better for you and are a great eco-friendly alternative. You’ll be happy to know that your kitchen cupboard already contains more natural cleaning remedies than you think.

Baking soda in a jar with wooden spoon

Baking soda

You may already be aware of using baking soda for cleaning. After all, you can use it in pretty much any room of your house. From scrubbing your bathroom and unclogging drains, to loads of laundry and carpet cleaning. Baking soda is such a versatile ingredient and it’s great at getting rid of odours and stains.

Bottle of vinegar, spreay bottle and ladle in front of a potted plant

White vinegar

White vinegar is another great, multi-purpose product. You can use it to get rid of mildew, mould and stains. If you’re worried about the smell, you’ll be happy to know the smell fades pretty quickly or you can add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil. You can also use white vinegar to create your very own all-purpose cleaner. Use equal parts vinegar and water, then add a few drops of essential oils to offset the smell. Or you could use citrus rinds for a lovely, fresh, scent. As with all cleaning, make sure you wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Lemon, lime, baking soda, essential oils, clothes pegs and pile of towels

Lemon juice

Citrus is not just for scent. Lemon juice is an incredible cleaning product. There are so many different ways you can clean your home with lemon juice. You can add sparkle to your stainless steel, get rid of grease from your microwave and even clean your entire oven. Thanks to the natural acidity of lemon juice, it lends itself to being used for cleaning. Plus, its versatility means it can be mixed in with other natural cleaning remedies.

Pile of salt crystals

Salt

Salt is such an everyday kitchen ingredient – it’s mainly used for cooking and seasoning food. However, you can also use salt to help you clean your home. Salt is a mineral that does a fantastic job at helping you scrub off dirt. You can use it to clean grimy pans and get rid of rust. Also, when you combine salt with baking soda or vinegar, it boosts the cleaning effects.

Natural soap, scrubbing brush and cleaning cloth

Castile soap

You possibly won’t find this last product in your kitchen cupboard, but when it comes to sorting out natural cleaning remedies there’s no other product quite like Castile soap. It’s a plant-based soap. You can use it to clean your home, as well as yourself.

Changing up your cleaning cupboard and embracing natural products not only saves you some cash, but it’s also much better for the environment. Do you use any natural cleaning products that you’d recommend?

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Price Points: Dustpans and brushes

Dustpans and brushes

Anyone who has a real fire or wood-burning stove in their home will need a fireproof dustpan & brush.

Dustpans and brushes are the only way to properly clean up the ashes and embers once your fires have gone out. A metal dustpan and brush with natural bristles (rather than plastic) are what’s needed when there could be the odd smouldering remnant in the pile.

Even though we’re sure any of the above options would do the job judiciously, we just love the look of the Toast model.  It’s made of natural-finished foraged wood and would look just perfect next to the little stove in our dining room!

  1. Oakart mini dustpan and brush set: £11.90, Amazon
  2. Dustpan & brush: £20.00, EcoVibe
  3. Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush: £45.00, Toast

shop dustpans and brushes

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
£45.00
Dustpan & brush
Dustpan & brush
£20.00
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
£11.90
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
£45.00
Dustpan & brush
Dustpan & brush
£20.00
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
£11.90
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
£45.00
Dustpan & brush
Dustpan & brush
£20.00
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
£11.90
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
£45.00
Dustpan & brush
Dustpan & brush
£20.00
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
£11.90
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
Geoffrey Fisher Potting Shed dustpan and brush
£45.00
Dustpan & brush
Dustpan & brush
£20.00
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
Oakart mini dustpan and brush set
£11.90