Nancy Birtwhistle at home … ‘I made the point of making it affordable.’ Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer Bulk-buy ingredients

Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle Recipes – Nancy Birtwhistle

Now Nancy is sharing her tried and tested tips in her books Clean & Green and Green Living Made Easy. Clean & Green is full of natural cleaning ideas and home-made eco-friendly cleaning products, many of which are faster and easier than the go-to products and methods most of us use now. Green Living Made Easy contains 100+ tips on how to live a more eco-friendly life without giving up on any home comforts. 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 whitesIn a sink large enough to take your oven shelves, or a sturdy plastic box, measure 2–3 cups of washing soda. If your shelves are really grubby, make a double concentrate and use 4–6 cups. Pour in sufficient boiling water to cover your shelves. If you do two shelves your water needs to be about 3 inches (7cm) deep. 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. Great British Bake Off winner Nancy has plenty of sustainable tips to share (Picture: Elizabeth Clarke) It 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.

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

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! We are all aware now that the chemical-laden cleaning products encased in excess plastic and lurking under our sinks are not just bad for our health and the environment, they also often cost a fortune to boot. Going green in the garden has never been easier with Nancy's sustainable, eco-friendly tips that will help you make the most of your space, and what it can grow. 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 reveals that her simple fuss-free way to remove bobbles from a jumper is to gently cut them off with scissors and then place the garment in the washing machine. She says: 'This is my favourite jumper and although it's quite new, it's starting to bobble under the arms due to friction.' 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!

Green Living Made Easy by Nancy Birtwhistle | Waterstones Green Living Made Easy by Nancy Birtwhistle | Waterstones

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 cleaner 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! Here, Nancy shares some natural swaps to boost your budget and banish harmful toxins from your home. Toilet cleaner My Pure Magic is not harmful, it kills germs, destroys limescale (which bleach alone doesn’t do) and smells fresh. 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.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 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... Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox What are you paying for your laundry detergent? Eco-friendly options are up to 72p a wash, supermarket own (not friendly) cost 10 - 13p a wash and my own "eco-blend" is just 10p a wash! I've put it through it's paces,' Nancy says, as she gives her followers a step-by-step guide to making their own.

Nancy Birtwhistle books and biography | Waterstones Nancy Birtwhistle books and biography | Waterstones

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. Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Yellowing fabrics, such as pillow cases, can be transformed, says Birtwhistle. “Put them in a lemon juice or citric acid solution [3tbsp added to 600ml hot water], with salt, and leave to soak. You need a sunny day. Peg them outside – don’t rinse or wring them – and the sun will bleach them.” Screen clean It takes years and years to break down, is toxic and the fumes can irritate the eyes, throat, lungs and skin. Conkers … contain natural detergent. Photograph: Katie Shires Photography/Getty Images Remove scuff marks

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. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home.