News on In Our Nature

1 – Clean your drains

This isn’t the most glamourous job, but it’s definitely one of the most beneficial! Making sure your rainwater gulley drains are free from leaves and other debris will reduce the risk of surface flooding, especially if you live in a basement flat.

2 – Boost your biodiversity

September is the perfect time to start planting onions, garlic, radishes, or beans so that they’re ready in time for spring. Autumn is also a great time to transform your garden into a wildflower meadow or begin working on an allotment space! Start by getting rid of those pesky weeds and sowing seeds that are native to the UK, such as primrose or lily of the valley.

3 – Defrost your freezer

Defrosting your freezer makes it much more efficient and it’ll save you money on your energy bills too! To do this, you’ll need to remove any food (keep this as cold as possible whilst defrosting) and storage trays, and leave your freezer unplugged with the door open whilst the ice inside melts. Make sure you have time to keep replacing old newspapers or towels which can be used to soak up excess water as it defrosts and try to time this job so that you have less food in the freezer, or batch cook lots of your freezer food so that nothing goes to waste.

4 - Go draft hunting

Take a look around your home for any drafts that could be coming from doors, through post boxes or any gaps in windows or attic openings and cover them with adhesive draught strips or foam. They may only seem like tiny gaps, but they can make a big difference to the temperature of your home and the efficiency of your heating throughout the winter.

5 – Clean your windows

Clean windows prevent the build-up of pesky dirt particles in the pores of your windows, which can actually reflect some UV light away from your home! So, keeping your windows clean will keep your house sunnier AND warmer.

6 – Use a water butt to collect rainwater

Did you know that water butts are an incredibly effective way of storing and using rainwater throughout the year? They’re simple to set up and they store water for use in the drier summer months – plus rainwater is packed full of nutrients which are great for your plants, flowers and grass!

7 - Wash your washing machine

Washing machines are prone to build ups of mould and mildew, especially when used at lower temperatures for long periods, which can lead to bad smells and a less efficient machine. Taking the time to wash your washing machine every now and again with warm soapy water, cleaning the filter and the rim of the drum should mean it lasts longer, runs better and saves some energy.

8 - De-limescale your kettle

Limescale is a chalky substance that commonly builds up inside kettles, especially in hard water areas. Whilst it’s not dangerous to drink, it can be a little off-putting to find limescale flakes floating in your morning brew, and it can stop your kettle from lasting as long as it should! To clean your kettle, you can use a mild acid such as vinegar, citric acid, or lemon juice and leave it to stand for up to half an hour. This should remove all of the limescale build-up and leave your kettle good as new!