A Guide to Natural Housekeeping: Recipes and solutions for a cleaner, greener home

Christina Strutt of Cabbages & Roses reveals how to have a calmer, healthier, eco-friendly home.

Saving the planet for future generations is a laudable aim, but what about the current populace? Why wait when even quite small lifestyle changes can make a big difference now? A Guide to Natural Housekeeping is full of advice and information to help you take a more sustainable path. Recycling, reusing, and shopping at farmers’ markets are a good start, but cutting down on the use of poisonous chemicals is just as important —it’s perfectly possible to clean a house using nothing more than lemons, baking soda, vinegar, and plain water. Here old-fashioned methods are complemented by newer ideas and innovations, and applied not only to cleaning but also to caring for clothes, furniture, and even silver and glassware. Growing some of your own vegetables, fruit, and herbs can be very satisfying, and you can use any extras to make jams, oils, and chutneys using the handy tips and delicious recipes. Make beauty preparations and bath oils, too, for soothing, effective treatments to enhance everyday health and wellbeing. To become eco-friendly doesn’t require self-sacrifice—just some readjustment; and by following the advice in this valuable guide you will find yourself living a calmer, greener life.

Christina Strutt runs Cabbages & Roses, a fabric company that specializes in historic rural printed fabrics for fashion, accessories and interiors. Cabbages & Roses has three shops in London and one in Tokyo, plus outlets in selected Jigsaw stores, and all products are available worldwide through their website www.cabbagesandroses.com. Her previous books include Vintage Crafts, At Home with Country, Homemade Vintage and Vintage Chic, all published by CICO Books.

The author is based in Bath.