The weather is changing slightly — more rain, more grey, evenings a tiny bit cooler, nights getting a touch longer. It feels like we are transitioning from Summer to Autumn. I hear the kids playing in the schoolyard across from our home again. A new year of sorts has begun.
Fómhar means harvest in Irish, and it is also the word for autumn. The changing of the seasons is an important observation that we rarely allow ourselves. And with this particular turning — this coming back inside, this re-entering — it feels like a good time to look at how we live in our homes. Not with pressure. With curiosity.
The theme this week is living lightly. How can we live a little lighter in the world? In a way that demands a little less from the earth, or even gives back, but certainly does no harm?
"The products we use every day in our homes are the easiest place to start living lighter."
Why This Matters (without the bullsh*t)
We are all trying our best. Some days I have energy to do a pile of jobs and other days I don't. I used to beat myself up about the latter. Guilt is a tricky customer — it slinks in without much fanfare, and before you realise it, it's running the show.
So let's start here — don't demand perfection from yourself. Demand authenticity. Demand that you live a life that feels fulfilled and satisfied and loving, because you are listening to what you want and what lights you up.
I started looking at cleaning products about 7–8 years ago. I was horrified when I started looking at labels and thinking about the aggregate effect on my body. Everything came in a plastic bottle, contained ingredients I couldn't recognise, and carried labels saying they were harmful to aquatic life — and yet was fine for humans?
At this stage I had become more discerning about where I was sourcing our food. And I suppose it was an easy leap from there into questioning what cleaning products we used.
I found people who were sharing more natural solutions — the primary one being Nancy Birtwhistle (Season 5 winner of *GBBO* for those who watch it!). She was a woman who was sick of the cost of these products and their harm to the environment, and who questioned whether they were safe to use. So between reading her books (I recommend starting with her Clean & Green book), following her on Instagram, and gathering information from other sources, I began to make changes — in cleaning, laundry, toiletries, and the garden.
The surprising upside, apart from the obvious? It's also less expensive — bonus!
The 5 Swaps
1. Hand soap
Swap your fancy, pungent (sometimes even expensive) liquid hand soap for a bar of soap. Liquid hand soaps generally contain synthetic surfactants, preservatives (parabens), synthetic fragrances and dyes — ingredients that can cause skin dryness, irritation, allergies, and potential hormone disruption, among other things. A bar of natural soap contains plant oils, lye (saponified), glycerin, and fragrance from natural botanicals or essential oils. There are local soapmakers selling soap up and down the country — honestly, they are not hard to find.
2. Surface cleaner
I use a simple half vinegar, half water solution instead of the antibacterial sprays from the supermarket. I use 12% white vinegar. If you have granite or marble surfaces, this may be too acidic, so check that first — and if so, I'd recommend Nancy B's books, as she has a solution for everything.
3. Toilet cleaner
Bicarbonate of soda and citric acid (about a 4:1 ratio) into the bowl. Leave it to fizz for a few minutes while you clean the sink and shower, then clean with the toilet brush. Job done.
4. Kitchen sink
Ditch the bleach. Bleach is so incredibly harmful to the environment and to us — when you clean with it, you breathe in the fumes. Instead: a sprinkle of bicarbonate of soda, a damp cloth, and rub, rub, rub. In just a few minutes your sink is sparkling and your lungs and the water system are thanking you.
5. Mirrors and windows
The same vinegar solution as the surface cleaner — same item with multiple uses! Spray on, clean with a cloth, then use a second cloth for polishing. This also works beautifully on metal taps in the kitchen or bathroom.
Where to Source Everything
I no longer do the bulk of my shopping in the big supermarkets, and so it's actually easier for me to get all of these from my zero-waste refill store each week. There are so many of these popping up all over the country —my weekly heroes are Cult Zero , and we also have another organic store nearby, I Love Organic. Have a search near you or drop your area in the comments below and we will find your nearest store.
A few specifics:
- 12% distilled vinegar — try your local refill store, or have a look in Polish shops. They often stock it.
- Bicarbonate of soda in bulk — you can use the same bicarb you bake with, but it's cheaper to source a cleaning-grade bicarbonate of soda.
- Citric acid — refill store or online.
- Spray bottle — reuse an old one you already have. It's the cheapest and most sustainable option. Otherwise, pick up a glass spray bottle you can keep refilling.
Otherwise, check out your supermarkets — they may surprise you (and me)! And if you're in a small town, sometimes the local hardware shops carry the weird and wonderful like this.
Where to Start
Choose one swap. Integrate it into your daily or weekly routine. And then, when you're used to it, add another.
This is not a race. You are changing your approach to everything, one tiny step at a time.
You’re already winning because you are aware of this want to change how you live in this part of your life.
If you'd like to explore this kind of gentle, intentional living more deeply, our monthly Rooted Connection gathering is a quiet space to do exactly that. The next one is Wednesday 23rd September — come as you are.
When we demand authenticity from ourselves, guilt plays a much smaller role. We don't have to overhaul everything at once. We don't have to be perfect. We just have to be willing to notice — and then to begin.
The changing of the seasons is an important observation that we rarely allow ourselves. This is your invitation to let this particular turning be a small new beginning. One swap. One less plastic bottle. One step lighter.
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