10 Cheap ways to be eco friendly

Our more unusual eco friendly tips for saving Mother Earth may astound you. Gaia gives you smoochies when you recycle your socks, make draught snakes for your room and pee like a cavewoman outside…

We all know the basic ways in which we can help save our planet – don’t leave the tap on when brushing your teeth, walk or cycle instead of driving ect., ect. But what about the more unusual, more overlooked, and damn strange ways in which you can save mother earth?

Eco friendly tip 1: Find out where the draughts are

Finding out where the warmth is escaping and blocking it is a classic, but it is often overlooked. Use a smoky candle or incense stick on a breezy day to see where the air is escaping. Then patch it up, sister!

The easiest and best way – if most of the warmth is escaping under your door – is to make a lovely draught excluder. You can make your own draught excluder by folding a scarf lengthways, sewing it into a tube and filling it with wadding (crumpled up wads of newspaper will work wonders).

If the warmth is mostly escaping from your draughty windows, a heavy curtain fabric will keep all the heat in and – if you go for velvet, or, if you kill someone and steal all their gold, damask – will make you feel like you’re living in a Norman castle, too.

Eco friendly tip 2: Recycle your socks

Socks aren’t just for sticking on your feet you know – they can be used for everything. Save money and resources by using a big sock to store tea bags, cutlery, make-up… It’s so much more eco-friendly than plastic or metallic containers. Just make sure you’ve washed them first.

Eco friendly tip 3: Pee in the shower/backyard

It may be gross, but it’s worth mentioning; every time you flush the toilet you waste between 13 and 22 litres of water. So if you’re serious about actively saving the world, you may have to forget everything mum/dad told you when you were potty trained and embrace… er… the outdoors. Become a civilised animal. Become a cavewoman. Look up at the stars when you pee and feel righteous.

Eco friendly tip 4: Grow your own tree furniture

Making your own furniture will, admittedly, take years if you don’t have your own tree already. But there’s nothing like starting something for future generations to enjoy, right? Alternatively you could just buy furniture from sustainable sources – furniture that looks like it’s been whittled is a great as it gives your home a really earthy feel.

Eco friendly tip 5: Put foil on the back of your radiator

Having a reflective or shiny surface behind the radiator will reflect the heat into the room, making it warmer, saving more energy.

Eco friendly tip 6: Handwash your clothes

Taking a leaf from the manual of the good old days, hand washing clothes not only saves on electricity and washing machines, but pounding those clothes can be a great stress reliever! Just make sure you have soap or something to get rid of any stains. Hanging the clothes out on the line also makes the tumble dryer unnecessary and makes clothes smell fresh.

For vintage girls, handwashing takes you back to the days when women were real women and fabrics were real fabrics. A nice tight cashmere sweater or long silk knickers or stockings beg to be treated with respect.

Eco friendly tip 7: Coat your fridge with shag carpet. Classy!

Prevent the cold from escaping from your fridge and ruining your veggies by insulating it with a shag carpet. Doing this will reduce the energy needed to keep the fridge cool. Plus, if you’re creative, you could find some massive googly eyes and turn it into a life size yeti.

Eco friendly tip 8: Incense sticks instead of air freshener

Everyone knows aerosols damage the ozone layer – so don’t use them. Use incense sticks or scented candles to make your room smell nice. It’s better for the environment and with so many different smells available you can mix and match to create something totally original.

Eco friendly tip 9: Paint your roof white

Okay, this one might not be possible if you still live with your parents or don’t own your own house, but it’s still worth including. In summer, a white roof and white walls (on the outside of the house) will help keep the house cool, saving money and electricity. It will have no effect in winter, except maybe making it look like it’s been snowing.

Eco friendly tip 10: Charity shops

Charity shops, vintage shops – how can you go wrong? Reusing clothes and shoes and books is a great way to be green, it is a lot cheaper than buying things new and with charity shops the money is going to a worthy cause. In one swipe you’re helping everyone.

There you have it, Mooks. Ten fresh (or, if not so fresh, at least more alternative) ideas to help keep are world green and glowing.

Make your bedroom door happy – craft him a draught excluder.

Recycle your socks into a purse. Then whenever you splash the cash you’ll have a reminder to be eco-friendly.

Peeing in the garden saves water you would have flushed away. PS The girl pictured is not actually having a pee.