Five alternative toilet cleaners

Before you tip flat Cola down the sink, why not use it as a toilet cleaner? Pour into the bowl and leave overnight to remove lime scale. Even if you don’t have flat Cola, a fresh bottle of an economy brand is not only cheaper than bleach but also more environmentally friendly. Quite what it does to your insides is anybody’s guess.

Here are some more natural cleaning products without all the harmful chemicals you find in your typical toilet cleaners.

Sodium bicarbonate – helps control odor and prevents clogging. You’ll need roughly 100g a week to make a real difference. If you’re looking to buy in bulk try a  swimming pool equipment store or chemists.

Borax and lemon juice – this is a good solution for getting rid of stubborn stains. Mix together 100g of borax and 2 fluid oz. of lemon juice until you have a paste. Leave it for an hour, then scrub clean with an old toothbrush. Be careful however with the borax though. Be sure to avoid contact with your eyes and be sure the room is well ventilated and wear rubber gloves.

Sodium bicarbonate and lemon juice – instead of using borax, you can also use sodium bicarbonate in the same way, although it may be slightly less effective.

Vinegar – pour vinegar into the toilet instead of bleach and leave it overnight, this will help remove limescale from hard water. To clean the bowl, use 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar.



Fareshare for a Fair Share

FareShare is a national UK charity supporting communities to relieve food poverty. FareShare is at the centre of two of the most urgent issues that face the UK: food poverty and food waste.

The charity addresses these issues in three ways:

Providing quality food - surplus ‘fit for purpose’ product from the food and drink industry – to organizations working with disadvantaged people in the community

Providing training and education around the essential life skills of safe food preparation and nutrition, and warehouse employability training through FareShare’s Eat Well Live Well programme

Promoting the message that ‘No Good Food Should Be Wasted’

New figures released by FareShare show a sharp rise in demand on charities for food as people all over Britain struggle to put dinner on the table. 42% of charities surveyed reported an increase in demand for food in the past year as food prices soar and the recession bites, putting additional strain on families and people on low incomes.

FareShare is helping to take some of this strain by providing surplus, good quality food from the food industry to a network of grassroots community organizations all over the UK, saving them almost £8 million a year in food and other costs.

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of FareShare says: “At a time of unprecedented demand we want the food industry and the general public to increase their support.” Last year, the food industry redirected 3,600 tonnes of surplus food to FareShare enabling the charity to provide 8.6 million meals for vulnerable people. The food is distributed to community organizations providing not only food, but other essential support services.  Fareshare distributes daily to organizations such as homeless hostels, day centres, breakfast clubs, and women’s refuges.

FareShare’s survey found that 41% of respondents are unable to buy food on a regular basis, meaning that they are more reliant on charities for help. Boswell continues: “We’re asking anyone who works in the food industry in any capacity to look at what is happening to their surplus food and to ask themselves a simple question, ‘Could this food stop someone going hungry?”