Looking for eco-friendly and ethical Christmas gift ideas for homebodies? Check out my selection of gifts, carefully picked to bring comfort, joy, and sparkle to them and their homes.
Part two of my Christmas gift guide are some ethical or eco-friendly suggestions for homebodies. You know the type: the person that’s happiest cosied up at home rather than in a noisy, busy pub or bar (like me!). Again, I’ve distinguished which are eco-friendly by (EF) and which are ethical by (FT).
Ethical Gift Ideas for Homebodies
1. Glass Star by Nkuku – £24.95 (FT). For bringing in a cosy glow and a bit of sparkle on dark nights.
2. Blue Tit Screen Print by Peris & Corr – £25.00 (EF, FT). A cheery print to brighten up their walls, and make them smile.
3. Wool Blanket from Urbanara – £55 (FT). Do check out my guide to eco-friendly blankets for more sustainable blanket ideas in wool, and for blankets suitable for vegans.
4. Reclaimed Wooden “Home” Sign from Not On The High Street – £19.00 (EF, FT). A stylish little something made from eco-friendly reclaimed materials.
1. Crank-powered Bamboo and Bioplastic Radio from Made In Design – £58.40 (EF). For listening to their favourite radio stations.
2. Set of three Recycled Glass Candle Holders by Natural Collection – £11.95 (EF, FT). Again, for bringing some light and warmth to their abode this Christmas.
3. Candle Lantern by Nkuku – £26.95 (FT). This lantern could be kept out all year long, and not look out of place.
4. Welsh Cushion by Peris & Corr – £35 (EF, FT). Finally this lovely cushion, for cosying up to on the sofa with a good book and a cup of tea, for the ultimate cosy night in.
If you are looking for more sustainable and ethical inspiration and gift ideas for the homebodies in your life, then do check out my guide to the best eco-friendly gift ideas. I’ve got over 50 ideas for your loved one this Christmas.
Yet another wet day and your laundry pile is growing? Before you pile everything onto your radiators, here’s why you shouldn’t dry your clothes on your radiator.
It’s really important for us to save energy where we can. This is because the energy we use in our homes creates about a quarter of all carbon emissions from our homes. If we can cut our electricity and gas use, we cut our carbon emissions, helping to tackle climate change.
I am all about saving energy. And I want everyone else to be energy conscious too. Whilst big changes, like insulating your home, can make a big difference, I want to focus on the simple changes anyone can do, whether you own your home or not. For this series, I’m therefore focusing on the tips that don’t need any fancy equipment, nor do they require you to spend any money whatsoever. This is especially relevant as energy bills are expected to rise steeply in 2022.
So, my next energy-saving tip is about drying clothes on your radiator. Specifically why you shouldn’t.
Why You Shouldn’t Dry Clothes On Your Radiator
Hanging wet clothes on your radiator makes your boiler work harder, to get your room to your desired temperature. This means it takes longer to heat your home. In turn, this uses more energy to heat your home and costs you more money.
Instead:
Image c/o Visit Scotland
Use a clothes horse! Although perhaps not quite as literally as this photo of Shetland ponies actually wearing cardigans suggests…!
A clothes horse allows warm air to circulate freely around the room. I know it’s not always easy. We live in a tiny house with barely any room for clothes horses. Our tiny kitchen is rammed full of them, to the point where we struggle to get past them. Sometimes desperation does call for me to dry clothes on my radiators, but I try to keep it to the odd desperate occasion rather than an everyday thing.
In our previous flat, we were lucky enough to have quite high ceilings. The flat even came with an original ceiling-mounted pulley for drying clothes. It was amazing for drying clothes and sheets and meant we didn’t need to dry our clothes on the radiator.
If you’ve got high ceilings I cannot recommend them enough. You can pick them up easily online from £12 (the cheaper ones come without the wooden slats for easy postage – you can then get wood cut to fit at your local wood merchants). And they have a nice vintage look to them if you’re into that kind of thing.
Top Tips for Drying Clothes Indoors
If you don’t ventilate your home properly when drying clothes indoors, then you are building yourself up to have a variety of problems.
Not ventilating can cause dampness – where black mould grows on your walls or ceiling. The NHS says that this mould can trigger allergic reactions, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes, and/or a skin rash. It can also exacerbate existing health conditions, such as asthma.
If you can, dry your clothes in a room where you can open a window and close the door on it, to allow the air to circulate freely. If that’s not possible, opening your windows every day for at least fifteen minutes helps fresh air to freely circulate, reducing the chance of dampness occurring.
While we’re on the subject of clothes and laundry, your washing machine can help you dry your clothes faster.
You see, I had a recent revelation. My washing machine’s standard wash cycle spins my clothes at 1200 rpm, but its maximum spin is 1400 rpm. Upon realising this (just the other week!), after the cycle finishes, I set it to do a 1400 rpm spin to get the last drops of water out. I’ve found this significantly reduces the time it takes to tumble dry my clothes (I know, I know, but I use it sparingly). Or I dry them on my clothes horse. This reduces the chances of that nasty “took too long to dry” smell. Which makes me very happy indeed, and reduces the likelihood of me opting to dry my clothes on the radiator. It’s the little things in life!
I'm Wendy and welcome to Moral Fibres, a UK based eco-blog. I'm a sustainability expert, and my aim is to make sustainability simple, by researching and writing on all things environmental - from product guides to breaking down big ideas - so you don't have to.
As well as the blog I've also written a book on natural cleaning - Fresh Clean Home is out now!
Want to know more? Check out the about page for more information or explore the archives using the category tabs above.
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