Nancy Birtwhistle's top travelling tips for a seamless getaway!
School's out for the summer and you might be getting ready to jet off on your family holidays. Well Nancy Birtwhistle is here to help with her top travelling tips for a seamless getaway! From hacks for washing your clothes abroad so you don’t have to pack as many outfits… to saving on luggage weight by making your own essentials while you are away - including how you can make your own baby wipes for your little ones.
Nancy's multipurpose wipes
Wipes often come in handy on holiday (if the public toilet you use are not the best, if you want to clean your hands before eating, wipe the kids’ hands and faces).
Single-use plastic wipes are bad for the environment – they are often flushed down toilets and they are wrapped in plastic to keep them moist and the wipes themselves can often contain plastic too.
Nancy’s recipe for wipes will keep wet and fresh for at least 6 months.
How to make your own wipes:
Needed: 20 x 6-8 inch thin cotton fabric scraps (e.g. cut from a t-shirt); 1 bowl of cold water; 1 mixing bowl; small whisk; 20ml aloe vera gel (e.g. mild cleanser and skin moisturiser); 120ml water; 30ml surgical spirit/anti-bacterial cleanser; 2-3 drops lemon essential oil (optional, for fragrance); small plastic; box with airtight lid; small plastic bag.
Method: Dip the fabric squares into the bowl of cold water to wet them, then wring them out until no more water can be squeezed out. Add the aloe vera gel to the mixing bowl and mix in a little water at a time, until the thick gel becomes a runny solution. Add the surgical spirit and lemon oil (optional), stir, then add the dampened fabric pieces. Squeeze them out. Fold the fabric pieces into the box, cover with the folded plastic bag, and seal the box with the lid.
Top tip: The aloe vera is great for soothing sunburn.
Washing clothes while you are away:
Small travel-sized bottles of detergent are single-use plastic and expensive for what it is. Additionally, a liquid bottle can leak and spoil other holiday items. Make a bottle of travel wash – dry – to be activated once on holiday. No leaks, no unnecessary weight and no additional plastic.
Needed: 500ml recycled plastic bottle, washed; 15g grated soap or soap flakes; 20g washing soda; 2-3 drops eco washing up liquid.
Method:To activate the detergent, fill the bottle with all the ingredients, followed by warm water. Shake well. To use, mix 2-3 tbsp of the detergent in tepid water.
Removing sun cream stains:
Along with the holiday extras come the holiday extra stains. Rather than reach for the harmful and often expensive biological detergents and stain removal products that can sometimes make the stain worse – try this simple paste. Sun creams, oils, make up, fake tan and hair dye will lift as follows.
Needed:Water, ideally in a spray bottle; bicarbonate of soda in a bowl; teaspoon; unscented eco washing up liquid in a small bowl and a plastic bag.
Method: Wet the stain slightly. Add a tsp or 2 of bicarbonate of soda. Drizzle over the washing up liquid and massage the product in by hand. Place the garment into a plastic bag so that it doesn’t dry out. Leave overnight. Pop the garment into the washing machine and set a long cool (20C) wash cycle - never a hot wash.