If you want to keep your house cool in summer without cranking up the energy-hungry cooling you have got to stop the sun hitting the glass. Here's a cheap way that works.
Trickiness rating: EASY
Your worm farm should smell as sweet as a Richard Marcs love song, be a writhing mass of wrigglers happily munching through food and be free of any form of little black flies.
If your worm farm is full of smelly, slimy uneaten food which is attracting hordes of little black vinegar flies your worm farm needs a makeover.
This video will show you how you can quickly fix it up so that it becomes a lean green wriggling composting machine.
Trickiness rating: Easy
Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN's) are a great alternative to disposables - in fact many types of MCN are just like putting on a disposable nappy only you wash them rather than throw them in the bin.
All-in-one nappies are the closest cloth nappy to disposables - they are all in one piece with the stay-dry layer, absorbant layer and waterproof layer all sewn together.
This video takes you through the basics of the all-in-one (AIO).
A well working worm farm is a joy to see, and smell. Earthy rich soil and not a fly to be seen.
Worms will turn all your organic scraps into fantastic garden fertilizer and don't take up much space - perfect in courtyards, balconies, carports and gardens.
Worms are the perfect pet - you don't have to take them for walks, you feed them rubbish, you want their poo all through your garden and you can even carry them around in your hand-bag to cafes (if you're Paris Hilton)
Find out everything you need to know to build a worm farm from scratch.
Cloth nappies are no longer just about terry towelling squares. The modern cloth nappy (MCN) just like a disposable only washable.
There are so many types, styles, materials and brands to choose from that it can get a bit overwhelming.
In this GIY video I give an intro into the different cloth nappy 'systems', styles and lingo so you can choose nappies that suit your bubbas bottom, and you.
I give the nittygritty details on each 'system' in separate videos. You will find these in the 'domestic delights' section.
Extractor fans are great for getting rid of smells and steam when they're switched on but the rest of the time they are drafty holes in your ceiling.
Seal them up when they aren't in use with a DraftStoppa® - a plastic casing that goes over your extractor fan in the roof cavity. It has a set of balanced shutters, a bit like butterfly wings, which open when the fan is turned on and close automatically when the fan is turned off.
It is a simple but brilliant idea that works to help stop drafts (hence the name).
How do you choose an appliance that is going to be cheap to run because we don't want to be lumped with a machine that is cheap to buy but a monster to run.
If i was to make a sweeping statement I would say that the cheaper it is, the more it is going to cost you to operate.
Dripping taps are a form of madness-making music and can waste heaps of water and energy if it is the hot water tap.
Tap into your inner plumber and fix it in a flash.
This GIY video shows how to fix a vandal-proof tap. There are many differend types of tap but most are the same underneath. The process of changing the valve/washer is all the same once the 'headgear' (tap) is off.
It doesn't show you how to fix a mixer (ceramic disc) tap.
TRICKINESS RATING: Moderately easy
Wall vents are so passé.
*They are essential in rooms that have an un-flued gas heater or open fire, and in hot and steamy areas (bathroom, laundry and kitchen) to allow good ventilation but are just drafty holes in all other rooms.
If you are using energy to heat or cool your house it is a good idea to draught-proof these vents to stop the precious air escaping. This GIY job is a good temporary solution.
If you want some fresh air you have to take control of it - windows that open and close are great. Permanent wall-vents are bad (except *).
Trickiness Rating: EASY
Skirting boards - the bits of wood that cover the gap where the wall meets the floorboards - look like they would be doing a good job of stopping cold air leaking under their skirts. Don't be fooled by this clever charade.
They are a common place for drafts to sneak in to your house but are really easy to fix.
Another adventure, stalking around the house with the caulking gun, awaits.
Trickiness rating: EASY