Page 45 - News

Person pouring washing powder into a front-loading washing machine in a bright laundry room.

Baking Soda in the Washing Machine: What You Need to Know

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Adding baking soda to a washing machine can be useful chiefly for managing odours and supporting the wash of certain...

Man installing a wooden birdhouse on a tree in a garden with birds flying nearby at sunset.

Nest boxes in the garden: helping birds find breeding sites

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Anyone with a garden can make a major difference through one small choice. Across many towns and villages, the last...

Person mopping dust on a wooden kitchen floor with cleaning cloths and supplies nearby.

Turn an Old Bath Towel into a Reusable Floor Mop Cover

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Many households have piles of worn-out towels that nobody wants to use any longer. Rather than throwing them away, you...

Hand pressing button on smart toilet seat with built-in bidet spraying water in a bright bathroom.

What Is Replacing Toilet Paper in Modern Bathrooms?

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Toilet paper is beginning to share its place with smart toilets, attached bidet sprays and washlet-style seats: systems that use...

Hand placing a roll of kitchen paper inside a fridge containing lemon, apple, and herbs.

Toilet roll in the fridge: does it remove bad smells?

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Putting a toilet roll in the fridge may sound unusual, but the tip has become popular because paper is absorbent....

Person kneeling on a patio reaching towards a snake coiled inside a green garden hose in sunlight.

Garden hose warning: why snakes hide in your garden

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Many amateur gardeners look forward to spring, bring their tools out of the shed and enthusiastically begin the new season....

Mosquito biting a person’s arm on a wooden table next to a folded shirt and a small projector.

Mosquitoes Use Infrared Sensing to Find Human Hosts

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Mosquitoes seem to find humans irresistible. Beyond our scent and breath, bare skin effectively acts as a glowing signal that...

Brown hen walking in sunlit garden near raised beds with a snake among plants and garden tools in background

Chickens Against Snakes in the Garden: Natural Protection

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Many garden owners feel uneasy the moment something slithers through the grass. This is especially true for households with children...

Man in hat watering plants in a raised garden bed at a sunny home garden.

Morning or Evening Watering: When Should You Water Your Garden?

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

The morning still lay grey over the gardens: damp air, a few weary blackbirds. Behind the chain-link fence, Mr Krüger...

Close-up of a black ant tending to larvae in a soil-filled transparent container.

Queen Ants Eat Sick Young to Protect Their Colony

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Ant mothers may be the ultimate practitioners of tough love: they have no opportunity to pamper sick offspring. US researchers...

Hands slicing a cucumber on a wooden chopping board with a bowl of mixed vegetables in the background.

How to Stop a Cutting Board Slipping with a Damp Cloth

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

A cutting board that moves across the worktop can make routine jobs, such as chopping vegetables or meat, less safe....

Person spreading fertiliser near growing rose bushes in a garden bed with gardening tools and watering cans nearby.

Fertilising Roses in April: The Key to Strong Growth and Abundant Blooms

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Many keen gardeners prune enthusiastically, weed diligently and celebrate the first shoots – yet overlook the very step that determines...

Woman kneeling indoors measuring beige tiled floor with tape measure near a blue tiled step and potted plant.

Tile Trends 2026: Why Wood-Effect Tiles Are Losing Appeal

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Anyone renovating their bathroom, kitchen or even terrace in 2026 should abandon one idea: tiles that look like parquet are...

Scientist in a white lab coat examining a petri dish with large ants and larvae outdoors on a sunny day.

How Termites Lost Genes to Gain Society

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Termites operate some of the animal kingdom’s most remarkable “cities”, with colonies capable of growing to millions of members. New...

Hand placing a blue cleaning block inside a white toilet bowl in a bright bathroom.

How to Use a Toilet Cistern Block for Continuous Cleaning

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Keeping the home hygienic calls for practical solutions that make everyday family life easier. Using products in the cistern turns...

Person pruning lavender flowers in a garden with a basket and pot of harvested lavender nearby.

Pruning Lavender Correctly: The Simple Cut That Can Double Its Lifespan

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Many people blame climate change, the soil or the age of the plants. Yet, in reality, whether lavender dies after...

Person planting seeds in a terracotta pot with gardening tools on a wooden table outdoors.

Old Sponges in the Garden and on the Balcony: Clever Uses

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

In the kitchen, a sponge usually has a short lifespan: after a few weeks of scrubbing, it goes into the...

Mother gently placing baby in a wooden crib in a bright room with a potted plant and air purifier nearby.

Baby Mattresses Release Chemical Additives Into Sleeping Air

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Chemical additives widely used in baby mattresses can enter the air immediately surrounding where young children sleep. This exposure can...

Hands placing a homemade seed planter made from a plastic bottle in soil next to lettuce in a garden bed.

Bottle Caps in the Vegetable Garden: Water Saving and Slug Control

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

In many homes, bottle caps are thoughtlessly thrown into the bin or recycling container. In the vegetable garden, however, they...

Person using a sponge to remove a white stain from a black t-shirt on a wooden table with cleaning supplies nearby.

How to Remove Deodorant Stains from Black Clothing with a Dry Natural Loofah and Vinegar

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Whitish deodorant marks on black clothing occur when product residue builds up in the fibres, especially around the underarms. A...

Woman kneeling and tending a pampas grass plant with a large snake coiled at its base in a garden bed.

Venomous snakes in the garden: 3 plants that provide the perfect hiding place

Oliver Hartwell • September 12, 2026

Spring’s first barbecue can bring an unwelcome visitor into the garden: silent, well camouflaged and armed with venomous fangs. As...