Scrape plates Make sure you remove food residue from your plates, bowls and utensils before you put them in the sink. Does it contain palm oil?At its most unsustainable, palm oil is linked to massive deforestation and serious violations of human rights. Look for brands that commit to sourcing palm oil sustainably or avoid it completely.

Several others ( Bio-D, Fill Refill, Miniml, SESI, Sodasan, and Splosh) scored our best rating for stating that all of their palm ingredients, including derivatives, were certified by the RSPO. Borax substitute: The EU has reclassified the ‘Borate’ group of chemicals that borax belongs to, so it is no longer available as a cleaning and laundry product. Dri-Pak now make borax substitute which is a mineral compound, with the perfect pH for cleaning, and is gentler than Soda Crystals yet stronger than Bicarbonate of Soda. You can also look for bulk containers made from recycled plastics such as Bio-D’s 5 litre bottles or other innovative solutions such as Greenscents’ biopolymer bottles made from sugar cane waste. We also offer retail jars of sweets and boxes of bars of chocolate including all the Great British chocolates found in the UK, Cadbury and Nestle. Both are good at cleaning washing machines, but have different properties – bleach kills germs, so if you need to disinfect your washing machine, bleach is the better option. That said, it's very potent and releases fumes that can irritate skin and eyes.In October 2015, the UK Government banned the testing of ‘finished’ household products on animals and introduced a ‘qualified ban’ on testing the ingredients on animals. But it’ll make little difference to animal welfare. This is because no animals have been used for testing ‘finished’ household products in the UK since 2010. It’s usually the ingredients not the ‘finished’ products that are tested on animals. Air freshener: A simple recipe of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vinegar (or lemon juice), and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle can be sprayed in the air to remove odours. Or sprinkle essential oil on a cloth and wipe it over a radiator. Those whose entire product range was certified as cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny were Astonish, ATTITUDE, Bio-D, ecoleaf, Ecozone, Fill Refill, Smol and Greenscents. Are household cleaning products suitable for vegans?

Bleach does the job, but what is the job and is it necessary? As we live in the Age of Bacteria immunologist, Gerald N Callahan, sums up: 'Neither humans nor micro-organisms benefit from fully destroying the other. This is not a war, as it has often been described, even though we have an impressive array of weapons - bactericidal cribs and mattresses, toilet cleaners... If it were (a war), we would have lost long ago, overpowered by sheer numbers and evolutionary speed. This is... like a waltz that will last for all of human history. We must hold to our partners carefully and dance well.'" Some of the brands we reviewed are completely palm oil free across all products. They were: Greenscents and Planet Detox. Use the cleaner on an empty washing machine every two months to keep your machine in tip-top condition. How to use washing machine cleaner

Best washing machine cleaner with wipe: Dylon Washing Machine Cleaner 5-in-1

This guide covers all-purpose, kitchen, bathroom, oven, carpet and floor cleaners, disinfectant and bleach brands. There is a separate guide to Toilet Cleaners. Once a fringe ethical phenomenon, more and more shops and companies are now offering refills. And it’s not just health food shops, alternative supermarkets and zero waste stores. Refill only brands While washing clothes at 60 degrees should be enough to kill off any microbes on clothing, your washing machine should still get a good scrub-down every once in a while to get rid of any limescale or smells. You can invest in some of these washing machine cleaning products, from kitchen-cupboard white vinegar to balls that fight limescale, and watch your favourite appliance sparkle again.

For a real taste of home, browse our Puddings and Desserts section and get tempted by all of the delicious food that you could have delivered to your door. Remember Angel Delight? Nothing could taste more nostalgic than this lovely whipped dessert and we sell so many different flavours! Ambrosia Devon Custard is another family favourite along with Ambrosia Semolina, Ambrosia Creamed Rice, Ambrosia Rice Pudding and Ambrosia Tapioca (remember that from school lunches?!). For that special occasion you will probably do what we do in the UK and go to your higher end supermarket to get that lovely treat to make your day. We recommend the fabulous Marks and Spencer Salted Caramel Sauce to add that special something to your ice cream or their White Chocolate Fudge Sauce - a real favourite of our grandchildren! Waitrose too can offer you those sweet treats - try their Seriously Chocolatey Dipping Sauce which is simply heavenly! As anyone can tell you, the closer you creep towards middle age, the more your fantasies revolve around getting the right appliances – and looking after them. But the real ethical issue centres around manufacture. Bleach is from the organochlorine family of chemicals, compounds rarely found in nature and which can take centuries to decompose. Greenpeace has called for a complete end to organochlorine production. There are various ways to clean your washing machine. How much of a deep-clean it needs depends on your washing machine and the product you buy. Is limescale build-up a real issue for you? Calgon is excellent at breaking down limescale residue.Use borax substitute and absolutely not soda crystals. Remove water tide marks from aluminium saucepans by boiling water with sliced apple, rhubarb or lemon peel. For bad stains, boil three parts vinegar to one part water. The product recommends filling your detergent tray with the cleaner and choosing the highest temperature possible. Does it contain toxics?The long and complex ingredients lists of householdproducts often include toxic chemicals. These are bad for the environment as well as health. The best companies will have clear policies against the use of toxic chemicals such as triclosan, parabens or phthalates. Attitude – Standard bottles are recycled plastic. 2L eco-refill boxes are plastic bag in a box which can be put in recycling