Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire
Or out of the washing machine and into the dryer in this case. Maddy and Sheila have both been trying natural Soapods instead of conventional detergent to clean their laundry. They are harvested from the soapnut tree and release an active soap ‘saponin’ on contact with water. Used for centuries as a washing detergent they are a renewable, effective and ecological alter-native to conventional laundry products.
Having washed the clothes you then need to dry them. Easy in the summer, you just stick them on the washing line, but more of a problem in the winter. Having resisted buying a dryer for years as they use too much energy, I have finally succumbed to a John Lewis JLTDC01 low energy tumble dryer because it carries an A rating for energy efficiency. Having got it I then find you need to use a softening dryer sheet with each load; or do you? I am trying Dryer Balls which claim to soften fabrics, reduce creases and wrinkles, cut down on lint and best of all reduce drying time by up to 25%. It’s too early tell whether this is true but I have heard good things about them from several sources and so have no hesitation in recommending you give them a try.
Since I first started this review column back in Permaculture Magazine No27 many wonderful tools and products have crossed my desk and I would just like to update you with some of the replacements and additions to ranges you will see in our new Green Shopping Catalogue.
The first item I ever reviewed was a pocket knife which at the time I was using to replace a French Laguilole Pocket Knife which I lost to airline security. I am happy to say we now have two examples of these wonderful French knives which are traditionally given as tokens of friendship. The other famous French knife maker is Opinel and you will find a superb boxed Opinel Gift Set in the Christmas Supplement.
Having become interested in raw nutrition due to working on Eat More Raw by Steve Charter, I reviewed a range of powered juice extractors and have recently added to the list with the Easy Health Cyclone Juicer. This machine is cheap, versatile and has the advantage that it will juice whole fruit and vegetables up to the size of a medium apple.
Torches next. As an addition to the Freeplay range we now have a Kito LED Lantern which can produce 1 hour’s light from just 1 minute’s winding. It makes an ideal emergency lantern for the home or car and is comfortable enough to use for dog walks etc. That said, in general I am not a big fan of LED flashlights or that was the case until I was shown Police Tech Flashlights, not only are they beautifully engineered but they produce a really strong useful light and one of them can even be focused. Not cheap but quite outstanding pieces of technology.
Many of the tools reviewed in the past have had to do with manipulating wood, ranging from precision wood turning to log splitting and I have updates in these areas. The original starter set of wood turning tools has been upgraded to a six piece Woodturning Tool Set, which represents amazing value for money. The timber framing section has been expanded by with introduction of a Timber Framer Slick, which is a huge chisel used to work deep sockets and mortices.
When I was peeling my tipi poles, I used a straight drawknife and wished I had a curved one. Well now there is a Curved Draw Knife from Gränsfors Bruks in the Catalogue as well as a range of their axes. This includes a Splitting Axe, a Splitting Maul and a Splitting Wedge which should help to keep you warm this winter.
Talking of warming things, Storm Kettles seem to be a favourite item with PM readers, so much so that we were given a Golden Kettle Award in 2005 for distributing so many. I am happy to say that these fantastic kettles have just got better. They are now available with a range of accessories, i.e. a Storm Kettle Cooking Set and a handy Storm Kettle Jute Bag to keep everything in.
Oops, nearly left out gardening tools, where the Joseph Bentley range has been enhanced by including both a Shear and Secataur Set and Wavy Edged Shears, plus we now have a very nice Whitby Pruning Knife.
John Adams
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Soapods Natural Laundry Soap
Dryer Balls
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