It takes years and years to break down, is toxic and the fumes can irritate the eyes, throat, lungs and skin. Pop the article in a plastic bag (a used one) to keep everything moist. Leave for an hour – or overnight – then remove from bag and pop in the washing machine set at 20°C (yes, 20°C!) But Nancy’s approach is really refreshing, and even I have been tempted to have another go, and I was more than a little over-excited to whup up a batch of Nancy’s toilet magic at the weekend and have been delightedly spraying it willy nilly around our looks all this week. It was super easy and seems to be coping with my kids spraying something else willy nilly around our loos well. I’m still having to pinch myself a little but I got to spend an hour hanging out and having a chinwag with a past winer of the Great British Bake Off! I met Nancy Birtwhistle, the 2014 winner of my very favourite TV show, virtually, for an event we did together for Glasgow's Aye Write Festival earlier on this year. Nancy has got a book out called Clean and Green, and we were paired up for a talk on Eco Tips for your Home and Family.

Books by Nancy Birtwhistle – Nancy Birtwhistle

Here, Nancy shares some natural swaps to boost your budget and banish harmful toxins from your home. Toilet cleaner We are all aware now that the chemical-laden cleaning products encased in excess plastic and lurking under our sinks are not just bad for our health and the environment, they also often cost a fortune to boot. As ever, please do leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts – it helps it to climb the charts and more importantly boosts my poor fragile ego no end…. And my homemade cream cleaner is perfect for granite worktops and sanitary ware, being non-acidic and only slightly abrasive.

I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed recording it – do let me know if you’re tempted to have a go at some homemade cleaning products, or if you’re now going to make the switch to an eco version of one your usual products! The bicarbonate of soda cleans and gently rubs away stains, the washing-up liquid, while assisting with the clean, also emulsifies the ingredients, and the vegetable glycerine, as well as having gentle cleaning properties (it is used in many skin products), treats and feeds. Great British Bake Off winner Nancy has plenty of sustainable tips to share (Picture: Elizabeth Clarke)

CLEAN AND GREEN WITH NANCY BIRTWHISTLE [106] CLEAN AND GREEN WITH NANCY BIRTWHISTLE

Stir until the liquid is clear and the crystals have dissolved, then simply add the eco-friendly washing-up liquid and tea tree oil and mix well using a small whisk. My Pure Magic is not harmful, it kills germs, destroys limescale (which bleach alone doesn’t do) and smells fresh. Works a treat on my pine kitchen table, cleans silver and also removed red wine stains from tile grouting – just add a blob of my cream cleaner directly to the stain, rub in with an old toothbrush, leave for a minute or two then wipe off!