Give your bathroom a summer makeover

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If you are feeling down and out about your bathroom, why not give it a little bit of a makeover this summer and create the haven you have been looking for.

A lick of paint
Your bathroom, just like any other room in the house, can be totally transformed with a fresh coat of pain. Of course, white is clean and fresh and will add an air of calm to your bathroom, but if you like colour then blue can give a nautical feel, yellow is cheery and green is coming back into style. There are many makes out there, but for your bathroom look for a specially formulated on like Dulux Bathroom+ Soft Sheen which is a moisture and steam resistant paint that comes in some fantastic shades that will transform dull into amazing.

Go for the grout
If you can’t retile your entire bathroom, you can still deal with the grouting which often ages and makes the whole room look old and tired. First things first, if there is any mould on the grout, either take this away by washing with a stain remover, or try a grout rake and use this to take away around 2mm of the old material before adding a new layer. You may also want to replace the old sealant which isn’t hard but you will need a steady hand and maybe watch the odd YouTube clip for expert advice.

Windows
It is amazing at how old curtains or a badly fitting blind can make a room look really shabby. Take the old fittings down, give the window and surrounding area a clean and add new paint if needed. To complete the look hang fresh curtains, wooden shutters or just use a frosted film to create a whole new look and feel.

Think about the lights
Long gone are the days when a bare bulb was all a bathroom needed if you needed to spend a penny! Natural daylight is great whenever possible, but do think about your neighbours with this option! You can change the light shades to make a difference or have LED lighting fitted by an electrician. Not only does this add ambience but it also saves money and the environment, but make sure anything that is fitted is certified for bathroom use and complies with health and safety regulations.

Accessories
This is the bit we really love. Just as with an outfit, accessories can really help bring a bathroom together. Whether you go for a theme or base your bathroom on a colour, it is easy to make it look and feel fabulous with a few accessory additions. From towels and pictures on the walls to baskets and mirrors, you can create a whole new look that will make you fall in love with your bathroom all over again.

A touch of green
One last touch that can really bring your bathroom to life, is a plant or two. Nothing says fresh like a little bit of greenery and it is a pretty cost-effective way to bring the outside, in. Ferns, lilies and some palms are perfect as they thrive in a damp environment, so all you need are so pretty pots and you are ready to go.

Team Pure-Beauty

Small eco changes that pack a punch

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While it might seem that the world around is going, well, a little crazy, World Eco Day on 22 April highlighted once again that the environment is also fragile and we need to look after it if we want to keep it.

Every single one of us can make a difference to our planet each day and we have some ideas of how you can make small changes that could help make this mad world a better place.

Let’s start at the beginning and before you get in the car, ask yourself if you can walk or take public transport instead to help cut down emissions.

Dentists tell us to change our toothbrush every three months. While this is good for out health, with around 65 million people in the UK alone, a massive 260 million plastic toothbrushes will be thrown in the bin – that is a LOT of rubbish. To make a change why not try a bamboo toothbrush that will decompose naturally once you are done with it? Oh, and when you clean your teeth, don’t leave the tap running because you will use a lot of water in two minutes if you do.

People are getting better at this, but when you go shopping take a tote or use your ‘bag for life’ rather than keep paying pennies for plastic ones you then shove under the sink when you get home.

Cling film really isn’t needed so why not swap it for reusable containers that will keep your food fresh and the environment happy? There are some fab, specifically designed products out there that look good, save you money and can be used over and over again, unlike that pesky film that gets all tangled up and doesn’t work anyway.

Make your life as paperless as possible. Read the newspaper online, get bank statements by email, pay by card rather than by notes and when you do have paper, yup, recycle it.

Plant a tree, maybe two, and some other green stuff and help make the world a better place in moments. Planting trees, bushes and any other plant life not only makes your home and garden look lush but they will absorb some of the CO2 from the air, making this a win, win change for everyone.

You can also make a difference by growing your own fruit and veg. However small an outside space you have, it is easy to grow tomatoes, herbs and peppers and for many things a sunny window sill and some pots and peat are all you need to go all good life on your family and friends.

Take-away coffee is very much a 21st century ‘thing’ but the take-away cups soon build up in the landfill, so take your own. From Costa and Starbucks to M&S and John Lewis, there are a wide range of funky cups out there for sale and many coffee outlets will take money off your coffee if you are using your own mug.

This is totally obvious, but recycle, recycle, recylce. Plastic, paper, cardboard, foil and clothes can all be reused or recycled so don’t put them in the bin and leave the mess for someone else to clear up. In a similar vein, take a look not only at what you are buying but also the packing things come in. Do you need your bananas to come in a plastic bag or your grapes to be held in a plastic pot? Fruit and vegetables are an easy way to start this so buy them loose and take them home in a tote or a basket.

Got a recycling tip to share, get in touch and let us know.

Team Pure Beauty