Cleaning vertical blinds...

I know I haven't posted on here for ages and this isn't a specific to Hamilton post, but it's a challenge I've had to overcome recently.
Our landlord commented that there was some mould on some of the vertical blinds in our house and could we please arrange to have these cleaned. Now I didn't want to have to pay somebody else to do it and I wanted a cheap natural way to do it myself, so here is my tried and tested method.

Step 1. Using a sponge and a little bit of vinegar in a little water, wipe down each individual blind front and back, paying attention to any specific mouldy areas/fly spots/dirt build-up.

Step 2. Using a solution of 4-5 drops of Oil of cloves in a 1/2 bucketful of water, wipe both sides of each blind again.

The vinegar mixture helps to clean off the dirt. The Oil of cloves kills the mould and prevents it from returning.

Thanks to the book 'Spotless' by Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming for pointing me in the right direction. I adapted my solution from ones about mould on handbags and walls.

Waste information

I found this booklet that Hamilton City Council have produced about reducing rubbish. It gives basic information about rubbish and recycling specific to how it is dealt with in Hamilton. Still not very comprehensive.

Recycling plastic bags

I have just found out (after a few emails) that you can take all types of plastic bags to Woolworths-St James (that's the one at Rototuna) and put them in their plastic bag recycling slot to get recycled (it's located under the notice board where the checkouts are). This includes not just plastic shopping bags, but the little plastic bags you get in the fruit and veggie section; the thicker plastic bags you get from clothing stores; as well as bread bags. Just note that they need to be relatively clean (just like the stuff you put out for curbside recycling). They bail them up and send them to M D C who then sends them on the recycling plant.

Disposal of old medicines

According to the NZ government MEDSAFE website:

'Do not keep old medicines because you think you may need them in the future. Return unused medicines you have been prescribed, or medicines past their expiry date, to your pharmacist for safe disposal. Do not throw medicines in the rubbish or flush them down the toilet.'

Please note that I have found information on local council websites (not Hamilton City Council) which clearly instruct people to either throw medicines in the rubbish or flush them down the toilet - DO NOT DO THIS!

Informed Choices...

I moved from Brisbane, Australia to Hamilton, New Zealand five months ago. Along with a change in location, I decided to make a change in my habits so that my life is more environmentally sustainable. Yet I have found it very difficult to find any readily accessible source of quality information about various options related to recycling and safe disposable of hazardous waste etc. So the purpose of this blog is to be a easily accessible resource, that other people living in Hamilton can access to find out what to do with various waste or where to take it, with the aim to creating a more sustainable environment.