Real Nappy Website Launched and Nappy Users Wanted!

I launched my new dedicated nappy website last week. North Notts Nappies is the place to go for friendly advice and information on real nappies.

I am looking for 10 families who are already using real nappies, to help me with a small research project. I would like to get feedback on the use of soapnuts for washing nappies - if you would like to volunteer, please contact me

I will send you a free trial pack of soapnuts, enough to wash several laundry loads, and all you have to do is give me your opinion on their performance as compared to your regular detergent.

You can find out about soapnuts from previous posts and a great video on this blog.

Hope to hear from nappy fans soon!

Wikaniko Launches New Incentive

Great new initiative launched by Wikaniko from February 1st.

For 3 months anyone can sign up as a wholesale buyer FREE. This enables you to try both the "regular" Wikaniko products and also our "own brand" products, but the latter will come without personalised labels.

After the 3 month period you have 4 choices:

1. Sign up as a Distributor, costing £48 (annual renewal thereafter £12).  This enables you to continue purchasing at wholesale prices so you can purchase for yourself and your family as well as retailing to others via multiple methods as described in our free online, telephone and webinar training.  You get your own replicated website with "back office",  online shop and massive resources including articles, adverts and much more.  You are also free to build a team of distributors and earn generous commission on their sales as well as your own.  Additionally, you can sign up online customers into your "downline",  and guess what,  you also get commission on their purchases! NB - distributors are free to take up the Wholesale Buyer position too if they wish - costing an additional £59 to set up their own brand labels (see below)
2. Sign up as a Wholesale Buyer, enabling you to purchase a range of 80 skincare products, toiletries and essential oils at wholesale prices that you are then free to sell on at whatever prices you choose.  There is a cost of £59 to set up your own brand labels.  This is ideal for small businesses or traders wishing to have their own branded range of products, and it takes away all the complications of licensing etc.  Business that could benefit might include hair salons, beauty therapists, aromatherapists, nail studios or perhaps fundraising charities.  The possibilities are endless! NB this position does not allow for team building or access to training.  Read more about the Wholesale Buyer position here (click on "Own Brand")
3. Sign up as an online customer- this enables you to continue purchasing the products at retail prices, with delivery to your door (delivery charges apply).
4. Simply walk away and do nothing. There is no obligation whatsoever. Easy, isn't it?

If you would like further information on any of these options please don't hesitate to contact me - I can be reached by email or phone at almost any time of day. You can also contact me via my website, Facebook or Twitter (see links on the right).

Still not sure?  Check out this independent review of Wikaniko.

Wikaniko Launches Amazing New Initiative

Yet again, Wikaniko has come up with a totally innovative idea!
For 3 months, anyone can sign up FREE as a wholesale buyer enabling them to purchase any of Wikaniko's range of approximately 1000 eco-friendly products at the same discounted prices as distributors. This gives you the chance to try the products with no commitment - at the end of the trial period (it runs until May 1st 2011) you can either sign up as a distributor, paying the usual fee of £48, sign as a Wholesale Buyer and pay £59 to set up your own brand labels - or simply do nothing and walk away, with no obligation whatsoever. This really is a superb opportunity and I recommend anyone who's been thinking about joining Wikaniko, to take full advantage.
Visit Wikaniko and click on "Own Brand" to learn more.

How Safe Is Washing Up Liquid?

Whether or not we own dishwashers,  the vast majority of us frequently use some variety of washing-up liquid.  But do we actually think about the ingredients and their potential effects both on ourselves and the environment? 
According to the labels,  washing up liquid is made up of surfactants (i.e. detergents) - these are what dislodge grease from dishes by breaking down the surface tension of water.  "Surfactant" is simply an acronym of "surface active agent". 
It is vital that surfactants biodegrade quickly, to avoid damaging the aquatic environment,  Vegetable based surfactants are best from this viewpoint -  if they are not plant-based they are derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource that, as we are all painfully aware, can cause huge damage to aquatic life.
However, washing up liquids can also contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, phosphates, synthetic colourings and musks.  These ingredients do not even have to be listed on the label!   Phthlates may cause liver, kidney and testicular damage in children, and six types have been banned from teething toys. Artificial musks provide the scent in most washing-up liquid. New research from the Netherlands has found that synthetic musks impair the oestrogenic function in fish.  The scientists found that two polycyclic musks used in cleaning products (liable to end up in water) "could be significant endocrine disruptors."  Greenpeace has found them in human breast milk, blood and fatty tissue.  
Ethical Consumer Magazine has reviewed washing up liquids -  which makes for interesting reading.


Personally, I have used Bio-D washing up liquid for well over a year now and have been very impressed  at both its performance and economy.  A massive One Litre bottle retails at £2.49 from my Wikaniko Shop but as a distributor,  I can buy the same for just £1.94!   

The other good thing is that the bottles are recyclable being made from HDPE,  and they can also be re-used for many other things.   Why not give it a try -  the environment and your skin will thank you!

Go Eco Friendly With Real Nappies!

Using washable nappies is a great way to be eco-friendly;  it's been calculated that parents can save £500 or more per baby  by ditching disposables - not to mention being so much kinder to the environmentl.   Can you believe it - 8 million nappies are disposed of daily, in Britain -  isn't that a terrifying statistic?  Each nappy takes hundreds of years to break down - what will happen when there is no more landfill space?  It's time for some common sense.........


Because I am strongly committed to doing all I possibly can to spread the eco word,  I have signed up as a Real Nappy Agent with Screaming Green, and will be promoting reusable nappies in the Bassetlaw and Gainsborough areas to the best of my ability.   This will sit perfectly alongside my Wikaniko Home Business and I'm really looking forward to connecting with parents to demonstrate just how easy it is to save money and have peace of mind with modern washable nappies.  


I did try washable nappies when my children were babies - this was over 20 years ago and it wasn't successful -  but the current nappies are infinitely better, and there is a great deal of choice for parents,  with options available for every budget and situation.


Also,  the majority of county councils now have cashback offers for parents purchasing reusable nappies, giving them even more of an incentive to go green!


Please feel free to contact me for further information on real nappies.

More Concerns Over Cosmetics and Skincare Products

Today's Daily Mail has a revealing article regarding the cocktail of chemicals in cosmetic and skincare products -  why take the risk?  It's so easy nowadays to find products free from all these harmful ingredients.

Visit my Wikaniko Shop to browse a superb range of organic makeup and eco-friendly skincare and toiletries free of 515 risky chemicals!

Eco Friendly Tips For Laundry & Cleaning, From Wikaniko

Rethink your laundry habits. 

• Everything that we put into our laundry in the way of detergents ends up staying on our clothes; some scientists believe that this is why people now have sensitive skin and many more people, including babies and young children, are prone to skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis. Even the fragrance used in detergents is comprised in most cases of synthetic chemicals. Wouldn’t it be nicer to use something on your clothes that not only meant that they were fresh and clean but also mean that your skin stayed healthy too?
• The chemicals in detergents get washed away to be dealt with by water treatment plants so that the water can then be used again. However, some of it ends up in water courses where these chemicals cause many problems such as death of aquatic life or the over production of algae. (we’ve all seen those green, stagnant ponds and rivers)
• Sometimes the water is not completely purged of all the unwanted chemicals, so it comes back to us with traces still present. That’s not very healthy, is it?
• There are many options now available to you that get your clothes clean and don’t harm anyone along the way, such as the Bio D range of products that are biodegradable and are totally harmless even if they do make it into the waterways. Or try soapnuts - so natural that they actually grow on trees, and amazingly economical! (see my separate blog post on soapnuts) Why not investigate the Biowashball which will do around 1000 washes for under £25? All are better for the environment, your family, and your purse.
• Washing clothes at lower temperatures means less energy used, so the less CO2 you are producing and the lower your energy bills will be. Most detergents, whether eco friendly or not, are now designed to be effective in cooler washes, so turn it down! Just get into the habit, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Personally I rarely wash anything above 30 degrees C nowadays.

Change your cleaning products as fast as possible!

•  Did you know that due to the amount of chemicals now found in cleaning products, air fresheners and so on, the level of air pollution inside a home can often be worse that outside?
• Also, the amount of chemicals in the home has been blamed by some scientists for the sharp increase in childhood asthma over the last few years.
• We have become so obsessed with clinical cleanliness that we kill beneficial bacteria too! As a result our immunity to the harmful bacteria is decreased, whilst they become increasingly resistant to methods of killing them. (Just think of those “superbugs” that are the scourge of hospitals these days)
• There are many great cleaning products available that are not only extremely effective, but also kind to you, your children, your pets, and the environment.
• Here’s a simple test to see how harmful your current cleaning products are: Go to the place where you keep your cleaning products. Take out the bottles, and read the labels to find out how many hazardous chemicals you are keeping in one place in your home (You can stop at 12, because by then you will get the general idea).
• Now, have a look in the cleaning section of my Wikaniko Shop for some examples of the amazing range of eco friendly products available to you, most of which are designed to perform several functions. Products like the Pink Stuff or the Eco Buddy, or even the magic eraser or the micro fibre cloths that require nothing but water to clean effectively. We also do refills for many of the products, which save you money, and reduce the amount of plastic going into landfills. What could be easier?