A slower and more sustainable life
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item. There are so many zero waste alternatives that it can be daunting to start thinking about it. But fear not. This helpful guide will show you the best …
Lemon water makes a wonderfully refreshing drink in the summer. Just squeeze or juice a few lemons into still and sparkling water and you have a lovely drink with an extra boost of vitamin C! But what could you do with the leftover lemon peel? …
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Not only is oat milk very cheap and locally produced but it is also a more eco-conscious choice than say, almond milk. Making your own oat milk is surprisingly easy but storing homemade oat milk and cleaning the bottle afterwards can be a bit tricky so I wanted to shed some light on this in this blog article. For a while, I am making my own homemade oat milk. I usually prepare it at the weekend and store it in a glass bottle for the week.
I buy my oats in a cardboard box which is easy to recycle and easy to store. Only when I need the oat milk will I get my blender out and prepare about a litre for the upcoming week. That is enough for me as I only use it with my granola or every now and then to make a fresh batch of English breakfast muffins. You may need more if you also use it in coffee or for other recipes.
The best way to storing homemade oat milk is to store it in some glass container. Maybe you already have something suitable at home. Have a look around to see if you have a bottle that you can repurpose to store your oat milk. I have a glass bottle which I repurposed for this use. I’ve heard other people use Kilner bottles and that works well for them.
Ideally, find some sort of container with a large opening – it will make cleaning so much easier. The one drawback of the glass bottle that I currently use is the small opening which makes cleaning it a bit harder. However, there are effective solutions for this in case you also just have a glass bottle as I do. Read on to find out more!
If you don’t have either you could use any other container that makes it easy to pour the oat milk when you need it. Make sure it fits your fridge well so you can make the most of the storage in your fridge.
However, there is one problem, especially with bottles that I have experienced as well. How do you clean them effectively without any residue? It is pretty difficult to reach all areas of a bottle even with a bottle brush at times. I have that problem with the current bottle that I use so I had to find some easy ways of cleaning it effectively. Luckily there are quite a few options so I am sure one of them will work for you as well.
There are different methods but they mostly use the same process. Some water, washing up liquid and some dried rice (or maybe lentils or peas could work as well) and shake the mixture vigorously. Basically the grains will act as a scourer on the inside and bottom of the bottle or jar that you want to clean. Make sure you close the container well. I accidentally didn’t close it properly once and it was a right mess. Don’t add too much water when using this method as the rice should be quite concentrated in one place to be abrasive.
I’ve used this method in the past and it works really well. So happy that I found out about it!
Alternatively, you may want to use baking beans for the same effect. I’ve also heard that people use salt with some water but I have not tried it yet.
Did you try any of these methods? How did it go? Did I forget any good alternative method? If you have a great tip for storing homemade oat milk please comment below and I am happy to add it.
Disclaimer: This post contains affilitate links – I will earn a commission if you buy any item. For this blog, I wanted to give you a list of books that either focuses on sustainability or had a clever way of incorporating it. Here is my …
The travelling industry and associated transportation of travellers produces a large part of the greenhouse gas emissions. You may already be doing quite well and live more sustainably by being more conscious about your life at home. But then you decide to go on holiday …
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If you are starting your zero waste journey you may be wondering what the zero waste essentials are. What are the items that will help you start out right and cut down your use of plastic items? Read on to find out.
This is not an exhaustive list but the items I found most useful in my early days of avoiding plastic in my everyday life.
Most people nowadays use liquid soap which comes in plastic bottles. Yes, it feels like you get good value and they are more convenient but are they really? One of my first zero-waste swaps was ditching liquid soap for soap bars. You can be frugal about it and make your own or buy some. You nowadays can find soap bars wrapped in paper packaging in many shops. Maybe it makes it onto your list of zero waste essentials soon.
My favourite past time was finding new soaps from local artisan markets where people sell handmade items. It has become one of my favourite gifts to myself when on holiday. A nice handcrafted soap bar that reminds you of your holiday trip but does not clutter up your home. Something useful which brings you joy long after you have returned home.
Although I am not a takeaway coffee drinker I found a keep cup incredibly useful zero-waste item. If you like your take away coffee on your way to work it will cut down the amount of single-use take away cups that just get thrown away.
Personally, I just make my hot chocolate or tea at home and take it with me when I am out and about. I use it for the occasional trip to a coffee shop when I am out with friends.
As a crafter, I made these simply myself from cotton yarn. They a simple and quick to make and they also make nice gifts if you have friends who are interested in zero waste. They replace the single-use makeup remover wipes and you just pop them in the wash with your clothes to clean.
If you’re less of a DIY person there are solutions you can purchase depending on how much you would like to spend. Just make sure they are made of cotton fabric as some reusable makeup remover pads I’ve seen have microfibre in them.
Another easy zero-was essential item that should be on your list in the beginning is a reusable bag.
When going shopping most people these days just ask for a bag to take their shopping home. Sure there are plastic bags and cotton bags to chose from. But why not just bring your own bag along? If you plan on a bigger shop ensure you have a few bags packed and say goodbye to that big pile of old plastic bags in the corner or all those cotton bags you are hoarding in a cupboard.
This one is a no brainer. Rather than buying a plastic bottle of water when you feel thirsty why not bring your own reusable bottle with you? Fill it up with water before you leave the house and out and about you can usually fill it up for free. It is eco-conscious and will save you lots of money!
Personally I have a glass water bottle and but for a light-weight option get a stainless steel water bottle. These are durable and will keep you drink either hot in the winter or cold in the summer.
Start making more meals at home and freeze some for later. These make great lunch options to take to work or when you are out and about. I rarely buy food when I am out and rather bring some food with me. It is best getting a good reusable lunchbox. But first look around what you already have at home and see what you can use.
If you don’t have a suitable container have a look at metal lunchboxes or glass food storage containers. You may be lucky and find some second hand if you have some time to hunt for some. Otherwise, have a look here for some alternatives.
What are your most used zero waste essentials? Leave a comment below and I will include them in the list!
Let’s be honest: we are trying our best to live zero waste but it can be difficult at times. Maybe your partner is not convinced of zero waste living or thinks it is not important. Maybe you live in an area without a zero waste …
