As is often the case, it is the small daily changes that can make a big difference. Here are some quick tips on how to be more green when you do the laundry.

• Wash on a lower temperature – Simply switching from 40 degrees to 30 degrees uses around 40% less electricity! So switching from 60 degrees to 40 degrees is good and to 30 degrees is even better. If you use a detergent like Surcare you will get the same great washing results at the lower temperature.

• Do a full load when you can – It is best to wait until you have a full load before doing a wash. If you really do need to wash that special item urgently then make sure you use a half load or economy programme.

• Switch off standby – Always switch your washer off standby. According to the Energy Savings Trust a massive £700 million worth of energy is wasted each year in the UK by people leaving appliances in their homes on standby.

• Eco-friendly drying – Tumble dryers use a lot of electricity which generates loads of co2 which will heat up the planet as well. They are also expensive – the Environment Agency estimates that around £88 million is spent on powering tumble dryers in the UK each year. Drying clothes outdoors is the best method, but living in the UK sometimes this just isn’t possible. In these instances avoid drying clothes on radiators – a drying rack in a room with an open window is a good eco-friendly alternative. If you need to use the dryer spin the clothes in the washing machine before putting them in the dryer.

• Assess your appliances – If you are looking to upgrade your appliances take a look at the Energy Saving Trust website to find out which models it recommends. An eco-friendly washer can cut your energy consumption by up to a third, saving you money on your electricity bill, as well as saving Co2.

*Energy Saving Trust

So let’s look at some facts…

• In the UK one in five children and one in twelve adults have eczema. It is the commonest type of skin disease seen by doctors.

• Eczema affects 5 million children and adults in the UK every year.

• Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is a dry skin condition. There are many different types of eczema and it varies hugely in severity from person to person.

• Eczematous skin tends to be red and scaly, sometimes with small blisters. It is intensely itchy and scratching can cause bleeding and infection.

• The inflammation experienced with eczema is a reaction of the immune system to a complex series of factors. These include the genes you inherit and external elements such as the climate and the food you eat.

• Eczema affects people of all ages but is primarily seen in children. Those who “grow out” of their eczema during early childhood may see it recur again in later life.

• The word eczema comes from the Greek word “ekzein” which means “to boil”.

If you or your family has found eczema a challenge let us know. Maybe you’ve found something that has helped ease condition that you’d be happy to share.

Surcare is approved by Talk Eczema which has lots of useful guidance for people with eczema. Visit www.talkeczema.com for more information.

And despite the constant threat of a downpour, Ladies Day saw the usual array of spectacular hats and outfits. Flying saucer shaped fascinators appeared to be one of the most popular head coverings but there was still the usual display of outlandish designer creations.

Fashion commentators remarked how bold, bright and colourful was the order of the day, with contrasting block coloured hats and outfits.

Whatever the weather, visitors appetite for traditional racing food and drink doesn’t diminish. Each year, the crowds consume some 170,000 bottles of champagne, about 10,000 lobsters, 5,000 oysters and 18,000 punnets of strawberries.

With the summer season now upon us, whether you are attending a music festival, summer society event or just having friends round for a BBQ – let’s hope that the British weather is kind to us all.

But as any cricket player, or parent knows, cricket whites have a habit of losing their sparkle as those dramatic dive catches result in an array of grass stains!

Luckily, Surcare offers outstanding results even at 30 degrees. So whilst it is gentle on even the most sensitive skin, it is actually really tough on grass stains – making it an essential summer purchase for any cricket loving family!

The results are now in and while we might bicker and wind each other up, spending time with family is our favourite way to make us smile.

More than a quarter of Brits voted their family as their top reason to be cheerful. A further 29% of us described a perfect day as one spent with family, in comparison with just 8% choosing to spend it with friends.

However, when it comes to needing a quick pick-me-up when feeling blue, the nurturing effect of family shared the top spot with a chocolate hit!

As well as family and chocolate, sunshine and fresh air are also cited as happiness boosts with a fifth revealing that sunshine is our favourite free reason to be cheerful.

Our ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ survey has revealed that the song ‘Time of your life’ has come out tops as the tune that always puts a smile on your face!

Coming in second in our list of feel good songs was The Beatles classic ‘Here comes the sun’, closely followed by Bon Jovi’s rock anthem ‘Living on a Prayer’.

Here’s the full top ten so you can crank up the volume, get dancing and most importantly keep smiling!
1. Time of your Life – Dirty Dancing
2. Here comes the sun – The Beatles
3. Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
4. I’m a believer – The Monkees
5. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
6. You’re the one that I want – Grease
7. Dance with somebody – Whitney Houston
8. In the Summertime – Shaggy
9. Say a little prayer – Aretha Franklin
10. Mmmmbop – Hanson

Plus for the Easter weekend at least, the weather looks amazing – not an April shower in sight!

Around one in seven workers is expected to make the most of the extra holiday by taking time off between Easter and the royal wedding, giving them a super long 11-day break. While, one in eight of us is expected to travel abroad.

Whether you head to foreign climes or stay and enjoy the sunshine at home, a succession of bank holiday weekends is a fantastic reason to be cheerful this April.

And speaking of reasons to be cheerful, the results are in from our survey into the top things that put a smile on your face. We’re going to keep you in suspense and reveal all in the next blog post.

In our opinion there is nothing like waking up on these lighter mornings to a chorus of birdsong . It never fails to put a spring in our step!

And speaking of simple things that put a smile on your face, we’re still keen to find out what are your top reasons to be happy in our survey which is being run on the websites, allaboutyou and 50connect.

Everyone who completes a survey is in with the chance of winning a year’s supply of Surcare laundry products, plus a fantastic Baumatic washing machine and gorgeous laundry pack.

To be in with a chance check out: http://www.allaboutyou.com/homes/reasons-to-be-happy-survey-with-surcare/special  or http://www.50connect.co.uk/categories/home-lifestyle/articles/featured.

We’ve teamed up with two of our favourite websites allaboutyou and 50connect to conduct some quick research to find out your top reasons to be happy.

We’d love to hear what brightens your day, so if you’ve got five minutes take a look at our surveys on either of the following links – http://www.allaboutyou.com/homes/reasons-to-be-happy-survey-with-surcare/special  or http://www.50connect.co.uk/categories/home-lifestyle/articles/featured

Everyone who completes a survey is in with the chance of winning a year’s supply of Surcare laundry products, plus a fantastic Baumatic washing machine and gorgeous laundry pack. That would certainly brighten our day!

We’re totally chuffed with the new packs – they look really fresh and highlight what Surcare is all about – a laundry range that is great at cleaning clothes, as well as being kind to skin.

If you’ve spotted our new packs in store you can tell us what you think by visiting our new Surcare facebook and twitter pages. We’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy the Spring sunshine – at last we can take the wet laundry off the radiators and hang it outside to dry on the line!