Bamboo Bristles

In my quest to find new, great quality Bamboo brushes,  I discovered the best hairbrush I’ve used in years.

Strong, durable and lightweight, these brushes have a luxurious look and feel to them, and brush through hair like a pro!

When offering it to my hair-dresser to do a blow dry, she commented that it was wonderfully light, yet strong making it a welcome treat after 8 other blow dries that day.

Knowing that they are environmentally sustainable, chemical free and biodegradable makes the treat of a new hair brush or all the more enjoyable.

If you are new to bamboo brushes and bamboo in general, browse our home linens and towels at www.100bamboo.com.

Green Tourism

While browsing our family holiday options for this Summer, I noted a few independent hotels and B&B’s claiming to be part of the Green Tourism venture. Upon further reading, I found that there is an active and thriving community for companies striving to be Green and that it is now quite feasible to choose Green accommodation in many regions of the country. With more support for these ventures, the community will grow and we will hopefully see larger hotel chains converting to a Greener hospitality approach.

 ‘Green Tourism businesses are on a green journey, they have not reached perfection but they are focused on being sustainable, responsible and green. This is demonstrated through our three grading levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold).

Every two years each of the Green Tourism Members are visited and assessed by a qualified professional to ensure standards are maintained as follows:

•They are committed to sustainable tourism and minimising its damage to the environment

•They operate in accordance with all relevant legislation and regulations

•They meet standards of good practice across a range of sustainable development indicators

•They are committed to providing a good quality of service’ www.green-tourism.com

Hotels and B&B’s are starting to accept that guests want it all… a restful, luxurious nights’ sleep, great meals and an environmentally aware offering. Some companies are choosing ethically sourced décor options like bamboo linens and towels, while others are more food focused with some having started their own organic fruit and veg gardens that also contribute to local food banks allowing other hotels in the community to share and benefit. The general approach is to move towards an environment free of toxic chemicals and to choose sustainability over convenience.

Brush with Bamboo

My mission continues to source good quality lifestyle products, made primarily from bamboo that will not only impress but offer uses luxury and peace-of-mind that the environment is not being scarified for our comfort.

My latest find is Bamboo toothbrushes… and rest assured these are made from MOSO bamboo…. One of the many varieties that Panda’s do not eat. (They’re actually quite a fussy lot!)

The toothbrush looks basic, simple and not very 'new age', with almost a retro feel to it or perhaps something your grandparents would have grown up with.

What it offers, is a no-nonsense, firm brush with a full mouth piece, so if you prefer a gentler feel, opt for the soft bristles and perhaps even the kids size head.

The bamboo handle feels like wood, but a very smooth, strong, wood. No splinters on these eco babies.

So, for the sake of saving a pile of plastic toothbrushes that will never break down in our lifetime, I think giving up a bit of modern ergonomics for your teeth and going green with these bamboo bristles, makes perfect sense.

Now you might want to try out some other bamboo home wares. Have a browse at www.100bamboo.com for more ideas.

100 Bamboo Ltd supports Race for Life

Well done to the team at 100% Bamboo Ltd for competing in the Cancer Research Race for Life on Sunday 25^th May in Guildford, Surrey.

Two runners, Laura from 100 Bamboo and Lizelle from Jumpstartphysiontherapy  ran together and completed the race in under 26 mins and were cheered on by their husbands and children.

Cancer Research UK holds 5km and 10km runs around the country and it is amazing to see how an event like this brings people together in the fight against cancer.

Our Race for Life event was also on a dry, warm, day- and seeing the sea of pink T-shirts ahead helped us stay motivated and keep on jogging.

It was such a fun family day out and there were all ages from buggy age to teens – I even saw dogs taking part in the race (Next time I may bring my German shepherd along to join in the fun).

All in all a great day and a great sense of achievement in helping to fight cancer with an exceptional fund-raising effort of  nearly £300. Watch this space for more Race for Life Event updates.

Perfect Corners on your beds?

Ever noticed the nice neat corners on hotel beds?

Anyone who worked in a hospital, the armed forces, or a hotel will probably be familiar with hospitality corners on their beds. It's a very neat way to tuck the sheets under the mattress at the foot of the bed. It’s very straightforward if you know the simple steps so read on. See image from The Art of Manliness © to illustrate the instructions.

Position a flat sheet over the mattress. The long edges and the foot edge should hang below the bottom of the mattress, and the long edges should hang equally.

Tuck the foot edge under the mattress from corner to corner. Make sure the sheet lies smoothly.

Pull one long edge onto the mattress so that the sheet goes smoothly around the corner. The folded edge of the sheet should form a 45 degree angle (approximately) from that corner on the surface of the bed. The neater and more wrinkle-free you can pull this off, the better your hospital corner will be.

Put your hand on the long side of the corner to keep the edge smooth. Tuck in any part of the sheet that is hanging below the mattress. You should be able to remove your hand, and the corner will stay smooth and tight. A good rule of thumb is that both edges of the sheet should be lined up and vertical.

Bring the sheet corner on the bed over the edge of the mattress. Tuck the hanging edge tightly under the mattress.

Repeat on the other corner.

This method works best when there is a generous over-hang of the flat sheet. For luxurious 300 TC Bamboo Flat Sheets and that offer ample overhang, visit 100bamboo.com. 

Choosing your linens

There are plenty of sheet materials, thread counts, and styles out on the market; from 400 thread count Egyptian cotton, to the finest silk sheets, there are dozens of sheet sets to choose from. To assist you in choosing the best linens for your bedroom, we’re going to compare the popular cotton sheets with the environmentally favourable bamboo sheets to see how the newest trend stands up to most popular cash crop.

Comfort

We all love our high-thread count sheets, but not much compares to the silky smoothness of bamboo sheets. Often compared to silk, and in some cases, cashmere, woven bamboo fiber sheets are luxurious from day one. There are certainly many options in the cotton world as well, but in the cotton and bamboo price range, bamboo wins the softness battle every time.

Absorbency

Whether you’re a sweaty sleeper, or you just don’t have the air-con on this summer, you can combat your sweaty nights with the high absorbency of bamboo sheets. Bamboo is able to absorb up to 300% of its weight in moisture, making them the ideal lightweight material for summer slumber.

Eco Friendliness

We all know how eco-friendly bamboo is, but do we know the negative aspects of cotton? Unfortunately, cotton is the most highly sprayed cash crop in the country, making it not so eco-friendly. Bamboo can thrive without the use of pesticides and fungicides, and is one of the most rapidly renewable raw materials on the planet. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly way to get the most out of your shut-eye, toss your cotton sheets aside for bamboo.

Resilience

You’ve heard about bamboo’s tensile strength, but you may not realize that much of that strength comes directly from the fibers of the plant, meaning that the resulting textiles of 100% bamboo are also incredibly durable. When properly laundered and cared for, bamboo sheets are more resilient than cotton, and can last up to three times as long as cotton sheets without losing their soft and silky texture.

When it comes down to it, it’s really difficult to beat the qualities of bamboo in the bedding world. From eco-friendly harvesting to hypoallergenic sleeping, bamboo sheets and bedding give you more for your money than even the finest Egyptian cotton.


If you're looking Bamboo Duvet Covers, Sheets, Blankets and Towels, browse the classic range at www.100bamboo.com

'Tis the Season... to be married

It’s now May. I personally have 2 wedding invites this month and know of many more for which I haven’t made the list. By June the UK Summer Wedding season will be in full swing and every hair salon will be operating at half capacity on Saturdays as all the stylists will be at weddings and every beauty salon will be seeing off lively bridal parties painted and glossed in pretty French manicures.

 So as a dutiful guest, how do you purchase an appropriate gift which the bridal couple will appreciate, not get 10 duplicates of and most importantly won’t break your bank account, especially considering the 6 weddings you may have been invited to in any given summer season.

Many couple these days offer wedding lists, which of course gives guidance as to what they would like and need. Some people however feel embarrassed about being so forthright with gift requests, or it’s a relatively small list and it’s all gone by the time you get to look at it, or even worse, only the £200 Crystal vase is remaining. You may or may not fin the gift list helpful.

Another option is to group together with several friends of the bridal couple and to purchase something of a higher value that each of you individually would not have been able to purchase. The down side is that you may feel that the couple will not identify any one particular gift with yourself and you’ll get lost in the group effect. You will also all need to contribute roughly the same amount and some can comfortably afford more than others.

So if neither of the above have solved your gift giving dilemma, and you are left to make your own choice, remember to be mindful of their situation in life. Have they been living together for several years, in which case they will have most household items that they need.  The next consideration is what type of people they are? Perhaps they are particularly environmentally aware, or have exotic or eclectic tastes. And lastly, the gift will hopefully be around for longer than your average birthday treat of flowers and chocolates.

With these factors in mind, I come back time and time again to home linens, towels and blankets. And to ensure they are appreciated by all, I want them to be luxurious, yet not cost a fortune and for the eco-friends, I’ve chosen Bamboo products which ensure they are environmentally sustainable and made from organically grown bamboo.

If you are looking for the perfect wedding gift, have a browse of these bamboo products including linens, blankets and towels at www.100bamboo.com.   The colours are classic and will work with almost every home.