BACTERIAL WARFARE

One of the less appealing aspects of owning our rural finca was having to live with 'The Beast' - an innocuous-looking but extremely important concrete bunker, adjoining our summer dining terrace. I'll spare you too much detail, just in case you're reading this over breakfast, but let's just say that anything that leaves our property through waste pipes, goes into 'The Beast' (a pozo negro, or septic tank) - to be subjected to some kind of minor bacterial warfare within.

Fearing the worst if we did something to upset the delicate balance of bacteria and . . . yet more bacteria . . . we sought advice. 'Treat it with respect' said the former owner of the property. 'And that means no nasty chemicals or non-biodegradable stuff.'

So, not for us, those giant bottles of lurid-coloured cleaning products, filling several aisles of the local supermarket, and much-loved by Spanish housewives. We were going ecological and, although the cost of buying these products can be higher, we discovered that they do last much longer.

Feeling good about saving some money, and helping the environment of 'The Beast' (and generally), I've even resorted to some old-fashioned remedies: the kind of things my Nan would have used. Back in the UK, one of the occasional guests on my BBC radio programme was an expert on food and 'all things domestic', and Jill often regaled us with tips for tackling household jobs using store cupboard items.

Now I'd much rather be writing stuff than rubbing sink stains, but I have taken on board some of her suggestions - and saved quite a bit more money on cleaning products. My favourite weapons in the war against grime? Vinegar, bicarb of soda and lemon juice. I've been amazed what I can shift using one or more of those!

And, so far, there have been no complaints from 'The Beast' . . .

Copyright Jan Edwards 2008