7 Simple Ways To Stop Your Doors Slamming

A door suddenly banging shut can be shocking as well as annoying, for vulnerable children and people, such as those with autism, or dementia, it can cause serious anxiety.

1. Door Silencer

A customer asked me to think of a decorative way to stop a door banging, and I created a rope door silencer, now I make three types, and they are my bestsellers! They hang across the edge of the door from one handle to the other. They stop the sound of the door banging and toddlers fingers from being caught. One customer said it made it easier for her open her door from her wheelchair. Not to be used on a fire door. Click here for my door silencers and other useful items for the home.

2. Door Hold Back

Another customer asked me to make a rope hold back, so I spliced two eyes, so that one end could hook onto the door and the other could be attached to the wall. Not to be used on fire doors. Click here for more details.

3. Self Adhesive Felt Pads

These are very simple answer to the problem, they can be easily stuck onto the door jamb, to silence the slam, or on a door knob or handle to stop it damaging the wall.

4. Door Wedges

This is another inexpensive and simple way to keep the door from closing, but they can be a trip hazard.

5. Door Sweep (Also known as a door brush or filter)

A simple and easy way to slow down a closing door is to fit a door brush. Being just a metal or plastic strip with bristles, it is easy to fix to the bottom edge of a door. It works as a draught excluder too, which can help with heating bills.

6. How To Prevent Door Handles Hitting The Wall

You can buy floor or wall mounted door stops, these are made from spring or and rubber and are useful in stopping the door from hitting the wall, but they don't prevent it from closing. Easy to fit and inexpensive. I make a large monkey fist knot that hangs on a door handle that also prevents it hitting the wall, that I think is an attractive answer to the problem, and it can be moved from door to door. Have a look here for more details.

7. Slow Close Hinges and Overhead Soft Closers

Slow close hinges are dampened, so that they close slowly as their name suggests. The overhead soft closers are often used in commercial or public buildings, their speed of closing can be adjusted. Both of these mechanical means are not such a simple answer, needing a little more knowledge of DIY to fit them properly. Ask for advice when buying if you are considering use on a fire door.

Keeping My Corner Of The Sea Plastic Free

The Good News is that there seems to be less floating rubbish this year.

I once tried to teach very young children how to dance the minuet, they were very keen because The Wombles were at the top of the pop charts with Minuetto Allegretto. I was more a fan of their litter picking and recycling habits in the children's  programme rather than their music. I think of myself now as a sort of water womble.

Most days I 'patrol' for 5 to 10 mins, picking up plastic and polystyrene  in a small corner of Falmouth harbour.

So far this Spring and early Summer, the floating rubbish has been a lot less than this time last year. The organised events ,such as the Sea Shanty Festival were using reusable plastic glasses, instead of single use ones, which people took home as keepsakes. Plus local groups volunteered to clear up afterwards.

Fewer storms in April and May, saw less rain washing litter into the harbour and no strong winds blowing bins around.

A lot of the plastic I collect is full of sea squirts and algae, and looks like it has been floating for a long time. I read recently in the Hakai magazine that at Queens University in Northern Ireland research has found that 98% of marine plastics that they tested were harbouring antibiotic resistant bacteria.  See original article here .

Plastic debris is so extensive in our seas, that it is becoming a new habitat and ecosystem. It also could be seriously stopping light to lower levels, which must have a detrimental affect on sea floor habitats

Decomposing plastics may even be attracting tube-nose seabirds like kittiwakes as they emit similar gases to large amounts of krill or plankton. Other seabirds who normally digest algae are possibly eating plastics due to the same DMS gases. Science magazine article by Sid Perkins here

 Unfortunately there will be plenty of floating rubbish in our oceans to investigate these theories for many years to come.

I can see how turtles think that plastic bags are their food, I once picked up a jellyfish thinking it was piece of cellophane. It is very sad, but I don't think we have had a sail for years without seeing a plastic bottle or bag.

Old landfills were often sited near the coast and the higher sea levels are eroding them away. Crisps packets over 20 years old have been found on beaches virually intact. I remember sitting on a beach in Gibraltar with my parents in the 90's and a dustbin truck tipped it's load yards away from the Mediterranean sea. Since 2003 Gibraltar has sent its waste into Spain after facing condemnation from Spanish environmental groups and the EU.

I think Sir David Attenborough's many TV programmes have made a lot of people reconsider what they buy and how it is packaged. Plastic is an amazing material, but making it for a single use to then be thrown away is madness.

Hopefully the harbour will continue to improve with more awareness of the problem. I have noticed fewer straws and cotton buds over the last year. Now with them being outlawed, it will be even better, I hope one day we can do without plastic chocolate bar wrappers and crisp packets.

Falmouth has a great community and many of the local businesses have joined the Plastic Free Falmouth campaign. This group has really made a difference, cleaning the rivers and harbour, asking local cafes to consider change their straws and takeaway packaging.

It is amazing how a few people can make a big difference. Check out their Facebook page

Plastic Free Eco Preneurs

Now that we are all more used to shopping online, it is easier to find plastic free alternatives from small businesses such as :

Planet Detox

Plastic Detox make wonderful smelling household cleaning products, as well as personal toiletries, all without harsh detergents or plastic packaging. Using natural oils like lemon, lavender, thyme, tea tree and rose geranium,  it is like aromatherapy whilst you clean! I can recommend the Lemon Syllabub dish washing up bar, it smells delicious.

PlanetDetox