I admit it, I was an air freshener abuser. My cleaning cupboard had more air freshener varieties than you could poke a stick at. But in fooling my nose, I was also poisoning my immediate and wider environment. There are certainly greener ways to keep nasty smells at bay.

Most of the concern about kitchen sponges is around the amount of bacteria they can harbor. Sure, it's a very good point, but what about the environmental damage wreaked by these mostly synthetic throwaway items? Are there greener alternatives?