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Updated on 20 May 2026

Lovely Brushes

Let's face it. Most of the jobs that require a brush are…a bit of a chore. Washing up, dusting, cleaning, polishing shoes, scrubbing vegetables. All necessary but a bit dull.

Having brushes that are skillfully crafted from natural materials can elevate the mundane and add a frisson of pleasure to the tedious jobs. When I saw the brushes made by Hillbrush, and tested out a few, I just knew I had to add these to our range! The dish brushes have a pleasingly elegant curve to them. This isn't just to look more designer-made, but also improves their functionality. The curve gives you more leverage to get into corners and scrub more forcefully. The stiff brushes are fantastic for baked-on muck and I use the soft brush all the time now for glasses, mugs, and anything that needs a thorough but gentle clean.

The pet brushes are gentle but effective, and there's even a keyboard brush for sweeping out the dust and debris that get into the gaps and stick there.

They are expensive but they really do last well. The bristles keep their form and don't go squashed out of shape, even after quite rigorous scrubbing. I love the design and craftsmanship that goes into these brushes. Quality and sustainability go hand in hand; if products are built to last then they don't need replacing so often.

I also like the attention to detail. We used to sell lambswool dusters made by another company. One of them broke, which gave us an opportunity to properly examine how it was made. The core was plastic. This was very disappointing as it was sold to us by the manufacturer as a sustainable product. One of my first questions to Hillbrush when I was considering selling their products was, "What's the twangy thing in the middle of the lambswool duster made of?". It's a coil made of metal. Other pleasing details are the ergonomics of the brushes, so they feel nice in the hand, the use of FSC beechwood which has a satisfying quality and density to it, and the hanging string is made of natural fibres. The products are considered.

So I hope you like them! They've got one or two other things that I will add to the range but we'll see how things go with this lot to begin with.

Hillbrush natural pet brush in use

You can see the full range of Hillbrush natural brushes here.

Sally Phillips, Owner and Director of Chimney Sheep

Sally Phillips

Inventor of Chimney Sheep

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PlanetCare Microfibre Filter Starter Kit

PlanetCare Microfibre Filter Starter Kit

How does it work?

This ingenious washing machine microfibre filter kit uses cartridges to physically catch and retain the fibres that come loose when you wash your laundry. Each cartridge will last around 15-20 loads of laundry and is easily replaceable in just a couple of minutes.

Fibre retention is based solely on physical retention with the help of clever patent-pending technology.

You can also send the used cartridges back to us and we'll forward them on to PlanetCare. They will ensure that they are reused or recycled.  This ‘closed loop’ system ensures that there is minimum wastage throughout the whole process.

Something to think about:

Doing the laundry can have a huge environmental impact, whether that be using tons of energy running the washing machine and tumble drier - or the pollutants that are released from the products you use. Using a microfiber filter is just one way of reducing that impact. Why not make a few more changes - we've tons of handy tips in our blog.

What's in the box?

You'll get everything you need to fit your PlanetCare washing machine filter with these handy starter kits, meaning you can get it in place and start catching microfibers straight away.

The Mini Starter Kit includes:

  • 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, and 3 filter replacement cartridges.
  •  3 cartridges. These can last up to 60 washes.

The XL Starter Kit includes:

  • 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, and 3 filter replacement cartridges.
  • 13 cartridges. These can last up to 260 washes.

    Note: All the filter cartridges are 100% recycled and refurbished for use again and again via a closed-loop service.

      Is it easy to install?

      The microfiber filter is very easy to install. In fact, for most washing machines this process takes less than 10 minutes. The filters are compatible with all types of washing machines.

      There's actually a handy how-to video and a useful installation guide  you can take a peek at if you need a little bit more guidance.

      It’s a good idea to position it high enough above the floor/surface so the cover can be removed to change the filter and position the device so that it is easy to screw the cover back after each filter change.

      Please note: you will need 13 cm on the side of the washing machine and approx. 60 cm in height clearance so that you will be able to easily unscrew the housing and change the filter comfortably.

      The filter must be placed outside the washing machine on the drain hose. It should not be raised above the height of the drain hose exiting the washing machine. The hose length should be held to a minimum. Raising the filter and a long drain hose will both reduce the efficiency of pumping and filtering and should be avoided.

      What are the dimensions of the filter housing?

      The filter housing alone, without any attachments, measures the following:

      • height 325 mm, width (hose attachment direction) 122 mm, and depth 130 mm.

      Is the microfiber filter easy to use?

      For the first load, just make sure the filter cover is replaced correctly and screwed tight before using the washing machine. Try a short wash and make sure all connections and covers are fixed and watertight.

      It’s also a good idea to hold the top of the device when replacing the filter cover to avoid putting pressure on the bracket fixings when unscrewing the cover.

      After that, you do not need to do anything until the cartridge is full.

      Easy!

      How does the closed-loop system work?

      When your cartridge is full you can send it back to us directly, simply go onto the delivery website Parcel2Go and produce a label to send the cartridges to us, don't forget to include your order details as we'll refund you the postage cost. We then send these off to PlanetCare who disassemble the cartridge and remove the fibres and filtering medium.  This is done in a controlled environment, ensuring that caught fibres do not pollute water or the environment.

      What does Planetcare do with the fibres?

      At the moment PlanetCare is safely storing the used filtered materials. Once they have sufficient quantity, they will reuse/recycle it all. At the moment they are planning to reuse the materials by converting them into insulation mats. But, they're always on the lookout for viable solutions and will choose the best available option to reuse/ recycle the fibres.

      The waste will never be burned or sent to a landfill!

      The remainder of the cartridge is cleaned, and fitted with a new filtering medium ready to be used again.

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