What can I make instead of buying????
Today the discussion at Rhonda's is about eliminating disposables from our house.Not just disposables but what about things we can make?Things like washers and dishcloths.When I first started to read blogs I was amazed at the amount of people that knitted/crocheted there own. This is what first inspired me to knit.Daisy Mum took pity on me and sent me some to get me started, which I will be forever grateful for...I still use those dishcloths. I had always bought material ones from the shops, but making them myself is even better, throw them in the wash and their ready to go again.
I have never been one for using chemicals in my house,strictly a bi-carb and vinegar kind of gal...
About 10 years ago I was invited to a (enjo) party. Since then this is all I use now, the picture below is all I use for cleaning plus water.There is a mitt for cleaning the car, bathtub, stove, and one for washing-up in cold water. There is also a glass cloth, dusting, and all purpose cloths. Also the mop
which is my favourite of all.There is many of these type of clothes on the market now and well worth the investment, as I said I have had mine for 10 years and I am only looking at having to replace some in the next 12months..
Now what about disposables????
I can think of a lot of items that come under this heading, we will touch on a few here, I'm sure you can come up with many more.My pet hate in disposables is nappies......always have been
always will be. I have never seen a good argument for them yet.Babies have so much washing any-way what is an extra dozen nappies.I am passed the washing nappy stage now, but for 22years I had nappies to change and wash, it really wasn't any extra work at all, the washing machine does most of the work....
One of the things Rhonda talked about was paper towel..hmmmm this is a weak area for me, I have thought about not using them, yet continued to buy them. Well I have run out,so today I have been cutting up rags to have on hand to use instead.We do use napkins as I think a table looks so elegant when it is set and napkins used...I keep my every day one in the broken scales above and
have my good ones put away. In saying this they are all second hand that I have picked up from the op shops.
Above is the hanky basket, I still do buy tissues. I think I might have to go cold turkey on tissues as the girls use them most of the time...I will keep a box for visitors though...What is your thought on hankies verses tissues????Some of the other areas that bother me but I don't know what to do about is..
bin liners
cling wrap
alfoil
What is the alternative for these products.....what did our great grand parents use????
What about shopping bags...
I think this is the one thing that most people do try in..Even if some of as do leave them sitting at home on the pantry floor....I also have made little net bags that I use for my fruit and veges.
I do use any plastic bags that I get again.Another area I need to change is party time.I do tend to by plates, napkins and cups.I have a good supply of cutlery but sometimes I do need to buy them as well for big gatherings.
Well quite a few things here, I realize that I am not as green as I thought I was....As my Mum used to say when I was young Always room for improvement...
Now of to finish cutting up those rags....
Blessings to all
Mandy..
Hmmm. After reading your post, I realize I am not very green. I use lots of paper towels. But I have renters from all around the globe (all of them are males)using my kitchen. So I use paper towels to keep things sanitary.
ReplyDeleteAs for hankies--I think they are germ laden pieces of cloth and the germs get passed to wherever/whatever/whomever the hankie touches. Don't think I'd ever be ready to give up my tissues.
What did our grandmothers do? Well my grandmother and grandfather had an outhouse--and they used the old sears catalog for toilet paper. Don't think any of us would want to do that, would we?
So I'm very interested in conserving, and being as green as possible, but I guess I have limits.
Great post, Mandy!
I do know what you mean about the germ hankies...have often thought about this, but if it is in your pocket and then straight into a bucket of water I figure they are pretty clean.
ReplyDeleteI have read some blogs and they don't use toilet paper...for me personally I don't think I could be that green.
This is making for good discusion points though isn't it...
Interesting questions Mandy,
ReplyDeleteI purchased glass pyrex dishes with lids over a period of time so to cut out the use of clingwrap. Also maybe make some bowl covers (circles made from plastic with elastic sewn around). See this link
http://wdrake.resultspage.com/catalog/plastic%20covers
I have re-used old bread bags to cover things.
For the bin, newspaper can be used to line the bin, have tried this and it works, depends whether you get newspapers or not. My grandma used this method.
No suggestions for alfoil though. I tend not to use too much of this.
Plastic shopping bags are banned in South Australia so we can't re-use them anymore. No shops have them, we have to take our own.
I have tissues in my home mainly because of the daycare children, but me I have a cute box full of hankies in my bedroom and this is what I use when I have a cold mainly so I don't get a sore nose.
I still use paper towels but never used to. One habit I need to kick again, shall work on that one. I have cloth table napkins but haven't used them yet.
I draw the line with toilet paper too though cant do without this one.
It's all about getting back to basics, do you have some books to refer to, maybe the library would have some?
Tania
Me again Mandy,
ReplyDeleteJust found this for you to look at - shows you how to make bowl covers.
Tania
Whoops here is the link
ReplyDeletehttp://inanutshell.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/frugal-friday-.html
Yep - I agree that toilet paper is a blessing [but I do use recycled stuff - and avoid the fancy bleached and quilted 'luxury' brands which are bad for the drainage and water systems]
ReplyDeleteAnd what with swine flu etc, paper tissues seem a healthier option.
You are all too polite to mention sanpro. Edwardian women in England washed and reused sanitary towels amde from rags. Ugh!!!!!
But I like using a cloth napkin, and a knitted dishcloth and a cotton shopping bag. And pretty bowl covers are better than yards of cling film [save the free shower caps from hotels for this purpose- you can wash and reuse them!]
But we are a throwaway society and it IS bad for the planet
My Grandparents used newspaper to wrap hot dinners to send to my great uncle. Not such if the newspapers are made of the same thing, and if that is an issue.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum used old teatowels to wrap left over roasts from memory. I am starting to forget so much.
Our bin was a 44 gallon drum when I was a child for tins. Other things were burnt, and the scraps for the chooks. Our kitchen bin is a problem, there are a lot of recyclables sitting around. We don't use liners as don't have a bin inside as such.