What common commercial products do you forgo?

[Super Pickle]

I have gotten the biggest kick out of going no-poo. I love the feeling of being free from something I had always thought was a necessity. So, besides 'sposies and chemical cleaners, which ubiquitous commercial "necessities" have you found you can live without?

[lynsage]

baby wipes, or "wipies" as my MIL calls them

paper towels/kleenex- i use dishrags for paper towel duty and bandannas for nose use

maxi pads/tampons- i have cloth pads and a keeper, but in a pinch i will fold a prefold and stick in in my undies

i quit shaving so we don't use disposable razors or shaving cream

wastebasket trash bags- we reuse paper and plastic bags from the grocery store to line our wastebaskets- this drives both of our mothers NUTS

cell phones. we just don't use 'em.

cable tv :LOL

[Persephone]

I think for us, the better question would be what do we still USE?

We still use poo and conditioner, though once we can afford an extra dozen eggs a month, I'll go no poo. We still use paper TP. And laundry detergent, and dish detergent. (With both, I think I"m going to start using baking soda. Goodness knows I have enough of it around here.) Toothpaste. Dh was conned into using one particular brand by his dentist, and thinks his teeth will fall out if he doesn't use it.

We have foregone paper towels, cloth pads, commercial cleaners, cell phones (though we aren't opposed to using them, we like to be cheap. ) cable tv, etc. I don't know, really what's "normal" to have that we don't. We live pretty cheaply.

Oh, we still use trash bag liners, simply because we have them. The plastic shopping bags I'm going to take and crochet into reusable bags. I feel so guilty throwing away the ones we get every month, but really, we have too many as it is. I best get on that.

[Annie]

What we never buy:
paper plates and plastic forks/knives - DH brown bags it and brings utensils from home or gets plastic stuff for free from somone at work.

Most commercial cleaners,including anything by swiffer. But we still do buy laundry and dishwasher detergent

Usually we dont buy new clothes either, but get most of our stuff from thrift stores and garage sales, nice stuff too.

We hardly ever buy anything name brand, does that count?


We're working on cuttong back on or cuttoing out:

Razors for me, i do use the kind with the reusable handle, dont know if it's
cheaper but i think it's better for the environment, and I dont shave often, I'm not very hairy so that works :

Im cutting back on deoderant and plan to use alchahol/water solution instead

[mamamillie]

We don't buy any paper plates, paper towels, menstrual products or anything disposable like that...except we do use (recycled) TP...
I buy baby shampoo and toothpaste and soap and that is it for body/hair products...we don't use conditioner or any hair sprays or anything like that and I make our deoderant, dh's aftershave, and my "perfume." I also make lip balm for me and ds. I am soon going to learn soapmaking and then I will not buy shampoo or soap.
I don't buy razors or any cleaning products at all...let's see....I don't buy lotions, cosmetics...I make ds' play-doughs, clays, and paints and a lot of our toys and clothes. I also don't buy commercial dog food, but make her food myself

What I do buy is a lot of essential oils and other supplies: baking soda, cornstarch, vinegar, beeswax, witch hazel. I also buy Dr Bronner's soap occasionally.

[Jennisee]

--We don't use paper napkins and use very few paper towels. (One roll lasts us several weeks.)
--We don't buy plastic cups or utensils, even when we had DD's birthday party.
--We have given up dishwasher detergent in favor of baking soda and borax, but I still can't give up my Tide. :
--I am getting rid of almost all of my commercial cleaners b/c I've found that making my own is fun, and they work.
--I don't buy menstrual products b/c BFing is keeping AF at bay, but when she returns, I want to try mama cloth and a Keeper/Diva Cup.
--I use cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and make our own wipes solution.

I know there's more, but since we don't buy them, I just don't think about them! :LOL

[VikingKvinna]

What y'all said for the most part, at least. The first thing that popped into my mind when I read the title of the post, though, was those cleaning "wipes" that are becoming so ubiquitous -- bathroom wipes, antibacterial kitchen wipes, etc. Seems like there's a new kind of disposable wipe for every possible cleaning job, and they annoy the crap out of me. Ditto the disposable "toilet wand" thingies -- I mean, c'mon. It's the toilet, for crying out loud. Clean it with a toilet brush, and if you're that neurotic about germs, keep the toilet brush in a bleach solution, or something. Or clean it with rags and launder the rags. Do you really need a flushable wad of paper with the chemical cleaner already in it? Gahhh!

</rant>

Sorry. It just drives me nuts when I walk down the aisle at the grocery store and see all those different cleaners and bottles and packages of wipes and solutions and "systems" and refills and inserts for cleaning/sterilizing/antibacterializing your house, and all you really need are a few simple, cheap, natural products and a coupla rags, y'know?

~Nick

[Throkmorton]

Originally Posted by VikingKvinna

Sorry. It just drives me nuts when I walk down the aisle at the grocery store and see all those different cleaners and bottles and packages of wipes and solutions and "systems" and refills and inserts for cleaning/sterilizing/antibacterializing your house, and all you really need are a few simple, cheap, natural products and a coupla rags, y'know?

~Nick

:

Obviously, we don't use chemical cleaners. We use actual laundry soap (not detergent) in our laundry from these guys: http://vipsoap.com/ except if there is grease/diesel/other gross stuff in which case we have some harcore detergent which doubles as driveway cleaner. Baking soda, etc. The one thing I have not been able to give up is our dishwasher detergent because nothing else works well with our water.
I don't use shampoo, disposable menstual products etc at all.

[Ruthla]

Let's see... we still use tissues, tp, paper napkins, paper towels (sometimes) and dishwasher detergent. I do use some disposable dishes/utensils but I'm trying to limit that. We used real dishes for Passover this year, which is a first for us!!! I also use plastic bags for packing lunches and food storage, but I'm trying to use more glass containers and less plastic.

I buy ivory soap for the sink and shower and an all natural hand dishwashing liquid. For house cleaning, I use either baking soda, vinegar, or dishwashing liquid. For laundry, sometimes I use commercial detergent (the kind without dyes or fragrances) and sometimes I use baking soda in the wash and vinegar in the rinse. Is there a natural alternative for the dishwasher?

I use my diva cup, no poo, and crystal deoderant. My girls still insist on using commercial shampoo and conditioner, but they only wash their hair once or twice a week so it's not a big deal. I'm using up the Gerber baby wash I bought for Jack and then I don't plan to buy any more- I'll either use ivory soap on him or buy an all natural baby soap/shampoo bar. I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince my DDs to use reusable menstrual products or natural deodorant when the time comes.

I stopped using disposable diapers and wipes about 2 years ago, but we're all using the toilet now :

[Fiercemama]

The best one I've given up is menstrual products. Using The Keeper is so easy and cheap.

I guess I've cut back on many of the same products listed above: cleaners, soap, shampoo, paper towels, tissues. Even if we haven't totally eliminated the commercial products, what we use of them is pretty negliable.

As someone who is trying to be less commercial, less susceptible to the commercial pull and hype, and trying to save money too, its become quite freeing to stop using so many products. I went into Sephora recently to "browse". Ten years ago, I've wouldn't have left the place empty handed, but now there was nothing there that even interested me.

All the new disposable cleaning products drive me nuts too!!!!

[bendmom]

We use rags for paper towels adn napkins
We use cloth wipes
We use cloth diapers
We use general natural cleaning solution for household cleaning
We share a razor, does that count?
We buy books instead of monthly mags
Much more I know, just can't think of any right now

[Jennisee]

Someone asked about a natural dishwasher detergent. I don't know how natural borax is considered, but here is what we've switched to. (I read it in the cleaning chapter of Super Baby Food.) Put 1 tablespoon each borax and baking soda in each compartment of your dishwasher. I actually mixed up a big container of 1:1 baking soda:borax, and now we just pour that into the compartments. It's not quite as effective as detergent, but it's close enough that I'm glad to give up the Cascade--and we have really hard water.

I also read somewhere--can't remember where--that you can sprinkle baking soda on your damp dishes as your rinse or scrape them, and load them into the dishwasher still coated in the baking soda. In this case, you only need to fill the closed compartment w/ the baking soda/borax mix. I haven't tried this yet, but I think it might help w/ the few items that don't come comletely clean w/ our system now.

[QueenMommy]

I've been slowly switching gears to frugality and all around being more earth friendly Just in the last few months we've stopped using...

-dishwasher detergent
-commercial cleaners
-I've stopped using poo and toothpaste (DH won't though)
-laundry detergent

In the next few weeks (when I have a little bit more time to finish!), I will stop using sposies!

I've also stopped buying...

-onion soup mix
-pudding mixes
-cream soups in a can
-shake and bake
-a few other odds and ends

Now I make my own.

I do have a question...for those that don'e buy TP, what do you use?

[weebitty2]

We use cloth tp, cloth napkins, cloth dipes and wipes .. but I do admit - we go through a roll of paper towels every 2 months. (It's only used for microwaving bacon :LOL )

DH still uses shampoo, because he has sebhorreic dermatitis of the scalp and no-poo totally didn't work for him, but the rest of us only use water.

All cleaning except laundry uses dr. bronner's peppermint,( or if I feel like splurging, caldrea cleansers ) , which also goes in the shower, although I don't use soap at all because of skin issues. Laundry uses tto and washing soda.

I think my only real addiction still is instant coffee. Not just ANY instant coffee .. but Nescafe/Tasters' Choice. None other taste as good .. although I've been getting better with using the single-serve melitta to make real coffee instead.

[Girlo]

I have to say that I admire all of your resolve with giving up so many commercial cleaning products.
I have given some things a try, and have gone back to commercial/disposable items. Here's my I-Gave-It-A-Shot list:
crystal deodorant - even natural deodorant didn't work
the cup (can't remember the name of it) that women can use every month
cloth diapers
cloth wipes

My absolute no-no is buying health/beauty products that have been tested on animals, so I tend to buy natural products for these purposes anyway. I'd have a hard time giving up 'poo because I'm addicted to lather! :

I've been getting better at paring down my buying of this sort of stuff. I recently started using vinegar and water to clean with (I was using the anti-bac wipes) and I love it! I put in some orange essential oil to give it a nice smell too.
I rarely wear make-up and don't use any styling products on my hair. I didn't shave for a long time....but it was the one thing my DH asked me to do for him.....so I do buy razor blades. :LOL
I also have a bunch of cleaning supplies that we don't really use anymore (mostly mildew fighters, like Tilex). I'm going to put them in a Free box at a yard sale at the end of the month to get rid of them.

[onlyboys]

We don't use paper products, except TP, and I don't use menstrual products. My husband uses a rechargable razor, when he actually shaves (I him bushy and burly), and I don't shave.

We don't buy cleaning products except on rare occasions, and we don't use normal dishwashing soap either. I'm working on the laundry soap, but have been feeling too awful (morning sickness) to even consider making my own. We use cloth dipes and wipes, as well as cloth paper towels (which is what I call them, and it's getting confusing).

[Super Pickle]

Jennisee, I'm intrigued by your dishwashing alternative! Dish detergent and laundry detergent are the last 2 products I'm clinging to....even though I buy ALDI brand which is way cheaper, I want to use something more eco-friendly. I'll have to try that borax-baking soda mix.

Oh, some of you have mentioned deodorant....My dad has never used deodorant; he has always just swiped Sea Breeze on his underarms with a cotton ball. Seems to work; I don't recall him ever smelling!

[zeldabee]

I don't use baby wipes, or paper towels. I haven't worked my brain around giving up TP, but I don't use very much. I recently had a conversation with one of my sisters, who told me she uses a roll a day just on herself! I was astonished...I just figured out that I'd used not quite two rolls in the 5 weeks since I moved into my new apartment, and that's counting other people coming over using the bathroom, and I'm unemployed, so I'm home a lot.

I don't buy bread any more, I just bake it myself. Someone gave me a bread machine, and it works great, and it's so easy! Much faster than without. I have an addiction to cold cereal, which I really want to stop buying. I don't buy mixes at all, really nothing instant, no "convenience" foods (apart from the cold cereal). I've made my own granola before, and it wasn't difficult, but I can't digest it. (Where's the "exploding mama" smiley?)

I went no-poo, and I liked the way my hair felt, but the baking soda stripped the color from my hair. I'm just not ready to go natural with that--grey hair runs in my family, and it really does make me look older than I am. Maybe once I've got a job, I'll go ahead and strip it out. I've heard of using eggs instead of BS, but my hair's so oily it really needs to be washed every day. I can't afford that. I use BS/vinegar on my skin, and vinegar rinse on my hair. My son's hair is short, and I've stopped using poo on it, and it's fine.

I'm intrigued by the borax/BS for the dishwasher! I've been using a dishwasher for the first time, and I hate the smell of Cascade! It smells so caustic and awful, it just hits the back of my throat. Then, just yesterday I emptied the dishwasher, and the dishes stank! I had to re-wash them. I don't know what the issue is, but I've raised the temp of the water (it was set to 125, but I think it wasn't that hot). I may just stop using it.

[jentilla]

Wow! I'm impressed by all of your frugality. I've always thought of frugality as using VERY little and also not buying.
We use very little:
poo/suave-I used the same bottle my entire pregnancy and I was working then and washed everyday.
razors not disposable-I shave about every other week and use my own wax for other stuff.
detergent-I use mostly borax, vinegar and bs-but I use Biokleen and a little Gain on DH & I's clothes since we wash our stuff less often.
I only wear deodorant when I go someplace where I don't want to think about the odor-I've used EVERy natural alternative with no luck
Cleaning products-I use alcohol and water and vinegar and bs-I'm still using up stuff (polishing and some windex, etc.)we had from forever ago since I can't throw it away and I haven't bought anything new in two years.

We don't use wipes or sposies AT ALL.
dd and I bath about 3x's a week and dh about 4
I use mama cloth most of the time or natural cotton products.
We still use pt and tp, but I'm serging up material for pt.
I wear makeup about 3x's a month and natural stuff.
We reuse bags and NEVER buy disposable plates, etc.
We don't have cable-just basci that comes with our internet service.

Things I want to give up-please help with any suggestions
dishwasher detergent-got the receipe
plastic containers, ziploc, freezer stuff
convince dh we don't need cell phones/although we don't use a home phone and our family is far away and we have unlimited LD.
Shirt service for dh-he's a college adminstrator and MUST be really pressed and I just don't have time to do the shirts-any cheap alternatives? He already wears the shirt about 3x's before it goes into the bag.

[kay4]

paper plates, towels, plastic utensils, things that my family members consider nessesities, lol. When I shop now I always thing beforehand "can I make this myself?" Diapers, wipes, cleaning products (except my scrubbing bubbles-generic of course :LOL )