What common commercial products do you forgo? - Page 2

[be11ydancer]

no paper towels, face wash, bleach, fabric softener, baby lotion (my Burt's Bees works fine on the little ones), no nail polish, expensive nursing bras, cable, and I'm sure there are other things.

[knittingmomma]

We have gradually been reducing "bought" items in our household as well....


We do Not buy:
napkins - use cloth
tissues - use cloth
and paper plate/cups, etc...
plastic wrap/aluminum foil/baggies (we reuse or use wax paper or with elastic bands)
no trash bags - we reuse from the grocery store (not sure about the environmental impact of buying trash bags vs. using canvas bags when shopping)

no hair conditioner
no makeup
no more hair spray
no more curling iron
no more hair dryer

Cloth diapers
Cloth Wipes

Cleaners:
We do use Trader Joe's laundry det and dish wash
I make all of the rest of our cleaners.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

we bake all our own bread and desserts

[mamamillie]

Yesterday I went in a national chain drugstore (because I am looking everywhere for washing soda). They had 4 LONG aisles (2 sided aisles, you know) filled w "beauty products." It really hit me while I was in there how wasteful and ridiculous this society is...I mean, do we really need so much variety? I was just flabbergasted. And the rest of the drug store was not much better....aisles and aisles of crap that nobody needs.

I have given up TP, so add that to my list. I also figured out I can make toothpaste from baking soda peroxide and mint oil, so I won't buy anymore of that either.

[member]

I no longer buy paper towels, make-up, new clothes, processed convenience foods, deodorizers, scented candles, store-bought toothpaste, cable tv, and buying media (books, CDs, etc.).

[Ms.Doula]

We gave up throw away diapers (disposables) About 2 years ago & the 'wipies' too. We still do carry a small travel pack of them in the car though... all the other methods either dry out from sitting so long, & go bad convieniently right when I need them. :
We still use TP & Paper towels : -DH is the real user of them. He says he cant cook bacon without them... (for grease absorption) if anyone has info on a material that would be best for 'cloth-paper towels' LMK!

I DID give up the Womens menstral products (breastfeeding helps! ) and I have the diva cup & a few cloth mamapads as a back-up.

We also re-use the bags from the grocery store.

we still use soap, razor blades, deoderant, detergent & 'Poo' & conditioner. (I have CRAZY HAIR) But we try to use all things sparingly. Both for environmental & financial reasons.