What typical household products have you eliminated?

[mykdsmomy]

As in: What products have you been able to give up since living more naturally?

What types of household and personal items are a must have in your house and which ones have you eliminated and have not missed?

(I feel like I ask this question in different ways every few weeks but apparently I'm thick skulled )

Every time I've tried to eliminate all household cleaners and just use bs and vinegar, I wind up feeling like my house isnt being "cleaned" so I run out and buy various products....
Same with basic body products....I feel like we need toothpaste, shampoo, soap, etc.....just havent figured out an acceptable alternative (something quick, frugal and that smells good) TIA

[Tilia]

I haven't used household cleaners in over a year. I use vinegar with orange EO, in a spray bottle. I use it to clean the counter, toilet, shower, sinks, floor spills, windows, washing machine, kitchen table.

I gave up paper towels and I love using rags a lot more. I have a huge basket of microfiber towels and washcloths in the kitchen.

I don't use deoderant. Instead, I keep my underarms shaved and I wash with baking soda in the shower. Sometimes I use alcohol pads if I am getting smelly.

I do still use some mainstream products, such as Dawn, Cascade, laundry detergent, garbage bags, flushable baby wipes, toilet paper, face wash, body spray, make-up, toothpaste. I am slowly trying to convert everything to organic or more natural products and companies.

One thing that really helps is to join a Frontier co-op. You can get stuff for wholesale prices instead of spending the big bucks at the health food store. Stuff is about half the the price of my tiny local HFS. They have a lot of stuff that is better for the environment and our bodies. I have switched over my shampoo, body wash, and lotion.

[hellyaellen]

i haven't bought spray cleaner in probably 2 years....vineagar does the trick for me

i also gave up commercial face cleaners...i use either oil cleansing or just water depending

before we moved back in w/ my mom i had almost eliminated paper towels and napkins, i still try to opt for cloth most of the time but the paper towels are here anyway so i do find myself using them more than i like.

i use kirk's castille soap----its just coconut oil but its much cheaper than brommers

i do still use regualr laundry detergent, dish soap, toothpaste, etc

i keep thinking if i could just find the right container i'd switch to bs instead of toothpaste though.

i was no-pooing and really liked it but i'd rather just use what my mom uses while we're here to keep from having too many containers in the bathroom.

[Best Feeling]

I have elminated:
ALL cleaning products.
Most paper products (we still use paper TP).

I'm in the process of finding more natural alternatives for:
dishwasher detergent
laundry detergent
dryer sheets

[sunnysandiegan]

Cleaning products:
~ I have been using baking soda in place of Comet (etc) for about 15 years. I use those Kraft Parmesan Cheese shakers and I ask friends/family to save them for me since we don't eat it. I have one under every sink.

~ I have been using white vinegar in place of nearly all liquid cleaners for over 10 years. I store the gallon-size in the cabinet above my washer on the top shelf. I have a small glass bottle (original containers that I refill from the gallon) on each level of our home. Those are all full-strength. I have 50/50 vinegar/water in a spray bottle on each level of our home.

~ I have some type of Orange cleaner (liquid) that I use infrequently as a degreaser. I have an original spray bottle and one refill bottle that I've had for 7-8 years, so that infrequently. LOL

~ I do have the commercial cleaning wipes for quick jobs and for disinfecting. I have one container in each bathroom and we've had the same containers for at least 2 years, so we don't use them that often. I mostly use them for the toilet flushing handles, doorknobs, and lightswitches, but sometimes to quickly wipe down bathroom counters and floors.

Laundry products:
~ I use All Free & Clear liquid detergent, so only eliminating the dyes and perfumes there.

~ I add baking soda to the whites/lights (sheets, towels, clothes).

~ I use vinegar in place of fabric softener, as needed. (I use the lowest heat setting and dry only until barely dry, then hang up/fold immediately, which eliminates static and wrinkles 99% of the time.) I find I need the vinegar in loads with 25% or more non-natural fabrics.

~ I use COLD water to pre-treat as many stains as possible (ie the ones that happen at home and/or when I have a bottle of water with me out of the home). I use a tiny bit of detergent and HOT water and soak the garment, if the stain is stubborn. I use a commercial stick (Spray -n- Wash, I think) for stains that cannot be treated as above right away. This is kept above our clothes sorter, so we can treat stains as the clothes come off at night and forget about them.

Body care:
~ I use a natural crystal type deodorant daily (cheap from WM). I worked into this one slowly by having the "familiar" version and the "new" version handy at all times. I'd choose the "new" one when it didn't really matter and slowly increased the frequency until I felt comfortable with it.

~ I use a natural toothpaste from India that I got when I purchased a neti pot online. It took some getting used to, but I really like it! DH & DD use Tom's of Maine (much cheaper at WM), which I also like.

That's about all for now on this front. We have been focusing on what we put INSIDE our bodies for the last 5 or so years.

Best Wishes!

[sunnysandiegan]

I forgot to mention that I cut old t-shirts up into rags and use those whenever practical instead of paper towels. Windows, spills, mirrors, etc. When it is a VERY dirty and/or greasy job, I use the oldest rag and toss it out afterwards instead of washing it in order to reduce the risk of ruining other clothing items and/or our new washer.

[star*mora]

i make all my own household cleaners - all purpose, windows, floor cleaners, dishwashing soap and dishwashing detergent, liquid laundry detergent, fabric softener, disinfectant.

also make my own shampoo, have made my own toothpaste but was kinda gross so i do buy a non-fluoride one, liquid hand soap

love microfiber cloths too

but do use toilet paper and disposable maxi pads and garbage bags

i found it pretty easy to eliminate the commercial stuff, and have been happy with the effectiveness of my concoctions

[BeckC]

I have eliminated:
Paper towels
Napkins
Almost all commercial cleansers
Regular soap & detergent
Fabric Softener
Regular bath products
Paper pantiliners

Instead I use:
Rags, microfiber cloths, and cloth napkins
Vinegar and baking soda for cleaning with TTO and Orange EO
Country save laundry detergent, vinegar for a fabric softener
Hydrogen peroxide "bleach"
Seventh Generation dish soap
Aubrey Organics and Toms of Maine and Burts Bees for bath and body products
Cloth pantiliners

Non-green stuff we use:
DH still uses regular bath products - Dove, Neutrogena shampoo, Gillette...
I will use a commercial drain cleaner when the baking soda and vinegar doesn't cut it, and Bon Ami for tough bathroom jobs
I still use tampons. I am working on my Diva Cup but it does not cooperate

[jenerationx]

Don't use regular cleaning products or regular dishwashing stuff. We use homemade cleaners (vinegar) and Ecover dishwashing items.

I've cut down on paper towels and use micofiber towels instead.

[russianthistle]

Originally Posted by mykdsmomy

As in: What products have you been able to give up since living more naturally?

What types of household and personal items are a must have in your house and which ones have you eliminated and have not missed?

(I feel like I ask this question in different ways every few weeks but apparently I'm thick skulled )

Every time I've tried to eliminate all household cleaners and just use bs and vinegar, I wind up feeling like my house isnt being "cleaned" so I run out and buy various products....
Same with basic body products....I feel like we need toothpaste, shampoo, soap, etc.....just havent figured out an acceptable alternative (something quick, frugal and that smells good) TIA

To clean, I use a combination of b/s and bronner's and water...I make a batch and keep the paste in a jar. I use this to clean everything. You can add tea tree or lemon essential oils (and many more...) if you need to disinfect. I rinse with vinegar...vinegar, too, is said to kill germ.

I use a locally made hair soap on my hair, along with a vinegar/rosemary eo rinse. I use locally made body soaps. I use almond oil for moisturizing and make my own calendula and/or plantain oil and salve. I use bs w/ or w/o eo.
I used a locally made toothpowder which is made with bs, myrrh powder, kelp, and eo for flavor.

I use glass only for eating and storing foods.

I make my own wipes and use hemp cloths. I reuse rags and use cloth napkins.

I use the sponge and cloth pads. I don't shave.

I still buy dishsoap (Seventh Gen.), laundry det. (Biokleen), toilet paper, waxed paper.

I am in the process of eliminating all plastics.

[greengmax]

:

[Taedareth]

We are now using natural and/or homemade replacements for all of the following

Tupperware
Sponges
Windex
Dishwasher detergent
All cleaning products except castile soap, baking soda, borax and vinegar
Shaving cream
Deodorant
Facial tissues
Baby wipes
Paper towels/napkins
Toothpaste
Skincare products
Shampoo
Disposable menstrual products
Laundry detergent (we use Simple Green and borax instead of conventional detergents because most products contain perfumes, optical brighteners, etc. etc.)
Dryer sheets
Nail polish (this is the only one I haven't actually replaced; non-toxic nail polish runs about $12/bottle and I'm too cheap)
Bottled condiments of every kind

[princesstutu]

An easy "dryer sheet" is a rag with some vinegar on it. I haven't used any sort of "fabric softener" in years. I find that I don't need it. I just toss my wet clothes in the dryer, turn it on, and when the buzzer goes off, remove the clothes. I don't have static issues and things (including towels) are soft. If you rinse the detergent out properly, softener shouldn't be necessary. (Unless maybe your wardrobe is mostly synthetic. I don't know about that as mine is not.)

I guess the only "typical" things I still use are:
-cleansers (I just can't get behind vinegar and bs...I tried for many months LOL)
-laundry detergent
-dish detergent
-paper towels
-aluminum foil (which I clean and reuse)
-ziploc bags (which I clean and reuse)
-plastic water bottle (I won't give them up and they're recyclable anyway)
-sanitary napkins (making my own soon, as I've tried the diva cup and sea sponges to no avail. can't stick stuff up there for that purpose. ew.)
-toothpaste

I use natural deo, but sometimes I use Soft & Dry (I think that's what it's called) b/c I get the hormonal funk when I'm nervous and I have anxiety issues. It helps when I'm in certain situations and environments.