Those little things...

[lrjohnson]

Re: Those little things...

I love that I'm not alone!

I put a little hot water in condition/shampoo/ketchup/etc. bottles. I don't buy liquid handsoap, but there was a container when I moved in 4 years ago. I put old bar soap in that container, and sometimes water, and sometimes I shake it- still going strong. I wash ziplocs. I dpn't use paper plates or paper napkins, or even paper towels. I did get an old-fashioned diner aper napkin dispenser, and if we ever get take out or fast food I always take the paper napkins and put in the dispenser (sometimes I need to fold them) so if something is too gross for a rag I do have disposable.

I take the small tissue boxes, and refill with toilet paper. I gently lift the flaps. I take a roll of TP and pull out the inner cardboard, and pull a little from the middle. I put the TP in the box and tape down the flaps. I never buy the tissue boxes, but I was given one at work as a joke because they found my TP roll funny (I had a cold!). Actually, just the other day I "scored" an empty box-an exciting moment.

[Ima saver]

Re: Those little things...

Joe's wife, you will save a lot if you turn off the hot water heater. In my first house, I went out in the garage and turned off the breaker switch . I only turned it on 20 minutes before a shower or when running the dishwasher.
We are so used to this, that my husband installs a switch in the kitchen of all the houses he builds. You flip the switch to turn on the hot water. We have a really big house and our elec. bill is usually under $100 a month.
My weakness is: I usually keep all three tv's running all day.

[flash]

Re: Those little things...

Those nasty slivers of bar soap can be chopped up fine, or even a regular bar of soap shaved/shredded, to make hand soap or bubble bath.

Lubriderm or good lotion/creme can be used as is to calm frizzy hair in humidity, or define curls, or a leave in conditioner. Add water and mist as a lightweight leave in. I save extra hairspray pump bottles and spritz my hair with a mist of water, reshape, scrunch, blow dry, etc to refresh whatever styling product is in there; my hair isn't oily, so it can add a day or two to the style without washing or using more product.

I also take the "free" bath gels that come with things, dilute it down into hand soap. My mother-in-law, who is quite wealthy, still dilutes liquid hand soap down so it covers well without wasting. Concentrates are great to buy, but if you don't dilute them, it's easy to use more than ever.

[lrjohnson]

Re: Those little things...

Flash-I go ahead and just break the pieces up small enough to put in the top of my soap pump, so it's pretty easy. Sometimes just once in half does the job. My soap probably isn't the smoothest consistency, but if the water and soap sit long enough they mush nice. I'm not trying to discourage your choppin', just want people who might be lazier (like me) know that soap slivers can be reused with low low effort. Though i suppose piggybacking to the new bar is really even lower effort.

Thanks for the lotion/water/pumpspray idea.

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Those little things...

i read about the dishwasher by jeffrey and lol i have the rinse and hold so when i noticed it got there today, i opened it and did i ever get a steam facial.lol 2 birds one stone i guess, it felt so good i stood right there a couple mins.lol i laughed so hard. theres another steaming idea.lol i do overfill my soap dispenser, but cascade reccommended i do so. i have oversoft water. so soft, that daughter had her hair done and it took half hour to get all her soap still in her hair out. and we dont use a whole lot i even started a new trick i think i read on here, all on recipes for green living. put it in a hand soap dispenser, use two squirts.

[flash]

Re: Those little things...

Though i suppose piggybacking to the new bar is really even lower effort.

Thanks for the lotion/water/pumpspray idea.

Thanks for the info. I always assumed it was too hard to dissolve without chopping.

How do you get the soap to STAY piggybacked? I always end up with slivers everywhere.

The water/pump spray also works well if anyone still irons. Unless you've got a great iron, the setting for steam can be too hot or leave drip marks on your clothes. Mist of water works great. A "touch" of fabric softener in the water also helps with static.

[contrary1]

Re: Those little things...

RE; bar soaps. I've been opening my bar soaps for years, then sticking them anywhere so they dry out. Remembering back to when people made their own soaps all the time..........new soap was never used, but aged so it would dry out. Soap these days is wrapped sometimes twice, so it is so soft when you go to use it, it gets all mushy right away. Obviously, so we use it twice as fast and need to go BUY more.
So, open all your soaps. Better yet, get your kids to do this job. I store mine on shelves with the towels, makes the towels smell great, as does the closet. I put them in drawers with clothing, on closet shelves, name it. Anywhere they can get air to them.
Once they get really air dried, a bar of soap last absolutely forever. I can't remember buying soap!!

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Those little things...

I am going to try that with clothes, my dresser err smells funny, so a soapy clean smell would be cool, thanks!

[LittleGopher]

Re: Those little things...

This is what I do to piggyback soap slivers to a new bar - take both into the shower, use the new bar to wash with, to get it thoroughly wet. Then rub it bewteen your hands to work up a lather on the surface. Wet the sliver and mush it into the lather on the new bar. Then leave the bar to dry ( I usually take the last shower of the morning.) Sometimes a sliver will slide, and then I'll sort of prop the bars so it stays in place until they're dry.

Boy, this is a bit like describing how to chew your food or something. I've done this for so long, that I don't think when I do it! I guess it is a funny little thing that I do!

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Those little things...

i like using sponges with softener, after they come out of the dryer. you can also keep some in a small sprayer bottle and spritz it once a week for a fresh smell, either let it dry in the open air or throw in with your next dryer load. i love the scent. and its easily refreshed and keeps laundry smelling like u just washed it.

[frugalfarmwife]

Re: Those little things...

I only use 1/2 the amount of laundry det, wash in cold and line dry if at all possible.

Cut portions on almost everything, you don't need that much mouthwash, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, etc, etc. It's all their marketing to get you to use more and buy more, more, more! I don't buy into it.

And I stockpile, every 6 months the shampoo we use goes on sale SUPER cheap, I always get laughs when they see me with 6-10 bottles, but they last me a year plus. And those that don't want to use the soap slivers in the hand soap containers, then use watered down shampoo, works well and smells great!

kj

[acezz4e_tish]

Re: Those little things...

i dont agree wtih cutting the use of laundry soap. they have directions for both front and top loaders and i think its neccessary to kill mites and other germs. i dont believe the first wash of hair works well, but maybe its just me, i use a lil squirt in my hair, rinse out and redo. seems the lil squirt soaps up better then the first one. i shower daily, but not washing my hair daily, cause i need oils to build up. only when i used johnsons free shampoo did my hair look and feel healthy. but they removed it from the market. i wish they would offer it again, i havent found any health stores even near here yet. i pick stuff up in michigan when i go there.

[frugalfarmwife]

Re: Those little things...

i dont agree wtih cutting the use of laundry soap. they have directions for both front and top loaders and i think its neccessary to kill mites and other germs. i dont believe the first wash of hair works well, but maybe its just me, i use a lil squirt in my hair, rinse out and redo. seems the lil squirt soaps up better then the first one. i shower daily, but not washing my hair daily, cause i need oils to build up. only when i used johnsons free shampoo did my hair look and feel healthy. but they removed it from the market. i wish they would offer it again, i havent found any health stores even near here yet. i pick stuff up in michigan when i go there.

Hubby and I are BOTH in very dirty occupations, with the farm I'm working with animals, manure and dirt daily, hubby is a railroader and when not in the office his clothes are a mess, oil, dirt, grunge. 1/2 detergent does fine for us and keeps our things clean and we're VERY healthy despite constant exposure to the elements. Remember, they want you to use more so you BUY more.

kj

[Lostsoul33]

Re: Those little things...

I also pour from one bottle to another. I have to laugh because last week the salad dressing was getting empty...Hubby asked me if it was okay to throw it out. The man is catching on to my frugal ways.
I never use the full amount of soap required for the dishwasher or the washing machine. I try to let the dishwasher airdry but I don't always make it there on time.

[jul34442]

Re: Those little things...

I wash all of my laundry in cold water, and hang most of it out to dry.