Comments on: The Cost of Overuse

By: SwingCheese

SwingCheese — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:09:24 +0000

Burt’s Bees also makes a bar soap that doesn’t leave a residue on the skin. In fact, we had switched to bar soap b/c we wanted something that used less packaging, but I was having trouble in the winter with dry skin. After trying several other bars, I decided to give Burt’s Bees a go, and I love it!

By: Georgia

Georgia — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:56:21 +0000

Zoranian – I too discovered Charmin Ultra Strong and love it. However, Consumer Reports says it is not a good tp. Good tp is strong enough to use and yet will start breaking down quickly when it is in the water. Charmin U.S. does not. It can sit in the stool for quite awhile and still be intact.

Kim – I don’t use deoderant at all anymore either. But I use cider vinegar instead. Some one listed it as a good source and, since it didn’t cost a lot to try, I did. I check underarms especially carefully and I can go 2 days with one application of the vinegar. It leaves a slightly appley smell that is pleasant.

As to doubling my soaps, etc., I do this with dishwashing liquid and detergent, but won’t do it with shampoo any longer. The lady who cuts my hair says this won’t work with cheaper shampoos, as their first & main ingredient is already water. I have 2 bottles now that are half/half & they are so runny it makes it hard to apply without letting half of it run out of my hand.

And, actually, I read a research article years ago when they were testing cold water detergent. The double blind test used regular warm water detergent, cold water detergent, and just plain water. The strange thing was that on normally lightly soiled clothes, the water alone did the best job. Of course, the manufacturer did not divulge that little bit of the experiment.

By: Leah

Leah — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:32:56 +0000

Like JuliB, I only wash my hair once or twice a week. I actually refill a little travel bottle from a big one. I’ve been using the same bottle of shampoo for years. It’s almost inconvenient, as I’d like to try some other options.

I agree that most people use too much soap. We went to my boyfriend’s mom’s house and brought out laundry. She ended up washing one of my sweaters for me (the colors matched with her stuff). I can’t believe how strongly my sweater smelled afterward! She uses the recommended amount, but I only use a fraction of that (maybe a tablespoon or so). I far prefer less smelly clothes, I’ve never had a problem with cleanliness, and my laundry detergent also lasts forever.

By: Kim

Kim — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:00:47 +0000

I’ve always diluted my shampoo before I use it. Not only to save money but because it lathers more quickly. I have a friend that doesn’t use deodorant at all. He just wipes his pits down with rubbing alcohol daily. He saves money but that just goes too far! He swears he doesn’t stink but I’m not convinced.

By: Griffin

Griffin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:55:02 +0000

I noticed something similar with my Neutrogena face soap. It has a pump on it and two pumps does all of my face and areas affected by my psoriasis. So that one small bottle will last about four months, while other stuff in squeeze bottles doesn’t last very long at all. It’s the pump! It only measures out a little bit for each press.

If you are like me and HAVE to use special cleansers etc, switching to a bottle with a pump will save you a ton.

With toothpaste, I just measure half my brush length and it works fine. If I really fill it up, it gets too foamy for me – blech.

Oh, I also get products that do multiple things. I use Dr. Bonner’s lavendar castille soap to clean the house, in spray bottles, wash wounds, repel/kill spiders and it smells lovely. It’s gentle and I love it. $15 for a huge bottle and saves me a ton over getting spray cleansers. Works just as well for me and even better than lysol etc.

Biokleen produce wash works wonders at getting stains out of clothes (even dried-in blood stains). One time I got blood on my in-laws carpet. It had soaked in and dried before I could clean it up. But biokleen, water and a washrag got it up instantly.

By: Crystal

Crystal — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:36:20 +0000

This will be awesome with our dishasher and laundry detergent! I already cut back on soap and toothpaste, but I hadn’t carried that over to other stuff yet.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:37:02 +0000

Nobody’s mentioned Lush products…I’ve been buying their wonderful solid shampoos for years now, and they work wonderfully! They are also great fro travel, as they work as a soap, shampoo, and laundry aid, all in one!!! Not to mention the fun names Lush gives to all their products…makes me laugh!

By: partgypsy

partgypsy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:28:12 +0000

One thing I do to keep keep mindful is that all the products you use that wash off go into the water and into the streams and water supply. Ever see oily or soapy film on creeks or water runoff? One way or another we put that there. That’s where animals live. We are trying to substitute less toxic cleaning supplies for the same reason.

By: mellen

mellen — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:07:35 +0000

Like Courtney, I’ve cut sodium lauryl sulfate out of my routine and guess what? my itchy, flaky scalp is no longer itchy and flaky – I’m using Burt’s Bees and California Baby products. Also, I forget who called Neutrogena “the good stuff” in terms of hand lotion but it is far from it, it contains petro chemicals (last I checked). Burt’s Bees, Origins, California Baby and a few others don’t use SLS, petro chemicals (mineral oil, petrolatum), propylene glycol (this is the main ingedient in antifreeze, it’s supposedly safe in small doses but I’m not eating it or putting it on my skin) or parabens (which are banned in Europe from personal care products). Just some things to think about…

By: elderly librarian

elderly librarian — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:08:24 +0000

This reminds me of diluting fruit juices too. They are much too sweet and I don’t like the ones with artificial sweeteners. I like to drink water with a little “flavoring” in it, so I start pouring filtered water in my cranberry juice bottle.

By: reulte

reulte — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:34:10 +0000

To make sure my boy brushes thoroughly, I hand him a toothbrush while he’s watching TV to ‘dry-brush’. I figure that 30 minutes of cartoons has him brush for at leash 5 of those minutes.

Part of the reason that toothpaste suggests only a ‘pea-size’ amount is that some of the ingredients are toxic.

By: Des

Des — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:30:50 +0000

@getagrip

A study published in the June 2007 Journal of Periodontology showed that brushing with toothpaste reduced plaque by 50%, but brushing without toothpaste reduced it by 56%. Even without the study, though,I would take a professional hygienists word over an entry in a science fair.

By: Jeannette

Jeannette — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:30:15 +0000

Aside from Trent’s relevant ideas, which we have been doing for a long while, we also dilute a lot of products we use (shampoo, liquid soap, dishwashing liquid, etc.).

We dilute anywhere from about one-third to one-half of a liquid product by adding water and mixing.

We’ve seen no change to the quality of the product and its performance. What we’ve seen is a 1/3rd to 1/2 reduction in our costs for said items.

I don’t know if this works on really cheap products, but on the discounted brand names we use, we’re really pleased. (And yes, we still save a lot more than buying two of some less-expensive stuff.)

In fact, the per-use cost goes way, way down with this method, above what you’d get for any dollar-store item.

By: Diana @ Frontyardfoodie

Diana @ Frontyardfoodie — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:26:48 +0000

I would also consider frequency in this. I used to shower every single day no matter what and now I do every other or every third day.

Also I no longer even use shampoo because Caroline is right…..the lather is just for our own comfort as is the scent, and whatever they use to make it look like it does. I now use water and baking soda and it works so much better and I have the peace of mind that not only am I treating my scalp with no crazy chemicals but I’m also saving ALOT of money.

By: et

et — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:11:12 +0000

@#34 – Kristen – Thanks for the idea about the dental floss! My teeth are very crowded & flossing is difficult – having a circle makes it a lot easier to manage.

@#31 – I agree – the lather isn’t what’s cleaning your hair or dishes, so don’t judge how much to use by the amount of suds you’ve got, but by how well it’s cleaning.

Another side to this is to not buy more shampoo before you’re’ almost out of the current bottle. I’ve been in homes of friends where you can barely get in the shower or tub for all the different bottles of stuff.

By: womanofthehouse

womanofthehouse — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:42:01 +0000

I remember Amy Dacyczyn making this point a long time ago, and it’s been my practice ever since. Getting the kids to do it is another story, however.

By: Molly On Money

Molly On Money — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:39:07 +0000

This isn’t just about saving money, it’s about consuming and how we over consume needlessly.
I have a huge head of thick hair that I recently grew out to my shoulders. I’ve been thinking of cutting it short again…not for style reasons….because I use so much less shampoo and conditioner when it is short!

By: Kristen

Kristen — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:36:45 +0000

I was surprised by Trent’s comment that he hasn’t found a way to cut back on dental floss. I floss almost every day, but I still manage to make a spool of floss last about 6 months (and I’m talking about the freebie spool of floss that my dentist gives me each time.) How? Cut about 6-8 inches of floss and tie it in a circle. You’ll probably have to double knot it if you are using waxed, but it is SO much easier to floss this way than with the ends tied around your fingers. A dentist showed me one time when I was a kid, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I never have to buy floss.

By: getagrip

getagrip — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:29:13 +0000

With respect to brushing without toothpaste, I wouldn’t rely on one individual’s call, hygenist or not. I’ve seen results of a science fair project which provided the exact opposite results. People brushed their teeth with various toothpastes and used brushing without toothpaste as a control. In all cases toothpaste provided benefit in helping to clean the teeth. Without controls there could be plenty of reasonable explainations for the results the hygenist is seeing, particularly if she hasn’t honestly recorded anything and is going by the positive “hits” she remembers versus actually polling all her patients and doing a real comparison since those who “look good” and don’t use toothpaste are likely to brag while those who “look good” and do use toothpaste or those who “look bad” and don’t use toothpaste probably don’t say anything.

By: Zoranian

Zoranian — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:03:38 +0000

In reply to the TP comments. I use Charmin ultrastrong. It is more expensive (I buy the double rolls when they are sale for about $0.40-$0.50 a roll). But it takes FOREVER to use up the TP. I usually use two squares unless it’s a really sticky situation ;) I bought 9 rolls at the grocery store last time because they were on sale, but realized I still had some left from the 12 roll package I bought over 4 months ago.

Compared to at work, with el-cheapo regular rolls of toilet paper, where I use about a good size handful for even the smallest jobs. Not a plug for Charmin, but if you find a brand that YOU like that works well for your situation, feel free to buy premium. A roll generally lasts 2 weeks or so in my house (except when my in-laws came because they stole my TP AND my paper towels to DRY THEIR HANDS). I keep clean hand towels right next to the sink… Eh well.