What household product can you do without?

[Beanie]

For 7 mos we have been living between two houses. Working on the farm and then crashing at the house we have for sale.
We boxed up just about everything and I soon realized how wasteful I had been. In 7 mos I have not unpacked one box looking for something that I just 'had' to have. So I guess my list of things I can't live without is ...zero. The list of things I can do without feels like a gazillion! Maybe my scrubby dish rags that I crochet from cotton thread is my most valued item. They are soft but they can scrub like crazy!

 

[Leta]

I use Dawn, too. My dishwashing powder (half citric acid in the form of Lemon Kool Aid, half generic oxyclean) that I make is for the dishwasher, for handwashing dishes my liquid soap just doesn't cut it.

 

[nananne]

laundry detergent.....and fabric softner. I make my own laundry detergent and fabric softner. It works well and I add a small amount of white vinegar to rinse load for fabric softneer ( it also cleans the washer).

 

[Gypsi]

I have an old but functional septic system. And a bathtub that doesn't need refinished because I did away with Comet, Ajax, etc years ago. I get the tub damp, sprinkle baking soda on, and scrub with a rag with a dab of dishsoap in it. No more soapscum, and my tub still has enamel, and I only have to add yeast to my septic a couple of times a year.

I also did away with the dishwasher - it didn't clean dishes, just theoretically sterilized them, have a sink and a dishrack.

I don't use 409, do keep some window cleaner around, but most things clean up fine with either dishsoap, murphy's oil soap (which I adore the smell of), or bleach if it needs sterilized.

Did away with toothpaste for a couple of weeks, used baking soda instead. Went back to toothpaste.
Love my caulked windows and insulation, only have to light the woodstove if temp is dropping below 40.
Open blinds in the morning, heat with solar. Close blinds at night, hold heat in.

I've gotten so used to NOT having some stuff, I don't remember what else I got rid of.

Gypsi

 

[Dawn419]

We've given up a television (yep, kinda had to living in a camper) and just watch shows via the internet (without having a landline telephone).

I've also started using hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and vinegar for cleaning instead of some of the harsher cleaners. Still use bleach on ocassion, but not nearly as much as I used to!

 

[me&thegals]

Air freshener

 

[nikki4612]

Epsom salts is crucial. There are a lot of uses for it. Also, white vinegar. You can use that for just about everything. I try to go back to the basics on supplies. Buy vinegar, amonia, epsom salts, borax, baking soda, laundry soda and Fels naptha soap. With those items you can make just about any household product. Add Aveeno lotion, Dr Bronner's liquid castile soap, and vaseline, and you can make any beauty product. Save a fortune too.

 

[FarmerChick]

I make my own dryer sheets. I just put 1 part liquid fabric softener to two parts water. Cut up some sponges and toss in softener -- when you are ready to put your clothes in the dryer wring one of the sponges out and toss it in the dryer. I have made one bottle of fabric softener last more than a year!! Clothes smell fresh!

I just noticed this post and it seems like a great tip!

 

[Marianne]

I make my own dryer sheets. I just put 1 part liquid fabric softener to two parts water. Cut up some sponges and toss in softener -- when you are ready to put your clothes in the dryer wring one of the sponges out and toss it in the dryer. I have made one bottle of fabric softener last more than a year!! Clothes smell fresh!

I just noticed this post and it seems like a great tip!

I did the same thing, but used an oddball colored washcloth instead of the sponges. I soaked the cloth, then let it dry. I used it as a dryer sheet many times before I felt like I had to soak it again.
I was surprised at how well vinegar worked, but DH swears he could smell it on his shirt when he got sweaty. Maybe he could, he had an accident years ago, can't smell a lot of things now, but is real sensitive to smells that I don't pick up at all.

Nikki, what do you use the Epsom salts for?

 

[FarmerChick]

wow another great trip cause I have wash clothes!!