What household product can you do without?

[Wildsky]

I can do without a Swiffer.

The swiffer was a great idea by the inventors, now they have folks buying the refill things on a regular basis... the commercials drive me nuts! I hate the things!

 

[redux]

I stopped using fabric softener during a severe budget crunch years ago and I have never missed it.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I can do without hair coloring,... does that count as a household product??? I make my own window cleaner,..I don't use furniture polish,.that is a waste. Only cleaners I do use are bleach, Murphy's Oil Soup,..of course I buy dish liquid (no dishwasher here) and washing powders for the clothes,..fabric softener only in the winter for static purposes. I buy my soap, I tried the homemade, its okay,...but I love my Dove. I pretty much do the basics on everything and don't go overboard on anything. Oh and I hate air fresheners,.. Nothing but a headache waiting to happen,..(febreeze etc.),....Perfume don't set well with me either,..I hate the people who bathe in that stuff and go out in public! My sinuses will be messed up for days,.... there should be a law in place for over-smelly people!

 

[valmom]

We have successfully weaned ourselves off paper towels! Yeah! My MIL was unhappy, but she brought some paper napkins from her house when she came up to visit.

We use those terry cloth junk rags they sell by the bag full to clean up almost anything (dog pee...) Then, in the washer. I want to get us off spray cleaners, but SO still buys the ones that are supposed to neutralize dog smell.

I am well on our way to making all our soap, my SO loves the laundry detergent. The diswasher detergent- didn't work so well, it etched all the glassware and left film on the silverware. We haven't used dryer sheets for years.

Scents, except for incense, gives migraines. No plug in anything scented. No swiffer- broom and mop with Murphy's (all hardwood floors).

Let's see, what can I absolutely not do without...I don't know. Dishwasher detergent seems to be a biggie. But, we only run it when it is full, and with only 2 of us, that is about every 3rd day.

 

[Occamstazer]

I hate the buy-more trap of the swiffer too, but I just use a washcloth on mine instead of the disposable thingies. With four doggins, daily swiffering is a must

 

[Wildsky]

I hate the buy-more trap of the swiffer too, but I just use a washcloth on mine instead of the disposable thingies. With four doggins, daily swiffering is a must

I just use one of those mop thingies with a sponge on the end, it folds itself to squeeze out moisture etc. Works well and not much waste, a sponge every couple of months or so.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

I just bought a fantastic micro-fiber dust mop at Lowes the other day. It works the same as a Swiffer, but when it gets yucky,..throw it in the washer. Works great on those hardwood floors.

 

[valmom]

Yep- my floor mop for the Murphy's is one of those miracle cloth ones. Works great, and washes!

 

[ToLiveToLaugh]

Air fresheners. First, I am allergic to them. Made life in the dorms hell. Second, they kill birds. I figure, if they used canaries in mines to tell you when to leave, and febreeze kills parrots, that means NO GO. Third, it can all be summarized by what my mom says (grouchy old lady style) "What is the point of all these air fresheners? Why not just clean the d@mn place?"

 

[Wildsky]

Air fresheners. First, I am allergic to them. Made life in the dorms hell. Second, they kill birds. I figure, if they used canaries in mines to tell you when to leave, and febreeze kills parrots, that means NO GO. Third, it can all be summarized by what my mom says (grouchy old lady style) "What is the point of all these air fresheners? Why not just clean the d@mn place?"

and those Fabreeze commercials make people think the stupid stinky spray actually "cleans".
Air freshners generally make me sneeze, my own personal air freshener is to open the door but in winter sometimes its difficult, I will still open the door a tiny crack if the house smells - and light a big fat fire!