My mom is always making fun of me and how I try to do “hippie” things. Now she also calls them “green” things. What I find interesting aobut most “green” practices is that many people do them already simply because of the financial benefits. They’re frugal, which makes them “green” automatically! I think this is where I fit in, for the most part. I find many disposable things pointless and have had cloth napkins, handkerchiefs, etc for years. Why continue to spend money on something you keep throwing away? So, anyway I thought I would take some time now and again to talk about what I’ve been doing to do my part.
I’ll start with those basics – the cloth replacements for daily living. Shortly after we got married, I told Jason that I wanted to buy cloth napkins, b/c it just made more sense. So, while using our gift cards from our wedding, one of the thing we purchased was a nice daily-use china set and tablecloth, placemats and napkins. Every couple of days or so, more often if they’re completely soiled, I throw them in the dirty laundry to wash come wash day. It works so much better.
A year or two ago, I decided that I wanted to use handkerchiefs instead of kleenex – Michelle finds this disgusting! LOL! Well, I had 1 or 2 that I already owned that I used at first. I had a terrible cold and would have gone through an entire box in a day or two. The first thing I noticed was that the handkerchief was so much more comfortable than a kleenex. Especially after blowing my nose 100 times with that cold. A kleenex would have left it so raw. I could’ve spent the extra $$ on lotion-filled kleenex, but the hanky worked just fine. And the 2nd thing I noticed was that the hanky held up so much better than kleenex. Usually one blow and a kleenex has to be thrown away, b/c a hold has been blown in it. The hanky was softer, kinder, and stronger. At the end of the day, I throw it in the wash and pull out a new one. A bought another pack of hankies within the week and haven’t looked back. Come cold season each year, I’m so thankful!
So, 2 things that I’ve replaced disposable with reusable items. And neither was for “environmental” reasons per se, but that’s a great side benefit! More things that I’ve done will be coming!
