The Compact Challenge 2010 (formally "Need help for a challenge")

pink_numbers

Thank you everyone for their advice, you have thought so much that I didn't even think about before!

I DID get a mooncup in the end! I realised that I only had about 8 months worth of tampax, so I took the plunge and bought the mooncup so that I won't be using disposable stuff after I use up the ones I have already. I've looked at it, and it looks SCARY!! :eek: For those people that do use it, didn't it scare you at first??

we do already have battery recharger, which is fab

as far as petrol goes... I do walk into work (moved house so that I could walk into work). We really really do want to get down to one car, but it depends on the OH's situation... if it goes one way, it'll be easy to get down to one car, if it goes the other way, he can't car share, or take public transport, long and strange hours in middle of no where! It doesn't help that those hours tends to be when I need to go out with a car... AGH. The petrol, I can see, is going to be a sore thumb!

hmmm computer stuff... I don't tend to use that much DVD or CDs, as I do all my work and data back up on USB sticks nowdays (aren't those things great?). I totally understand bigpaws23's concern as I work in IT too. I have one full set of printer cartridges, which will have to last me the year. I am going to only print stuff when I really really have to.

All your thoughts are very thought provoking. I'm finding that when someone suggests something that I may run out, I have to go away and think about it for a few days. Do I have enough? If I don't, how am I going to cope with it? What can I use instead? So please forgive me that it takes a few days to respond!

I've started making crochet/knitted dish cloths to a)use up some of the cotton yarns I have and b)to use that instead of using kitchen papers. I think I am going to colour code them so that one colour is specially for cleaning up pet messes, one colour is for cleaning, and one for general clean ups around the kitchen, and ensure that they don't cross-contaminate each other. I really hate using kitchen towels (but oh so easy to use them!) so it will be great if I can wean myself off the KT-addiction

choille

I've never bought paper kitchen towels. I've never understood what they're for.

pink_numbers

We only have kitchen towels to clear up pet-related mess. The rest, we use rags and cloths. I'm still trying to wean myself off them so please be kind, I'm clearly not as advanced as you.

choille

No - I'm the one not advanced. I just don't buy a load of stuff that others deem necessary ie air freshners, loo cleaner, bin liners, bottled water, cat litter, fly spray. I never have.

pink_numbers

I admire you! I really do

I don't buy any cleaners or toiletries (make all of them myself), my evil vice is bin liners (although I haven't bought any in ages now), kitchen towel and cat litter.

Your previous suggestion about using soil is amazing, as I've never even thought of that before!

choille

I've only ever used a cat tray when I've moved house & had to keep the cats in for a week or so & I've always used earth as that's where they go naturally, or sand.

Bin liners: I keep all bags ie the plastic that multi loo rolls come in, bread bags, weekend newspaper supplements - now even comes in a blasted plastic bag, sheep feed sacks etc & use those. It seems a bit mad to buy yet more plastic to put plastic waste into. I don't really skip/dump anything other than plastic.

The thing with using soil in a litter tray is that you can dig a hole & bury it - you couldn't really do that with bought stuff - well you could, but I don't think it's natural - but if you bin it, it'll end up in land fill in any case I suppose.

I keep all old cotton - sheets etc & use those as rag for cleaning & just compost them when they've been demoted to dirty jobs & need getting rid of. Natural fibres compost, poly cotton - which is useless as rag, doesn't clean the same & doesn't compost either.

Good for you making all your cleaning products & cosmetics.
How do you make washing up liquid & soap powder?

pink_numbers

Thank you for even more tips choille

I do keep all plastic bags to reuse, I even re-trained my OH to cut bags open neatly (so they can be reused) rather than just rriiiippppppp the bag open as men do! I even keep the bags magazines and promotional mail comes in, OH thinks it's a bit far, but it's plastic and damn it if I let it go to the landfill without making good use of it first!

We've managed to wean ourselves off using any bags in our little bin. We only put dry rubbish (only bits of plastic really), so no need for a bag.

I make my own soap from scratch. I tend to make a couple of batches, which lasts us for about 6 months. I make washing up liquid, and in fact any other form of liquid soap by grating the said soaps, dissolving it in hot water, and whip it up as it cool. I then add "additives" according to their intended use - washing up liquid gets a bit of vinegar mixed in, shampoo, body soap & handwash gets a bit of jojoba oil & aromatherapy oils mixed in.

I would love to make liquid soap from scratch but I read that you need a crocpot and many many hours!

How you use soil makes sense. Unfortunately, our cats will go poo outside but not wee. They will pee on the carpet rather than go outside. We adopted them late in their lives (10 years and 9 years old) so I don't think I can change them for it. We only have a small back yard, so no ground to dig used soil into, but I will definitely remember your tip when we buy our dream cottage

ETA: I make soap powder - which I assume you mean laundry powder? - by grating soap & mixing with borax and washing soda.

IWish

Wow - very impressive - I could never do this, however I am picking up some great tips. What about razors?

Also maybe think about a bidet for your dream cottage!

Good luck x

choille

That's good with the soap powder & washing up liquid.
At the moment I have to hand wash clothes everything & just use cheap bars of soap. But I used to use borax in a home made carpet cleaner mix & also on my hair - it's a great water softner.
If you have a washing machine, does it not get too frothy in there?

pink_numbers

It barely froth up in the washing machine at all. However, I do put the powder in the drum with the clothes, which seems to stop it from streaking the washing (some people have problems with it in the drawer).

You can use Borax on hair? I didn't know that!

You can make salt soap, soap with half salt, which is brilliant for laundry, makes clothes really soft