Old style things that 'only you' do...

Winchelsea

Whew, just finished reading the whole thread! (not all in one go I have to say - took me several goes over 3 days!)

Someone said about using the residual heat in the iron to do a couple of pairs of boxers. What?! Iron boxers? Why? Who's going to see them? - or if someone does it won't be until body heat has sorted them out!

The other day my DGS was staying with me. In the morning he put on his posh suit trousers and shirt and came for breakfast. I said "Your shirt could do with an iron - give it to me after breakfast". I forgot about it, but an hour or so later I looked at him, and said "Oh, you ironed your shirt" - but no, he hadn't - good old body heat had sorted it out.

As far as I'm concerned, ironing is a waste of energy - mine AND the National Grid's. When I've washed things, I give them a jolly good shake, and hang them up to dry - end of story. Oh, and I never buy things that will obviously always NEED a lot of ironing.

NualaBuala

Winchelsea wrote: »

As far as I'm concerned, ironing is a waste of energy - mine AND the National Grid's. When I've washed things, I give them a jolly good shake, and hang them up to dry - end of story. Oh, and I never buy things that will obviously always NEED a lot of ironing.

I'm with you 100% on this Winchelsea! I only bought an iron for my ex's work shirts. I'll keep it in case I need it for an interview blouse but my every day clothes don't need ironing. Well other people might think they do but I don't!:)

ladylouise62

tom_and_barbara_good wrote: »

After using face wipes (tesco value are great) I give the bathroom basin and other bathroom surfaces a swish, then I give the loo a wipe too.

They are strong enough to rinse out between wiping each surface if you like....is this just me?

Nope - did that this morning

babyshoes

Winchelsea wrote: »

Someone said about using the residual heat in the iron to do a couple of pairs of boxers. What?! Iron boxers? Why? Who's going to see them? - or if someone does it won't be until body heat has sorted them out!
...
As far as I'm concerned, ironing is a waste of energy - mine AND the National Grid's. When I've washed things, I give them a jolly good shake, and hang them up to dry - end of story. Oh, and I never buy things that will obviously always NEED a lot of ironing.

In some countries, such as the African country where I grew up, you need to iron (or otherwise heat up, eg tumbledry) underwear and other clothing if it has been line dried outside, as there are nasty flies which are attracted to residual odours in clothing (especially underarms and pants...) and lay their eggs on them. The larvae then hatch with body heat (if not killed by ironing/tumbledrying) and burrow into your skin!!! :eek: It isn't as painful as it sounds at first, but getting the bu99er out is awful - they have to be squeezed like a giant pimple - imagine that on your nethers!!! :eek::eek::eek:

That said, I don't usually iron these days either, as a) I now live in the UK where nothing like that exists, b) it is all dried indoors, c) We both have jobs which don't require formal clothing and d) I tend to buy stuff that doesn't need much ironing if it is shaken out before hanging up - as you said, body heat does the job after a bit anyway.

NualaBuala

:eek::eek::eek: Ok, I guess that would make me less reluctant to iron!!!

marmiterulesok

Am I the only person to re-use dental floss until it gets too stringy?!!

It seems such a waste to chuck it after one use.

morganlefay

I did see a woman in Sainsburys once who had a knife and was going through the broccoli bits (or perhaps it was asparagus, it was a while ago) cutting off the long stems and putting the nice short bits left in a bag to get weighed. It was interesting because none of the assistants who could clearly see what she was doing, said anything....I don't think I could do that myself !

mummyslittleboy

morganlefay wrote: »

I did see a woman in Sainsburys once who had a knife and was going through the broccoli bits (or perhaps it was asparagus, it was a while ago) cutting off the long stems and putting the nice short bits left in a bag to get weighed. It was interesting because none of the assistants who could clearly see what she was doing, said anything....I don't think I could do that myself !

I have seen this done as well there is a lady who regularly goes to asda and does it they never say anything to her which makes me wonder if she is actually doing something we should all be doing after all why buy the bits you don't want!:D

As well as recycling for the council a lot of my boxes,plastic go to the local playschool for the kids to do model making.

I always have bottles upside down to get the last bits out.

Winchelsea

Some more things I just thought of (so you'll all know exactly how sad I am!)

Cutting wipes in half and re-using them is great - but I just never buy them in the first place. I have a stack of white face flannels in the bathroom which get used for everything (yes, everything, including - as with wipes - giving a final swipe to the washbasin, bath and toilet seat), and are then washed.

Don't buy kitchen roll or tissues either - I use cotton hankies, which I often make by hemming round bits of soft cotton fabric from old clothes or bedlinens, and, have 2 piles of rags under the sink, the better ones to use and re-wash, the others to use and throw.

I have a white plastic washing up bowl in the bathroom, and stand in it to shower. The water I collect is used for the next toilet flushing. Also, I do the "sailor shower" - turn on the water to wet hair and self, turn it off, lather, then turn on again to rinse. My metered water bill has definitely gone down - and when DH was having carers in to give him a shower, our water use went up.

Even worse, I even save on toilet paper, using a tip I got off the American site The Compact. I have a plastic box filled with squares of old t-shirt material, and use one to wipe after a no.1 if you know what I mean (never t'other!) - and they go in a mesh bag for washing. (Now you now I'm gross as well as sad! - though in my opinion this is not as bad as wiping your nose on your toilet paper before use!)

Most of these measures are things I started when taking early retirement and was worrying about whether we'd cope on our pensions.

elisamoose

Winchelsea wrote: »

Some more things I just thought of (so you'll all know exactly how sad I am!)

Cutting wipes in half and re-using them is great - but I just never buy them in the first place. I have a stack of white face flannels in the bathroom which get used for everything (yes, everything, including - as with wipes - giving a final swipe to the washbasin, bath and toilet seat), and are then washed.

Don't buy kitchen roll or tissues either - I use cotton hankies, which I often make by hemming round bits of soft cotton fabric from old clothes or bedlinens, and, have 2 piles of rags under the sink, the better ones to use and re-wash, the others to use and throw.

I have a white plastic washing up bowl in the bathroom, and stand in it to shower. The water I collect is used for the next toilet flushing. Also, I do the "sailor shower" - turn on the water to wet hair and self, turn it off, lather, then turn on again to rinse. My metered water bill has definitely gone down - and when DH was having carers in to give him a shower, our water use went up.

Even worse, I even save on toilet paper, using a tip I got off the American site The Compact. I have a plastic box filled with squares of old t-shirt material, and use one to wipe after a no.1 if you know what I mean (never t'other!) - and they go in a mesh bag for washing. (Now you now I'm gross as well as sad! - though in my opinion this is not as bad as wiping your nose on your toilet paper before use!)

Most of these measures are things I started when taking early retirement and was worrying about whether we'd cope on our pensions.

Surely the money saved on loo roll is out numbered by the cost of a boil wash for the cotton cloths? you surely have do every day and on their own?