I may be a 'flaky vegan' but I'm not exactly an eco-freako flower child or whatever but there are a few supposed 'essentials' I have been happily doing without for years.
Laundry Detergent and Fabric Conditioner
Fabric Conditioner was an easy one. I ran out at some point 15+ years ago and simply didn't buy more. All that changed was my laundry lost its artificial smell (which I didn't like anyway); I didn't find my clothes rough or scratchy or anything so what was the point of wasting money?!
The Laundry Detergent was a tougher issue. My eldest daughter has mild eczema and is also allergic to biological washing powders so we were stuck on the non-bio stuff. She's an adult now and she uses non-bio for her laundry by the way.
My dad got me these eco washballs years ago and when they finally died I switched to soap nuts. I have been using them for about three years now and have had zero problems. Although I used to do laundry for my job though which was so nasty it got presoaked with nappy bleach tablets and washed with detergents that I didn't use for my own things.
[Edit: since becoming a full-time carer this has gone out of the window. We're back on non-bio as my daughter still lives at home and Dettol Laundry Cleanser has become my most favourite thing ever. I have to do more hot washes too which sucks. But unfortunately my mother's health & comfort is more important to me right now. I have no intention of continuing their use when she's gone and we don't have the need for *ahem* extra hygiene. I'm using washable wipes for her]
[Edit: since becoming a full-time carer this has gone out of the window. We're back on non-bio as my daughter still lives at home and Dettol Laundry Cleanser has become my most favourite thing ever. I have to do more hot washes too which sucks. But unfortunately my mother's health & comfort is more important to me right now. I have no intention of continuing their use when she's gone and we don't have the need for *ahem* extra hygiene. I'm using washable wipes for her]
Tampons
No, I am not menopausal but I quit traditional sanitary supplies a couple of years back. I've only put tampons here because I do use pads occasionally as a back up if I'm out on a day trip or whatever - same as I used to when I was using tampons. I keep meaning to get a few washable pads for those occasions ***literally pops over to ebay to fix that*** right...where was I?
Oh yes...tampons. I had been using tampons since my 1st period age 12 and as I have a very heavy flow it cost me a small fortune. I saw a lot of hype about moon cups (or whatever brand it was) but , being me, instead of spending £20-£40 I went to ebay and ordered a 99p equivalent from China.
I have never looked back! Each cup lasts me about a year and my body is so much happier for it. I've had the odd placement mishap but overall I wish I'd switched sooner.
This is why I am not a fan of people who complain about the so-called 'tampon tax'. Modern sanitary products are just that: modern. Disposable sanitary pads date back to 1888 but my mum and her sister used washables in the 1950s and 60s; modern tampons date to the 1930s and carry a risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) which can be FATAL. Women menstruated for centuries without disposable products which have a negative impact on the environment. Menstruation is natural not medical and disposables are luxuries, not essentials...unless you have no access to washing facilities - which almost everyone does.
I'm sure there was a third one...
I don't drive or own a bike. I use VERY little make up (more of that in my next blog)...and what the hell even is a skin care routine??? There are probably LOADS of things the average almost 40 year old white British female* would consider essential which I just don't. Either because I'm not interested or have been doing quite well all these years I haven't been able to afford such things.
[*not that I consider these things especially important but ethnicity, culture and biological sex do have an impact on how we all live our lives]
I am far from being a minimalist, I own a LOT of junk; I do not approach every potential purchase with thoughts about whether I really NEED it. What I do think about however, is whether I WANT it or not. A lot of things we're marketed to think we need when we don't, brainwashed into thinking something is 'essential' or we're 'deprived' if we don't have it.
That's kind of how my mum feels about ironing...she thought I was a terrible parent because I didn't iron my kids' school shirts but modern fabrics don't crease like they used to. Washing machines and tumble dryers leave most clothing ready to be put on a hanger and worn so, to me, ironing is not an essential.
So the next time you're shopping you might just want to give a thought...did you add that item to the cart out of need or want, habit or marketing ploys? Live how YOU choose to do, not how you think you HAVE to.
This is why I am not a fan of people who complain about the so-called 'tampon tax'. Modern sanitary products are just that: modern. Disposable sanitary pads date back to 1888 but my mum and her sister used washables in the 1950s and 60s; modern tampons date to the 1930s and carry a risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) which can be FATAL. Women menstruated for centuries without disposable products which have a negative impact on the environment. Menstruation is natural not medical and disposables are luxuries, not essentials...unless you have no access to washing facilities - which almost everyone does.
I'm sure there was a third one...
I don't drive or own a bike. I use VERY little make up (more of that in my next blog)...and what the hell even is a skin care routine??? There are probably LOADS of things the average almost 40 year old white British female* would consider essential which I just don't. Either because I'm not interested or have been doing quite well all these years I haven't been able to afford such things.
[*not that I consider these things especially important but ethnicity, culture and biological sex do have an impact on how we all live our lives]
I am far from being a minimalist, I own a LOT of junk; I do not approach every potential purchase with thoughts about whether I really NEED it. What I do think about however, is whether I WANT it or not. A lot of things we're marketed to think we need when we don't, brainwashed into thinking something is 'essential' or we're 'deprived' if we don't have it.
That's kind of how my mum feels about ironing...she thought I was a terrible parent because I didn't iron my kids' school shirts but modern fabrics don't crease like they used to. Washing machines and tumble dryers leave most clothing ready to be put on a hanger and worn so, to me, ironing is not an essential.
So the next time you're shopping you might just want to give a thought...did you add that item to the cart out of need or want, habit or marketing ploys? Live how YOU choose to do, not how you think you HAVE to.
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