Madison’s dish cleaning sponge IS compostable :). There’s a TH-cam channel called “world composting” where he tries to home compost various products that say they are compostable. His most recent series has been compostable sponges.
You can absolutely use Vodka instead of rubbing alcohol to clean your granite counter, plus it's less toxic. Loved this video, super helpful! Can't believe you found that roomba for $13! 😱😱😱
I'm not sure how much better using Vodka would be actually. Vodka requires a lot of distillation, which is SUPER energy intensive. Rubbing alcohol also requires distillation, but I believe it is less. The best bet would probably be vodka from a company that uses renewable energy, if that is possible.
Are we just going to ignore the fact that she opened her freezer with her foot? 🤣😂 I do the same type of stuff but I found it hilarious that you included it in the video Shelby!
Call me Princess Penny-Pincher but I would sneak a few slices of lemon from the middle of the lemon for my water, then use the remaining "halves" for cleaning. Gotta stay hydrated while saving the planet 😂
@@bethratkewicz6062 yes I have used used lemons next to the sink to get the smell of garlic from my fingers, and I also put half a used lemon in the top rack of my dishwasher as a natural, zero waste de-greaser. 🤗
Good morning Shelbi! I wanted to tell you how much your videos mean to me and how you inspired me (as well as crying at documentaries) to go vegan! As well as zero waste. My family is like yours and I'm slowly getting them to use beeswax wraps, produce bags and to be mindful of things like packaging on bell peppers! The real game changer was saving money on produce, that really got them to change.. But regardless, thank you! I've been swapping my cleaning products as they run out, I've been changing to bulk items when I run out and even go grocery shopping for my mom so her cart can be as sustainable as possible. I only hope more people swap to this lifestyle and realize it's importance.
Thank you for your meaningful, quality content. You're amazing and doing amazing things! You've inspired me to be better and take my own environmentalism up several notches. I think before finding your channel I didn't understand the concept of "voting with your dollar" to support and promote demand for the things I wanted the world to prioritize and I just bought what was cheaper with a disappointed look on my face because it didn't seem like there was a point to spending more money on a bamboo scrubber instead of a plastic one until I looked at my money as a vote for my values and as an investment in the future. Your arguments are so eloquent and you're very well spoken. I don't usually comment on your stuff because I'm not a huge commenter in general, but I want you to know that what you do matters, you're making a huge impact, and I admire you greatly. Thanks again. 💕💕
Hey Shelby: something you can use for zero waste dish soap: there are solid Castile soap blocks that you can use with those wooden hand brushes to scrub dishes!
Fillaree is based in my city! Love that you use them and gave a shout out. Just an FYI that the Vinegar + Baking Soda reaction just makes water. It doesn’t having any extra cleaning properties than regular water, so would be cheaper and less wasteful (no box of baking soda or bottle of vinegar) to just use water. The bubbles you see from the reaction is carbon dioxide evaporating. It’s a gas that doesn’t clean anything either, and is pretty unstable in this reaction for it evaporates quickly. Might also be why some in the comments are saying the mixture didn’t help unclog their drains, since it’s just adding more water.
Hi, i just watched like 20 of your videos and now i'm really interested in sustainability and trying to have a low impact lifestyle. Really thinking on how i can change my habits and implement new and better ways to live my life. So inspiring! Love your honest and approachable way of conveying the massage. Keep up the good work :)
In case anyone has any allergies: My mom found that using the cloths that people use to polish their cars are AMAZING for doing windows or polishing stainless steel fixtures without any products.. like legit people regularly walk into sliding doors 😂 Just rinse it twice with hot water and squeeze all the water out and away you go. She found hers at Canadian tire here in Canada and they are orange but I don’t know what the equivalent would be in other parts And I also don’t know the materials it’s made out of BUT I can tell you that’s she’s been using the same one for over year and it still looks brand new, no fraying, no discolouration, no wear, looks brand spanking new.. you just throw it in with the laundry to clean it and you’re good to go!
never give up I had to google it cause I didn’t know what that was but it for sure isn’t that. I’ve found them on the website www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/simoniz-microfibre-glass-cleaning-clothes-3-pk-0396616p.html I don’t think microfibre is best but this is the tight weave one that does not leave any pieces of fabric behind and like I said before the ones mom keeps on her house look brand new after almost daily use. So I think after all it’s said and done this is a good alternative. She found them because the non profit she works for uses them to care for the homes of holocust survivors so that means they don’t use harsh chemicals but they also have to be super conscious of hygiene because these are very elderly people with the fragile health that come with age.
E Chavez yup! That’s how my mom first taught me how to clean stuff when I was little.. wet newspaper and dry newspaper and you have beautiful streak free mirrors. Also to pick up the garbage when you don’t have a dustpan! Just wet the edge a bit 😂
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe a better option for dishwasher detergent is the Cascade powder in the cardboard box/ metal spigot packaging. There is much less production waste with loose powder and you can buy it yourself in any store which eliminates the shipping waste and the shipping packaging.
If any of y'all still want to use sponges I'd recommend Trader Joe's pop up sponges! They do come in a small amount of plastic, but since they're pop up sponges you get about 12 of them in the same amount of packaging as a single regular sponge, and they're compostable!
I just found you and i am just going to say i am really happy i did! I thought I was bio friendly with my products because i buy everything "plant based" but i just figured that it's not really helping the planet if I'm still buying the products in plastic containers! Plus i have researched for cleaning recipes and I'm so glad you have those. Thank you so much for your content!!
After scrubbing the sink with the lemon, you can cut it up into smaller pieces and run it through the disposal while running very hot water along with it to clean and freshen up your disposal 🤗
You making these videos makes my life (and I’m sure many others as well) so much easier! Zero waste has so much trial and error & when most of the ppl around you don’t live the same lifestyle it can seem overwhelming and kinda isolating tbh. Thank you thank you thank you!💚
I have not read the comments to see if anyone mentioned it, but- Lemon down the garbage disposal will freshen the smell. Also- egg shells and coffee grounds are good for sharpening the blades. Love your channel!! 💕
this was the most thorough video out of all the ones I’ve watched on this topic, you addressed so many different concerns without making it over the top. i also appreciated you discouraging the overuse of essential oils as a lot of plants go into making such a tiny bottle. you’re amazing shelby!
I admire how compromising you are with Madison. You have inspired me to be less wasteful and more compromising. I recently bought reusable pads, cotton rounds, and dryer balls. I'm planning to purchase a Berkey soon to stop with all the water bottles. Also, I'm slowly working to detoxify my house too, with more natural cleaners! Keep making awesome videos!
You can use dish soap bars! I’ve found some just through Etsy or other online sights (but I’m sure you can find them in some stores). And they last forever
I have not been the best when it comes to zero waste in my life but over the past year 1/2 I've made tons of changes! A lot has come from inspiration, ideas and recommendations from you 💜 These videos keep me working towards my way to zero waste. Thank you!
Hey, thanks for another great video. You've really inspired me to think about ways to reduce waste by making swaps I wouldn't have ever thought about on my own (I just recently switched from disposable razors to a safety razor thanks to your recommendation). Unfortunately in my country (Finland) bying in bulk is still often impossible, but we're definitely going in the right direction. I like to watch clean with me videos on TH-cam for cleaning motivation but it does bother me how many people use something like 20 different types of cleaners in their home, so unnecessary, or use paper towels to wipe everything down. Ugh. I bought my roomba on sale couple of years ago and I'm still deeply in love with it and can't recommend it enough, totally worth it.
Hi Shelby great content , you missed a trick with the half lemon , after scrubbinng up i.e. it's full of soda low on juice , just chop it up and chuck down the waste disposal and run it , it will clean, deoderise and have an antibac effect there, instead of just feeding the compost bin, if my unwaxed lime/lemons try dry before I can get to it , I chop and freeze them to use them when necessary instead of putting chems down the WD. Plus you could use rinsed used lemon skins to polish wood tables or soak them in white vinegar for a couple of weeks to make a degreaser solutin.
I am so glad we have a dishwasher because I feel like my dishes get cleaner! I am weirdo that actually likes to wash dishes by hand but I definitely feel like the dishwasher does so much better!
I kept getting distracted by your GORGEOUS eye lashes!! Girl!! And thank you for the wonderful tips!! I am going minimal myself this year and am SO EXCITED!
I use Dr. Bronners Sal Soap. You can buy it in large amounts. I put it into a smaller bottle and dilute it with 2/3 water. I use it to wash my dishes. It Suds up nicely. It cleans many other things.
I make my own dishwasher cleaner - washing soda, sodium perconabate and grapefruit/lemon essential oil (about 20 drops) - can't use on sterling silver. If you put a little dish of vinegar in instead of rinse aid stuff comes out great.
we've had granite counters for 2 years now & I just use a wet washcloth to clean them. We do seal them once a year, but as long as wet stuff isn't left to sit, I haven't had anything I couldn't get off with a washcloth or my fingernail.
Hey, do you think that ordering sustainable ingredients online (to get in bulk for example) equals out the damage done by it being shipped out (especially as many postal services aren't exactly direct)? Just curious as I have to order things online sometimes and I always worry about the extra emissions from it travelling to me. I know supermarkets etc also ship their products to their stores but obviously they can put a lot in one lorry.
Tamara Epps I see it as supporting businesses who are just trying to be accessible while being sustainable and ethical. Supporting these companies is voting for them to be put into local stores and even corporate companies such as Target one day. I think of it as being for the greater good. Of course we should also support locally. I didn’t use to live in an eco friendly town so I would order online but now I live near some local ethical companies and I support them when I can. This was very repetitive I’m sorry !
Tamara Epps yhhh what you can do is when you’re ordering you can usually leave a message for the seller when you’re paying and you can put ‘no unnecessary plastic packaging’ 🤗
I use just vinegar , banking soda , water, Dawn Power wash and, alcohol as well .. Thank you for this the Dr Bs will be much more sustainable.. I'm on my learning part of this journey Thank You ! I have hybrid lemon/oranges in my yard could I use them as well for a cleaner? Eating them didn't taste too good, so cleaning with them would be great 👍🏻 lol
Hi Shelbi! As far as zero waste dish soaps go I have been using Dish Bar Soaps and absolutely love it! Absolutely no waste involved! They are bars of soap made from olive oil or another type of oil and work great! They look beautiful on your counter and pair perfectly with a bamboo brush. I highly recommend looking into them!
I’d be willing to try it but this would just result in the other people who live with me buying traditional dish soaps in plastic bottles. I’m more than happy with our current set up
@@Shelbizleee That makes total sense - I just brought this up since you do have such a large following, that in the future you can present it as an option for your audience. It took me a very long time to find this as an alternative and I know I follow brands such as yourself to hear about all the zero-waste alternatives.
When I had a garbage disposal, I would take the lemon half that I cleaned with (it already has baking soda on it) and throw it in there to make the disposal smell nice. I also know that if you ever have rust on a stainless steel sink (long story), simple table salt will work. Just lightly dampen the area and then pour the salt on and scrub. It did not scratch my sink and the rust just lifted right up and it wipes right off.
My new favorite kitchen hack is using a terry cloth rag and a bar of plain castille soap to clean dishes. It doesn't leave streaks and it doesn't leave residue on dishes. Also I think the terry cloth holds on to suds better than the liquid soaps I've used in the past.
Have you heard of force of nature? I bought the system 2 years ago and i really love it. I make my own solution vs buying the tablets (there’s a recipe in the facebook group). It’s just tap water, pickling salt and vinegar!
The drain opener recipe works better if you heat the vinegar and pour it on top of the baking soda. I read this on Pinterest and tried it. Works great!
Another option for clogged drains besides draino (which I didn’t even know was a thing until my college roommate showed me was a thing) something my parents have always done is take out the drain thing it came with and replace it with a reuseable drain cover it looks kinda like a mesh strainer almost and whenever it gets dirty and catches hair etc.we’d dumb it in the trash (and you’d probably be able to decompose it) and rinse it clean and reuse it super easy and zero waste and cost effective
I don't know about where you guys are, but where I am, you can often find dr. bronner's castile soap in bulk, so that way you can refill the bottle you already have. This is commonplace in a food co-op or natural grocer. Check your area because they might exist.
I actually use a mixture of one part clear vodka to one part destilled water with a tablespoon of dish washing liquid to clean our granite countertops, works perfectly! If you dislike the smell of the vodka, just add in about ten drops of essential oils.
You can refill your bronners at newseasons !!!!! Also known as new leaf in callifornia. They have pump gallons to refill your reusable jar or origional container!
Omg yes I have wood floors and I have to sweep 10 times a day and with a husky and a yorkie and a German shepherd dog hair is every where. I love your plants I used to have a ton but I lost all of them in the move ed jm going to start collecting again
I have been using fillaree's dream cleaning spray for counter tops. I intentionally didn't get the dish soap as I wanted to try out 2 different dish soap bars but my hubs finds the dish bar doesn't allow us to soak something (like how you'd put in a squirt of liquid soap and add water to a pot that might need to soak). We had been DIY-Iing dish soap with Sal Suds as we like that for laundry but now I might try the fillaree instead. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
I usually use a few drops of essential oils for all the stuff that has vinegar in it because I really cannot stand the smell of vinegar. But recently I made a new jar of general vinegar lime cleaner and threw some fresh lavender into it and I hope it works, I just have to wait a bit for it to "ripe"
Shelbi I have bought the really cheap vodka at Walmart and use that to make cleaner and it honestly worked even better then most other cleaners. I just diluted it 1pt vodka to 3pts water and the. Put some essential oil of my choice in there.
Is there anything that you haven't been able to find a non-plastic/green option for in your life? For me, it is contact lenses, more specifically their packaging, especially since I switched to dailys for eye health reasons.
I'm allergic to all citrus, even getting it on my skin, so can't use a lemon. Instead I just give the sink a scrub over with dish soap and a cloth, then wipe down with white vinegar when done. Gives it an amazing shine.
What do you use for nice wood surfaces? Like an antique nightstand or a love edge table? Growing up we always used Pledge on wood because that helped preserve it or something, but I'd like to use something more DIY/simple.
Baking soda is great for getting the nasty buildup on our gas stove (cause no one cleans after themselves when they clean)... And the sizzle of the vinegar when you put it over the baking soda in your sink. 😍😍
Hey Shelbi! I hope you see this because I have an idea for a video! I live in Florida so we are currently preparing for tropical storm Dorian to possibly hit us as a hurricane. I would love to see a video from you about the different ways to prepare for a natural disaster (hurricane, blizzard, etc) while keeping environmental sustainability in mind. For example - It always bothers me when I see a rush on big plastic water bottle packs when I know there are alternative solutions (at my house we fill every container/tupperware we have with water so we don't have to go out and buy plastic water bottles). Anyway, I'd love to hear your ideas!
Hey Shelbi 🤘 just letting you know you can juice and/or zest the lemon first, and then use the half lemon remainder in exactly the same way. Plus it’s much more economical 💸💸 xx
An absolutely great insightful video. I am transitioning to becoming zero waste. This video was like the beginner's guide to zero waste starter pack. I have seen many of what you had from other, but you all and more in one place. I really like all your cleaning tool ie straw brush. I live I the UK and don't know yet of any establishment which I can go to look and buy thing, but I am looking forward to making an inventory of stock and can not wait for all my current store bought products to finish.
So I tried the lemon and baking soda sink scrub. LOVE IT! Now I need something to scrub the toilet bowl with. Got a house full of people with stomach and stamina(so not able to scrub much) issues. Any ideas?! Got the best results with borax but that still requires quite a bit of scrubbing.
You can actually use certain bar soaps for washing dishes including Dr. Bronner's. It may be easier to use a rag where you wipe the bar with it to get soap on it and then use the rag to wash the dishes. Or likewise rub the bar of soap on the sponge. That's a more affordable option that what I plan on doing when my liquid dish soap is done.
On the dish soap thing, I'm almost out of my "normal, most likely greenwashed" dish soap and I really want to try the dish soap block from No Tox Life.
For trash I use those kind of bins which have that little bucket inside, instead of trashbags. When I empty them, I just clean it with some hot water and some drop of flush. It works great for me.
Love all your videos!! Always buy your suggestions and follow your tips :) about the dishwasher, is it better to use your dishwasher than just washing the dishes yourself? Or is it just about preferences?
Thank you so much! All the research I’ve seen shows that using your dish washer when it’s full saves water. But that really depends on the person. I know I would use more water than my dishwasher, but my fiance is really good at using such a small about of water that maybe for her it would be less to do it by hand. But time and convenience is something everyone is looking for and I don’t blame them haha.
Madison’s dish cleaning sponge IS compostable :). There’s a TH-cam channel called “world composting” where he tries to home compost various products that say they are compostable. His most recent series has been compostable sponges.
Oh that is so flippin cool!! Thank you 🤗
Swedish dishcloths are also compostable.
As someone who cleans for a living, I can safely say that you can use Vodka on your countertops :)
You can absolutely use Vodka instead of rubbing alcohol to clean your granite counter, plus it's less toxic. Loved this video, super helpful! Can't believe you found that roomba for $13! 😱😱😱
Yes please use vodka or everclear! Rubbing alcohol is usually petroleum based (AKA from crude oil folks)
I'm not sure how much better using Vodka would be actually. Vodka requires a lot of distillation, which is SUPER energy intensive. Rubbing alcohol also requires distillation, but I believe it is less. The best bet would probably be vodka from a company that uses renewable energy, if that is possible.
I would use vodka in a glass bottle. And if it's good stuff make a drink 😜🥂
I was just about to say vodka is fine. My sister using it becauae where she lives it's actually cheaper than cleaners
Just make sure it’s 70% or above
It’s 1am and I’m really tempted to make DIY products right now 😂😂😂
Literally same
Same!!!!!
NIGHT OWL CREW!
2am😂😅
Are we just going to ignore the fact that she opened her freezer with her foot? 🤣😂 I do the same type of stuff but I found it hilarious that you included it in the video Shelby!
Call me Princess Penny-Pincher but I would sneak a few slices of lemon from the middle of the lemon for my water, then use the remaining "halves" for cleaning. Gotta stay hydrated while saving the planet 😂
I've heard of people using scraps such as used lemons (after you squeeze them in your water or whatever) to clean. #zeroWaste
@@bethratkewicz6062 yes I have used used lemons next to the sink to get the smell of garlic from my fingers, and I also put half a used lemon in the top rack of my dishwasher as a natural, zero waste de-greaser. 🤗
Also cut it up after using it to clean and grinding it up in the garbage disposal if you have one.
Good morning Shelbi! I wanted to tell you how much your videos mean to me and how you inspired me (as well as crying at documentaries) to go vegan! As well as zero waste. My family is like yours and I'm slowly getting them to use beeswax wraps, produce bags and to be mindful of things like packaging on bell peppers! The real game changer was saving money on produce, that really got them to change.. But regardless, thank you! I've been swapping my cleaning products as they run out, I've been changing to bulk items when I run out and even go grocery shopping for my mom so her cart can be as sustainable as possible. I only hope more people swap to this lifestyle and realize it's importance.
Thank you for your meaningful, quality content. You're amazing and doing amazing things! You've inspired me to be better and take my own environmentalism up several notches. I think before finding your channel I didn't understand the concept of "voting with your dollar" to support and promote demand for the things I wanted the world to prioritize and I just bought what was cheaper with a disappointed look on my face because it didn't seem like there was a point to spending more money on a bamboo scrubber instead of a plastic one until I looked at my money as a vote for my values and as an investment in the future. Your arguments are so eloquent and you're very well spoken. I don't usually comment on your stuff because I'm not a huge commenter in general, but I want you to know that what you do matters, you're making a huge impact, and I admire you greatly. Thanks again. 💕💕
Hey Shelby: something you can use for zero waste dish soap: there are solid Castile soap blocks that you can use with those wooden hand brushes to scrub dishes!
Fillaree is based in my city! Love that you use them and gave a shout out. Just an FYI that the Vinegar + Baking Soda reaction just makes water. It doesn’t having any extra cleaning properties than regular water, so would be cheaper and less wasteful (no box of baking soda or bottle of vinegar) to just use water. The bubbles you see from the reaction is carbon dioxide evaporating. It’s a gas that doesn’t clean anything either, and is pretty unstable in this reaction for it evaporates quickly. Might also be why some in the comments are saying the mixture didn’t help unclog their drains, since it’s just adding more water.
Hi, i just watched like 20 of your videos and now i'm really interested in sustainability and trying to have a low impact lifestyle. Really thinking on how i can change my habits and implement new and better ways to live my life. So inspiring! Love your honest and approachable way of conveying the massage. Keep up the good work :)
In case anyone has any allergies:
My mom found that using the cloths that people use to polish their cars are AMAZING for doing windows or polishing stainless steel fixtures without any products.. like legit people regularly walk into sliding doors 😂
Just rinse it twice with hot water and squeeze all the water out and away you go.
She found hers at Canadian tire here in Canada and they are orange but I don’t know what the equivalent would be in other parts
And I also don’t know the materials it’s made out of BUT I can tell you that’s she’s been using the same one for over year and it still looks brand new, no fraying, no discolouration, no wear, looks brand spanking new.. you just throw it in with the laundry to clean it and you’re good to go!
A chamois?
never give up
I had to google it cause I didn’t know what that was but it for sure isn’t that.
I’ve found them on the website
www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/simoniz-microfibre-glass-cleaning-clothes-3-pk-0396616p.html
I don’t think microfibre is best but this is the tight weave one that does not leave any pieces of fabric behind and like I said before the ones mom keeps on her house look brand new after almost daily use. So I think after all it’s said and done this is a good alternative.
She found them because the non profit she works for uses them to care for the homes of holocust survivors so that means they don’t use harsh chemicals but they also have to be super conscious of hygiene because these are very elderly people with the fragile health that come with age.
People also use newspaper 😆
E Chavez yup! That’s how my mom first taught me how to clean stuff when I was little.. wet newspaper and dry newspaper and you have beautiful streak free mirrors.
Also to pick up the garbage when you don’t have a dustpan! Just wet the edge a bit 😂
Also for the drano i usually boil the vinegar and pour in down onto the baking soda. Really effective.
Looking at the difference from your earlier videos from now is incredible! You've came a long way! Awesome job and thank you for the great content!
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe a better option for dishwasher detergent is the Cascade powder in the cardboard box/ metal spigot packaging. There is much less production waste with loose powder and you can buy it yourself in any store which eliminates the shipping waste and the shipping packaging.
If any of y'all still want to use sponges I'd recommend Trader Joe's pop up sponges! They do come in a small amount of plastic, but since they're pop up sponges you get about 12 of them in the same amount of packaging as a single regular sponge, and they're compostable!
I love Dropps! I stick to Dr. Bronner’s, vinegar, and baking soda for a lot of my cleaning. It’s simple, but they cover all of my bases. 😊👍
I just found you and i am just going to say i am really happy i did! I thought I was bio friendly with my products because i buy everything "plant based" but i just figured that it's not really helping the planet if I'm still buying the products in plastic containers! Plus i have researched for cleaning recipes and I'm so glad you have those. Thank you so much for your content!!
After scrubbing the sink with the lemon, you can cut it up into smaller pieces and run it through the disposal while running very hot water along with it to clean and freshen up your disposal 🤗
You making these videos makes my life (and I’m sure many others as well) so much easier! Zero waste has so much trial and error & when most of the ppl around you don’t live the same lifestyle it can seem overwhelming and kinda isolating tbh. Thank you thank you thank you!💚
I have not read the comments to see if anyone mentioned it, but-
Lemon down the garbage disposal will freshen the smell. Also- egg shells and coffee grounds are good for sharpening the blades.
Love your channel!! 💕
this was the most thorough video out of all the ones I’ve watched on this topic, you addressed so many different concerns without making it over the top. i also appreciated you discouraging the overuse of essential oils as a lot of plants go into making such a tiny bottle. you’re amazing shelby!
I admire how compromising you are with Madison. You have inspired me to be less wasteful and more compromising. I recently bought reusable pads, cotton rounds, and dryer balls. I'm planning to purchase a Berkey soon to stop with all the water bottles. Also, I'm slowly working to detoxify my house too, with more natural cleaners! Keep making awesome videos!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that named their Roomba 😂 Mine is called Commander Data and I love him.
Kayla Jaeb 😂😂😂😂that’s so cool
Mine is named Stella. We name everything:)
My dad named his suck bot ;D
You can use dish soap bars! I’ve found some just through Etsy or other online sights (but I’m sure you can find them in some stores). And they last forever
I have not been the best when it comes to zero waste in my life but over the past year 1/2 I've made tons of changes! A lot has come from inspiration, ideas and recommendations from you 💜 These videos keep me working towards my way to zero waste. Thank you!
I'm living for these almost daily uploads😍🌱💚
Hey, thanks for another great video. You've really inspired me to think about ways to reduce waste by making swaps I wouldn't have ever thought about on my own (I just recently switched from disposable razors to a safety razor thanks to your recommendation). Unfortunately in my country (Finland) bying in bulk is still often impossible, but we're definitely going in the right direction. I like to watch clean with me videos on TH-cam for cleaning motivation but it does bother me how many people use something like 20 different types of cleaners in their home, so unnecessary, or use paper towels to wipe everything down. Ugh.
I bought my roomba on sale couple of years ago and I'm still deeply in love with it and can't recommend it enough, totally worth it.
Your videography skills are getting better and better with each video!!!!! Love you
This is so economically viable on top of being environmentally sustainable. Thank you Shelbi!!
Hi Shelby great content , you missed a trick with the half lemon , after scrubbinng up i.e. it's full of soda low on juice , just chop it up and chuck down the waste disposal and run it , it will clean, deoderise and have an antibac effect there, instead of just feeding the compost bin, if my unwaxed lime/lemons try dry before I can get to it , I chop and freeze them to use them when necessary instead of putting chems down the WD. Plus you could use rinsed used lemon skins to polish wood tables or soak them in white vinegar for a couple of weeks to make a degreaser solutin.
I am so glad we have a dishwasher because I feel like my dishes get cleaner! I am weirdo that actually likes to wash dishes by hand but I definitely feel like the dishwasher does so much better!
You can also use lemons and ice to clean your garbage disposal, it works super well
I kept getting distracted by your GORGEOUS eye lashes!! Girl!! And thank you for the wonderful tips!! I am going minimal myself this year and am SO EXCITED!
I use Dr. Bronners Sal Soap. You can buy it in large amounts. I put it into a smaller bottle and dilute it with 2/3 water. I use it to wash my dishes. It Suds up nicely. It cleans many other things.
Fantastic natural, non toxic diy cleaning recipes and tips. Could you please give the silicone mold link. What size?
I make my own dishwasher cleaner - washing soda, sodium perconabate and grapefruit/lemon essential oil (about 20 drops) - can't use on sterling silver. If you put a little dish of vinegar in instead of rinse aid stuff comes out great.
I want a dishwasher more than anything! I make so many things homemade and I literally always have dishes.
I’m literally inheriting my moms leafy plants because they collect too much dust for her allergies - this plant cleaner comes at the best time EVER.
we've had granite counters for 2 years now & I just use a wet washcloth to clean them. We do seal them once a year, but as long as wet stuff isn't left to sit, I haven't had anything I couldn't get off with a washcloth or my fingernail.
I’m going to try Fillaree! I would love to support a small women owned company that is focused on lower waste. Great share!
Hey, do you think that ordering sustainable ingredients online (to get in bulk for example) equals out the damage done by it being shipped out (especially as many postal services aren't exactly direct)? Just curious as I have to order things online sometimes and I always worry about the extra emissions from it travelling to me. I know supermarkets etc also ship their products to their stores but obviously they can put a lot in one lorry.
Yo I definitely just wrote an almost identical comment before finding yours.
Would love to know too
Tamara Epps I see it as supporting businesses who are just trying to be accessible while being sustainable and ethical. Supporting these companies is voting for them to be put into local stores and even corporate companies such as Target one day. I think of it as being for the greater good. Of course we should also support locally. I didn’t use to live in an eco friendly town so I would order online but now I live near some local ethical companies and I support them when I can. This was very repetitive I’m sorry !
Tamara Epps yhhh what you can do is when you’re ordering you can usually leave a message for the seller when you’re paying and you can put ‘no unnecessary plastic packaging’ 🤗
I use just vinegar , banking soda , water, Dawn Power wash and, alcohol as well ..
Thank you for this the Dr Bs will be much more sustainable..
I'm on my learning part of this journey Thank You !
I have hybrid lemon/oranges in my yard could I use them as well for a cleaner? Eating them didn't taste too good, so cleaning with them would be great 👍🏻 lol
Can you use Dr bronners solid bar soap as dish detergent? I've done that before.
In LA, there are places that refill Dr. Bronner’s castille soap. I think some places refill rubbing alcohol too. Not sure. I don’t really use that.
the baking soda and lemon really does the trick
At least out here in Maine our coop has descent refill system for the dr. Bronners basic soap. Maybe check your local coop?
Omg thank you for the alternative to draino, my mom buys it almost every 2 months and I keep asking her to use something else, but I wasn't sure what
Hi Shelbi! As far as zero waste dish soaps go I have been using Dish Bar Soaps and absolutely love it! Absolutely no waste involved! They are bars of soap made from olive oil or another type of oil and work great! They look beautiful on your counter and pair perfectly with a bamboo brush. I highly recommend looking into them!
I’d be willing to try it but this would just result in the other people who live with me buying traditional dish soaps in plastic bottles. I’m more than happy with our current set up
@@Shelbizleee That makes total sense - I just brought this up since you do have such a large following, that in the future you can present it as an option for your audience. It took me a very long time to find this as an alternative and I know I follow brands such as yourself to hear about all the zero-waste alternatives.
The music and that slow-mo got me randy to clean with some lemon! Oooh yeah! 😍🍋😏
When I had a garbage disposal, I would take the lemon half that I cleaned with (it already has baking soda on it) and throw it in there to make the disposal smell nice. I also know that if you ever have rust on a stainless steel sink (long story), simple table salt will work. Just lightly dampen the area and then pour the salt on and scrub. It did not scratch my sink and the rust just lifted right up and it wipes right off.
Thanks a lot fir sharing the lemon and baking soda for the bath tube. I could never find a way that was zero waste and actually works !
My new favorite kitchen hack is using a terry cloth rag and a bar of plain castille soap to clean dishes. It doesn't leave streaks and it doesn't leave residue on dishes. Also I think the terry cloth holds on to suds better than the liquid soaps I've used in the past.
Hard to believe I'm just now finding your channel. Immediately subscribed.
Have you heard of force of nature? I bought the system 2 years ago and i really love it. I make my own solution vs buying the tablets (there’s a recipe in the facebook group). It’s just tap water, pickling salt and vinegar!
The drain opener recipe works better if you heat the vinegar and pour it on top of the baking soda. I read this on Pinterest and tried it. Works great!
If you have an electric kettle you can heat the vinegar in there and it’ll descale the kettle too :)
Another option for clogged drains besides draino (which I didn’t even know was a thing until my college roommate showed me was a thing) something my parents have always done is take out the drain thing it came with and replace it with a reuseable drain cover it looks kinda like a mesh strainer almost and whenever it gets dirty and catches hair etc.we’d dumb it in the trash (and you’d probably be able to decompose it) and rinse it clean and reuse it super easy and zero waste and cost effective
I don't know about where you guys are, but where I am, you can often find dr. bronner's castile soap in bulk, so that way you can refill the bottle you already have. This is commonplace in a food co-op or natural grocer. Check your area because they might exist.
I actually use a mixture of one part clear vodka to one part destilled water with a tablespoon of dish washing liquid to clean our granite countertops, works perfectly! If you dislike the smell of the vodka, just add in about ten drops of essential oils.
I can't stop binging your videos I love them so much
You can refill your bronners at newseasons !!!!! Also known as new leaf in callifornia. They have pump gallons to refill your reusable jar or origional container!
Great ideas! I make my own cleaners too but have never cleaned the sink with lemon & baking soda! Doing that next time! Thanks!🍋
Omg yes I have wood floors and I have to sweep 10 times a day and with a husky and a yorkie and a German shepherd dog hair is every where.
I love your plants I used to have a ton but I lost all of them in the move ed jm going to start collecting again
I have been using fillaree's dream cleaning spray for counter tops. I intentionally didn't get the dish soap as I wanted to try out 2 different dish soap bars but my hubs finds the dish bar doesn't allow us to soak something (like how you'd put in a squirt of liquid soap and add water to a pot that might need to soak). We had been DIY-Iing dish soap with Sal Suds as we like that for laundry but now I might try the fillaree instead. Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
You can buy Castille soap from bulk food stores
I need a walk through of your house plants. What is that spotted one on your counter top?
I usually use a few drops of essential oils for all the stuff that has vinegar in it because I really cannot stand the smell of vinegar. But recently I made a new jar of general vinegar lime cleaner and threw some fresh lavender into it and I hope it works, I just have to wait a bit for it to "ripe"
Not Me please update on this! I’d like to know how it turned oht
loved this video will definitely try the glass cleanerxx
Shelbi I have bought the really cheap vodka at Walmart and use that to make cleaner and it honestly worked even better then most other cleaners. I just diluted it 1pt vodka to 3pts water and the. Put some essential oil of my choice in there.
Ashley Shively do you remember the brand by any chance?
Liliana Munoz it’s either skol or fleischmanns.
Dr bronners sal suds dilluted makes dish soap, also no tox life dish soap block is amazing.
Another way to unclog a sink or tub is just using a plunger like you’d use on a toilet!
Is there anything that you haven't been able to find a non-plastic/green option for in your life? For me, it is contact lenses, more specifically their packaging, especially since I switched to dailys for eye health reasons.
The ethical alternative would probably just be glasses... Most involve plastic but mine are made with titanium so there are alternatives to that
I think Terracycle takes the plastic contact lense containers that dailies come in
Do you think you'd ever write a book? I'd love to get a book from you.
I'm allergic to all citrus, even getting it on my skin, so can't use a lemon. Instead I just give the sink a scrub over with dish soap and a cloth, then wipe down with white vinegar when done. Gives it an amazing shine.
What do you use for nice wood surfaces? Like an antique nightstand or a love edge table? Growing up we always used Pledge on wood because that helped preserve it or something, but I'd like to use something more DIY/simple.
I use a pretty much the same recipe for my quartz counters.
Vodka is great for disinfecting really grimy places and obviously most liquor is sold in glass so this is also pretty sustainable.
Baking soda is great for getting the nasty buildup on our gas stove (cause no one cleans after themselves when they clean)... And the sizzle of the vinegar when you put it over the baking soda in your sink. 😍😍
Asian Hugs it’s so satisfying 😂😍
Hey Shelbi! I hope you see this because I have an idea for a video! I live in Florida so we are currently preparing for tropical storm Dorian to possibly hit us as a hurricane. I would love to see a video from you about the different ways to prepare for a natural disaster (hurricane, blizzard, etc) while keeping environmental sustainability in mind. For example - It always bothers me when I see a rush on big plastic water bottle packs when I know there are alternative solutions (at my house we fill every container/tupperware we have with water so we don't have to go out and buy plastic water bottles). Anyway, I'd love to hear your ideas!
Yes! Great idea!!!
These videos are so so helpful! I finally have my own place for the first time and I am so excited to make my home more waste free
The palm scrub brushes... How do you tell when they need to be replaced?
Where did you get this jumper, I love it
How often do you replace your brush for washing dishes
Hey Shelbi 🤘 just letting you know you can juice and/or zest the lemon first, and then use the half lemon remainder in exactly the same way. Plus it’s much more economical 💸💸 xx
Have you tried solid dish soap? Its just a huge bar of soap and I see them at zero waste shops all the time
An absolutely great insightful video. I am transitioning to becoming zero waste. This video was like the beginner's guide to zero waste starter pack. I have seen many of what you had from other, but you all and more in one place. I really like all your cleaning tool ie straw brush. I live I the UK and don't know yet of any establishment which I can go to look and buy thing, but I am looking forward to making an inventory of stock and can not wait for all my current store bought products to finish.
Can you tell me what you are using the cloths in the jar for?
Your home is so beautiful. Loving these high quality videos and I can’t wait to try out the baking soda + half a lemon for my sinks. :)
So I tried the lemon and baking soda sink scrub. LOVE IT! Now I need something to scrub the toilet bowl with. Got a house full of people with stomach and stamina(so not able to scrub much) issues. Any ideas?! Got the best results with borax but that still requires quite a bit of scrubbing.
You can actually use certain bar soaps for washing dishes including Dr. Bronner's. It may be easier to use a rag where you wipe the bar with it to get soap on it and then use the rag to wash the dishes. Or likewise rub the bar of soap on the sponge. That's a more affordable option that what I plan on doing when my liquid dish soap is done.
Can you do a video on what you put in compost vs what you put in disposal?
On the dish soap thing, I'm almost out of my "normal, most likely greenwashed" dish soap and I really want to try the dish soap block from No Tox Life.
For trash I use those kind of bins which have that little bucket inside, instead of trashbags. When I empty them, I just clean it with some hot water and some drop of flush. It works great for me.
Hey all! Do you have plastic bucket and floor mop?
I've been using Blueland products & really love them! Boiling water is good for unclogging drains
Hmm, I’m thinking about trying them out
Love all your videos!! Always buy your suggestions and follow your tips :) about the dishwasher, is it better to use your dishwasher than just washing the dishes yourself? Or is it just about preferences?
Thank you so much! All the research I’ve seen shows that using your dish washer when it’s full saves water. But that really depends on the person. I know I would use more water than my dishwasher, but my fiance is really good at using such a small about of water that maybe for her it would be less to do it by hand. But time and convenience is something everyone is looking for and I don’t blame them haha.
What do you think about method products?
Ive been able to find Castile in bulk and use my own containers. Moms organic usually has it.
Where did you get your bamboo dish rack? Have you had any trouble with mold?
Have you tried solid dish soap? I am considering it but I am not too sure