Our story It began in a foreign country in Western Europe. It was the summer of 2018. We made a move and later, another decision that would change our lives f o r e v e r. The city was Berlin. The year was 2017, in the … Read more...
The whole truth about plastic numbers*
You have actually no idea of the secret life of plastic. It is wilder than most of us would ever think! The truth lies in the plastic numbers.
Perhaps there are some amongst you, like me not long ago, who will make a big revelation about plastic and it’s recycling. I was silly for a loooooong time to think that the three chasings arrows, which looks like the recycling sign, means that the product is recyclable. Whoops! No! Stop! Think again.
Anyway, coming back to these signs and the numbers inside of them aka plastic numbers. As they all have it inside, which is what tells you the whole truth about this particular item. You can find such triangles composed of three chasing arrows from 1 to 7. The purpose of the number is to identify the type of plastic used for the product, and unfortunately, not all plastics are recyclable or even reusable.
Plastic numbers i.e. codes
Code 1: PETE or PET: Polyethylene Terephthalate – soft drink bottles, mineral water, fruit juice, cooking oil, salad dressing containers, mouthwash bottles, and peanut butter containers.
Code 2: HDPE: High-Density Polyethylene – milk jugs, cleaning agents, laundry detergents, shampoo bottles, washing and shower soaps, cereal box liners, butter tubs.
Code 3: PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride – trays for sweets, fruits, bubble foil, food wrap, medical equipment.
Code 4: LDPE: Low-Density Polyethylene – shopping bags, highly resistant sacks, wrappings, frozen food, and bread bags.
Code 5: PP: Polypropylene – furniture, luggage, toys, the lining of cars, Alpro yogurt containers, mixing bowls, ketchup bottles, syrup bottles, and medicine bottles.
Code 6: PS: Polystyrene – toys, hard packing, fridge trays, cosmetic bags, costume jewelry, CD cases, vending cups.
Code 7: Others (including polycarbonate, bioplastic, and acrylic) – other plastics, acrylic, nylon, fiberglass, etc.
By understanding these simple classifications, we can best use plastics to our advantage. While minimizing the health and disposal issues that may otherwise arise. Below is some information about the seven classifications for plastics, and the recycling and reuse information for each type.
#1 – PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
PET is one of the most commonly used plastics in consumer products, and is found in most water and pop bottles, and some packaging. It is intended for single-use applications; repeated use increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth. Polyethylene terephthalates may leach carcinogens.
PET plastic is recyclable and about 25% of PET bottles are recycled. The plastic is crushed and then shredded into small flakes. Which are then reprocessed to make new PET bottles, or spun into polyester fiber. This recycled fiber is used to make textiles such as fleece garments, carpets, stuffing for pillows and life jackets, and similar products.
NB! Products made of #1 (PET) plastic should be recycled but not reused.
#2 – HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
HDPE plastic is the stiff plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent and oil bottles, toys, and some plastic bags. You can tell a difference easily if compared to PET. Luckily this is the most commonly recycled plastic and is considered one of the safest forms of plastic. It is a relatively simple and cost-effective process to recycle HDPE plastic for secondary use.
HDPE plastic is very hard-wearing and does not break down under exposure to sunlight or extremes of heating or freezing. For this reason, HDPE is used to make picnic tables, waste bins, park benches, bed liners for trucks and other products which require durability and weather-resistance.
NB! Products made of HDPE are reusable and recyclable.
#3 – PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
PVC is a soft, flexible plastic used to make clear plastic food wrapping, cooking oil bottles, teething rings, children’s and pets’ toys, and blister packaging for myriad consumer products. It is commonly used as the sheathing material for computer cables, plastic pipes and parts for plumbing. Because PVC is relatively impervious to sunlight and weather, it is used to make window frames, garden hoses, arbors, raised beds and trellises.
PVC is dubbed the “poison plastic” because it contains numerous toxins which it can leach throughout its entire life cycle.
Products made using PVC plastic are not recyclable.
#4 – LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
LDPE is often found in shrink wraps, dry cleaner garment bags, squeezable bottles, and the type of plastic bags used to package bread. The plastic grocery bags used in most stores today are made using LDPE plastic. Some clothing and furniture also use this type of plastic.
LDPE is considered less toxic than other plastics, and relatively safe for use. It is not commonly recycled. However, although this is changing in many communities today as more plastic recycling programs gear up to handle this material. When recycled, LDPE plastic is used for plastic lumber, landscaping boards, garbage can liners and floor tiles. Products made using recycled LDPE are not as hard or rigid as those made using recycled HDPE plastic.
Products made using LDPE plastic are reusable, but not always recyclable.
#5 – PP (Polypropylene)
Polypropylene plastic is tough and lightweight and has excellent heat-resistance qualities. It serves as a barrier against moisture, grease, and chemicals. When you try to open the thin plastic liner in a cereal box, it is polypropylene. This keeps your cereal dry and fresh. PP is also commonly used for disposable diapers, plastic bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato chip bags, straws, packing tape and rope.
Polypropylene is recyclable through some curbside recycling programs. But only about 3% of PP products are currently being recycled in the US, for example. Recycled PP is used to make landscaping border stripping, battery cases, brooms, bins, and trays. However, #5 plastic is today becoming more accepted by recyclers.
PP is considered safe for reuse, but not always recyclable.
#6 – PS (Polystyrene)
Polystyrene is an inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with a wide variety of uses. It is most often used to make disposable styrofoam drinking cups, take-out “clamshell” food containers, egg cartons, plastic picnic cutlery, foam packaging and those ubiquitous “peanut” foam chips used to fill shipping boxes to protect the contents. Polystyrene is also widely used to make rigid foam insulation and underlay sheeting for laminate flooring used in home construction.
Because polystyrene is structurally weak and ultra-lightweight, it breaks up easily and is dispersed readily throughout the natural environment. Beaches all over the world have bits of polystyrene lapping at the shores, and an untold number of marine species have ingested this plastic with immeasurable consequences to their health.
Polystyrene may leach styrene, a possible human carcinogen, into food products (especially when heated in a microwave). Chemicals present in polystyrene have been linked with human health and reproductive system dysfunction.
Recycling is not widely available for polystyrene products. While the technology for recycling polystyrene is available, the market for recycling is small. Awareness among consumers has grown, however, and polystyrene is being reused more often.
NB!! Polystyrene should be avoided where possible.
#7 – Other (BPA, Polycarbonate, and LEXAN)
The #7 category was designed as a catch-all for polycarbonate (PC) and “other” plastics. So reuse and recycling protocols are not standardized within this category. Primary concern with #7 plastics, however, is the potential for chemical leaching into food or drink products packaged in polycarbonate containers made using BPA (Bisphenol A). BPA is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor.
Number 7 plastics are used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, water cooler bottles, and car parts. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters “PC” by the recycling label #7. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as ‘non-leaching’ for minimizing plastic taste or odor. However, there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids.
A new generation of compostable plastics, made from bio-based polymers like corn starch, is being developed to replace polycarbonates. These are also included in category #7, which can be confusing to the consumer. These compostable plastics have the initials “PLA” on the bottom near the recycling symbol. Some may also say “Compostable.”
NB! #7 plastics are not for reuse unless they have the PLA compostable coding. When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children’s food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. PLA coded plastics should be thrown in the compost and not the recycle bin since PLA compostable plastics are not recyclable.
Do so with other plastic items that have found their way to your home.
Are your eyes open now?
Okay this is something, isn’t it? Why nobody told us this truth about plastic numbers earlier, right? And all these plastic names are really complicated. I found it easier to remember the number and whether they can be recycled and are they safe to reuse.
After obtaining this information I went to our kitchen and I looked through the few plastic items we had looking for plastic numbers. I found two plastic bowls, which we got for free from somebody. For some reason, I have always disliked them. So, they are good to go now and find another use as a flowerbed or collecting green waste. The other few containers we had were all number 5 PP i.e. Polypropylene.
Let’s wrap the plastic up: which recycling numbers to avoid and which are “safest”
You probably agree after reading this post that it’s really best to avoid using all plastics if you’re able. But at the very least:
- Avoid recycling symbols 3, 6, and 7. While Number 1 is considered safe, it is also best to avoid this plastic.
- Look for symbols 2, 4, and 5, as these plastics are considered to be safest. These are the plastics to look for in terms of human and animal consumption.
Recommendations to keep in mind while buying plastic:
- Look for the numbers of safer plastic: 2, 4, 5 and 1. Avoid codes 3, 6, 7.
- Code 1 plastics are the easiest and most common plastics to recycle) and Code 7 – the most difficult to recycle.
- Avoid heating any grade plastic, not even in the microwave.
- PET is widely used for plastic bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks. These bottles are meant for single use only and then recycled.
- Avoid using disposable food containers e.g cups and plates. They are made up of Polystyrene or Styrofoam. When heated they may emit styrene to your food and drinks, which can damage your nervous system and is carcinogenic.
- Look for plastics labeled “BPA- free”.
- Opt for substitutes of plastics e.g glassware, jute or paper bags, metal containers.
- Always recycle or throw away containers once they start to crack or break.
- Don’t use the containers which are used to deliver food or carry food after a single-use.
Unfortunately, plastics will be used. But you can certainly limit your use of the product. Hopefully, this post shed some light on this crazy material, which seems to surround us everywhere.
Most of the information in this article is coming from a true eye-opener article by Earth Easy.
If you are not familiar with the term curbside recycling, please CLICK HERE to find out more.
*Pictured are different plastic containers we found in our household after we were informed about the real truth about plastic numbers. All these were harmful to health. So we discarded them. There is a number of similar trays we use to arrange things in the drawers and keep different containers tidy. Find a way to use the plastic you already have and avoid buying more.
Eating local food doesn’t matter – what you eat does!
If you want to be more environmentally friendly, then you should eat local food. We all know that, right? But how wrong we have been believing that!
I love the many ways of awakening. I read and learn and think that now I know something. Then some new information comes along and it opens my eyes. Again. Wider. I am so excited about the recent discovery of food. Sharing is caring, so let us tell you the latest news about local food.
Local food is good! Or is it?
I guess by now there is not a single person, who doesn’t know that eating local food is better for the environment. After all, we are more aware of what is happening in the world. Especially what is the situation in nature. The very precious thing we keep destroying because of our needs, wants, and habits. We all need to eat, we all want to enjoy the good food, right? Not thinking much of from where the food is traveling to our plates or how it is made.
Somebody once told that eating local food is better for the environment. We all have been believing it, preaching it and sharing our valuable knowledge. Guess what, we have all been wrong. New data is out and it is eye-opening:
Why we have been thinking that local food is better for the planet? Because when food is produced elsewhere and transported to where we are, it has been creating those nasty emissions. Logically thinking, the furthest the food is traveling from, the more destroying it is for our climate. Yes, transport does lead to emissions, but it is insignificant compared to the amounts that food production does. For most food products, transport accounts for less than 10%, and it’s much smaller for the largest GHG emitters.
It is important to state that not just transport, but all processes in the supply chain after the food left the farm – processing, transport, retail, and packaging – mostly account for a small share of emissions. (Look at the graph below)
Blame the food production instead
But many people may not be aware that food production is actually very exhausting for the planet. As a matter of fact, one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are created because of it. This is a frightening number, which definitely shines new light for our knowledge of planet conservation so far.
Different foods need different stages to be produced. Which means that each stage has its own emissions originate. Different stages are:
- Land use
- Farm
- Animal feed
- Processing
- Transport
- Retail
- Packaging
Depending on a food product the above-mentioned stages are bigger or smaller on creating GHG emissions.
The following graph shows you the data from the largest meta-analysis of global food systems to date, published in Science by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek (2018). In this study, the authors looked at data across more than 38,000 commercial farms in 119 countries.
What you are looking at is the total of GHG emissions per kilogram of food products. CO2 is the most important GHG, but not the only one. Food production in agriculture is a large source of greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. Think of cows eating constantly, their burps and also the constant pooing.
Transport does matter – when foods travel by air
How often you think of how far the food traveled to the store? I have been thinking of that when looking at goji berries or seeing those beautiful Instagram avocado photos. I tend not to consume food, which has traveled for long, if except cocoa powder. This is the main ingredient for our staple food – dark chocolate. If you looked at the graph above, then, unfortunately, we have contributed a lot to the GHG because of our eating habits.
Before reading the article, which inspired me to write this post, I also thought that a lot of food is transported by air. Luckily only very little food is air-freighted. It accounts for only 0.16% of food traveled in miles. This is great, but unfortunately, those few products which still need to be air-freighted, create high emissions.
To limit your carbon footprint, it should be advised to avoid the small share of foods that are air-freighted. It is very difficult to know, which have taken a plane to wherever you’re living. Especially if the labels are not giving enough information.
The key element to know is those foods tend to be highly perishable. This means they need to be eaten soon after they’ve been harvested. Transporting them by boat would take too long. That is why the perishables are most of the time air-freighted. For example asparagus, green beans and berries are common air-freighted goods.
Next time when buying foods, which seem had arrived from far-away. Look for a country of origin and then think of the freshness of the product. These help you to figure out a bit where the food is coming from.
Save the planet, become vegan!
Yes, we are back at it again – it is better for the planet to be vegan. Animal-based foods tend to have a higher footprint than plant-based. Quit that lamb and cheese-eating. Both emit more than 20 kg CO2-equivalents per kilogram. Poultry and pork have lower footprints but are still higher than most plant-based foods, at 6 and 7 kg CO2-equivalents, respectively.
The largest GHG emissions, for most foods, resulting from land use and the farm stage. The latter is responsible for applying fertilizers, organic and synthetic, and also enteric fermentation (the production of methane in the stomachs of cattle). If to combine these two, then land use and farm-stage emissions account for more than 80% of the footprint for most foods.
So what can you do to be more aware of your eating habits and food choices? As what you eat has a significant impact on our carbon “footprint”. If you want to reduce it, avoid air-freighted foods where you can. But more than this, you should focus on what you eat, rather than eating local. Eating no animal products while switching to plant-based alternatives will reduce your footprint by much more.
I survived! I wrote this article during the last hour of my 20 hours fast after almost two weeks. Wow! Thank you for making it to the end. Hug yourself and be smart while consuming food. Think about fasting, as well, as this will make you appreciate your food even more!
Every month is Veganuary
Now when the most important month for the environment and animals is over, continuous attention to Veganuary is much needed.
I had no idea for the longest time what Veganuary was. I had never participated in it in and so never recommended it. Now that I have been vegan for more than three years, I am more awake. I know that there is a need to spread the word. Not only in January.
What is Veganuary?
Veganuary is a UK non-profit organization founded in 2014. It seeks to bring awareness to a vegan lifestyle free of animal products every January. In a way, you can call it the vegan awareness month. The participants of this groundbreaking event have more than doubled every year since its start 6 years ago. Luckily, the idea of being a plant-based consumer for a whole month is getting more and more popular:
- The 2017 campaign had 50,000 participants signed up as of January 4.
- In 2018 170,000 people signed up, a 183% increase over 2017 numbers.
- The 2019 event signups were reported to be as many as 14,000 per day for a total of 250,000 signups from 193 countries.
- By January 5th, 2020 a record 350,000 people had registered to take part in Veganuary.
These numbers speak loud and clear that things are changing. And for the better. Hopefully. But it is quite disappointing that all the attention is for just one month. Why not every month? It is
Think of Veganuary every month
The extra awareness for veganism for the first month of the year is highly needed, but why not take an extra step and think of Veganuary every month. There are many positive effects of going vegan for more than one month, as it can promote better health for you and those around you, contribute to a better environmental state, and make the lives of animals better.
Being vegan is proven to promote good health and increase vitality, which makes you feel good. But perhaps more important to many of us is the well-being of dear ones around us. We can have our family and friends longer with us. Eating meat is not suitable for any of us, it is harmful to our health. Did you know that the length of our and all herbivores’ intestines is 27 times longer than the body? This is because breaking down cellulose in plant foods is a GINORMOUS job that requires ”untold billions of bacteria which do the breaking down for the herbivore.” Carnivores like lions, unlike rabbits and humans, have sharp teeth to shred meant and short powerful intestines to digest the flesh quickly. Imagine the meat you eat taking so long to travel through your long intestines? The bacteria aren’t meant to digest that! And it is not only meat that causes many health problems. It is also dairy.
Look at the simple graph below from the documentary. The two little dots on the left are data sections for the other two leading causes of deaths. The first is violence, wars, etc. and the middle describes accidental deaths. You can barely see those, because chronic disease kills annually 30 000 000 people in total, leaving them far behind.
Dairy
When drinking milk and using dairy products, we consume bodily liquids of a cow, who is lactating to feed its baby. Unfortunately, after her calf is born, they will lose their mother and their rightful nutrition, which goes to humans. The female cow becomes just a milking machine, not for her calves, but for humans. The male calves will be killed and sold as veal, as they are no use for the dairy industry. Female calves are raised for the same reason as their mothers – to produce milk for humans. Contrary to popular propaganda, drinking milk does no good for the body. Dairy companies had bought the scientist for the longest time, to fool us all to believe that milk gives you good bones and lots of protein. It doesn’t really work like that. As those nations that consume the most cow’s milk and other dairy products have the highest rates of osteoporosis and hip fracture.
Environment
Raising animals, producing products out of them, etc. is very exhausting for our planet. Cow cattle need lots of space, lots of water and lots of feed. And even more water is needed when the flesh of animals is processed for human taste buds. Oftentimes, the country where the cattle are raised does not have enough feed. So then it has to be transported from another country. More forests are cut down to grow more food for animals. It is all adding to the high greenhouse gas emissions.
We have a water crisis. Though it may seem that we have lots of oceans and water should not be a problem, but only a little part of the water is good for human consumption. Animal agriculture is destroying this water and also the oceans– home of sea life.
There are dead zones in the oceans. This is due to the massive amounts of nitrogen put into the oceans and coral reefs dying for the same reason. Animal agriculture is the main reason for global warming as well. One of three fish caught from the ocean is fed to the animal raised in agriculture. Hence overfishing is causing problems for us. As it really puts our future at stake as well.
Animals
Animals are living in cramped conditions. They can’t enjoy their lives to the fullest: run around, gaze and grow up with their loving parent. Males in animal agriculture, are killed including calves and chicks. Females are raised in bad conditions – to be slaves for human needs.
No death is humane. There is no happy meat or happy eggs. Free-range eggs are just a myth, to make us feel better. Not a single egg manufacturer can provide the needed space for hen’s normal well-being. This is not financially possible for them.
We abuse animals in so many fields. Not only for food but for pleasure too (zoo, circus, entertainment) as well. Not to forget fashion – for our shoes, bags, belts, and jackets, animals ‘have’ to die. But animals are individuals – they have feelings, needs and they also know what pain is.
If you are a pet owner, consider the fact that you are not eating your pets. So why should you eat other animals then altogether?
So….every month is Veganuary, right?
It is very difficult not to think of every month as a Veganuary after watching “Let us be Heroes – The True Cost of our Food Choices (2018)“. Though, as a vegan I have seen a fair amount of such documentaries, they still have an immense effect on me because the message is always so simple, but yet so powerful:
go vegan
for your health,
the planet,
the animals!
These are enough reasons to put the needs of your tastebuds aside and start making changes in your life, which would not harm animals or our home – planet Earth as we all need to manage and dwell happily here. Yet, animal agriculture, in other words, the majority’s eating and lifestyle habits, are straining the world and, we are at the edge of a catastrophe. It is here actually, no matter if you feel it in your corner of the world or not.
Take steps and stop eating animal products, as that way you also contribute to a better today and better future. Spread the word and make a change!
Why love your soap bar?
Should you grab that soap bar? Yes, definitely, if you want to save money and eliminate plastic in your bathroom! Don’t worry about the germs!
Trying to use less plastic may be quite an adventure in the beginning. Especially when you haven’t done any research and just come up with your own stuff, as in our case. Soap is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a bathroom. Also perhaps the first thing to cross your mind, when you enter your completely empty washroom. Soap bar can become really handy first not just washing your hands, but also to do some quick laundry if needed.
Skip the plastic package
Bar soaps, used to be on sale without packaging, then came paper and then plastic. Now we are going hopefully, back the same way: we should skip the plastic and then look soaps in a cardboard box. Or even better without any packaging.
Soaps without packaging are common in health or really rustic hardware stores, which have a section for all kinds of cleaning products. Those products are not only environmentally friendlier, but they are always very cost-effective. Bar soap lasts for a long time. Way longer than its partner in a liquid form in a plastic container.
We used our first bar soap daily for washing our hands, up in six months. Do the math, with one soap you a family of two can use it for a whole year!
The downside of bar soap or is there one really?
The one thing about soap, what people have said is not so fun, is that it tends to dry the hands. I have to disagree, as I do not get dry hands at home. I get dry hands when I am traveling and washing hands at the airports. The soaps used there are liquid and come in dispensers with a pump. Even the foamy ones are really drying.
When I started using bar soap, I was really worried about the fact, that I will get dry hands. But I worried without a reason. Just to be sure and to take care of our guests, we have a little jar of coconut oil in our bathroom. We are using this for our hands and body after taking a shower. I am sure we will talk more about coconut oil in the future, but I just want to write it down now, that coconut oil is not suggested to use on your face. As it has a more delicate and different pore system, which doesn’t respond so well to very oily coconut oil.
While showering, we use, yes, you guessed it right, luxury body soap, a birthday gift that came in as a set of three in a cardboard box wrapped separately in a thin handicraft paper. Just a little remark, keep your soap on a higher shelf near the shower or on the other side of the bathtub. The more water it gets, the faster the soap will disappear and the softer it will turn. Have a good soap holder to avoid problems. Or even better, make your own.
Are bar soaps dirty?
There is a false understanding circulating around that bar soaps are dirty, as they are publicly used as door handles, counters, taps, but studies that prove that it’s the other way around. The bar soap gets some bacteria from each user, then it gets washed off by a next user, as well, drying the soap seems to eliminate the bacteria. What is known is that soap doesn’t store bacteria after each use by different people.
Soap bars are perfectly safe, better for the environment and easy on your wallet, just go ahead and soap away! Even in public spaces.
What to know about a shampoo (bar)?
Nature lovers headache: who would have known that a transfer from your everyday shampoo to an all-organic shampoo bar can be such a hassle?
I must admit that honestly for the longest time, I really didn’t give much thought about what I was washing my hair with. If it was in a container, it promised many good things and it was meant for hair, I was okay using it! I mean, how wrong can one go with a shampoo anyway. Right? Shampoo bar-say what?
By now I have found the hard truth on my own and it is not pretty. Transitioning from consumer products to all-natural products may be a bit complicated. The new items may not give the wished results. It may even give worse!!
Let me share my painful path from using any shampoo to an all-natural shampoo bar.
Why did I decide to start using a shampoo bar?
Since the late spring of 2018, we have been trying not to bring plastic home. Though we were really committed to not buying plastic, we oftentimes still did. Mostly when buying groceries. Also, we weren’t really committed to the whole idea, ass we were thinking like a usual Aldi, Lidl, or any grocery store user. If it was not there to grab plastic-free, then it probably doesn’t exist.
We agreed to use up what we already had in plastic containers and plastic packaging. And then make a change gradually, when we run out of different items. It took us some time to get to change our plastic toothbrushes to bamboo ones. We just recently made the switch to a toothpowder, as we used up our last tube of organic toothpaste that we cheaply stocked up on when leaving Bulgaria in the summer of 2017. Unfortunately, we are still using plastic razors, given to us by friends, so…anyways, back to shampoo containers.
My first shampoo bar – let the…misery begin!
When the last non-fuzz shampoo bottle was finished, I asked for a shampoo bar as a present for my birthday. I was so excited, as I knew the bar will come in a tin box. Or at least in a cardboard box. Well, it didn’t! It came in a little plastic bag. Oh, well. At least I tried. I wish this could have been the least of my worries with this new shampoo bar!
I took my new bar out of the package (less plastic packing than an average shampoo container) and it really felt like something special. The bar consists of wheat proteins and yellow clay. I loved its shape and size – a perfect fit for my hand and easy to apply. It lathered very well and smelled fresh, not like the average shampoo. I was happy and satisfied when drying my hair.
After a few hours of drying, I felt that my hair felt dirty. It didn’t feel anything like before washing – it felt worse! I thought okay, this is my own fault, as I thought I didn’t rinse my hair properly. I have had this issue before in my younger years – too eager to get out of the shower. My hair is really thick and long, so probably I need more care when rinsing.
When my hair was completely dry, it all looked clean and felt nice. Except for the area near my neck, the nape, which seemed to have quite a big section of smelly sebum infused clumps of hair. Since most of the time I keep my hair in a ponytail anyway, it wasn’t a big problem for me to chew through.
Here we go again!
After a week (I wash my hair once a week), it was time to wash my hair again. I washed as before and rinsed. More thoroughly this time. No luck – still the same results as before! I continued like this for almost two months. Putting so much effort each time to rinsing thoroughly. I divided my hair into different parts to concentrate more on each section.
I forgot to research the hair washing problems with a shampoo bar before washing my hair. So I kind of got used to this. And also hoping that different times would give me different results. I also believed that this was some kind of transition period anyway. I started thinking that perhaps this particular bar is not meant for my hair type.
On one fine day, I remembered to research the problem. When I found out, what was the cause of it – I was blown away. This is a common issue and it takes just a few easy steps to solve this disaster. Thanks to Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve, it all made complete sense! I made the following discovery:
Commercial liquid shampoos and conditioners often contain synthetic silicones and silica that coat your hair, to make it “feel” nice, but leave a residue in your hair. Styling products and your own natural sweat and oil production can add to residue build up.
The detergent shampoos with loads of SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) are very good at stripping EVERYTHING (even those natural oils we want) and ridding your hair of residue.
Clarifying your hair is a way to remove the build-up some products leave on your hair which can make your hair dull and lifeless. Regular household baking soda (Sodium Bicarbonate aka Baking soda) is an easy clarifier to use.
Source: CVSAS
Baking soda to the rescue – once again!
My hair was emitting all the crap that I had been using for years. Once I realized this – it gave me back my hope! I didn’t blame myself anymore on the fact that I didn’t know how to wash my hair. Nor did I blame the soap. There were now solutions to try and I was ready to change the situation.
Hard water and/or residue from previous products can cause shampoo bar adjustment problems. To tackle both of these problems, baking soda rinse can make miracles.
My recommended rescue regimen for the first month, when transitioning to a bar shampoo:
- Make a simple baking soda clarifying hair rinse using:
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 – 2 cups warm water
- Make your hair wet under the shower and then add the above-mentioned rinse.
- Wash your hair with your shampoo bar – just circling the hair edges on the scalp and scattering the lather all over the head.
- Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on your fingers and massage it on the scalp. Do it in several areas of your head.
- Rinse your hair thoroughly and dry.
- Spray some ACV-water (3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar and a half cup of water) mixture on damp my hair.
After a month I stopped doing everything else, I just continued using a bit of baking soda on my fingers and my scalp, while washing. I haven’t had any problems since. But I haven’t dared to stop using baking soda while washing altogether, as the experience was too painful to go through again.
Share your experiences and tips in the comments, please!
Some valuable links to help your transition to a shampoo bar smoother:
- What is an Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse and when to use it – Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
- How to wash your hair the best using shampoo bar – hair washing techniques
and
Mattress odors “be gone” with these simple steps
We are happy owners of the old new bed. But there is a slight issue of odors, we have to tackle before our sleep can be safe and sound.
After the cleaning of our new old mattress, it’s time to tackle the odors problem. As previously mentioned, it came from a smoker’s household which means it had a nasty stench of smoke. Sounds quite nasty and I can imagine you all squinting while reading these lines, but rest assured the mattress came with a mattress protector and a full-on zip cover, which we took off and all we saw was an old-school foam mattress of an IKEA bed.
Was it that bad?
The cover was stained, and the odors of smoke were strong. Neither of us can stand the smell of smoke, so naturally, we oppose smoking. By now, you can imagine how little we wanted this addition in our clean and tidy household.
I ripped off the covers of the mattress and squeezed it all into the bathtub (thank god for having one!). I used the hottest tap water to clean the preliminary filth off. I got most of the surface dirt out after soaking it for half an hour. Then I put the mattress cover and the protector to the washer and washed it at the highest temperature to clean it as much as possible.
While the covers were in a washing machine, I started wrestling with the 2-meter long mattress on our balcony. Before that, I did thorough research on how to get cigarette smell out of the mattress. Unfortunately, there is not much information out there. The wisdom I obtained from the few sources proved the be trustworthy and will become a good help.
Simple steps, for a clean and fresh smelling mattress:
- Use a vacuum on a low suction setting. Vacuum the mattress with the vacuum’s upholstery attachment to remove any dirt and dust, which are in the cover. If you have a traditional mattress, remove the cover and do the same covering both sides.
- If you notice vacuuming doesn’t give results, then try the old-school tapping the mattress with a carpet flapper.
- Using a spray bottle fill it with equal amounts of water and distilled white vinegar. Lightly spray the surface of the mattress. Apply enough of the solution to dampen the upholstery but not to saturate it. The same goes for the plain foam mattress.
- Allow the mattress to air-dry. Flip it over and spray the other side similarly. Allow it to air-dry.
- Cover the mattress in a thin coat of baking soda. Let it sit overnight and soak up the odors. Vacuum the baking soda off the mattress in the morning.
- Flip the mattress and cover the other side with baking soda. Let it sit overnight. Vacuum it off in the morning.
- If possible take your mattress on the tarp out for the day, letting it absorb the direct sunlight. Bring the mattress indoors overnight, then expose the other side to the sun the following day or keep it in a balcony, as what I did. We had quite warm nights and no rain, so luck was on our side!
Keep going, a full night’s rest will be your reward!
I repeated points 2, 3 and 7 over and over to make sure that the smoke stench had disappeared. I was really surprised about the vinegar-water solution, which really made the whole situation hopeful for me and indeed provided us a clean-smelling mattress.
When the mattress cover and the mattress protector were all nicely wind-dried on the clothesline I put them back on the mattress. Finally, I sprinkled some lavender essential oil on them to add a nice and relaxing fragrance of our favorite plant.
Ah, the smell of success!
In all, it took me a week to get the mattress to the frame of the bed, so we could enjoy our 10€ salvaged bed. I can tell that those 15 minutes I spent every day working on the mattress was completely worth it. Good luck working on yours. If you come across any new tips, please be kind and share them below in the comments.
You may profit from reading this article on how to get odors out of your mattress.
*UPDATE – I have successfully cleaned the vintage shoulder bag inner lining, which smelled like mold and old things, but the vinegar-water solution really did the game again.
Give promises that matter and keep them!
It is the beginning of the new year – time to give yourself some promises and keep them! Think of yourself, but also of the world around you.
I guess hiatuses are sometimes needed. Taking a break from online life is a must for everybody. But know that we weren’t resting, just working harder and more intensively on another project. Stay tuned to find out more about it. Thank you for coming back to read our Can’t Human Properly thoughts – ideas far from average and wish to contribute as much as we can to the well-being of this Earth, which will be hopefully our home for another 50 years. Join us by giving promises to yourself and this wonderful planet we all call home!
Promises to yourself
Though January is half-way down, there is still enough time to write down your promises for the year. Since you as a person matters the most, it is wise to start from yourself. Think first of how you felt last year, about your health, relationships, goals, etc. Were you healthy and active? or should you make some changes in your eating habits? Did you have enough time for your hobbies? Did you start a project, which would benefit other people?
Get moving!
Working-out may be the answer to your low health state. Do not think of joining a gym, as this way, you just contribute to the never-ending consumerism and capitalism. Instead, save your money, log online and find a beginner’s exercise package through an app instance. Set two days and get into work-out gear. Though the beginning is tough, the good feeling will kick in soon and you start loving working out.
If working-out is really not your thing, then make a goal of 10 000 steps daily. It makes you feel better, even without sweating at the gym. If walking aimlessly is not your thing, then download an e-book and listen to it, while walking to meet your partner or going to do grocery shopping.
Eat food that matters
How about food? Do you like what you eat? Do you know where your food comes from or how it is made? If there are plenty of no’s as answers, then it is the time to stop and think. Perhaps you realize that ready-made, overly salty and sugary meals are not good for your health. Also, foods that take a long way to travel to your table do not contribute to the well-being of your local farmers. Check online for your local farmer’s markets or if there is nothing around, start learning more about what you can do to change this situation.
January is known also as a Veganuary. It is your chance to try not to eat meat and dairy. Why should you want to do that? Animal farming is known as one of the most devastating industries for Mother Earth. It is extremely strenuous for the environment, needs many resources and hence has a very big ecological footstep. Animal products are not needed and we can survive without consuming their bodily fluids, skin, and meat. There are plenty of plant-based options for every taste and craving out there. And if Meat Loaf can do it, so can you!
We will take the Liberation Pledge and be more dedicated and environmentally friendly vegans.
Do more for yourself
There are plenty of things you should have time for, as they help and make you feel good:
- reading
- sleeping in
- breakfast in bed
- going to the movies
- walk a nature path
- inviting friends over for a potluck
- decluttering – fewer things, fewer worries
- listening to music, I mean, really listen to music
- cleaning out your fridge and discover food you can eat!
- start a project you feel strongly about, which would help some special group of people or tackle an important issue
- etc., etc., etc. Insert what makes you happy here and share it in the comments!
Perhaps you have a personal project or goal you neglected last year, this is your chance to tackle it with fresh energy. Personally, I will try to update my photography website and make it modern. It is a big cross I have dragged along with me for the longest time. I also want to hone my skills in architecture photography, which I have always found very interesting. In addition, I want to scribble down more of my thoughts, who knows perhaps one day they will be put together for a book! Dreams, dreams, dreams.
Promises to your close ones
This one is easy: JUST SPEND MORE TIME WITH THEM!
Promises to Planet Earth
We here, at CHP appreciate nature a lot. We do not like consumerism and plastic and we love animals and saving food. So it is not difficult to guess what we are going to offer you, as something you can do in 2020 to make life better. Not just for yourself, but also for people around you and the environment.
We are going to follow this little list below. And we are offering you to try at least some of the things yourself, whether it’s for a few weeks, a month or even for a year. As long as you feel comfortable:
- fasting
- no buying
- saving food
- trying not to eat out
- not buying items in plastic
- not eating sugar and gluten
Conclusion
I guess there are always things we want to improve, start or continue what we like. But dedication is what we lack. Make sure you do not overcrowd your goal list and concentrate on up to 10 items.
You should come back to your goal list every month and see how you are doing. This is how you are not going to neglect them and actually work towards completing them!
Make sure to share your list, if it is not personal, also with your close ones, to inspire them to take steps to make their lives better too. And also to preserve the world around us.
First steps on shopping plastic-free
A year ago we decided to cut down bringing plastic into our home. Following is the result of our first time trying plastic-free shopping. Our future is bright!
June 2018 thoughts
Those who have read our earlier posts know that we are on the path of consuming less, saving more, putting our minds and home into a minimalism mode and trying to survive without a fridge and buying less plastic. We can manage with most of the above-mentioned things just fine. Now we have to tackle the plastic matter. Is it possible to shop plastic-free?
Little (plastic-free) steps do matter
So far the first month has passed quite nicely for us. As we were able to save food from going to waste. Eve rescued it from the work canteen. So we were able to save more money and put it into our savings. Eve’s posts should give you a better overview of this subject. We haven’t been buying a lot. As all the little things we need, we already have. And if we have run out of something, then we are always looking to buy it in a glass, tin can or some other form, except in plastic.
Since it is the end of the month, it means we are ought to cook a complete new vegan meal we always have wanted to cook. This is part of celebrating our wedding date every month. I guess you need some kind of traditions in your family. And we are proud that we can join our forces on something we both love equally, maybe Eve a bit more than me – food!
Let’s investigate the (plastic-free?) haul
Let’s talk about the photo below, our haul for the anniversary cooking. Most things on the picture we bought for the two-course meal: oven-baked nachos and American style strawberry cake. As you can see most is in glass or in tin jars. (There will be a post soon talking about the difference between a can and a can) BUT of course, there are few BUT’s: starting from the left, vitamin B and Magnesium drink tablets, lemon extract, margarine, toothbrushes, glass noodles, nachos and strawberries in a plastic container. The potatoes are in a recyclable green bag.*
What we failed at?
The toothbrushes – we desperately needed them (I know, what a lousy excuse!). But we could have waited a day and get a bamboo one from some other store.
Vitamin drinks, as we are deficient on B12 and Mg, and had no medicine by hand.
Lemon extract, well not sure why did we buy it maybe thinking of using it for a long time. Definitely not to be bought in the future in such form.
Margarine was a must for the cake and since there are not really many vegan options available in the first place, let’s not even go to plastic-free options here…perhaps in the near future.
Glass noodles are our favorites and we have really grown on them. But if consuming them means bringing all this plastic home, then I think we should change our habits than continue this flow of plastic.
Nachos, are there really plastic-free options?
Strawberries, after we bought them we thought they could have poured them all in the red plastic bag, what we had with us. So we could have saved three containers, but since we were on a long walk from the store with heavy bags, we realized when reaching home it all would have been a big mush.
This amount of plastic really made my heart hurt. It was the last time we did such a purchase. Next time we would have our own containers or bags with us not to take anything from the farmer.
So there you go, not bad at all, but many changes could still be done. Moral of the story:
prepare ahead of time, know your needs, do your research and bring your own containers or bags, when shopping for produce.
November 2019 plastic-free update
As time has passed, we have become more environmentally aware, conscious of our actions and adjusted our needs. Also, we have found alternatives for products coming in plastic containers in different stores.
Let’s see what has changed 1,5 year later:
*Vitamin B and Magnesium drink tablets – we no longer buy them. They come only in plastic and are not really healthy. We have liquid B12 we take from a glass jar.
*Lemon extract – this actually lasted for a while, as we finished it perhaps a month ago. But now we would never buy it. As real lemon is the real way to go!
*Margarine – it is a very processed product, so we have been avoiding it. We mostly use coconut oil now. Recently we found small cubes in the store, which come in paper.
*Toothbrushes – we have turned a long time ago to bamboo brushes.
*Glass noodles – we have stopped buying those. Have twice bought big bags of noodles to last us for long.
*Nachos – haven’t bought any since then!
*Strawberries – we have always put them in our own containers.
Stay tuned to read more about our current life, while aiming for zero-waste, plastic-free, and less consuming life.
November – no spend month!
Some call it Morevember, we call it no spend November! In other words, we decided not to spend any money, but the universe had other plans!
We like challenges and we always like to take new steps to help our Earth in crisis. Most of the food we get on these days is free. We try to avoid plastic packaging and supermarkets. Our means of transportation is public or bike. We swap our clothes instead of buying them. So it should be no surprise that we decided to call November a no spend a month.
Why did I spend on wafer i.e. failing on the first day
Well, after a long day I found myself starving and heading to a grocery store. I usually do not buy food from stores like that, but I was in a pickle and needed to grab something. My first pick would have been a banana. Love these and they come package-free. But unfortunately, they were really green, so this option was out.
Secondly, I was looking at a Stollen. I never had that, though I have purchased it as a present for the family for Christmas. I realized that it was actually vegan. Sure, I wanted it! But since it was wrapped in a plastic wrapping and deeply covered in powdered sugar, I decided to pass. I couldn’t imagine myself biting into it and walking in the streets while carrying heavy bags. Then I saw the package of four wafers, similar to the world-famous Austrian Manner wafer, packed in an alu foil. It seems that this is a bit better material than just plain clear plastic. The price was wonderful at 0.99 cents. So this was the first purchase we did on the 1st day of no spend November.
Money is spent, but for the others
The failure on the first days was made up nicely, as we didn’t buy anything for ourselves for weeks. Money was still spent, as we entertained a few times and needed some groceries bought. If we wouldn’t have had anybody coming over, we wouldn’t have bought those items. I am not going to list them, as they were a whipped cream for a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie we baked, some potatoes, bok choy, etc.
Groceries for others: 15,22 €
Most of the money we spent on others was due to approaching the Christmas holidays. Since it will be for some time the last Christmas we are going to spend with family, we wanted to pamper then this time. Then again, if you look at the number below it is not much. But it is not final, some items have to be added.
Presents for others: 138,20 €
We are not materialistic people and we do not put so much value on the fancy stuff people usually are. Like no iPhone gadgets will be gifted or some brand names bought. We had names drawn and so we each make presents based on the list of that person had written down. We will add come little items, we know they want for sure.
What we spend on ourselves
The total of money spend, except the tickets we had to buy to commute to work, was 16,95 €.
Items bought:
- 0,99 wafer 1.11 – kind of necessary
- 2,79 Veganz cookies 18.11 – unnecessary
- 1,99 vegan ice cream for the date night 26.11 – kind of necessary
- 2,40 € sweets to share with our friend, when she was visiting 29.11 – not really needed
- 2,49 € toilet paper 30.11 – ran out, could have used the extra free tissue we had obtained…
- 6,29 € surprise present for Eve – I could have waited for December to buy it, so unnecessary
Eating out: 21 €
10 € for a shared vegan meal combo, while meeting a friend
11 € on Black Friday, when we were out with friends and got some little things for family, we both had burrito bowls.
Conclusion
As you can see we didn’t manage to avoid not spending any money. 16,95 € is not a whole lot of money shared between two people but could have definitely avoided. We just gave in to our needs. Sugar craving crept in. This is another subject we will try to manage after the holidays. Eating out twice during the holiday season wasn’t that bad as well. It probably will happen again.
We will definitely try to spend no money in 30 days again. It was fun and it was refreshing. Most of all I liked the idea of not going to any stores and not needing anything. Hopefully, we can try this again in January, as we have still lots of food at home, which we can make many meals out of. This will also inspire saving food from canteen and food sharing. This would be the main place to get out fruits and vegetables.
That leaves us just the toilet paper issue…