What reusable/eco friendly thing is not appealing to you?

[Soubriquet]

I have reusable pads. I have silicone straws. I have reusable pouches for frozen food.

But I don’t think I could bring myself to use reusable toilet paper

Why do you need to clean the loo brush in a washing machine

You could soak it in bleach in holder?

Or vinegar. Bleach is really bad for the environment.

True

Mooncups and reusable nappies

mooncups and sanitary towels
electric cars (the local infrastructure just isn't good enough for charging where i live and i can't have a home charging point)
wooden cutlery with takeaway food

^^ as in reuseable/washable sanitary towels

where do you think your tap water comes from.......??

Poo and blood are two completely different things, poo is a waste product. Blood isn't. If you cut your hand you might put the cut in your mouth to stop the blood, no one does anything like that with poo.

That said I hate periods and I think they're gross but mooncups can stay in all day which actually means messing with your period a lot less.

Im
outbtge other side of needing them
now, but when I still had periods I did consider them, but towards the end.

I have an extended stomach & short arms, I felt it would be like a T Rex trying!! That was my only hesitation, other than that I think they're a great idea. Reduction in cramps, let alone for the environment!

Well yes, that's the point of them.

However, the point of NOT using them is that they're bad for the environment.

We survived for thousands of years without them, if people choose to use them, that's (currently) their choice but cloths work just as well, you just need to wash them.

The point of the thread is which reusable you can't bear to use.

I draw the line at reusable toilet 'paper' ie cloths to wipe your bum! No problem for a baby, but I'm not washing bum wipes from all the family. Just no.

Why on Earth would you pour it down the sink & not the toilet bowl???

Mine came with a long brush to clean them.

Nothing lurking if you wash them properly!!

We did try reusable baby wipes for a bit but I found they went rough quickly and were too rough for my newborns skin. We just use them as general rags now. We live in a very hard water area and I don’t have a tumble drier for eco reasons.

Reusable baby wipes were kept in a Tupperware box in camomile/water infusion (nearly called it tea but thinking of another current thread 😅) so were always soft and ready to use.

Oh dear god, I didn't even consider being given reusable straws to use in a cafe/restaurant/pub etc.

just NO NO NO. 🤮

@SeptimusWarrenSmith I only meant my own reusable straws not public use ones 🤮. I have enough trouble using cutlery eating out!

Well my sink is directly in front of the toilet, and my menstrual blood tends to be quite stringy so if I pour it down the toilet between my legs there's a chance it will be still attached like egg whites go and make a mess. In the sink I can carefully flush it out with the tap.

I have been slowly converted to many of the 'unappealing' things I couldn't see myself ever using. I don't like change!

However, I now prefer my mooncup and period pants to tampons and pantry liners. I use cloths in place of kitchen roll and wipes (agree with a PP that many expensive eco solutions are basically just cloths!) I even got into the habit of washing after using the loo to reduce paper waste after running very low on loo roll during the first lockdown! I got used to that really clean feeling and never went back. We were gifted some recycled plastic straws that slide in half for cleaning that are actually pretty great. I've recently been converted to electric cars after some initial skepticism, although I will continue to run my old but very economic car a bit longer before making the switch.

if I'd tried to change everything at once I would have been overwhelmed and hated everything. I think the key is lots of small changes and finding the right alternative for you.

I'm currently struggling to find an eco alternative to disposable dishwashing sponges (with the green backs). Tried coconut scourers, bamboo sponges and various brushes so far, but nothing has quite hit the mark). I would never say never though. The right alternative will be out there somewhere!

I don't mind the idea of reusable toilet paper at all but TBH I wouldn't want to deal with everyone else's poo - my own, and babies' is fine but any child over potty training age or DH - no thanks.

Reusable pads, mooncup fine. I don't understand period pants - I wouldn't want to wear the same pad for an entire day nor have to take my trousers off and put new pants on just to change my pad. I do like the idea of period swimwear, me as a teen would have loved that, although am baffled by how it works!

I thought I would love reusable nappies but in reality they are just bulky and annoying, and I wanted to just chuck them in with a normal wash which makes them smelly after a while.

Reusable straws just get disgusting food residue in them from the dishwasher. Reusable water bottles taste like plastic or dishwasher. I do not hand wash anything ever, for water I buy a disposable bottle of water and refill it until it breaks, gets lost or the water inside gets smelly because that means bacteria is growing in it. Then I buy another one and just hope that it's more eco-friendly to use it 20 or so times instead of once. Paper straws are OK but get soggy, which is irritating. I honestly am so annoyed that the hill somebody chose to die on was fucking plastic straws. There are so many other wastes of plastic I could live without before I would have wanted to give up straws.

For washing up my favourite thing is a microfibre cloth. I wash them in the washing machine. It means I can replace them every single time or even halfway through a washing up session without worrying about waste. I hate sponges, they never get clean and it makes me feel so weird.

I know microfibre isn't the best in terms of shedding microplastics - a cotton flannel or loose knitted dishcloth would likely work just as well (I already have the cloths so I think it's best to use things you already have rather than replacing). The best thing to assist with a scrubbing function is hot water IME - if washing by hand I tend to do a first rinse with hotter water than I can stand to touch and a long handled scrubbing brush.

Trying to think about items not mentioned yet, I have tried many many eco friendly deodorants in forms of rocks or sticks, for your underarms. I refused the idea of going back to conventional deodorants in spray or roll on for years. But I had to give up as I NEVER found one that works.
I also tried a number of natural body butters and lip balms (normally in tins or cardboard type of boxes). They are hard to spread, granular in texture and not particularly moisturizing to my skin or lips.
I have parked the idea of being greener with beauty. The only items I still use and actually prefer are reusable wipes to take my make up off (they were originally bought for my son when he was born, used successfully for many years and now repurposed).

Because I'm the sort of person who could & would make a monumental mess with any water spraying gadget.

I won't be using reusable 'toilet paper' either

Theyre fantastic. Saved so much money, so much less cramps (my medical brains can't explain that though!). Depending on your flow they can sometimes over pour on removal if you leave them in for say 13h I just stand over the loo so it doesn't matter, but I have horrifically heavy flow I used to use super tampons and pads simultaneously before changing every couple of hours. Now mooncup lasts 12 easily.

Never had leaks out and about, unlike when used to use pads and tampons at once. No TSS risk so can leave them in at the start and end of a week for longer unlike tampons. Genuinely can't feel them at all.

I tip the contents down the loo, run under the tap as the water makes it a bit sliperier to reinsert then get on with life (blood is meant to be amazing nutrients for rose bushes if that way inclined). At the end of the week i put in a sink of hot water and a baby bottle sterilising tablet for few hours then dry. It comes in a pouch when you buy it.

I bought mine at 18 still fine at 31. Best money I've spent it's saved me so so much money and the planet

No to:
Reusable loo paper
Reusable period pads

I can't get on board with bidets either, they look like they'll harbour germs from other people!

I'd like to switch to hard hair and beauty products but haven't found ones that work for me. I'm looking forward to reusable packaging becoming more common.

@WhackingPhoenix

You need a little mesh laundry bag to contain them!!

Period knickers, mooncups, cloth nappies