Conserving Toothpaste

[TheMarkofPolo]

Originally Posted by JasonG

My wife and I argue about this constantly.
She believes that "... They make it and know how much you need to use"

I wouldn't put so much trust in those manufacturers. They're there to make a profit. If you use too much toothpaste, you're going to need to buy more. Plus, a more recently used ingredient called stannous fluoride has the potential to stain teeth.

So, pea-sized baking soda toothpaste for me...

Good call about the credit card thing. I hadn't thought of that.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by JasonG

My wife and I argue about this constantly.
She believes that "you have to put a long ribbon on the brush, like the commercials/ad shows. They make it and know how much you need to use"

I've seen ads which show that aftershave should be poured on your hand in great amounts befored being applied. At that rate one bottle would last for 3-5 days if you have a small hand.

[SwamiSalami]

Totally ridiculous.

[sid]

Aftershave? What's that? I've never used aftershave in my entire life (I'm in my 50's).

I'm another one who can make a tube of toothpaste last a year (brushing three times a days, too), a can of shaving cream last two years, razor blades last six months, etc.

[Frank Lee]

Re: the long ribbon of toothpaste: yeah, of course the mfgs want people to think that's the right "dose"- just like whenever a man on tv/movies is depicted shaving- they always look like Santa with a full beard of shaving cream. I could shave about 20x with that much shaving cream, just like I could brush about 20x with a full ribbon of toothpaste, just like I could wash my hairs about 20x with the full heads of lather they show... well, I have hairs like this anyway:

[SwamiSalami]

This concept of less is more effects pretty much all areas of domestic life. Perhaps my favorite way to stretch is cotton balls (in spite of the fact that I don't use them at all now!!! I changed soaps, which rendered the same results sands cotton balls).

If you, your wife, partner, friend, or significant other uses cotton balls, tell them to rip them in half before using them. Theoretically, this should make them last 2x as long. The concept is that the center of the cotton ball goes virtually unused. Thus, when torn apart, the surface area, which is what is used, doubles!

Enjoy!

[Piwoslaw]

Here is something I just remembered: A few years ago one of the European authorities (European Commission?) noticed that laundry detergent has become awfully diluted - the amount of active ingredient was only a small percent of what was in the box, the rest was just a filler. The EC finally ruled that detergents should be concentrated, so that the packaging is smaller and people use smaller portions per load. I can't find any links to official documents, but I did find this:
The Great American Soap Overdose

[Peter7307]

Concentrated laundry detergents are virtually the normal thing here now and refill plastic pouches are the usual choice for every purchase after the first one.

Supermarkets like them since they take up less shelf space , consumers like them since there is less to carry to the car and find space for at home and the manufacturers like them as they can send more product in a given space to the supermarket.

This has been the case with liquid hand soaps for a long time already.

Less to recycle as well and now washing machine makers are getting the message and offering "vari cycle" programmes (programmes which determine how much water is needed rather than just filling a set volume) on the machines to help reduce water consumption which is a real concern in Australia.

Dishwashers are going the same way with some now holding the final rinse water from one cycle to use in the pre-rinse cycle on the next wash.

Peter.

[Frank Lee]

Concentrated is good- don't ship all that water around. But the end user hasn't quite "recalibrated". I've read (IIRC an appliance forum) that the most common failure for wash machines (don't know about dishwashers) is caused by too much soap. Just like the other things, huge piles of frothy bubbles are an indicator not of the right amount, but of too much soap.

[Silverbug]

Toothpaste:
-----------
baking soda
salt
glycerin
mint extract

Add 1 part salt to 6 parts baking soda. Drip glycerin in to form a paste, add a few drops of mint extract so it smells great until you dump all the salt in your mouth.

Works like a charm, my dentist accuses me of flossing 2-3 times a day when in reality it's 1-2 times every couple days. My teeth feel fuzzy now if I use commercial toothpaste.


Laundry Soap:
---------
1 bar of Fels Naptha (grated)
1 cup of Washing Soda
1 cup of Borax
2 quarts of hot water

Boise 2 quarts of water on stove, add Fels Naptha until fully dissolved. In a 2 gallon bucket, add washing soda and borax. Pour in liquid Fels Naptha and stir. Add cool water until bucket is nearly full, let it sit for a few hours in a cool location. Forms nearly 2 gallons of laundry soap (use a quarter cup per load) that is a nice smelling gel. Works on pretty much anything without issues, we wash a lot of linen, wool, and cotton in it, not so much silk.

I think the mindset that encourages good gas mileage behaviors also encourages frugality and efficiency in all aspects of life.