Reusables! Save money and help the environment.

Cut down on waste in your home with a (small) investment in reusable products.  You will be saving money in no time.  I got started on the reusable kick many years ago when we got dogs.  I love my pugs, but man do they shed!  The regular broom we had didn't pick up the dog hair.  So, we started using swiffer sheets, but that was so expensive.  I started using reusable swiffer style microfiber (washable!) dust mop heads.

These are some ways that Hasslefree house has gone reusable and green:

-Microfiber dust mop heads.  You can use these for dry or wet mopping.  I like to spray my favorite cleaner on my hard flooring and then mop over it.  This makes our wood floors look flawless, and it is so easy and dries very quickly!

  

My adorable shedding machine!

-wool dryer balls.  I am in love with these!  You keep them in the dryer and they fluff your clothes so that you don't have to use dryer sheets or fabric softener, which is a bonus for people like me who are sensitive to the fragrances found in those products.  You can buy commercially made dryer balls from places like Amazon, or you can buy homemade ones on eBay or Etsy (what I did), or you can make them yourself.  Here's a great website if you want directions on how to make your own.  I have seven dryer balls, but you could use less.  Just remember, the more dryer balls you use, the fluffy and softer your clothes will be.  Dryer balls are also great for people who use cloth diapers, because they won't leave a residue on the diapers, so the diapers won't lose their absorbency over time.

-Stop buying paper towels!  Microfiber cleaning rags are awesome for cleaning your house!  Use them for everything from cleaning mirrors to cleaning counters.  A tip:  you can often get them in bulk, cheaply in automotive sections of stores.  Also, you can buy or sew cloth napkins to use at meal times.

-if you don't mind the "ick" factor, you can use cloth diapers and handkerchiefs.  For handkerchiefs, I recommend linen.  It is light weight. But tightly woven so it is absorbent.


-Is there anything I'm forgetting?  Share your tips with the Hasslefree community by writing in the comments section.