Fabric Softener Alternative

Instead of using fabric softener, try adding a half-cup of white vinegar to the rinse water. Vinegar effectively removes traces of detergent, making the clothes softer, while preserving the absorbency of your bath towels. Commercial fabric softeners are full of chemicals, some of which are listed as toxic by the Environmental Protection Agency. Do yourself and the environment a favor and don't use them.

Good to the Last Drop

When times are tough, people find new and inventive ways to use up products they buy so that they are not wasting anything. For instance, adding water to the last bit of shampoo is not a new idea, but many people don't do it because they don't like the way it squirts out of the bottle when it's too diluted. What to do? Use these last drops to clean the shower enclosure, toilet, or vanity top. Or, take it down to the kitchen and run under the tap as you're filling the sink full of water to do dishes. Alternately, dilute some more, add a bit of white vinegar, and you've got a cheap disinfecting cleaner, already in a squirt bottle, to clean your counter tops!