February 2018 Favorites

February 2018 FavoritesFebruary 2018 Favorites
1. Psssst, $7 / 2. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Countertop Spray, $4 / 3. Wool Dryer Balls, $10 /
4. Dryel At-Home Dry Cleaning Kit, $10 / 5. MetroVac DataVac Duster Blower, $60

February was not only a short month, but a busy one. I spent most of my time treading water and staying afloat; as a result, I didn’t spend much time rediscovering my collection or being surprised by anything. When I sat down to ponder it from a beauty perspective, I nearly re-wrote my January 2018 Favorites. So, all that said, my February 2018 Favorites are more lifestyle than beauty; I hope you’ll forgive the departure from being on-topic.

Refresh

When I use dry shampoo before bed, I don’t want to use a fragranced variety for several reasons. An old favorite brand, Psssst!, makes an unscented variety that fits the bill perfectly.

Deep Breaths

What good is a clean home if you either a) can’t breathe in it or are b) damaging your lungs in achieving it? Long before reports that using heavy cleaning sprays contributed to decreased lung function and COPD, I’ve been trying to use less-severe cleaning products in my home.

I’m not entirely weaned off of commercially-available consumer cleaning products (and I’m not sure I will ever completely eschew them; some situations just call for bleach, damn it), but I am making sensible swaps. I’m late to the party but I recently tried and REALLY like Mrs. Meyers’ Lemon Verbena multi-purpose spray. On the other hand, I’ve also been using Whip It! concentrate for a few years for about a dozen things. (Tip: Whip It! is cheapest when you buy it by the gallon at Bed Bath & Beyond with their 20% off coupons!)

Best part? Neither product make me want to ask my doctor for an inhaler.

Millennial Market Meddling

Continuing on the laundry topic…Wool dryer balls! That’s right: I’m contributing to the millennial-driven collapse of the dryer sheet industry. I’ve had them for about two years (even when we were still in laundromat hell) and man, I can’t believe dryer sheets had (and still have) so much of the laundry product market! They do a great job on everything I’ve thrown at them: blouses, jeans, towels, blankets; you name it. If you like the scent boost that dryer sheets gave you, you can add a few drops of an essential oil you like to the surface of the wool ball before use. Overall it is:

  • Less waste (throwing used dryer sheets away)
  • Less god-knows-what in terms of fragrance
  • No weird residue/goo basically melting off the sheet onto your clothing and into your dryer
  • Keeping your towels absorbent (yeah – if you’re wondering why your towels don’t seem as absorbent as they used to, check your fabric softener/dryer sheet usage)
  • CHEAPER

Since we saved and bought the washer and dryer, my hatred of laundry has been transformed. I could write a series on the topic at this point – is there any interest in that?

Refresh … Again

I used to avoid purchasing clothing that was dry clean only. As my career changed, that became a little harder to do. Most of my wardrobe is still washable, but I have collected a few dry clean items (that I like enough to keep). That said, dry cleaning is expensive and inconvenient. These Dryel kits are so much more cost effective and convenient – and effective to boot. I’ve saved a good chunk of money and time using them, both things I’m a fan of.

 

 

Put it On Blast

Anyone who has owned a blow dryer (this is what I’m using!) for a few years (or is a professional whose tools get a TON more use) has experienced the inevitable performance decline or demise. Then, you replace it and it works for a few years…and so on and so forth.

What if I told you you could prevent those things?

The most common cause of hair dryer demise is overheating due to poor airflow. That poor airflow is caused by a dirty filter! I use this small, powerful handheld blower to blast it free of debris. If you don’t have or don’t want something like this, a can of compressed air will do (but those are expensive for what they are). Voila, performance restored. Isn’t it funny to blow out a blow dryer?

The Bottom Line

I hope my February 2018 Favorites weren’t so far off topic as to be off-putting, and I hope what I shared that is off topic is practical enough to be useful info for you.

It’s so funny that we’ve moved towards this way of life where everything is disposable. Hair dryer not working? I’ll just buy a new one! For years, it didn’t even enter my mind to just try cleaning it out. I feel like I just ‘saved’ the money I would have spent on a replacement.

What were your February 2018 Favorites?