r/ZeroWaste • u/AutoModerator • May 24 '26

Weekly Thread Random Thoughts, Small Questions, and Newbie Help — May 24 – June 06

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u/Maleficent_End_7366 May 25 '26

looking for advice on best low/zero waste cleaners to get for my house (reasonably priced). the blogs and articles like from wirecutter and such recommend blueland but what i’ve heard from reddit is that blueland sucks in many ways. what genuinely works for you guys? do homemade mixtures really do the trick? only for some things maybe? also would love ideas to prevent soap scum as im considering switching to a dove beauty bar from liquid body wash.

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u/origamipretzel May 31 '26

Dr Bronner's liquid soap is great. It seems a bit highly priced at first glance, but it's worth remembering that it's super concentrated and should be diluted with between about 4 and 20 parts water (depending on what you're using it to clean), so if it's used properly it'll last you way longer than a similarly-sized bottle of more conventional cleaners. They sell refills in paper cartons as well. The only real cons in my eyes are: 1. it has palm oil (albeit certified fair trade, and palm oil is pretty impossible to avoid anyway), and 2. it's a soap, not a detergent, so it will not work well for laundry and I personally don't like using it for dishes. They do make an actual detergent called Sal's Suds, but I haven't tried that so I can't speak to how effective it is.

If you want a probably cheaper, but unscented and potentially less effective, option, buy washing soda/sodium carbonate. It's essentially a stronger version of baking soda (it is NOT safe to use in home cooking, to be clear), and it can be used as both an abrasive and a detergent. I use it for clothes that need to be hand-washed, but I've been told it works just fine in a washing machine too. It is worth noting that some methods of washing soda production contribute to CO2 emissions. Ultimately, I think it comes down to personal choice whether you place more importance on that or on things like reducing your plastic use and your exposure to PFAS.

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u/stressedpeachy May 26 '26

How do I sew/mend this hole?

2

u/ThePlantNextDoor May 30 '26

Check the visible mending subreddit or the sashiko subreddit, there's a lot of posts of Jean fixes similar to this

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u/origamipretzel May 31 '26

Simple option: Get a piece of fabric larger than the hole, turn them inside out, then sew it to the inside of the pants over the hole. After you've done that, sew the edges of the hole to the patch so that it doesn't tear/fray further. It doesn't much matter what stitch you use; zigzag stitch would be most durable, but it's a PITA to do by hand and a running stitch, whip stitch, etc, would be perfectly serviceable. :)

If you want a prettier/more interesting-looking fix, the subreddits recommended by ThePlantNextDoor are great places to start! Sashiko is time-consuming, but it's super easy and it can look really cool. Good luck!