Dishes — Zero Waste — Trying to Be a Zero

I originally started this blog back in September 2019 but I didn’t tell that many people. I had never done a blog so I was testing the waters, mainly of my time and abilities, but also of my level of comfort with sharing my own content. And…I didn’t end up having as much time to work on it as I had planned. But what I learned is that I enjoyed the process of doing the blog and I also enjoyed the process of the topic. So while I dropped the ball on creating more content, I didn’t actually stop trying to be a zero and I continued to make lifestyle changes even though I didn’t post them. In present day, April of 2020, during this strange and surreal time where most of us are under stay-at-home orders due to this COVID-19 pandemic, I have come back to this project. It feels like a good time. Not because I have more time while staying at home (I actually have less), but because this hibernation experience has stirred creativity, resourcefulness, conservation of resources, and community which feels very much aligned with Trying to Be a Zero. So I am going give this another go and kind of start over. I will first re-post previous entries and then share new ones once I have re-released all the old stuff. It also gives me time to catch up and create new content and hopefully get more on top of the game. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

Originally from September 1, 2019:
Why start now in September? Why not. But also of course. Since I was a forever-student, I tend to still think in academic years (September-May + Summer) and September always feels like a new beginning. I thought I would start with something very basic—something that I am assuming most of us do every day, sometimes multiple times a day—Washing The Dishes. Even those who have dishwashers, usually wash some things by hand. So, I present to you The No Tox Life Zero-waste Vegan Dish Washing Block™. It is the only bar dish soap I have tried and I’ve only been using it for a couple of weeks, but so far I am in love . I just rub my dish sponge/scrubber on it and get to washing. It suds up really nicely and does not dry my hands out. Now I don’t have to buy plastic container after container of liquid dish soap. I ordered 2 and would recommend ordering many (maybe with friends?) to reduce shipping frequency. I would love to find a place to buy this, or something like it, in-person. I’m not sure how long it will last and I didn’t do my research on this so it’s hard to know what the cost comparison might be to liquid dish soap. I will keep you posted on this and let you know further down the road. Or if you happen to know, please do tell. Thanks!

I did come across one instance so far where I felt like I needed liquid soap. I wanted to soak a bunch of small toys in a large pot of soapy water before I washed them. I ended up just rubbing the soap on my hands underwater in the pot, creating some suds. I also added some white vinegar for extra cleaning properties. Not sure if it did the job as well. It somehow felt lacking, but maybe that’s just because I wasn’t used to it. I know some of these changes will also be a matter of changing perspective and just getting used to something different. The toys seemed to turn out just fine—nice and clean.

*UPDATE: I still use it, I still love it, and I have upgraded to the huge size. I used 2 of the medium bars from September through the end of the year, so approximately 3 months. I started using the huge block at the beginning of January 2020 and I still have PLENTY left almost 3 months later. I suspect it will last quite awhile.*