We all want to save the planet, right? I hope that everyone cares enough about the human race to look at their own lives and say “What can I do to save the earth?” But it can seem depressing and daunting, especially if you’re on a budget. I’m a stay-at-home mom of two little kids and I’ve found that we can save the planet with these five hacks: they’re cheap, easy, and don’t take away from your quality of life. Plus check out my demo video at the end of the article to see the products in action!
Read on and let me know what ideas you have in the comments below! And thanks for supporting me through these affiliate links – let’s save the planet together, one hack at a time.
Dryer Balls
Dryer balls are the epitome of an environmental hack: it’s a one-time expense that requires absolutely no extra work on your part. They make it so easy to save the planet – and save some money, too! I found a set of six on Amazon for less than ten bucks and I’ve been quite happy with them.
A dryer ball has two functions: it agitates and fluffs the laundry to get the warm air in between clothes (instead of just around the outside of the big damp ball of fabric), and it also aims to help with wrinkles. The big goal here is to save you energy so that you don’t have to run your dryer for as long.
I can personally say that I’ve noticed a difference in how quickly my laundry dries, especially if I use a moisture sensing function on my dryer. The only time this difference isn’t particularly noticeable is if I’m drying a very large load – and it does get annoying when they get caught up in bedsheets, but again to me it’s still worth it.
The best part is that these dryer balls will last forever, and they can just sit in your dryer when not being used!
Cloth Wipes with Diapers
I originally bought cloth wipes as a replacement for diaper wipes – you know, the wet disposable wipes to clean your baby’s butt. I loved the idea of saving all of that trash (and expense), and knowing exactly what was on the product.
While you can read all about my experience with cloth diaper wipes here, know that it was something I had to get used to. With cloth wipes and cloth diapers, you just throw everything in the wet bag to wash together; I did, however, have to find a liquid solution that I liked. The first one I made started to mildew pretty quick, and ain’t no one got time for that!
I get my cloth wipes from Mama Bear Baby Wear on Etsy – I love her shop and I hope you do too! I don’t get anything for free for name-dropping her, just helping out a fellow mom.
And hey, cloth diapering is another great way to help our planet. Check out all of my fluff content here and let me know if I can answer questions!
Cloth Wipes as Napkins
I absolutely hate using paper napkins and paper towels. You can go through so many, so quickly! (And I die a little when I get a huge wad of paper napkins in my fast food bag too.) But let’s be real: you have kids in your house and you’re gonna need to wipe hands, cheeks, chins, the table… So what do you use?
I originally started buying cloth wipes as diaper wipes, to replace all of those throw-away wet wipes that we had. Now that both of my kids are pretty much potty trained, I found another use that I love even more!
The setup is simple: I’m using a large wipes box and filling it with clean dry cloth wipes. I choose to get mine wet, but you can use plain water, a soap solution, or leave them dry. The box lives on the table and we pop open the lid to get wipes as needed. When we’re done, the kids drop the dirty wipes into a special wipes-only box on top of the washer and dryer. When the box fills up, I just do a special load with wipes and kitchen towels. Sounds like a lot, but it’s really nothing. And think of all the paper we’ve saved!
Want to see how my kids help with the chores, like washing and folding these cloth wipes? Check out my article and video here so you can see them in action – they’re 2yo and 5yo and they do a great job!
Cloth Wipes as Sanitary Napkins
This is my newest use for cloth wipes. Since switching to a menstrual cup about five months ago, I’ve fallen in love with the idea of no-waste with my menstrual cycle. I feel cleaner, happier, and more confident – for my body and for the planet!
But honestly, for the days leading up to my cycle and the first day of my cycle, I still like to have something like a pad or pantiliner just to help protect my underwear. I got a different size of cloth pad from Mama Bear Lady Wear and am loving it! I keep a small plastic basket back behind my toilet to put soiled wipes in, and then wash the batch when my cycle is over. No smell, no staining, and the fabric is soft and quiet. One dozen lasts me for the whole cycle, too.
As a bonus, you can check out my honest review of menstrual cups (complete with a G-rated demo video) here. I love my menstrual cup and I love the savings, too!
Makeup Remover Cloths
I am so proud to say that I’ve not only switched from disposable makeup remover, but I found some reusable ones that don’t suck!
Okay, so I used to either use a liquid makeup remover with some cotton balls, or a disposable wipe like those from Elf. (Those are great by the way, but so wasteful and I felt guilty.) So then I tried some Norwex body and makeup removing wipes when a friend sold me some as a deal; but to be honest, I didn’t like them. To me, they just smeared makeup around and I felt slimy afterwards. (The Norwex makeup cloth is made from a suede-like material and you get it wet before use.)
Hmm. So I headed to Amazon to see what I could try that was affordable, and had great reviews. I found these by Miss Savage which are microfiber. All you do is get them wet and go to town! They’re brilliant with mascara, lipstick, foundation, everything. These little rounds are quite soft and they get the job done. As a bonus, I can also use them with my homemade facial toner (equal parts witch hazel and filtered water). And they don’t really stain at all! Just make sure that when you wash them in your machine, you’ve thrown them in a laundry delicates bag first, so you don’t clog up your pipes.
Reusable Straws
I wanted to add reusable straws on here even though I don’t really use them as much at home. Seeing all those videos of how harmful straws are, I wanted to order a reusable one for travel. This metal one was barely $5 and works well, as long as you clean it thoroughly after each use.
And if you’re wanting to get rid of toilet paper too, check out my review of the AquaNexis Diaper Sprayer and Bidet. There’s a video at the end of that article too. Simply go, spray, and use a cloth wipe to dry yourself. It’s more sanitary and less wasteful!
Finally, let me know what things you’re doing at home to save the planet a little at a time! Every change helps, so let’s help each other! And of course, thanks for sharing this out and pinning it!
I'd love to hear from you!