Musings About Market Factors and American Lifestyle

[pameladlloyd]

It's interesting to me that many of the the things my mother used to do as a matter of course (to save money and possibly because she had gotten in the habit of saving during WWII rationing) are the very things we are now being urged to do to save the environment. She used to save aluminum foil and even plastic wrap--drying these in the dish rack next to the sink, glass jars, paper bags, boxes, and newspapers. All of these things were reused whenever possible. We had cleaning rags made from scraps of worn out clothing. These are just the things I'm remembering off the top of my head.

But, what almost seems the strangest to me now, are the purchased items she had that helped her to save money. One of these was a quart-sized aluminum can with a filter and a lid. Whenever she had leftover grease from frying, she'd pour the grease through the filter, wipe off the filter, and fasten the lid on. Then, the next time she went to fry something, she could use some of the strained grease, instead of new. Today, I read articles about not throwing that old grease down the drain, because it damages the environment, but I don't see those cans around any more. We may deep-fry far less than people used to, but I still see deep-fryers for sale in the appliance aisles in Target and Wal-Mart, so it hasn't completely disappeared and the idea of reusing cooking oil just doesn't seem to be part of the picture anymore.

I miss the little plastic bottle she used to dampen clothes before she ironed them, which reduced the amount of starch needed when ironing. (At least, I miss it when I simply, absolutely can't avoid having to iron.) This bottle was about six inches tall and an inch and a half in diameter, and the screw-on lid had a number of holes in it, so you could sprinkle the water out. I use a spray bottle these days, but there are times I'd prefer the other.

So, is there anything like these items I've mentioned that you can remember you or your parents or grandparents using, that you just don't see around anymore? If there is, do you think it's obsolete, or are we due for a resurgence?

Also, what are the factors you believe have contributed to the changes in reuse? Is it just that they're not needed anymore? Are there market forces at work? (i.e., Have they been replaced by something else, possibly something disposable?) Are we just too busy to take the time to reuse?

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

O_o

I do every single one of those things... seriously, I wash plastic baggies, reuse tin foil, strain my cooking oil, have rags for dusting, and squirt water on my laundry (but I use an old kitchen cleaner spray bottle, not a special laundry bottle). But I've always done that stuff...

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

We do some of them, but not others. I guess I never had enough buy-in from my family on washing plastic baggies or foil, as chances were someone would come along and put a not-very-well-rinsed cup or plate or bowl on top of the drying stuff. Eventually, years & years ago, I got tired of rewashing the things and decided it was a waste of my time and effort, not to mention water. I do try to use alternatives whenever I can; we really prefer to store leftovers and such in glass, if possible, or at least in a reusable container.

I find that it's easier to let go of recyclables, now that the city provides curbside pickup. Which is good, because we don't have enough storage space for everything. So, we keep enough of whatever we find useful, and let the rest go.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think in a dry climate the rewashing baggies thing probably does more harm than good. Frankly, I think that may be true here, too. I've thought about giving it up--it seems to take more time and water than it's worth--but now it's just habit. But probably not a good one...

We have a transfer station where we can bring things for recycling, so I can bring plastic containers and tin foil that's past usefulness there :-)

But what you say about letting go of stuff--I would love to get rid of more stuff. My husband loves saving things in case someday we could use X or Y or Z, but as a consequence, it's rather hard to move around in our house...

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure now, just exactly when I gave up washing baggies. But, it probably wasn't while I was living in Virginia (the kids weren't big enough to put things in the sink), which would have been either El Paso, or here. So, yes, desert places, where we're very aware of water usage.

My husband and I are both collectors, of sorts, although in our case it is I who am the worse culprit. Not only do I save things in the event they may be useful again, but I've got a real sentimental bent.

Closelines

[(Anonymous)]

One tool like you mention in your post that has disappeared is the plain old clothes line. They were the ultimate solar and wind powered device around the home. Electric driers chew threw an amazing amount of electricity, with the hot air vented to the outside as waste. Sadly, a lot of neighborhoods have covenants that prevent clotheslines now, since apparently it lowers property values. What a shame.
--James Maxey

Re: Closelines

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Hello, James! Welcome.

Yes, they're a bit hard to come by, these days. My mom had one on a reel, that could be pulled out and hooked onto something (in our case, a tree), then reeled back in once the clothes were dry.

I did try using one when my kids were little, but found that the constant moistening and drying of my fingers caused my fingers to split and crack. However, as our dryer is broken and we can't afford a new one, I've been drying things on a folding rack that I place in the shower. It's not ideal, but at least it delays our having to spend the money right away.