Question: What to use dehumidified water for?

With much joy have we received our first official question at the Minimalism Weekly HQ:

Q: "Can you help me find ways to use the 16+ litres of water I get from the dehumidifier in a useful way :). I already use it instead of flushing the toilet. I tried filtering it and drinking it once too. Maybe cleaning the windows or the floor?? Open to suggestions!"

A: Dehumidified water should be considered grey water, as it can contain traces of metals, dust, mold buildup etc, and should not be consumed (but a star in our book for trying :-). For the same reasons, it should not be used on edible plants either.

It is perfectly good to use to irrigate lawns, flowers, non edible plants, cleaning (as long as the tank is kept clean), flushing the toilet etc.

The biggest effect of reusing the water like this instead of just throwing it out may not be from the actual use of the water itself, but from the thinking of how to be a responsible and sustainable citizen, which then leads to other new sustainable habits that combined together have a big effect :-D

Dining out (vegetarian)

I went to lunch with a friend Sunday. He had the steak sandwich. I had the sandwich with roasted vegetables.

 

It was so delicious that I will definitely order vegetarian next time I'm eating out, and feel good about it :-)

 

 

Travel "tumble dryer".

For a 16 day trip to hot Thailand, I bring:

1 pair of shoes.

2 pair of socks.

3 pair of underpants.

1 pair of shorts for swimming.

1 pair of (zip off) trousers.

1 t-shirt which I wear 90 % of the time, and 2 shirts for dressing up.

With the few electronics and toiletries I brought also, it all weighed less than 5 kg and only took up 1/2 of my small backpack. No need for checking anything in for the flight & very easy to get from place to place.

I can get by with so little because it is all light weight & quick drying. I wash it every day (sometimes twice a day), using my "travel dryer" and the clothes will be so close to dry that I can put them right back on, or let them dry for 1/2-1 hour more and they will be fully dry.

I wash the clothes in the hotel sink, or in a plastic bag if the sink is unavailable / undesirable, with a little bit of very concentrated and organic Dr. Bonners castile soap (you can use the hotel shower soap /shampoo instead), wring it out by hand, rinse it briefly, wring it out by hand again and then put it inside a towel which I'll then stand on, which absorbs the majority of the water still left, and dries the clothes enough that you can put them right back on in a warm environment.

Wash the clothes in the sink, or a plastic bag, with a little soap.

 

 

 

 

Put the wrung out by hand pants on a towel.

Fold the towel in around the pants.

Keep folding.

Folded to a flat rectangle.

Now fold it once or twice more lengthwise and put it on the floor.

Stand on the towel and step all over it to press the water out of the clothes and into the towel.

Take the pants out of the towel and they will be dry enough to wear right away.

T-shirts and shirts gets the same treatment and are wearable after.

Underwear & socks are wearable also after being dried like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evolution: I used to pack as much as possible just in case I should need it, pay for checked in luggage, wait at checking in and to pick up my luggage after, lug along a heave suitcase and have a mess in my hotel room with stuff everywhere. Now I only bring the bare necessities, which is much cheaper, easier & faster. Should I need something I didn't bring, I usually travel in countries where everything is very cheap and easy to buy.

Cost: Towels are usually provided at the hotels or rentable for cheap at hostels, and not bringing checked in suit cases often saves money.

Time: 5-10 minutes per day to wash and dry the clothes.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weight & size: Zero. Saves you a lot of hassle not having to lug so much clothes around.

Sustainable: Less weight brought on the plane saves fuel.

Best: Comfortable lightweight clothes, a towel and a few minutes each day makes for an easy way to save money and hassle. Scottewest makes a range of clothes with many built in pockets, and people have travelled around the world with the few possessions they bring in their pockets and no bags at all.

I will love to hear your experiences, comments and suggestions for better ways to do on-trip laundry.

 

 

Grow food@home workshop

 

Apparently there is not much interest in sustainability in HK, as I was the only one attending this workshop.

This allowed me to ask a lot of questions and get very good and full answers. It also indicates the relevance of my "mission" to help open people's eyes to the seriousness of the current climate situation and to what can be done by everyday people.

The instructor May from Kadoorie Farm & Botanical Garden showed and explained what kinds of herbs were suitable for the HK climate, how to make soil for the herbs, vegetables or fruits to grow in, how to keep them free from pests without using chemicals and finally how to make your own compost out of kitchen leftovers and garden leafs etc.

Kadoorie Farm run other workshops which I'll try to attend, as well as visit their farm & gardens.

They sold a little book which explains what vegetables are suitable for the HK environment, what the grow seasons are as the weather changes much between seasons and other tips, which I have been looking for. With the information from the workshop, the book and the three small herbs I was given to take away, I feel I have the information needed to start growing my own ecological fruits and vegetables.

Evolution: I have gone from buying & eating junk & not cooking myself, to buying & cooking better food. Next step is to grow as many organic vegetables as possible. The workshop & the book will help me to achieve this.

Cost: HK$50, good value for 1 hour of one on one and a lot of questions answered. With transport & the HK$78 book, the day was HK$207.

Time: 1/2 a day well spent

Difficulty: Easy. Well explained workshop.

Weight & size: One small book with the data needed.

Sustainable: Public transport there and back, andill be able to not only save money, but also save a lot of food transportation by growing it myself.

Best: Save money, save food transportation, grow organic food, gain knowledge. What's not to like?

I will love to hear your experiences, comments and suggestions for other environmental or sustanabbility workshops to attend.

 

Pesticides in fruit & vegetables guide

The Environmental Working Group has a list called The Dirty Dozen, that shows which of 50 fruits and vegetables have the most and least pesticides. With the list we can then make informed decisions about what kinds of fruit and vegetables we will buy, and whether they should be organic or not. 

They also have the list as a smartphone app, so it is easy to always bring the list when food shopping. 

These and many more very useful resources can be found at EWG's website.

LOHAS@2030

I'm attending this exhibition and the 1 hour Grow food@home workshop this Sunday. 

I'll let you know how it went after. 

Please let me know if you now of any other environmental exhibitions or workshops that I should attend, or if you would Iike to join me?

Online magazines

I discovered Zinio which is an iPad magazine reader that you can download for free. The magazines subscriptions cost money, but there are several advantages. 

Plane & Pilot yearly online subscription US$7.99 for 11 issues. 

Cover price US$65.89 for a year = 87 % discount

Price in HK store ~ HK$105 (for one issue!) = US$148.71 per year = 94% discount :-)

Paramotor yearly online subscription US$36.99 for 6 issues.

 Int'l subscription and postage: US$51.95. 29% discount. 

Evolution: Due to price, hassle & environmental concerns I have done most of my information searching for free on the Internet. Now I can enjoy doing some of the more in depth magazines again.

Cost: Considerable savings. Up to 94% savings compared to cover price in stores here in Hong Kong. 

Time: Instantly downloadable, fast download. 

Difficulty: Easy. Zinio uses the iTunes account information, so it is basically one click approval of the subscription and no entering of credit card information, address etc is needed.

Weight & size: Zero. Digital format, so takes up no weight or space beyond the iPad which I always bring anyway. I can always bring all issues of my favorite magazine where ever I go and refer back to them. 

Sustainable: No use of paper, no posting magazines across the world, no recycling costs after. 

Best: Lower price, instant access always and anywhere, no paper & transport, what's not to love?

I will love to hear your experiences, comments and suggestions for better ways to enjoy magazines. 

UPDATE: Zinio sent me a US$25 coupon code, which I used to subscribe to another three magazines that I like, making it an even better deal. I also found some free (slightly older) magazines that were still very much worth reading. 

Deodorant

I use a roll on deodorant made from natural ingredients. No toxic chemicals for my armpits please. It doesn't smell especially sexy, just leave you smelling slightly flower-ish and not reeking of sweat. 

There are lots of chemicals in cosmetics & sanitary products which are no good for us or the environment, both short and long term. 

The story of cosmetics video. 

Evolution: I've tried to go without using any deo, but feel more comfortable using something. It can get pretty hot and sweaty out here ;-) I've also tried baking soda dissolved in a little water sprayed under the arms. It keeps away any smell, but can be a little abrasive after a while. 

Cost: Acceptable. About HK$100 as opposed to Hk$35 or so for the other cheapskate deo that is on picture, where the label reads like a chemistry lesson from high school. not expensive compared to other deo's. 

Time: Fast. The local sustainable store is only a few minutes from center of town, so it is easy to pick up one.

Difficulty: Easy to use, just shake and roll on. 

Weight & size: Similar size to the chemical ones. 

Sustainable: Natural biodegradable ingredients, recyclable container, no animal testing. 

Best: I have looked at crystal deodorant stones made out of potassium alum, which probably will be my next experiment. 

I will love to hear your experiences, comments and suggestions for how to stay nice smelling.

Toothpaste organizer

I use a simple rubber band around the rolled up bottom of my toothpaste tube to keep it organized and taking up less space 

Evolution: I started out using a clothes pin, then tape on the folded up toothpaste tube, but a rubber band is easier. Commercial solutions are available, but they cost, are heavier/bigger, less sustainable and it takes time to get them. 

Obviously the rubber band does not squeeze the tooth paste to the top of the tube, this is easiest done by pressing and dragging the tube over any firm edge, so that the tooth paste ends at the top. 

Cost: Cheap (1 rubber band). 

Time: Fast (less than 1 minute). 

Difficulty: Easy. 

Weight & size: Very light/small (1 rubber band). 

Sustainable: Rubber band will last long. 

Best: My favorite simple solution to the issue.

I will love to hear your comment and suggestion for how this could be done even better.