Flush less water down the drain

Older toilets (made before 1998) use a lot of unnecessary water. We have an older toilet, and eventually, we will replace it. Until then, though, we've cut our water usage by putting plastic bottles filled with water in the tank. Some people used bricks in the past, but they will decompose and eventually cause plumbing problems.

The plastic bottles in our tank once held 64 oz. of juice, but now they hold 64 oz. of water. They are rectangular and fit perfectly inside the tank. (Be sure to clear all the moving parts, or the bottle will hinder the flush.) Since we have two in our tank, we are saving a gallon of water with every flush.

Some companies sell bags of water that hang inside your tank, which works the same way as the bottle, only they are mounted to the side. Using old plastic bottles works fine for us, and it's free. If you fill them with bathwater, you aren't even wasting water to do it. Or fill it with tap water and use it as emergency back up.

Pantyhose Tip #10 Wrapping Paper Holder

My wrapping paper always ends up ratty on the ends, but in my search for ALL the useful things you can make from old pantyhose (see Pantyhose tip #1) I found this tip, and am going to give it a try.

Put the tubes of wrapping paper in the legs of an old pair of pantyhose. Hang over a closet rod. No more torn paper.

I imagine you don't have to hang it to get the same paper-saving results, but it would be a handy way to get them out of the way, I guess.

Homemade Toothpaste

We started making our own toothpaste because we didn't like the ingredients in regular toothpaste. Some of that stuff is scary! But as it turns out, it is also cheaper. Here is our recipe:

• baking soda
• hydrogen peroxide
• flavor (optional. We've used peppermint extract and anise extract. I think cinnamon is next.)
• Dr. Bronner's (optional)

Here is the how-to video that got us started. Basically, it's a paste of two parts baking soda, one part hydrogen peroxide, add in flavor.

We make ours fresh every morning, but I am thinking of making a small amount of paste. I like a drop or two of Dr. Bronners (hippie soap) because I like a little foam. We are also growing stevia just so I can add the ground, dried leaves to make it a little bit sweet. Stevia is a very sweet herb that does not cause cavities. Or so I've read. As for fluoride, well... it's in the rinse water whether we like it or not.