Non-Toxic Ways to Unclog Your Drain

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I wrote in another post how to cleanup a tub using only baking soda and vinegar. This was after we had a plumber come to our house to handle a very clogged drain.

We live in an old building, and the plumber said the clog he found was about 24 feet into the pipe, something that existed long before we stumbled into that bathroom.

However, since I have pretty long hair, I've been dealing with clogged drains for a while now, and I've never been a fan of the nasty chemical options. I was actually really pleased when my landlord explicitly asked us to not use harsh chemicals, as they can damage the older piping in the unit!

1. Tweezers

Sometimes clogs are just some hair and other gunk lying right below the surface of the drain. You can use a screw driver to remove your drain cover (depending on the type of cover) and sometimes you can snag the hair caught in the drain and pull it out from the top.

Sometimes there's just a little bit of hair, sometimes you will pull out a whole mess of it. It really depends on how protected your drain has been.

2. Boiling/hot Water

Fill a teakettle, or large saucepan, with at least 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Pour the boiling water directly into the drain. If you need to just do a little bit at a time to allow the liquid to work its way though the clog, do so. The temperature of the water will help breakup the blockage.

It can take multiple tries with this one, so don't be afraid to use more water, or do it a couple times.

NOTE: If you live in a place where PVC pipes may be a part of your plumbing, definitely let the water cool to about 158ºF/ 79ºC before dumping it down the drain. PVC pipes are generally considered unfit for plumbing, but depending on where you live, or if anyone may have maybe made some not-so-to-code alterations to your home, you may have some w/o realizing it. If you're unsure, play it safe and let the water cool a bit!

3. Baking Soda and Vinegar

Mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar in a measuring up, about 1/3 cup of each should be good. As soon as it starts to fiz, pour it down the drain.

Sometimes I actually put the baking soda directly into the drain and pour the vinegar in on top of it.

Either way, cover the drain and let it sit for 15-30 minutes.

3. drain auger/snake

A drain auger (or drain snake) is a long metal rope with a spiral on the end. Manual ones usually have a handle to twist with at the end. You place the spiral end of the rope into the drain and twist until you reach the blockage (where you should feel resistance) then you twist to hook the clog and pull it out.

Manual drain augers are relatively inexpensive, can found at your local hardware store, and can be a good solution for a stubborn clog.

However, if your clog is very deep and potentially due to rusty pipes, you will want to call a plumber who will most likely use an automatic auger, which has much more power and length behind it.

Clog Prevention

Though it's very satisfying to finally watch water move down your drain after potentially fighting a clog for weeks, the best way to handle clogs is to prevent them in the first place. The best way to do this, confirmed by our very kind plumber, is to get a hair trap. Even if you have a drain that includes one, I'd get another to go on top of it.

You can also use the above methods (hot water, vinegar & baking soda) as general drain maintenance. Every few months you can dump some hot water down and do a baking soda/vinegar fizz to keep the drain in good working order.

 

 

A New Pela Case

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I've been using a Pela Case since 2017 for my iPhone 5, and it was a freaking trooper! I don't really treat my phones with a great deal of delicacy. Which is probably why I ended up going swimming with my iPhone 5, something from which it did not recover.  However my phone was on its way out anyway, and I was preparing to replace it soon.

I ordered a used iPhone 6 off of Gazelle, which also meant I got to order a new Pela case! I've been eyeing their turtle cases for a while now, and wanted to be able to protect my new phone immediately. I have to say, the quality of their cases has increased dramatically since I first ordered my iPhone 5 case back in 2017. My new Pela Case fits my phone better, is more snug, and the material is thicker so I think it provides even better protection now! And their cases continue to be shipped in a compostable package, completely plastic free!

We will see how my new case holds up, but I have high hopes for it!

Zero Waste Travel: Caribbean Packing List

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The Situation

So the situation for myself is that I am traveling to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands for three months to conduct research and nest monitoring for sea turtles with the National Park Service. I know, I know, very hard life over here. 

I've done lots of small zero-waste trips, but this is the first long term one. I've been doing a lot of prep, and despite all the lists I have all over my house, I still have things pop into my head that I need that I probably won't have much access to down there, especially when it comes to zero waste living. 

I don't know how many of you will need a packing list for a three month stay in the Caribbean, but here's what I'm bringing, while attempting to travel light and efficiently.

Clothes

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* A star indicates that the item(s) were specific to my work, so may differ greatly from your needs

pants

  • 3 pair casual pants - 1 linen/hemp, 1 cotton, 1 leggings
  • *4 pair field pants - good for hiking, I need several because I will be doing field work 5 nights/week

Shorts

  • 5 pair casual - 3 hemp, 2 mid-length, 2 jean
  • 5 pair athletic - 2 running, 2 spandex, 1 water

Shirts

  • *15 cotton T-shirts - probably the most excessive, but that's because of the field work I'm doing could involve being pulled into the ocean by a turtle
  • 10 Tank Tops - I'm a shorts and tank top kind of gal, these are small and back down easily so I don't mind bringing some extra
  • 5 nice T-shirts - for office days or dinners

Skirts/dresses

  • 2 skirts
  • 2 sundresses
  • 1 nice dress

Long Sleeves/Cover Ups

  • 1 flannel
  • 1 fleece
  • 1 light-weight jacket
  • 1 Rain Jaket
  • 1 button up sun shirt

Nighttime/Undies

  • 6 sports Bras – I mostly wear sports bras, I also stuck in a few bralettes 
  • ALL the Underwear – I like to have enough undies
  • Socks – Yes. Socks. socks are good for hiking and I need them for field work
  • Sleepwear - some cotton shorts and a few comfy T-shirts

Swimwear

  • Sarong  
  • 3 bathing suits sets

Footwear

  • Running/hiking shoes 
  • Bierkenstocks
  • *Chacos - close and open toed

sundry

  • 1 scarf – super versatile and good for overly air-conditioned places
  • 1 Hat 
  • 1 Sunglasses 
  • 3 Buffs/Headsox
  • 1 belt

Toiletries

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  • Medication/Painkillers – I have no medications that I take regularly, but on some islands painkillers such as ibuprofen are not available over the counter, so this could be something to throw in your bag.
  • Deodorant– I normally make my own deodorant, but I decided to take this as an opportunity to try out some other stuff. I brought down Lush's
  • Lotion - coming from dry, dry Colorado, I'm not bringing to many lotion products. I am bringing a small vile of daily moisturizer made by Denver's local zero waste shop to help my face recover from the sun
  • Toothbrush/Toothpaste - Brush with bamboo, and Tom's of Maine (keeping tubes to send into TerraCycle)
  • Razors – I brought my trusty safety razor and razor blades
  • Hair care – 2 shampoo bars & 1 conditioner bar from Lush
  • Soaps - body soap from Sallye Ander and Little Seed Farm, Face soap from Lush
  • Towel and Facecloth – Because you need to shower, and you will shower often. A facecloth can be used for wiping sweat off you in general.
  • Sunscreen – I brought 2 Raw Elements Face + Body sunscreen that comes in tins!
  • Bug Repellent – I'm bringing an essential oil mix to make bug repellent with.

Laundry

I know I will have access to laundry machines where I am staying, but I have no idea what will be available as far as laundry products go. Since all the water I use will drain into the ocean pretty immediately, I wanted to make sure I was prepared for eco-friendly laundering.

  • Nellie's All-Natural Laundry Detergent - refillable tin
  • STOP! MicroWaste washing bag 
  • 2 rolls quarters 

Tech Gear

  • Camera
  • Laptop
  • Cell Phone

other

  • Day-Pack
  • small first aid kit
  • Hammock
  • 1 Reusable grocery bag
  • COFFEE

things i forgot

  • Food Storage - this was such a zero waste fail. I forgot my snacks for the airplane, which not only left me w/o snacks but w/o containers! Luckily I was able to acquire some w/i the first week, but I definitely generated waste w/o them
  • Silverware/spork - I also forgot my spork! How? I don't know, but so far I haven't had to use any plastic utensils, I've just had to get a little creative with the spoon I brought for scooping coffee.