Monthly Archives: April 2025

shopping, Uncategorized, Walmart shopping

Why Has Buying Things Become So Frustrating And Confusing?

I switched my grocery shopping to Aldi some years ago and haven’t looked back.  However, Aldi doesn’t carry everything I need, so I occasionally shop elsewhere.  Those other trips have become a progressive nightmare and an exercise in exhaustion as every purchase requires an “evaluation” for price, quality, and deception.

Our town’s mid-level grocery chain is Jewel/Osco. It was a local company, but it has been sold and is now owned by Albertsons, which also owns Safeway, Vons, and Shaw’s, among many others.

I have been burned so many times at Jewel that I believe their practices border on deception.  It is one of those stores where the receipt proudly announces, “You saved 20% today!”  but I still leave the store with a lighter wallet and little to show for it.  I understand that Jewel is a full-service grocer and part of their costs include stocking multiple versions of the same product type, many specialty departments, and scads of employees.  Yet, that still doesn’t justify the fact that simple items, like Comet powdered cleanser, can be three times more expensive than the same item at Walmart. 

However, what concerns me the most is the convoluted and draconian way that their sales run. I still haven’t cracked the code. Some sale prices are available for all, others require that I tap in a phone number at checkout, and still others require that I preselect the item using their shopping app.  

I have been burned so many times by this insane system that I feel a sense of dread when I have to go there to pick up an item that I can’t get at Aldi.  I recently went to Jewel to buy a spice; since I was there, I browsed the sales.  Home Run Inn frozen pizza was on a big sale.  It was typically around $10, but on sale for around $6.  That sounded like a 40% savings!  However, Walmart and Aldi’s normal price was similar to Jewel’s sale price.  I passed on the pizza. 

I also passed on the sale-priced Milk. When I read the small print, I had to buy two gallons of milk, way too much for our needs. I wondered how many didn’t read the fine print, believing that their single gallon was on sale, only to be disappointed when they got home and checked their receipt. That is, if they checked their receipt, as most probably don’t. 

My eye caught some fruit on sale.  Strawberries and blueberries were being sold at a good price.  I picked up both.  I went to the meat counter and found several “buy one and get one free” items.  I have been burned on these in the past, as it seems that Jewel will often place a similar item next to the sale item, making it very easy to pick up the wrong item.  Additionally, I have discounted items that would ring up at self-checkout at the regular price, and the attendant had to enter a code to get me the discount.

On this trip, I spied some BOGO pork chops.  I read the sign carefully, noting that another pork product was next to the sale items.  I matched the pork chops with the sale sign, feeling good that I had selected the correct item. I also ensured I went to a cashier to avoid other issues.  When I got home I realized that I screwed up.  I did get the strawberries on sale, but the blueberries were at full price.  I was supposed to use the Jewel app and click on an electronic coupon for the blueberries.  I also got charged for both packs of pork chops, and I honestly have no idea why.  Yes, I could have been more vigilant during checkout, but I was in a hurry and thought I had done everything correctly, only to find that the system was so convoluted that I had done many things wrong. Grocery shopping should be a straightforward experience, not a master class in proofreading. 

I have had different problems at Walmart, where it isn’t unusual for the price stickers in the aisles to differ from what I am charged at checkout. And don’t even get me started on my extreme displeasure of having to use Walmart’s self-checkout and 18” of counter space to ring up an entire cart of groceries. 

I have shopped at Aldi as my main grocery store for years. There are typically only one or two product versions, making purchasing easy. There is no drive to impulse buy, and the stores are small, so I don’t feel that I have run a marathon. Plus, their cashiers are fast and friendly. My overall grocery bills are always lower at Aldi than at Jewel and Walmart.

Shopping insanity extends to the online world, which is now dominated by Amazon and Walmart. Lately, there has been a lot of press coverage on Amazon’s practice of controlling its Marketplace sellers. For instance, sellers cannot sell their items on a different web platform for a lower price. They are given preferential treatment if they use other Amazon services, which adds to Amazon’s profits and increases consumer prices. Marketplace sellers can also use deceptive practices, such as flooding a product type by listing the same product multiple ways or using false reviews to push a product higher in Amazon’s listing. 

Over 60% of Amazon’s sales are via Marketplace sellers. It doesn’t seem that Amazon vets Marketplace products, so you never know if your product is genuine or a knockoff. I tested several battery banks I ordered from Amazon; some were legitimate, and others had less than 15% of their stated capacity. 

Searching for something on Amazon can be a frustrating experience, as you are assaulted by page after page of products.  Many products seem identical or may vary only by a different brand name.  Significant price differences can exist between the items, requiring an exhaustive search even for simple products.  Some consumable products list price per ounce, others price per product, and others have a nonsensical price. All of this requires an unnecessary amount of vigilance. 

Sometimes, you need to be a chemist to determine the best value. I use a deodorant product called deodorant crystals, which is simply the compound Alum. No matter what brand you use, it is identical. However, depending on the label, there can be tremendous differences in the price.

These are exactly the same compounds, but one is $9.41 an ounce and the other is only $2.02 an ounce.

Most people believe buying a larger quantity will yield the best price. However, I have repeatedly found that this is not the case when shopping on Amazon, as buying a larger amount of something can be significantly more expensive than buying multiples of the same product. That is crazy.

Talk about confusing. The first product is the cheapest, but the unit price is listed as “price per load.” You might think buying two would save you money, but the second listing is almost four times the price. The third listing is even more expensive than the second!
Here we have two products that differ only in the scent, which will fade as soon as the clothes are worn. The lavender scent is 50% more expensive!
Here you have a product directly from Amazon. If you buy the twin pack, expect to pay 30% more! Buy two of the “pack of one” for $7.12 instead of $9.55. That is a substantial difference, but you must carefully read the product description.

I have heard Amazon’s and Walmart’s online prices are dependent on zip codes, and there are reports that you can get better prices by searching at a different location or using incognito mode. I have not confirmed this, but if true, that means you are being upcharge based on where you live. 

Online sellers will often offer the same product in different colors at drastically different prices.  Also, a shopper may have to deal with the same products with one offering a discount coupon and another not.  

The only difference among these three coffee makers is the color. Talk about price confusion. It would seem that the red coffee maker is significantly more expensive than the black one ($49.00 vs. $36.00). However, if you use the coupon and do the math, it is only slightly more expensive, and now the orange coffee maker is the most expensive. Why???
I know that these two radios are exactly the same except for the branding. However, one is over $10 more than the other. If you were not a radio nut like me, you may think that the more expensive radio offered more.

I have checked on the same item over the course of a few days to find that its price can vary dramatically in 24 hours.  I have seen price shifts of 25% and more. A product may go up, then down, then up again over the course of a week. All of the above makes shopping exhausting and confusing.  

When it comes to grocery shopping I consistently save overall by shopping at Aldi and I don’t have to deal with math calculations, product decisions, and confusing “deals” and coupons. I’m also starting to feel the same with online shopping. A while back I had to replace our toaster oven and was faced with what looked like a hundred different choices.  Some were the same item, others were variations on a theme, still others were rebrands of what looked like an identical product.  In the end I went to a local store where they had 4 different toaster oven models.  I picked the one that would hold the pans that we normally use in a toaster oven and was done in about 5 minutes. Could there have been a better toaster oven in my life?  I don’t know, but the one that I got works well enough and the shopping experience was not confusing, frustrating, and exhausting.

You can’t even trust apps that promise that they search the internet for the best deal for you.  The Honey app was very popular and promoted by many influences.  So, what was the real deal?  This Reddit poster gives you the details:

One: if you click on an affiliate link from a creator to buy something, they will sometimes get credit or a commission for you purchasing that Item. However, if you scan it with honey, honey will reload the web page so they get the commission.

Two: Honey will say “We scoured the internet and found you 5 codes” well, they don’t actually search the internet, what is actually happening is the seller of the item chooses what coupon codes honey can use. So you may actually be able to find a better coupon code if not using honey.

Our lives are becoming progressively more complicated as we become ever more electronically connected.  Is that email from a bank real?  Who is texting me just to say “hello?”  Is the FBI of the CIA really calling me to tell me that I just won the lottery and all I have to do is to give them my credit card information?  How about that YouTube video that says that everything that I’m eating is going to kill me, but I can be healthy if I drink their “click the link below”  green goop three times a day? Is that too good to be true advertisement on Facebook real, or is it too good to be true?  How about all of those political videos and articles that feel like these are either the best of times or the worst of times?  Those make me feel like I’m reading a Dickens novel.   

I don’t want to vet every purchase I make or do a math calculation to determine if I’m getting a good deal. All of these things add to stress and are mostly unnecessary. My plan is to simplify whenever possible. I’ll continue grocery shopping at Aldi, and I’m moving toward buying less stuff online while choosing options that give me clear and less confusing choices.

This unnecessary decision fatigue cumulatively adds to stress and promotes fear and distrust. I know some love the sport of shopping; I’m not one of them. 

Peace

Mike

health, psychology/psychiatry, Uncategorized

The History Of BO

I recently wrote a post on hygiene hacks and confessed that I did not use a traditional antiperspirant. I use alternative measures to ensure I am “daisy fresh,” so there was no need to hold your nose in my presence.

I watched a new episode of “The Great American Baking Show” yesterday. I was bombarded by commercials showing people spraying a total deodorizing spray not only on their armpits but on their saddle area, feet, back, neck, and just about everywhere else. I always felt that these areas were handled with simple soap and water.

I remember the push in the 1970s to get women to use “Summer’s Eve” vaginal douche, which led to all sorts of problems, from dryness to infections.  I was surprised to discover that vaginal douching, a bad idea unless medically necessary, had been pushed by advertisers for some time before that.  Lysol (the cleaning product) encouraged the use of a Lysol douche with ads with titles like, “She was the perfect wife except for one neglect.”  By 1911, there were several reported deaths and poisonings due to this practice. Lysol responded by telling women to continue using Lysol, but dilute it first! Keep those customers coming, who cares if you are poisoning them!  Doctors will tell you never to use vaginal douches unless directed by a healthcare provider. You will mess things up.

My father was born in Chicago in 1910 in a home that initially didn’t have a modern bathroom. When he was younger, he remembers being bathed in a washtub.  As he got older, he went to a community bathhouse where you could buy a sliver of soap and the use of a towel for a few pennies. This would be a once-a-week event. I asked him if people smelled in those days, and he said no, people did a daily wash-up to ensure they were clean. 

The first time that I traveled to Europe was in the 1980s.  I remember hearing that no one used deodorant and expected my nose to be assaulted. I did not encounter smelly people on that trip.  They were doing other things to clean themselves. Today, most Europeans have converted to commercial deodorants, likely due to advertising.

Although modern bathing and showering are the result of indoor plumbing, keeping oneself clean and good-smelling has been documented as far back as Egyptian times and has been recorded among just about any group since that time. Some used religious cleansing as the reason to keep clean; others had communal bath houses where they could socialize and bathe. Egyptians used simple soaps, while the Romans and Greeks cleaned their skin with scented oils. Other cultures relied on water or mild abrasives to clean away the stink.

We often think of Medieval times as odoriferous, but people from then were concerned about cleanliness and tried to keep themselves smelling nice. Then, as now, the more wealth you had, the greater your access to hygiene options. 

Yes, there have been times when people thought bathing was unhealthy or a sign of moral degeneracy, but many still did their best to smell better by wearing pungent spices or perfumes.

Dirty clothing often causes a stink; in the past, cleaning clothes could be difficult. People would beat or brush out dirt, air out clothing, and sometimes remake outfits to remove stains. There were no dry cleaners in those days! 

Often, their clothes were made of wool or linen, two natural fibers that are bacteriostatic and odor-resistant.  They also wore layers of clothing so that their outer clothes never touched their skin. Their “underwear” was frequently changed.  If you were wealthy, it was changed daily.  If you were poorer, it was washed several times a week.

Research gains in the late 1700s and 1800s made the mass production of inexpensive soaps possible. Pears translucent soap was introduced in 1807, and Lever Brothers (now Unilever Corporation) introduced Sunlight soap in the late 1800s. During this time, soap went from a luxury item for the elite to a product that just about anyone could afford. In Germany, detergents were invented in 1900 and found their way into multiple products, including self-care items like Dove soap, a syndet (detergent) bar introduced in 1955. 

Dial soap, which has antimicrobial agents, was the first deodorant soap and was introduced in 1949 with ads that stressed, “Dial stops odor before it starts!”  Deodorant soaps have used a variety of antimicrobial agents that have been banned over the years.  More recent studies have shown that consumer deodorant soaps are no different from regular soaps in reducing skin bacteria and pose a danger to the environment.  Dial is still a popular soap; it uses an anti-bacterial agent called benzalkonium chloride, and I’m unclear why.

Liquid soaps were invented in the mid-1800s, but most current liquid soaps are not soaps but detergents. Softsoap brand hand soap (a detergent) became popular in the 1970s, and shower gels (also detergents) became popular in the late 1980s. 

There are several methods to deal with odor. The first one is to clean your body regularly. In the US, this means taking a bath or, more likely, a shower. In other places with less access, it could mean a trip to the river or a sponge bath. Other methods are to use a masking smell, like a perfume, to hide offensive odors or to block sweat production in odor-causing areas. 

I went on a hiking trip with a close friend. I stayed at base camp and did day hikes while my friend and his son did a five-day trek over the mountains.  My friend is typically very clean, and I have never noticed him to have an odor problem.  However, he wore the same clothes on this hike and had minimal opportunities to wash. It was sweltering hot, and he sweated quite a bit. When I picked him and his son up, I could only describe the odor as similar to a garbage dumpster.  After a shower, he was as good as new, but I suggested he burn his hiking clothes.

Our bodies have two types of sweat glands: eccrine glands, which are located all over the body. When you sweat, your body uses evaporation to cool itself off. Most people can’t smell this type of sweat, but some can, including me. Eccrine sweat doesn’t smell bad at all; it smells like people, and I rather like it. 

The other glands are the apocrine glands located in the scalp, breasts, armpits, and groin. These glands produce an oily sweat that serves as food for certain bacteria.  The waste products from these bacteria give people body odor, or BO.  

Feet only have eccrine glands, but sweaty, unclean feet trapped in shoes can generate odors due to different bacterial by-products.  That is why smelly armpits and stinky feet have different types of pungent aromas.

I remember TV commercials from the 1960s in which a person would be identified as smelling bad, and the announcer would say, “He has BO!” But instead of him saying BO, a loud fog horn would blast, “BEEEEE OHHHHH!!!” That had to be a pretty effective commercial because I was just a young kid, and I still remember it vividly. It let me know that BO was a bad thing.

A fun fact is that many East Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) don’t wear deodorant due to a gene mutation that impacts their apocrine glands. They don’t produce oily sweat, so those smelly bacteria can’t grow. 

This history of deodorants is fascinating and has modern and historical components. People have used various methods to reduce odor, from Europeans who wore masking perfumes and spices to South Asians using alum-based products like the Thai deodorant crystal and Filipino Tawas powder. Alum is bacteriostatic; in other words, it slows down the growth of bacteria. Fewer bacteria mean less odor.

Washing your body is the primary way to reduce BO. Additionally, there are two ways to control underarm smells: deodorants and antiperspirants. 

Commercial deodorants used to have antimicrobial agents, but they have mostly been removed due to health and environmental concerns.  Now, most commercial deodorants are just masking agents; they are cheap-smelling perfumes for the armpits.

Antiperspirants use aluminum salts. These salts plugged up sweat glands, so there is no sweat for odor-causing bacteria to eat, and so there is no odor. Antiperspirants are the most effective way to control malodorous underarm smells. 

There is a fear that antiperspirants can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer.  These fears have been debunked many times and are not true, but they persist from self-proclaimed health gurus, often for their benefit. 

I can’t tolerate antiperspirants because they make me itch.  However, dermatologists now say to put these agents on at night to plug up sweat glands and shower them off the skin in the morning to eliminate skin irritation.  I have not tried this as I already have another odor-controlling method that works very well. I’ll talk about that in the next paragraph. 

I mentioned that some Asian cultures have used alum salts for hundreds of years to control body odor.  These salts were marketed in the US starting in the 1980s as magic deodorant crystals, and I started using them in the early 2000s.  These contain aluminum in compound form, but it is a different compound than those used in antiperspirants.  Alum salts don’t block sweating; they are bacteriostatic and inhibit odor-causing bacteria.  For me, they work like a charm. Ads say to wet the crystal and apply; I rub a dry crystal on my damp underarms after I shower. This method wastes less of the mineral and gets the job done.

Commercial deodorants were introduced in the late 1800s under the Mum brand, and antiperspirants were marketed in the early 1900s under the name Odorono. Neither was very popular for several reasons. Victorian era people felt it was improper to talk about such things as body odor, and they also felt that washing their underarms and wearing perfume worked well enough to keep odor at bay. The early deodorants and antiperspirants had many drawbacks including being irritating and staining clothes. 

Edna Murphy’s father was a surgeon who developed an aluminum chloride solution to keep his hands dry during surgeries; she saw its potential to stop underarm sweating.  Due to Victorian sentiment, she wasn’t very successful selling her antiperspirant until the 1912 Atlantic City Exposition, where she had a sales booth. 1912 had an especially hot summer, and visitors were especially smelly.  She sold enough products at the exposition to hire the advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson Company.  They assigned a new hire, James Young, to the campaign. Mr. Young was a former door-to-door Bible salesman without training in advertising.  However, he was the man for the job. James Young is considered the father of shame-based advertising and could make potential customers worry about things they didn’t worry about before.  He started to run ads for women saying that men would not love them unless they used Odorono, and sales took off.

From a 1937 ad:

You’re a pretty girl, Mary, and you’re smart about most things, but you’re just a bit stupid about yourself. You love a good time, but you seldom have one. Evening after evening, you sit at home alone. You’ve met several grand men who seemed interested at first. They took you out once, and that was that. So many pretty Marys in the world never seem to sense the real reason for their aloneness. In this smart modern age, it’s against the code for a girl (or a man) to carry the repellent odor of underarm perspiration on clothing and person. It’s a fault which never fails to take its own punishment—unpopularity.

 He applied the same strategy with men during the great depression, stating that no one would hire them unless they used Odorono.  Men then started to use the product. He turned a product that no one wanted into one that grossed 28 billion dollars in 2025.

There has been some backlash against commercial deodorants and antiperspirants, which has prompted companies to create green-washed products and home cooks to develop DIY concoctions. Let’s take a look at the marketing hype and ingredients used.

One is to continue to promote false claims that commercial antiperspirants cause dementia and breast cancer.  To repeat, this is not true.

The other is to create fear about “unnatural” chemicals used in commercial products.  You may be sensitive to a random chemical, but it is not thought that these agents are more dangerous than other deodorizing methods.

The term Natural has absolutely no real meaning.  Frankly, the often criticized aluminum salts used in commercial antiperspirants are completely natural as they come from nature.  Please don’t get hung up on this term, as it is used to manipulate you.

Antiperspirants are the most effective way to control underarm and foot odor due to excessive sweating.  Natural deodorants use a variety of other agents to control odor and bacterial levels.  Some work for some and not so well for others.  Men sweat more than women and frequently work in more physically demanding jobs. Therefore, it is much more likely to hear women in office jobs claiming good results from a natural deodorant, where a man working in the field may be less enthusiastic. Here are some common ingredients used in natural deodorants:

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, but it may worsen your BO as it is basic (remember acids and bases from high school chemistry?).  The bacteria that cause BO in your underarms prefer a basic environment, and baking soda can encourage their growth.  Plus, it can be irritating.

Essential Oils- Some essential oils, like Tea Tree, have mild bacteria reducing properties and may reduce odor-causing bacteria.  However, all fragrances, including essential oils, can irritate sensitive skin, causing skin breakdown and more problems.

Coconut oil is used as a base that also has bacteria-reducing properties.

Arrowroot powder is a moisture absorber that may keep the underarms drier.

Corn starch has the same function as arrowroot powder, but is likely more irritating.

Activated charcoal- can reduce odor, but it can be irritating and staining.

Alcohol is often used as a preservative, but it could have some bacteria-reducing properties.

Magnesium salts have some bacteria reducing properties.

If you are a heavy sweater, natural deodorants are likely to be less effective. Additionally, they often cost significantly more than mainstream deodorants. You can buy an antiperspirant at Dollar Tree for $1.25 or a name-brand antiperspirant for about $4, while a Native brand natural deodorant starts at $13 (Walmart prices as of 4/2025).

There are many DIY recipe hacks for making your own deodorant, many using coconut oil and baking soda (see caution above).  There are also several deodorant substitutes. Here are some of them:

-Spray or scrub rubbing alcohol under your arms. It reduces bacteria, but it is skin-drying.

-Use essential oils directly; this mostly masks odor, but can be very irritating to the skin.

-Use baking soda directly, it may cause overgrowth of harmful bacteria and can irritate.

-Apply glycolic acid directly; it reduces bacteria growth as it is acidic, but may be drying.

-Milk of Magnesia may reduce bacteria.

Some people have bacterial overgrowth problems that aren’t controlled by typical methods, and some dermatologists might recommend washing underarms several times a week with an antiseptic agent like benzoyl peroxide (PanOxyl), chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiclens), or povidone iodine (Betadine). They would be instructed to wash their underarms with these agents and then leave the solution on for a few minutes before thoroughly washing it off.  These cleansers can all dry out skin, so they should not be used daily.  Most would use a daily antiperspirant or deodorant on top of this.

Whole body deodorants were introduced in 2017 with the brand Lume.  Lume’s active ingredient is mandelic acid, which (like its cousin glycolic acid) makes an area more acidic and less friendly to smelly underarm bacteria.

Lume created a whole new market using funny but shame-based advertising; there are now many competitors.  I recently checked out some at Walmart, and most seem to just be rebranded deodorants.  Marketing is everything!

The Lume commercial makes people worry that they have offensive butt odor.

I’m a psychiatrist, meaning I’m also a licensed medical doctor.  In my years of practice, I have been the medical director of several inpatient programs that required me to do a comprehensive physical exams…that is a head-to-toe exam, when a new patient was admitted to my unit.  My nose has been very close to several thousand people so I feel I can honestly assess the need for a whole body deodorant.  In my opinion, they are entirely unnecessary and could potentially disrupt the skin’s natural biome. 

The vast majority of patients I have examined over my 40-year practice have smelled fine with basic hygiene. The ones that didn’t smell so good resulted from being dirty or having dirty clothing (or most likely both).  They returned to being non-smelly with a shower and clean clothes.  

For your saddle region, use gentle soap and water (or sometimes just water for women’s genital region). Your body cleans your internal structures automatically. 

For stinky feet, change out shoes allowing them to dry, wear fresh socks, apply absorbent foot powders, and consider antiperspirant creams for severe cases. 

If the above doesn’t help in those regions, it is best to see a doctor to determine if you have something that needs medical attention, like an infection.

Of course, there are other reasons why some people smell bad. We all know what we smell like when we eat garlic chicken or have a few beers, but those are temporary problems. Additionally, some illnesses, medications, and infections can cause odor problems. These are best sorted out by a healthcare provider. Lastly, some individuals have metabolic issues where they excrete malodorous scents. These individuals are rare, and I have never encountered one during several thousand physical exams.

For most people with odor problems, regular soap and water and clean clothing is the place to start, along with the application of an underarm deodorant or antiperspirant. If you don’t want to use anything under your arms you can try “washing up” a few times a day. 

I’m not here to change anyone’s mind or to get them to start or stop any agent.  If you are happy with your current hygiene routine, so be it.  I’m here to educate, inform, and hopefully tell an interesting story.  

Peace,

Mike

Sources for this post include the Smithsonian web page and other internet sources.  Images are from the internet, and all content is used only for educational purposes.  This post is not medical advice.  See your doctor if you have medical or odor concerns.

Uncategorized

What Will Be The Impact Of The Liberation Day Tariffs? A Non-Economist’s View.

I’m a retired guy who depends on his 401 (k) to live. Naturally, I have been in a state of terror these last few days, and I’m fearful for the days to come. Economists have talked about the adverse effects of tariffs ad nauseam, but it still seems that many misunderstand what they are. I would never claim to be an economist, but I thought I would do my best to define them according to my understanding. This post is my personal opinion.

Tariffs are a tax on the US consumer.

This statement is true.  It is not a fee paid by the exporting country.  A product comes into a US port and can only be delivered to the US vendor if the US vendor pays the tariff.  The vendor then has the option of passing costs on to the consumer.  In cases of a high tariff, it is most likely that the vendor will pass it on as they need to make a profit. 

Corporations are beholding to their shareholders, who always want to see increased gains.  They are not beholding to their customers. Think of a tariff as an exceptionally high sales tax added on top of the regular sales taxes. 

Is this the first time that the US has used tariffs?

No, they have been used many times, including in Trump’s last presidential term.  Then, they were used to a much more limited degree since others in the administration advised against them.  Those constraints have been removed this time around. 

What tariffs were imposed by Trump during his first term?

During his first term, most of Trump’s tariffs were on raw materials, with a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum. These tariffs were lifted on Canada and Mexico in 2019. Specific tariffs amounting to 34 billion dollars were placed on China, which retaliated with a reciprocal 34 billion dollar counter-tariff on the US. 

Did Trump impose tariffs on specific manufactured products during his first term?

Trump did impose a few tariffs on products, notably solar panels and washing machines. The Whirlpool Corporation (makers of Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Amana washers) petitioned the president for the tariffs as they had difficulty competing with the Korean brands Samsung and LG. Tariffs were not placed on clothes dryers, but manufacturers chose to raise the prices of those items as well; this would mean greater profit for companies like Whirlpool.  

The washing machine tariff raised the cost of a washer and dryer by nearly $200.  Biden canceled this tariff.  Manufacturers did drop the prices a bit, but they were still substantially higher than pre-tariff prices. Once tariffs increase prices, they will likely not return to their pre-tariff levels. The consumer pays the price.

Did the first-term tariffs move manufacturing and jobs to the US?

Yes, some plants moved to the US, creating an estimated 1000 jobs. However, around 74,000 jobs were lost due to the slowed economy, so the net numbers showed a significant job loss. 

How did Trump’s first-term tariffs impact citizens and the overall GDP?

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariffs_in_the_first_Trump_administration#Further_reading

A May 2019 analysis conducted by CNBC found Trump’s tariffs are equivalent to one of the largest tax increases in the U.S. in decades.[20][21][22] Studies have found that Trump’s tariffs reduced real income in the United States, as well as adversely affecting U.S. GDP.[23][24][25] Some studies also concluded that the tariffs adversely affected Republican candidates in elections.[26][27][28]

Are tariffs a new idea in the US?

No, tariffs have been used in the US in the past.  It was the primary way the federal government covered operating expenses before a Federal income tax was established in 1913.  The early United States was primarily an agrarian society, making it very difficult to calculate an income tax.  It was easier to determine the cost of things entering the country.  However, by the Civil War, it became evident that tariffs were inadequate to fund the government’s expanding role. The Civil War was supported by increasing tariffs, government bonds, duty taxes, and the sale of public lands.

Are there other examples of significant tariffs in the US and the impact that they had?

William McKinley, a Republican, sponsored the McKinley Tariff Act of 1890, which raised tariffs on imports to almost 50%. He was a protectionist who wanted to increase industry in the US and an imperialist who wanted to annex Canada to acquire its natural resources (sound familiar?).  

The tariffs caused a steep increase in consumer prices, which resulted in a landslide Democrat victory in the 1890 congressional elections.

From a New York Times newspaper article published in 1890:

The Republican campaign orators and pamphleteers say that the various import duties levied by Congress are paid by the foreigners who send goods to America, and they deny point blank that the price of any article which may be called a necessary expense will be increased to Americans by the operation of the new tariff law.

And

Fortunately for those who believe in tariff reforms, the question as to who pays the tariff taxes, and likewise the pleas which are made in answer to this question by the partisan defenders of the new law, may be referred to the arbitrament of incontestable facts. It is no longer necessary to meet theories with theories. Let the facts, which are multiplying every day, tell who it is that pays the onerous tariff taxes. They will answer that the American people pay these taxes and that the burden of them rests most heavily upon the poor, inasmuch as there are very few of the necessities of life the prices of which are not increasing on account of the McKinley tariff.

Industry growth did increase in the US during the 1880s-1940s as the US transitioned from an agricultural society to an industrial urbanized one. Times were different then, and global manufacturing giants like China did not exist. 

Modern economists have analyzed the impact of the McKinley Tariff.  Kevin Bryan summarized the work of Douglas Irwin (a Dartmouth professor and expert on trade policies) as follows:

Irwin concludes that the protection did not pass a cost-benefit test: the welfare losses (to consumers and perhaps related industries) outweighed the gains to producers and any learning-by-doing benefits. This echoes a general finding in the tariff history literature: while high tariffs clearly redistributed income in favor of protected manufacturers, they were not an unequivocal net benefit to the overall economy’s growth.

In other words, Professor Irwin felt that the McKinley Tariff did not benefit the US economy.

 The Democrats lowered these tariffs with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act of 1894.

Are there any other examples of the impact of high tariffs levied by the US?

The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 was supposed to protect American industries during the Great Depression. It placed tariffs on over 20,000 items, about 20% of all imported items. President Herbert Hoover signed the act in June 1930.  This resulted in a trade war with other countries, which launched counter-tariffs on US items. The impact of these tariffs was to stagnate the world economy further and contribute to more job losses in the US and abroad. It is now understood that the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs lengthened the Great Depression. It had the opposite of its intended effect.

What about the “Liberation Day” tariffs of 2025?

The full impact of the above tariffs are still unknown. The economy was doing well and consumer inflation was lessening at the end of 2024, but it has been worsening under the Trump administration, with inflation punching back.  

The impact of the extraordinarily high tariffs has had other consequences beyond financial, as many ally countries are now pulling away from US influence and forming alliances with each other.  This could allow another world power, like China, to create stronger partnerships with nations, including European countries.  Doing so would most certainly weaken the US’s role as a world power.

I have been monitoring European, Middle East, and Asian news outlets, and many countries echo the concern that the US can no longer be trusted and that they need to find solutions that protect themselves from the new instability and imperialism of the US.  

Trump notes that he is only charging  ½ of reciprocal tariffs.  The layperson may assume that these countries have massive tariffs against US industries. That is not the case. The Trump tariff calculations have nothing to do with other countries’ tariffs and have baffled economists.  They seem based on a trade deficit and make little economic sense. 

Syria is under US economic sanctions, so its trade with the US is minuscule, only a few million dollars primarily for artwork. However, since that is still more than what we export to Syria, the Trump administration has calculated that Syria has an 80% tariff on the US and is charging a 40% tariff on all imports from Syria. And let’s not forget tariffs imposed on uninhabited islands and impoverished African nations.  If this makes no sense to you, it is because it makes no sense.

The federal government says that Russia was one of only a few countries excluded from tariffs because we already have sanctions on them. Yet we have sanctions on Syria, but we imposed a 40% tariff on them. What gives?

The trade deficit from most countries is because we buy more from them than they buy from us. We buy from them because their products cost less; they don’t buy from us because our products cost more than they can get elsewhere.  That is simple economics. 

US-owned companies have lowered their costs by manufacturing products abroad. Countries like China have also developed superior supply chains and a highly skilled workforce making it more desirable to manufacture in other places. Lastly, we now have a global economy where American-manufactured products often include parts and materials from other countries.  I’ll include a video of one entrepreneur who tried to use US-based manufacturing companies and the barriers that he faced.

If you can’t click on the image use this link: https://youtu.be/jCS-LS4LUXk

The “Liberation Day” tariffs have already launched a trade war, likely leading to a recession and possibly a depression.  We are seeing some signaling of this with the stock market crash of the last few days.

If we look historically at the role of tariffs, the “Liberation Day” tariffs will result in higher prices on almost everything US consumers buy. This includes cars assembled in the US, as many of their parts are foreign-sourced. This will strain the pocketbooks of many Americans, some to the point of collapse. If the recession proceeds to a depression the entire country will suffer.

Some new factories will likely come to America, but history says the overall economic impact will be negative.  The US was economically the world’s envy for the last few years, but those times will be over. 

Re-establishing new factories in the US can cost a company billions of dollars, which they may not want to incur, as US policies have been erratic and chaotic as of late. Additionally, since these tariffs are based on executive orders, they could change on a whim or with a new administration. Companies want stability and predictability. Does it make sense for a company to close an efficient factory in another country and spend a billion dollars to build one in the US?  Some companies will say, “Yes.”  Others will say, “No.”  As countries like China and India develop their middle class, industries may sidestep the US and concentrate on those vast markets. 

Neighboring countries will likely seek other trading partners. When Canada faced the McKinley Tariffs in 1890, it shifted trade from the US to other British Commonwealth nations. This option exists today on a much broader level with a world economy, and Canada has already established a deal with energy-starved Japan to start shipping oil to them.

Prolonged tariffs will negatively impact all countries, including the US, a scenario that benefits no one.

Wait, why do we care about Canada selling oil to Japan? Aren’t we going to “Drill, baby, drill?”

Contrary to what you may hear, the US is already the largest oil producer in the world and has been for the last 6 years. The reason we buy oil from other countries is economic.  Our oil refineries were built to refine a particular grade of oil, which is not the oil that our wells now produce. Canada produces the correct type of oil for our refineries, so it is better for us to buy from them and sell our oil to countries that have different refineries that can process it.  Oil companies are reluctant to build new refineries in the US as it would be astronomically expensive, and they already have the facilities elsewhere. Even if we doubled our oil production, it would not change our need to import oil. 

So what is the answer for US manufacturing?

The US market is a big one, but there are many other huge markets in the world including the European Union, India, and China.  It makes little sense for companies to completely shift their production to the US as this will increase their prices for these other markets.  To return to an isolationist economy would seem impossible and not economically practical for the US at this time. The way to reduce manufacturing costs in the US is to pursue greater automation/robots while reducing the salary and benefits of US workers. Neither of these options benefit US workers. 

The industrial growth of the 1950s happened for many reasons.  First, we had massive post-war manufacturing factories while the rest of the world was in ruin.  Additionally, we offered higher education to the working class via the GI bill.  This resulted in an intellectual explosion and the creation of new industries, including the semi-conductor industry. It seems unlikely that we can return to our manufacturing prowess of the 1950s because the rest of the world has moved on and now can produce just about anything from tooth brushes to spaceships on their own. What they need from us is our technical expertise and intellectual property. We have been “selling” those. 

Is retraining of the underemployed the answer?  That is a difficult question. Is it reasonable to expect the average high school graduate to go back to school to become a research chemist or a aeronautical engineer?  Probably not, and if they could we would then have a glut of such individuals.

The biggest problem seems to be the transfer of wealth from lower classes to upper classes.  If that is the biggest problem it is likely one solution point.  Options like improving the minimum wage, the re-establisment of protective unions, and bettering education and healthcare for the underserved would accomplish some of these goals. All of these options would encourage the growth of the middle class and a large middle class means economic growth.

Obviously, I’m not an economist and I’m sure that there are many who have better solutions as this is just my two cents.  

The bottom line:

  1. Past attempts to enact significant tariffs on other countries have been unsuccessful and damaged the American economy.
  2. The Smoot-Hauley Tariff Act of 1930 worsened and lengthened the Great Depression and increased unemployment.
  3. Former friendly trading partners will likely form alliances excluding the US, which will weaken, not strengthen, our global influence.
  4. “Liberation Day” tariffs will increase inflation and likely throw the US (and the rest of the world) into another great recession and potentially a great depression. 
  5. Opening major new US factories can take 5-10 years, and many companies may not pursue this due to the uncertainty of the US government.
  6. We will never be able to compete with countries that have very low labor costs, especially with simple-to-manufacture items.  Other countries will buy from those countries, not the US.  
  7. It makes more sense to export things in which we are leaders, like computing and intellectual/technical services. 
  8. People (like myself) who rely on retirement investments will spend less out of financial fear, further stagnating the US economy. 
  9. As inflation increases, the general population will spend less, resulting in job loss in many sectors.
  10. Industries may try to bust labor unions to create a cheaper labor force. This move will not benefit US workers in the long run.
  11. Tariffs will have the most devastating impact on the poor as their safety nets are already being impacted in many ways, including Medicaid, Social Security, and other governmental programs. This is how uprisings start.
  12. Returning manufacturing to the US to 1950s levels seems very unlikely as the rest of the world has now caught up and in some cases exceeded our abilities in this area.

The above is my personal opinion.

Peace

Mike

Uncategorized

House Cleaning Hacks to Save You Time And Money

I decided to continue my theme of saving money by looking at some DIY cleaning products I make and use. However, I also do a lot of practical cleaning things, so I had to revisit the focus of this post. I’ll discuss DIY products and add easy ways to clean the house. This post will most benefit newbie cleaners who are starting with their first places. 

When I was single, I cleaned my apartment, but that apartment was small, and I was pretty organized, so cleaning was a simple process. When I bought a house, I hired a cleaning lady to do those tasks, which continued for many years after I remarried. However, I was never pleased with the cleaning ladies I used.  They often did a fantastic first clean and then some OK ones. As time went on, their work became more and more cursory. It was easier to go with the flow, so neither Julie nor I did much about it.

Ten years ago, Tom did a major remodel on our second floor, which was a great excuse to cancel our cleaning service due to construction. Julie was concerned, but I said I would do the cleaning. When I restarted this process, I discovered that many of the products we bought for the cleaning lady were empty and that both of our vacuum cleaners were inoperable (one had to be thrown out).  The cleaning lady never told us any of this. 

I didn’t have a lot of money when I cleaned my apartment in the early days, so I used the most straightforward methods possible.  However, now I could buy whatever I wanted, so I hit the hardware store’s cleaning products aisle and was astounded by the massive array of products.  It was overwhelming, and I bought everything in sight.  Granite cleaners, glass stove top cleaners, floor cleaners, bathroom cleaners, toilet cleaners, stainless steel cleaners, multipurpose cleaners and creams, glass cleaners, “magic” cleaners, wood cleaners, and so it went.  It was crazy, confusing, and expensive.

Dedicated products do a somewhat better job, but that difference is not great.  For most “cleans,” I go as simple as possible.  During the last 10 years, I have also experimented with different products to find the best value.  Sometimes, you don’t need the best of show; the best value product works well enough. I’ll share that info as well.

I live in the Midwest, which has moderately hard water.  I also use a traditional washing machine with an agitator. The machine is not a HE (high efficiency) machine, and I can’t comment on the needs of HE washers. Follow the instructions on your HE machine. All of my recommendations are my own, and they are based on my family and house.  Your needs may be different. However, you can still use these suggestions as a starting point.  As always, you do you.

About soaps/detergents in general

Many brands come in multiple variations. For instance, there is Original Tide, Tide with Downey, Simple Tide, Tide Oxy, and Hygenic Tide. I usually test the most popular formulation.  I’m unsure how different each formation is in a particular product line; some seem like marketing hype.  

Also, my tests are based on products that I have used over the years. I have not tested every single product on the market. My results are subjective but completely honest. Please shop by unit price (price per ounce or price per wash). I often find bigger-quantity products costing more per unit than smaller quantities or the exact same product by two different vendors at drastically different prices on Amazon. Use a calculator if necessary. 

The dishwasher

Only use detergent explicitly made for dishwashers (duh?).  If you can find powdered dishwashing detergent in a box, it is usually the most effective and cheapest.  Additionally, you can adjust the amount: a little for lightly soiled dishes and more for that spaghetti casserole.  

In our house, we have found pods more convenient. I have tested many, and I saw no difference in performance between the cheapest Walmart pods and the expensive multi-colored ones from the name brands. We primarily use inexpensive Kirkland pods (Costco), which do a great job. 

Dishwashing Soap

Everyone needs dishwashing soap (which is a detergent, not a soap), but what brand should you use?  The good news is that they all work, but some work better than others. A lot of this has to do with the concentration of detergent in the product.  You can’t judge how concentrated a product is based on its thickness.  All detergents, from dish soap to shampoo, use thickeners that add to the viscosity of the liquid but don’t add to the cleaning power. 

If you want the most potent dishwashing soap, go with the top-tier brand. However, I’m usually quite happy with middle-tier products. The low-tier products work, but you will need to use more of them, so they are likely not the bargain they seem on the surface. 

Top Tier

Everyone says Dawn is the best, and it likely is.  It is also the most expensive.

Dawn

Middle Tier

These products all work great, but they are not quite as concentrated as Dawn. I’m usually quite happy with them, and some are half the price of Dawn.

Palmolive dish soap

Kirkland (Costco brand)

Great Value (Walmart brand)

Gain dish soap

Radiance (Aldi brand)

Amazon Basics brand

Bottom Tier

These will do the job, but you will need more of the product, so what are you saving?

Ajax Dishwashing Soap

Awesome brand (Dollar Tree)

Sun Dishwashing Soap

Extra Credit brand

Both my sisters swear by this product, but it is more expensive and more limited in how you can use it. However, they say it is fantastic on grease. 

Dawn Power Wash

DIY Power Wash (my sister says it is just as good)

  1. Use an empty Power Wash bottle.
  1. To 13 ounces of water, add four tablespoons of dish soap and two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol.  Swirl to mix. 

How do you wash dishes? We use a sponge with a bit of detergent added to it.  You only need a tiny amount of dish soap for most dishes.  

Easy DIY cleaning method for greasy glass stovetops

When we fry something, we often get a layer of grease on our glass stovetop. You can buy expensive cleaners for this, but we use a DIY method.

  1. Put a few drops of dish soap around your stovetop.  
  2. Using a damp sponge, smear the soap around the entire stovetop. Leave it for a few minutes.
  3. Wipe off the soap using dry paper towels.
  4. Follow up that wipe with a somewhat wet sponge.
  5. Wipe that off with a dish towel or paper towel. 

Two very simple homemade general-purpose spray cleaners

I grew up in the science age when everything had a cool product name.  When I was a kid, multi-purpose spray cleaners hit the market with names like “Formula 409” and “Fantastic.”  I believe those products still exist, along with “Pink” products and “Mrs. Meyers,” to name a few.  

I’m constantly cleaning surfaces, and during the pandemic, cleaning supplies were in short supply, so I made some of my own.  However, I simplified those complicated products (that were anti-microbial) to be super easy to make—both of these work. Be conservative on how much detergent is added. If you add too much, you will leave streaks and residue that will attract dirt. 

You can use an empty spray bottle from a used-up product, but I like using a 32-ounce “professional” spray bottle. Product bottles often break after a few refills, but my pro bottle has lasted me three years. It was worth a few dollars. These formulas are based on  32 ounces; if you are using a smaller bottle, cut back a bit on the soap portion.

I use these for all surfaces: countertops, wood cabinets, the inside and outside of appliances (including the microwave and fridge), the kitchen table, and much more.  

If things are grimy, spray on and let it sit for a couple of minutes, or use a nylon scraper to dislodge the gunk.

DIY Formula 1

Fill a 32-ounce spray bottle with warm water, leaving roughly 1 inch from the top. Add about 1 inch (or less) of an all-purpose cleaner. Add a few drops of dish soap if you need additional cleaning power. Screw on the top and gently swirl to mix. 

Here are some all-purpose cleaners that I have tested and used for my DIY spray cleaner.

Top Tier

Mr. Cean

Spic and Span

Pine-Sol

Middle Tier

Fabuloso

Lysol All Purpose Cleaner

Bottom Tier

Mrs. Meyers All Purpose cleaner (smells great, but a meh cleaner)

Awesome Multi Cleaner (Dollar Tree)

DIY Formula 2

Fill a 32-ounce spray bottle with warm water, leaving some room at the top.  Add ½ to a scant teaspoon of dish soap, replace the top, and swirl to mix. 

Sink cleaning hack

There are many products to clean sinks, from Scrubbing Bubbles foam to spray-on liquids. They work but are expensive and quickly run out when cleaning multiple sinks. I use old-fashioned powdered cleaners. An enormous amount can cost around a dollar and last a long time, and it can be found in just about every store.  The two brands that I use are Comet and Ajax.  Both are equally good. Ed note:  Both can be found at Dollar Stores for about $1.25, but my local mid-level grocery store has Comet for almost $3 and Ajax for around $2.  Advice: shop around.

As a student, I worked summers as a janitor for CPS. An experienced janitor taught me the proper way to use powdered cleansers.  

Wet down a sink.  Sprinkle some powdered cleanser on a damp towel or sponge (don’t add the cleanser to the sink).  Commence to scrubbing.  If the sink is filthy, do an initial light scrub and let the powder sit on the sink for a minute.  Re-dampen the cloth or sponge and scrub a little harder.  Your results will look better than those of using a spray or aerosol cleaner. This works both on porcelain and stainless steel sinks. 

Option two:  I did this by accident.  Use a small amount of dish soap on a wet sink and scrub with a damp sponge or rag.  I just did this on a bathroom sink, and the results were fantastic.  I may switch to this method because I can use fewer cleaning products.  Less products = less clutter!

Bathtub Cleaning Hack

I have used powdered cleaners on our fiberglass tub but have read mixed cautions about doing this, as it is possible that these cleaners could scratch the tub. 

Here is an alternate DIY formula.

DIY Tub cleaner

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda with equal amounts of dish detergent.  

Apply to a wet sponge and smear on the tub.  Let it sit for up to 30 minutes.  Re-wet the sponge and scrub.  Rinse with fresh water.  

Shower Liner Cleaning Hack

After a while, shower liners get a bit gross and often show signs of “red mold,” which is, in reality, a bacterial film. Many folks throw out the old liner and buy a new one. However, returning the old liner to its former glory is easy. Toss the old liner in the washing machine (by itself) with detergent and bleach (I’m guessing I use ½ to 1 cup).  Run a cycle, and your liner will look new.  This works with plastic and white cloth liners. 

Pot Cleaning Hacks

You need to know what material the pot coating is made from. Enamel and non-stick pots should never be exposed to abrasives. Stainless steel and aluminum pots can take a beating without signs of wear, and soap is best avoided when washing cast iron (although it can be used in certain situations).

The easiest method is the soak method.  

Scrape off big chunks of burnt food with a nylon scraper; add hot water and dish soap, and let the pot sit during dinner.  Then, wash using a non-scratching scrubby-type sponge or dish rag.  

Other options

-You can also boil the above solution on the stove for more cleaning action.  Bring soap and water in the pot to a boil, cover and turn off the heat, and let it sit for 30 minutes or more.  Then clean it as above.

Cheap steel wool from the Dollar Store is excellent for stainless steel and aluminum pots (never use on enamel or non-stick). 

Bar Keeper’s Friend works fantastically on stainless steel and aluminum pots with impossible-to-remove crud. I used this powder to rescue pots I thought I would have to throw out. 

Toilet Cleaning Hack

I will use any detergent to clean the toilet; they all work great. This can be shampoo or shower gel that you don’t like or dish detergent. I use dish detergent that is sub-par for washing dishes. Just squirt some in and brush away. This hack works as good the dedicated staff. 

Unclog your sink without chemicals.

Three of us have long hair, and my son goes back and forth between long and shorter hair. Our drains often run slow, which is always due to hair in the drain. I have tried all sorts of chemical drain cleaners, which work but are a pain to use. Several years ago, I came upon a drain snake that is simple to use, chemical-free, and works better than chemical drain cleaners. It’s cheap and can be used over and over again. 

Window Washing Hacks

Hack 1

When newspapers were voluminous, we would use them as paper towels when washing windows. Newspaper (not with colors) gives a streak- and lint-free performance. 

Hack 2

This is the one that I constantly use.  I buy concentrated window washing solutions from the hardware store. Professional window washers use these; some get diluted 100 to one.  I then dilute them per instruction and have my personal “Windex” at a fraction of the cost of the regular stuff.  

Hack 3

There are many DIY window washing formulas.  Here is one of them.

DIY Window Washing Solution

Mix 2 cups water with 1/2 cup white vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing soap.  Add to a spay bottle and use accordingly. 

Paper Towel Hack

If you want to use fewer paper towels, you can use microfiber clothes specifically made for glass cleaning that are lint-free. However, FYI, these clothes may release microplastics.

Laundry Hacks

My wife does the laundry the majority of the time, so some of these are her hacks.

What type of detergent to use?

I switched to liquid laundry detergent when I was in college, as the powders of the day didn’t dissolve in cold water.  Liquid detergent has many advantages over other forms, but its big drawback is that it comes in a giant plastic jug.

Pods are easy to use but expensive and inflexible.

Sheets can seem eco-friendly, but dissolvable plastics bind those sheets together. They often don’t clean as well. 

Powders dissolve better today than when I was in college, but they are not as flexible as liquid detergent, which can also be used as a spot stain remover. 

What is laundry detergent?

Laundry detergent is a complex mix of detergent, water softeners, optical brighteners, color-safe bleach, whiteners, pH adjusters, fragrances, stabilizers, preservatives, and enzymes. The more expensive detergents have more expensive ingredients, like additional enzymes, making them better cleaners but also more costly. 

Top Tier Liquids

Tide

Persil

Middle Tier

All (We often use this brand in the fragrance-free version)

Kirkland (Costco brand)

Gain

Bottom Tier

Era

Arm and Hammer

Should you make your laundry detergent?

When my kids were young, one of our science fair experiments was determining what laundry detergent worked best (the best was Tide, and the worst was a forgotten Dollar Store brand). We stained white tee shirts with all sorts of stuff and then washed them with various soaps. We did one wash without soap as our control. We discovered that at least 50% of the cleaning action of doing laundry is done by water and agitation alone!

Making your own DIY laundry soap sounds so easy.  A bar of soap, some borax, some washing powder, and a little this and that, and you have made laundry soap for pennies a wash. I have been tempted, but I have extensively researched the topic.  The bottom line is that these homemade soaps don’t do a good job in cold water and leave a residue, making your clothes dingy and a dirt magnet over time.  I wish that were not the case, but it is. Don’t forget that just washing your clothes in water alone gives you about 50% of the cleaning action, so it is easy to think that your DIY laundry soap is doing the job when it isn’t. 

The difference between different laundry detergents and soap.

In the “old days,” people used soap and hot water to wash clothes.  In fact, my grandmother boiled her wash. Hot water adds to soap’s cleaning power. Soap leaves soap scum, which requires careful rinsing in hot water. 

However, people now wash in cold water, and detergents work much better in that situation. Many other agents are also added to laundry detergent to obtain good results. These include ingredients to make the detergents work better and agents to make whites whiter and colors pop. Enzymes are also added for stain removal, with different enzymes being good for one type of stain and others suitable for others. 

The top-tier detergents often have the most enzymes, so they are great at removing all sorts of stains. They are fantastic if you have messy kids, kids in sports, or adults with dirty jobs. However, many of us don’t fall into those categories, so we can save money using a middle-tier product and still get excellent results.

Laundry Hack 1

My wife and kids just shook their heads when I told them about this hack.  Why?  Because they knew it long before I did. Oh well, I was late to the party. You need only a tiny amount of detergent to wash your clothes.  Never fill the cap to the top with detergent. Your clothes will attract dirt and look dingier if you use too much detergent.  The cap will list with a line or a number the amount of detergent to use for various situations.  However, these markers are usually very faint and not obvious, so read the instructions on the bottle and find those lines.  Most manufacturers are specific, so don’t use less detergent than recommended for optimal results. 

Laundry Hack 2

You don’t need a ton of different additions to your laundry routine.  You can just rub some of the liquid detergent into a stain for removal.  Let it sit for a bit, and then wash. I use a tiny bit of dish soap on a greasy stain, which works well.  My wife will sometimes spray a stain with diluted Simple Green.  Lastly, don’t forget the power of the “soak.”  Dissolve some powdered Oxy Clean in a bucket of water (or just use some laundry detergent).  Add your garment and let it soak overnight; then, wash it as usual.  Oxy Clean powder is a simple compound of washing powder, a little detergent, and a chemical that turns into hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in water.  It is likely that the liquid Oxy product is different, so I would go with the powder.  There are many generic “Oxy Clean” powders out there. If the chemicals are the same, they are the same, so you can save some money by using them.

Laundry Hack 3

Use dryer balls instead of liquid fabric softeners or sheets. Several appliance repair people have told me fabric softeners can damage your washer and dryer.

Floor Cleaning Hacks

We have many hard surfaces in our house that need to be cleaned. The most important thing to do is to use a neutral-pH cleaner. Specific floor cleaners and all-purpose cleaners will list if they have a neutral pH. Fabuloso and Mr. Clean are neutral pH.  Using another type of product will leave a residue that needs to be rinsed off, adding an extra step. 

I find products, like a Swifter, more labor intensive, less effective, and more expensive.  I go with a bucket and a traditional string mop.  If you know how to use a string mop, your job will be quick (I learned how as a janitor).  When it comes to a bucket, I use one with a wringer, like you would see being used in a hospital or office building. They come in smaller sizes for home use.  

Two of my kids love the O-Cedar Spin Mop system for their apartments.  The O-Cedar system is easier to move around but less effective than a full-sized string mop. However, it is a good alternative if you have strength issues.

Don’t use too much multi-use detergent; too much will leave a residue and make your floor dirtier in the long run. Always wring out your mop and place it so the mop head can air dry thoroughly to avoid that moldy smell.  You can wash string mop heads in the washer if needed.  

There you have it, a bunch of hacks that will save you money and simplify your life.  

Peace

Mike