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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.

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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

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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

Save on hygiene products, Uncategorized

Nine Personal Hygiene Hacks That I Use that Saves Money

I like to be clean, which is certainly not a controversial statement.  My wife would say I’m a bit fastidious, and she might imply that I’m neurotically hygienic when she is peeved with me. However, I disagree. I’m not a “germophobe” guy; I like to smell nice. I may have a more sensitive nose than most, and I react negatively when encountering someone who needs a shower. Conversely, I like it when someone smells nice. That is just me.

Despite this propensity, I have developed some frugal hygiene hacks over the years. All of them came about for reasons other than being frugal. In most cases, they worked better than more costly options and became part of my daily routine.  

I have written several posts on ways to save money, so I am adding this one.  I had a little inner conflict when writing this post as it seemed too “personal” and a bit TMI.   However, if it gets someone thinking about saving money, my disclosures will be worth it.

I gave up body wash/shower gels.

Body wash became popular in the late 1980s, and I was on board when they hit the market. The stuff was modern, smelled great, and was often colorful. Body wash is mostly water combined with detergent, thickening agents, fragrance, and other additives like preservatives, colorants, and buffering compounds.  

Around 10 years ago, I was at a store and spied some bar soap that I bought primarily for nostalgia. The soap and I entered the shower, and it was love at second sight.  I liked holding the bar, the slick way it felt when I applied it, and the overall experience.  My wife and kids are still on the body wash bandwagon, but I’m now firmly back in the bar soap court. 

Bar soap requires a slight change in procedure. You will need some sort of soap dish, and it is imperative that you dump out any water in that dish at the end of your shower. Otherwise, your bar will turn into a slimy, gross mess.  

Body wash comes in a plastic bottle that is not earth-friendly.  Bar soap comes in a paper wrapper.  Both body wash and bar soap can be purchased inexpensively or ridiculously expensively.  High-end soaps are differentiated mainly by the shape of the bar or bottle and the amount and quality of the fragrance added.  Pro tip: no one will smell that fragrance on you within 10 minutes of leaving the shower. 

If you have sensitive skin, one brand may work better than another. The same can be said if you have especially oily skin or an unusual odor issue. I have dry skin and can use just about any soap as long as it isn’t heavily fragranced. When it comes to body wash and bar soap, the skin-irritating ingredient is usually the fragrance.  

You may wonder if an inexpensive brand will get you as clean as a high-end product. If I put you in a room with 25 people who took a shower the same morning, some using the most expensive body wash and others using the cheapest bar of soap, you would not be able to smell the difference.  All products get you clean.  You may prefer the luxury of an $95 bottle of Tom Ford body wash, but it won’t get you any cleaner than a $0.54 bar of Ivory soap.  

This 8.5 ounce bottle of body wash costs almost $100!
Ivory Soap costs less than $0.60 a bar.

Is bar soap less expensive than body wash? Shower gels and soaps come in various sizes and price points, making comparison difficult. However, here is a reasonable examination:

Dove soap products are mild, quality products that many people like. As of March 2025, you can buy 16 Dove soap bars at Costco for $18.49 or $1.15 a bar. A 16-oz bottle of Dove Body Wash will last about the same length as a bar of soap (based on my usage habits). 

On Walmart.com, the 20-oz bottle of Dove body wash was less expensive than the 16-oz bottle (go figure), so I’ll use that price and recalculate it for 16 ounces.  

Doing some math: $7.97/20 oz = $0.40/ounce. $0.40 x 16 oz = $6.40.  So the calculated cost is $6.40 for 16 oz of Dove body wash. That compares to $1.15 for a bar of Dove. An over 500% difference! You can buy even less expensive bars, with brands like Irish Spring and Ivory selling for around $0.60 a bar.

I no longer use pump-liquid soap at the sink.

I don’t like using bar soap at the sink. You may be grossed out thinking about all the different people who used the same bar, but it is equally hygienic to use bar soap and pump soap. I don’t like it because people don’t drain the soap dish, and the soap becomes a goopy mess. Liquid soap has been around forever in public places but became popular for home use with the introduction of the Soft Soap brand in 1980. As soon as liquid soap became available for home use, I started using it. 

The COVID pandemic brought all sorts of shortages, including liquid soap and liquid soap refills.  I remember going to Target to find the shelves bare of these basic products.   

We had some foaming soap bottles on hand, and with a quick YouTube search, I discovered that it was simple to make foaming soap, which is just regular liquid soap plus water. This was the perfect way to stretch my dwindling liquid soap supply. Additionally, I much prefer foaming soap as it makes less of a “drip mess” on the sink while cleaning my hands just as well.  

To make foaming soap, fill an empty foaming soap bottle ⅕ with liquid soap and the rest with warm water. Add the water slowly, like you would add beer to a stein, to prevent over-foaming. Put the top back on and give the bottle a few shakes, and you will have a bottle of soap for 1/5th the cost of regular hand soap.

Making foaming hand soap is super easy. You can use a foaming container from a used-up bottle or buy empty foaming bottles from Amazon and other places.

Hand soap, body wash, and shampoo use the same ingredients with only minor changes. Hand soap may contain more detergent, body wash more fragrance, and shampoo may have an adjusted pH to reduce flyaway hair. You can use any of the above when making foaming hand soap. Body wash and shampoo are designed to suds better than traditional hand soap, so use those if you like suds. 

I found a better and cheaper way to apply body lotion.

I have dry skin, and when I was newly married, my wife would complain that my legs felt like the bark on a tree trunk.  She suggested that I use lotion after a shower, and I dutifully complied. 

My initial effort was to dry off after a shower and apply a hand lotion like Vaseline Intensive Care. That was a pain because it was slow and tedious, as applying the lotion dragged on my dry skin. 

I researched the rationale of using lotions, which changed my approach.  You may think that lotions soften skin like oiling an old baseball glove softens it.  That is not the case. The primary purpose of any hand or body lotion is to trap moisture (water) close to the skin.  A person’s natural oils are supposed to do this, but if you are a daily showerer like me, you wash those oils away.

I developed my method, which works better, is quicker to apply, and has cost savings.  This is what I do:

  1. I switched from hand lotion to a body cream. A lotion is liquid because it contains alcohol and water (making the product more diluted). Body creams usually come in tubs and are significantly thicker and more concentrated. I have used many, but my favorite is Cerave Moisturizing Cream. However, the others work well enough, too. Because they are more concentrated, body creams are more economical in the long run. 
  2. I apply the body cream as soon as I’m done with my shower.  I do NOT dry off, so all that water is available to make my skin healthy and soft.  Since my skin is wet, the cream glides on, and I’m done in a minute or two. I also use significantly less cream this way, so I don’t feel like a greased pig.  Since I’m pushing the water around, I’m dry enough to get dressed a few minutes after applying the cream.  I never have to “towel dry.”
  3. I use much less body cream this way; a jar will last me months.  

I have used this method for many years, and my wife’s tree trunk complaints are long gone. 

I like Cerave Moisturizing Cream, but other brands are also good.

I stopped using traditional deodorants decades ago.

Don’t say, “Eww,” I don’t smell bad; I just have an issue.  Antiperspirants work great for me. Unfortunately, after about a week of using them, My pores are so clogged up that I want to rip my armpits off. 

I can’t tell you how many commercial and “natural” deodorants I have tried. They just don’t work very well. Now, if you were sitting across a room from me, you probably wouldn’t notice anything, but my nose does, which bothers me.

Natural mineral crystal deodorants have been used in Southeast Asia for hundreds of years and came to America around 30 years ago.  I saw an ad in a magazine 20 years ago and bought some via mail order.  Mineral crystals are not an antiperspirant, so they don’t make me want to rip out my armpits. They work so well that  I don’t have the slightest hint of any offending body odor. 

My original purchase was a large mineral crystal rock in a little bag.  However, I have purchased it in a more traditional stick form for many years.  Don’t buy the spray or roll-on, which consists of the mineral salt dissolved in water.  They are a massive waste of money.  Buy the solid mineral crystal. Your skin has to be slightly damp so you can dissolve a tiny amount of the minerals on your skin.  This product lasts forever.  I had my last stick for over a year and only had to replace it because I dropped it, which shattered the stick into a dozen pieces.  

I rarely use toilet paper!

If the title of the last section gave you the ick, I’m guessing that this one gives you the double ick.  Let me assure you that all is good down there.

When COVID hit, people went nuts. Do you remember the TP riots? Someone hoards toilet paper, and then everyone has to. We are sheep. I remember going to multiple stores to finally score a four-pack of toilet paper that was more akin to sandpaper—and I was happy to buy it.

Several people I knew had installed bidets on their toilets during that time.  These were the fancy ones with heated seats and massaging water programs.  Soon, they sang the bidet’s praises, which caught my interest. However, to install one would cost me around $1,500 (bidet price plus a plumber and electrician).  I decided to go a more straightforward, less techy route and got a non-heating unit that could be self-installed (which I did with the help of a friend).  It cost around $60 and took less than 10 minutes to hook up.  I believed I would upgrade to a fancy unit if I liked the process.  That was around 3 years ago.

There are many of these types of DIY bidet attachments on Amazon. This one is a best seller and is less than $30.

There is a slight learning curve, but using cleansing water instead of TP gets you much cleaner down there, and it is less irritating if you have a spell of frequent “visits.”  It is the best $60 I have ever spent, and I have no need to get a more elaborate model. 

I gave up shaving with a modern razor.

I made this change at least 15 years ago.

Like most, I would buy a razor starter kit and a couple of packs of razor blades at the drugstore. Eventually, I would need more blades, but when I went to buy them, there were so many different options that I could never remember which system I had.  I would then purchase another starter kit and more packs of blades. This cycle repeated in an endless loop. I felt ripped off buying blades at over  $3 apiece. Plus, I hated that the blades were mounted in plastic, which would remain in a landfill long after I was gone.

There had to be a solution, and it was right in front of me. I remembered my father shaving with a Gillette double-edge safety razor. As a kid, I would sit on a stool and watch him. I was fascinated.  

Those same razor styles exist today and remain popular in many other countries. I bought one and started using it.  There is a learning curve when transitioning from a multi-blade system to a safety razor.  With a multi-blade cartridge, you apply a little pressure as the force is distributed over all the blades.  With a traditional safety razor, you let the razor’s weight do the work. Additionally, a cartridge razor is designed to connect with your face at the right angle, but you are the one who angles a safety razor (at around 30 degrees).  Use a safety razor for a week or two; it quickly becomes natural.  I can’t remember the last time that I nicked myself.  

When you use a safety razor, you get a close shave and are less likely to deal with bumps and ingrown hairs. A gigantic community of safety razor enthusiasts is out there to answer any question. Shaving with a safety razor can be dirt cheap or expensive if you want to use exotic shaving creams, limited edition razor bodies, and such.

I love shaving this way. Ninety percent of the time, I use a German-made razor from Merkur that is built so well that it will last a lifetime. I sometimes switch out that razor for others I own, including a Gillette Speed Razor made in 1953. Why 1953?  That was the year that I was born!

I have used this razor for many years and it still looks like new. You can buy many different styles of safety razors at various price points. They all use the same razor blade style.

This form of shaving is extremely earth-friendly as the steel blades are entirely biodegradable.  Instead of paying over $3 for a cartridge blade, typical double-edged razor blades cost between 5 and 50 cents and are universal for all safety razors.  Most blades are now made overseas in the Czech Republic, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, China, India, and Pakistan.  They come in cool-looking packages.  Most newbies buy an inexpensive “sample pack” of different razor blades to determine a brand that works for them (some blades are milder, others more aggressive).  My favorite blades cost less than 10 cents each and do a great job.

If you get into “wet shaving,” you can buy all sorts of shaving soaps, creams, and brushes at various prices. However, a regular can of shaving cream works just fine, too. I could continue, as I enjoy shaving this way, but I’ll stop now. Check out videos on YouTube if you want more information.

Want to try out wet shaving? This kit comes complete with a razor and blades and costs less than $15.
Some wet shavers turn it into a hobby. This titanium razor costs around $250. Do you need to spend that much? Absolutely not.
Wet shavers often get into the weeds when it comes to shaving and return to using shaving soap and a brush. Here, you can buy three pucks for around $10. Can you use regular shaving cream in a can? Of course!
You can also go a more luxurious route. This Art of Shaving soap and teak wood bowl cost around $50. The soap works, smells great, and will last a very long time.
You can buy razor blade samplers to find the best blade for your beard. This popular sampler pack on Amazon gives you 100 blades for around ten bucks.

I stopped going to the barber.

I’m a guy with typical male pattern baldness.  I also have a ridiculous tuft of hair in the middle of my forehead. I decided I was not going the “comb over” route.  Many years ago, I told my barber to give me a close crop, which he did. I continued that way for some time until an “incident” happened.  I had a rare extended break between two workplaces and spied a “Super Cuts.”  Only one stylist was working, but I was told I was the next customer.  I signed up and waited, and waited, and waited.  It turned out that the stylist was cutting her friend’s hair, and they were deep into gossip.  Finally, I got up and left. Irritation is sometimes the mother of invention. I went to the store and bought an electric hair clipper and never looked back, as my particular haircut is easy and straightforward.

I got sick of waiting for the stylist and went out and bought a hair clipper set.

I’m not sure that I would tackle a more complicated cut. However, I know people who do. I have a talented sister who always cuts her husband’s hair, but she went to an expensive salon for her cuts. When COVID hit, she was housebound and decided to give it a try. She did a fantastic job, and her hair looks no different than when she was spending a fortune to have someone else cut it. Only you can decide if such a bold move is right for you. 

I can make my own cologne.

The freshmen in the high school I attended were housed in an annex building that lacked typical high school amenities, including gym showers. As young boys dealing with puberty and girls, most of us were overly conscious of our post-gym smell. Our solution was to splash on cheap drugstore colognes, a habit that I quickly adopted. 

I have worn cologne every day since, the only exception being when I hike in bear country, as those buggers think cologne smells delicious. I know some people don’t like others wearing cologne, but I am the opposite.  When someone walks by me and I get a subtle whiff of a fragrance, it leaves a positive impression.  I think, “This person took an extra step to smell nice today.”  I want to do the same.

The most expensive part of a bottle of cologne is the cap, followed by the sprayer and then the bottle. The liquid contents are relatively inexpensive. Spending $60 for a bottle of cologne is common, with many popular scents costing significantly more. 

A while back, I wanted to make my own, and indeed, it is a simple process involving perfume alcohol and scenting agents in the form of essential oils and commercial concentrates from scent houses.  

I currently have several bottles of store-bought colognes, so I do not need to make any homemade stuff. However, it’s fun to do and only costs pennies on the dollar. 

I was surprised that they still sold this cologne as it was one of the brands we used as high school freshmen. It was potent stuff and likely sold for under $10 at the local Walgreens. It now sells for over $30. Should I buy a bottle? Hmm, probably not.
Sauvage is a very popular department store brand. It goes for around $100.
Ready for the big league? Aventus is a classic from the British house “Creed.” Be prepared to spend over $400/100 ml for the privilege of wearing this scent.

I am brand agnostic.

As a medical resident, I made little money.  Yet, I had to pay child support, and because of my daughter, I needed to rent my own apartment.  Money was very tight.  I quickly went from preferring certain brands to buying what I could afford. That included hygiene products.  For instance, I purchased whatever ADA-approved toothpaste was on sale.  That action became a habit that I continue to this very day.  Costco always sells one brand or another of toothpaste on sale.  When we need toothpaste, I buy one that is on sale. Likewise, I don’t care if I use brand-name or house-brand mouthwash.  I don’t get hung up in advertising hype.  

When it comes to a lot of hygiene products, I’m brand agnostic. As I write this Crest toothpaste is on sale at Costco so I would buy that brand if I needed toothpaste.

Well, there you have it, nine of my hygiene savings hacks. None were started to save money, but they all do. Saving a few cents here and there may sound silly, but it all adds up.  Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, became one of the wealthiest persons in the world, a few pennies at a time.

Peace

Mike

saving on food, Uncategorized

Secrets To Saving Money By Packing Your Lunch

I created my first YouTube video series in 2008 due to the Great Recession. One of the populations that I was treating was newly divorced men who were suffering financially during that time.  As we talked, it became clear that many were spending money on eating out because they didn’t have the basic skills to make food.  

Cooking may seem simple if you have been doing it for years, but it is more complicated than you think. You must know what to buy, when, and how much to cook, plan what to make, and have the gear to make it.

Younger divorced men often prioritized spending on a new wardrobe or a big TV rather than a good set of pots and pans. As a psychotherapist, my goal was to improve the quality of my patients’ lives, including enhancing their practical life skills. Cooking for themselves would allow them additional independence and financial security, which equals better mental health. 

I would focus on a simple first step, like packing a lunch instead of eating out, and I was surprised how difficult this was for some.  Many thought their only option was to slap together a boring sandwich; for others, even that seemed too complicated. That is why my first YouTube series in 2008 was on ways to pack a lunch.  It was my first attempt at making YouTube videos, and is best forgotten.

We are currently experiencing runaway inflation. This is annoying for those with a cash reserve but devastating for individuals and families who are struggling financially. In my last post, I wrote about ways to save money on food. This post is all about ways to save money by packing a lunch.

As a working adult, I almost always packed my lunch. It was a financial must in graduate school and during my medical training. As an established physician, I could afford to “go out,” but I still chose to pack my meals for several reasons. The main one was that I would do paperwork and return phone calls during my lunch break. Other doctors would finish seeing patients at 8 p.m. and then stay an hour later to return calls and tidy up their paperwork. I wanted to go home to my family as soon as possible. 

There have been times when I would buy my lunch.  In the past, I worked for the VA system several days a week.  They had a heavily subsidized cafeteria, and I sometimes bought lunch so I could socialize with the other doctors. How good were those lunches?  You get what you pay for, and their lunches were cheap. 

My kids have picked up on some of my habits and packed their food from home.  Most of them are now living away and have continued that habit, which saves them time and money. My wife takes a slightly different approach and has a mini-fridge and microwave at her workplace.  She often eats shelf-stable foods at work that she can easily prepare. She is particularly fond of dehydrated soups in a cup and buys them by the gross when they are on sale.

One of my wife’s favorite work-time lunches is dehydrated soup in a cup. She buys them in quantity when they are on sale.

The rationale for packing a lunch is clear: It saves money and can be healthier. A 2015 Visa credit card company survey noted that the average person could save $1,170/year by packing a lunch. A 2023 analysis on makingsenseofcents.com cited a $100 saving per month. However, you can save much more.

Let’s look at two extremes.  In 2025, spending over $20 (lunch and tip) at a typical restaurant would not be uncommon.  I recently took my daughter out to lunch at a pick-up place. A sandwich plus chips and a drink was close to $20!  I ordered at the counter, had to pick up my food, and had to bus my table, so I did not give them the “suggested” 25% tip. Naturally, that would have increased the cost further.  These prices may seem high where you live, but they are commonplace in Chicagoland.

In med school, I was desperately poor and brought a cheap lunch 95% of the time; I packed a generic sandwich and perhaps some house-brand cookies, chips, or an apple. I often drank water but sometimes brought one of those horrible sugary drink pouches (Capri Sun). Coffee was usually available for free in the hospital. Let’s look at one of my typical med school lunches using 2025 prices (prices from Walmart.com as of March 2025).  

PBJ sandwich (Google search/https://lenpenzo.com from 2024) $0.46

One serving of rebagged Walmart sandwich cookies $0.13

Gala Apple (⅓ pound) $0.40

Coffee $0.00

Total $0.99

If you are spending $15/day buying your lunch, 5 days a week, 48 weeks/year $3,600.00

If you are packing the above super cheap lunch/year. $238.00

Savings/year $3362.00

It seems that everyone carries a water bottle. They come in a vast variety of shapes, types, and sizes. Why buy a bottle of water when you can bring it for free?
You can buy snack packs of cookies, chips, and popcorn for around 50-60 cents a bag or rebag a larger package. Here, I have a cup of home-popped popcorn with one cup costing only a few pennies.

Of course, you may pack a more deluxe lunch or only eat off of the $5 McDonald’s menu every day, but either way, you will save money by packing your lunch.

I had a patient who was constantly strapped for money. She and her husband worked in lower-level retail jobs and ate all their meals at McDonald’s (or similar joints).  I finally convinced her to cook at home and pack her lunch.  This was a difficult sell because she thought she could never eat as cheaply as a McDonald’s combo meal.  However, she went from never having enough money to saving money. 

When I first met my friend, Tom, he always went out to eat. He owns a residential construction business and is often in different locations with interesting food options. It would not be uncommon for him to buy coffee and a breakfast treat at Starbucks, a nice lunch at a local pick-up joint, and make a trip to get coffee during the workday.  However, with today’s economy, he now brings a thermos of coffee and lunch from home and is eating better and healthier.   

Thermos-style coffee flasks come in a variety of styles. Here is the one that I use.

If you decide to bring your lunch, it’s wise to invest in some inexpensive accessories. Here are a few items to consider.

I usually packed my lunch in a soft-sided 6-pack cooler. It kept my food cold enough that I didn’t need an ice pack. However, there are now a variety of inexpensive soft-sided insulated bags specifically designed for lunch. You can find them everywhere, from big box stores to Amazon.  Choose one with a sound closure system, i.e., a sturdy zipper. My bags would last me years.  If they got grungy, I hit them with a bit of soap and water.

There are now a massive variety of insulated lunch bags available.

Regarding food containers, when I was in med school, I used the least expensive fold-top sandwich bags for items like a sandwich or some rebagged chips. However, zip-close bags are inexpensive and recommended over fold-over ones. I just searched Amazon, and they can be had for as little as $0.02/bag. A better option is to use reusable containers.  Granted, you must use them for a long time to “break even,” as sandwich bags are so inexpensive, but they are likely the better ecological choice.  Several of my kids prefer to use Rubbermaid-style containers designed for sandwiches.  Naturally, there are now many reusable containers for just about any food need.  My son often takes frozen chicken nuggets in a pristine Tupperware container purchased at a second-hand shop.  He heats the nuggets at school for a quick no-prep lunch. 

Zip-close sandwich bags can be had for as little as two-cents per bag.
My kids liked reusable containers for their sandwiches.

I was also poor as a medical resident, but my lunches were often better than those of my cohorts, who bought their lunch daily.  With minimal funds, I planned out my meals carefully and would cook enough food for two meals.  I purchased a Rubbermaid lunch meat container that was about an inch deep and the width of two slices of lunch meat.  When my dinner was ready, I put half of it in the Rubbermaid container for lunch the next day.  While my friends ate cafeteria sandwiches, I had real meals (traditional dinners, stir-fries, casseroles, etc.). This was an extremely economical way to eat, as I never threw out leftovers. By the way, do you know that Americans throw out about 40% of the food that they buy?  That is throwing away money.

My daughter recently moved to her own place and called to tell me she was “channeling” me.  She made a small meatloaf and sides.  She ate ⅓ of that meal and immediately packed the remaining 2/3rds into individual containers.  She loved the idea of coming home the next two nights to a delicious homemade dinner that only required a reheat. She packs her lunch and doesn’t get tired of the standard sandwich or bagel fare, so her lunch prep is also simple. 

I read an article about a woman living in a tiny NYC studio apartment. She only ate organic but still had a very frugal grocery bill.  She did not have a kitchen and did meal prep on the weekend using a hotplate, a coffee pot,  and a small rice cooker. She had no kitchen sink, so she washed her dishes in her shower.  She made two to three main courses for the week and divided them into individual meal containers.  She also made enough morning coffee for the week and refrigerated it to reheat in the morning. Yes, her plan was extreme, but it worked for her.  All she needed was some problem-solving abilities and a little creativity. 

I worked two days a week in a town almost 100 miles from home so I would spend the night in a hotel.  The city was rough, and the dining options were limited. Also, I worked the first day until 10 PM, so I wanted to get to my hotel room and chill.  I packed in lunch, dinner, and breakfast for the following day.  My lunch was typically leftovers from home, and my dinner could be various things, from leftovers to a sandwich to a meal that I prepared in my hotel room.  Breakfast was often oatmeal with nuts and dried fruit. 

I built a “kitchen in a bag” that included a 7” mini electric frying pan. The hotel room had a microwave and a coffee maker, so I could make just about anything I wanted to eat. 

My traveling kitchen included a tiny 7″ electric skillet that was surprisingly versatile.

My niece likes to meal-pack salads. She will make five salads without any dressing. She keeps a bottle of dressing at her workplace, but repacking an individual salad dressing portion is easy if you don’t have access to a fridge. As a medical resident, I had a couple of 1-ounce Rubbermaid containers that I would carry. I hated cleaning them, so I devised a solution. I would seal a portion of salad dressing in a Ziploc sandwich bag.  At lunchtime, I push the dressing to one corner of the bag and twist the top like a pastry bag.  I then snipped off the corner to pour the dressing on my salad. This method works for soft food items, including butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese.  It is very easy to do, and there is no greasy mess to clean up. 

You can now buy various small containers perfect for items like salad dressing. However, I think they are a pain to clean, so I use the “Ziploc” method.
Foods like salad dressing and peanut butter are easily transported using a Ziploc bag. I have always carried a pocket knife with me which is handy for so many things.
You simply push the bag’s contents to one corner and then twist the bag like a pastry bag. Snip off the corner to deliver the contents. Here, I’m adding some peanut butter to a cut-up apple.
There are a variety of containers that can be used for meal prep from plastic to glass.
You can also buy semi-disposable boxes for meal prep. However, even with care, they will need to be replaced much sooner than the non-disposable types.

There are many inexpensive items designed for eating on the go. I suggest keeping flatware with your lunch gear. I used a camping-style spork for years, but you can also buy a knife, spoon, and fork for very little at dollar stores. It is best not to use your home flatware, as it is easy to lose. 

I kept a titanium sport in my lunch bag.
You can buy nifty lunch flatware or go to the dollar store and buy a place setting for a couple of bucks.

If you work indoors, your company will have a microwave oven in its lunch room.  I always used Rubbermaid-style containers, but you can now get many glass ones with sealing lids. When I was working at that distant city site, the clinic had a microwave, but it was filthy and rusty inside.  I purchased a tiny 1-quart warming “Crockpot” with a stainless inner pot.  I would pile in leftovers the night before and then pop them into my mini warmer when I got to work.  By lunchtime, my meal was piping hot.  

Food containers now come in every shape and can be found in plastic, glass, and stainless steel styles.

My friend Tom rigged a small microwave and inverter in his tool trailer so he could quickly reheat his lunch.  Airline attendants and van dwellers love a little heating device called a HotLogic Mini to safely heat their food, and let’s not forget the humble wide-mouth thermos, which has kept lunches warm for millions over the decades.  

The HotLogic Mini is a food warmer popular with airline attendants and van dwellers. It comes in both an AC and 12-volt model. It often goes on sale.
The widemouth thermos has been around forever and allows those without a microwave to have hot food at the workplace.

I always carry a little pocket knife for many reasons, including lunch.  I can cut up an apple, open the tip of a Ziploc filled with salad dressing, or cut a chunk of bread.  

A little pocket knife is useful for many things.

I like to prewash my flatware and dishes after lunch when I don’t have a sink handy, I pack a couple of damp paper towels in a Ziploc. These are also useful for wiping my hands in a pinch. 

A few damp paper towels in a Ziploc back are handy for a quick pre-clean of used Tupperware or to wipe hands.

The trick when packing a lunch is to think outside of the box.

The traditional sandwich has its place, but my favorite lunch is last night’s leftovers. I also freeze individual portions of homemade soups and stews that can be pulled out of the freezer on days when the cupboard is bare and I don’t feel like running to the market. Additionally, I like to mix things up, sometimes buying shelf-stable ready meals for a few dollars that I can eat with a slice of bread. Remember, anything goes: oatmeal for lunch? Sure. Cheese and crackers? Why not? Can of soup? If you like.  Yesterday’s carry-out Chinese?  Of course.  Be creative, and you will never feel deprived or bored. 

If I had extra from a batch of soup or stew, I would seal it in a vacuum seal bag and freeze it. In a pinch, I could use this as a quick lunch.
On occasion, I would pack shelf-stable meals. These Hormel meals could be found for around a dollar and are now sold for under two dollars. I would pair them with some bread and butter for an easy pack.

If you are fearful of diving in, then do it slowly.  Brown bag Tuesdays?  Meal prep on Sunday for three workday lunches and go out the other two?  You are in charge of your mealtime destiny.  The longer you do it, the more natural it becomes. Good luck!

Peace,

Mike

Uncategorized

How I survived my first two weeks after rotator cuff surgery.

The recovery from shoulder surgery is often worse than the surgery itself. I had a rotator cuff injury that needed to be repaired. Since this was an elective procedure, I had some time to prepare for it, and I’d like to share some of that information with others who may be planning on a similar procedure. I’m posting this for informational and educational purposes only. This is not medical advice, and you should always follow the instructions from your caregivers.

How you compensate for having an arm in a sling will be determined by whether you are having surgery on your dominant arm or not. I had surgery on my right shoulder, which is also my dominant arm. Trying to do things with my left hand was awkward.

About a week before the surgery, I started to practice using only my left hand for basic functions like dressing and showering. I also tried to prepare simple meals using only that arm. It’s more complicated than you think, but it was easier to practice while I still had a functioning right arm to take over when needed. I discovered that there were some things that I could do well when practicing, but they became more difficult postop. For instance, I could put on a shirt using only one arm before surgery, but I needed assistance doing the same job once I had surgery.  Update: I was able to put on a shirt by myself after a week post-op, but it was very uncomfortable to do.

I didn’t realize how huge my sling would be.

Assistance needed

Luckily, my family could assist me with jobs that would be difficult to do by myself, like removing my surgical bandage and replacing it with a waterproof barrier. If you are in a position where you are flying solo, discuss this with your doctor before your surgery. Perhaps you’ll need a nurse to check in on you. It’s always easier to arrange options beforehand.

I needed help with tasks like removing my surgical bandage and replacing it with a waterproof barrier. You can also see the breakaway shirt I purchased in this photo. It was helpful during my first three days as I couldn’t get a regular shirt over the bandage.

Setting things up

Most doctors suggest sleeping at an incline after rotator cuff surgery. Sleeping flat can be difficult as it places more pressure on your shoulder. People usually sleep in a recliner, but technically, you could sleep in a bed with a wedge pillow or on a couch with stacked pillows. I used a recliner.

My couch has built-in recliners on both ends and since my left hand would be free, I chose the end I could control with that hand. I decided to set up a recovery zone as I’d be spending a lot of time in that space. I ensured the end table next to my “nest” had a lamp I could access. I also had a spot for medication, a charging station for electronic devices, a cup of water, and space for gadgets I enjoy using. 

This was the nest that I built. You can see my camper’s refrigerator freezer, then a small waste basket. Above the wastebasket is a TV tray with some electronics, and behind that is a table with medication, water, and a charging station. You can also see my back support, neck pillow, and other pillows that I used to make myself comfortable. Naturally, your needs may be different than mine.

Some people love books, and naturally, they should have books available. I’m more of an electronics person who reads books and magazines on a screen. I also write on a laptop, listen to music and the news, and do almost everything on a computer. I have a lightweight laptop, which I thought would be perfect. However, after surgery, I had a great deal of difficulty handling it as it was slippery, and when I tried to use my right hand to manipulate the mousepad, it caused me quite a bit of pain. Luckily, I have a small iPad Mini that I use when I travel. That was the perfect device, as I could easily manipulate it with one hand. In fact, I’m using speech to text dictation on it to type this post.

You might find yourself in a situation similar to mine, so it makes sense to see if you have a tablet computer around the house that you can use; if not, perhaps you can borrow one. I thought my iPad Mini’s 8-inch screen size was perfect. I would have bought a cheap tablet in a pinch if I did not have access to the Mini.  I think any tablet with a screen of 7-11 inches would be usable, but an eight or nine-inch screen size is ideal as it allows for ample viewing and one-handed operation. Some can get by using their phone, but my phone’s screen was too small for me to view for long periods.

Some Android tablets can be bought for under $100, which would be worthwhile if you think you would use the device after your recovery. Small tablets make good e-readers and are great for media consumption when you’re lounging about. iPads are the best tablets (in my opinion), but inexpensive Android-based tablets can do most of the things a tablet user needs to do. Cheap Android tablets are unsuitable for high-resource games but can play simple games.  If you are looking for affordable yet reputable tablets, consider the 8” Amazon Fire tablet or the 8” Walmart Onn tablet.  Both are basic, but they work.  The Onn tablet’s advantage is that it runs regular Android and can access millions of apps. The Fire tablet’s app store is more limited, but the tablet is tightly integrated into the Amazon ecosystem of Kindle ebooks, Prime videos, and Prime music.  

My inability to use my computer lasted about a week. After that point, I was able to type with both hands. However, doing this for any length of time got my shoulder going. For quite a while post-op, I preferred the tablet, as it placed less strain on my right arm.

Regarding my recliner, I watched a YouTube video from an occupational therapist who recommended using supports for the neck and the back. The back support could be anything from an actual back support to a rolled towel to a small pillow. We had a removable back support on an office chair that I used. For my neck, I used a simple donut-style travel pillow, the kind you use on an airplane. Both supports made a difference as I tried sleeping with and without them, and I felt more comfortable with the supports in place.

I also had a variety of pillows and blankets that I could configure as my mood dictated. It can be challenging to sleep in a chair, and I wanted to maximize my comfort as much as possible. Overall, my recliner nest worked out well. However, after about a week of sleeping in a chair, I was ready to try my regular bed with a wedge pillow.

Hygiene

The more independent you can be, the better. Before my surgery, I practiced taking showers with one hand. It wasn’t as tricky as it sounds, but I had to adjust. I usually use bar soap, but I needed to give that up for shower gel in a pump bottle. The pump made it easy for me to get the soap out. I bought a shampoo and shower gel combo that worked for me. However, some people prefer separate products. I recommend getting all of those in pump bottles.

I bought a combination of shampoo and shower gel that came with a pump bottle. However, if you want to be fancy, you can go with decorator bottles that do the same.

It’s difficult to wash under your arms during recovery from rotator cuff surgery. I purchased an inexpensive sponge on a flexible rod from Amazon that helped in that area. I usually use a stick-type deodorant, but applying that post-op was impossible. Instead, I bought some deodorant in an aerosol can. These simple things allowed me to shower independently.

This sponge stick was inexpensive. But it allowed me to wash areas that I couldn’t do postop.

Your doctor will give you specific instructions on showering. My doctor told me that I could remove my bandage in three days. At that point, he told me to cover my incision sites with waterproof material. The only times that I was allowed to take off my sling were during showering, physical therapy, and putting my clothes on. I felt more secure keeping my arm in a sling when showering, and I purchased an inexpensive mesh sling from Amazon. Some patients will buy an inexpensive standard sling from the drugstore for showering, which serves the same purpose. You don’t want to get your expensive prescription sling wet.

I only used this shower sling a few times until I was comfortable showering while keeping my arms still. However, it was very inexpensive and made me feel more secure when I did use it.

I’m fortunate that our shower head detaches from the wall. We also had a shower chair from a past surgery that I could use. These things made my shower life a little easier, but I could have adapted to a less perfect situation if necessary.

Most doctors will ask you to protect your surgical site from water until the incisions are healed. They will tell you to use a waterproof barrier, and I found that Tegadem worked well. This is a transparent film that is breathable but waterproof. It comes in sheets of various sizes and clear bandages. Bathing in a tub should be avoided until your wound sites completely heal.

Men, I recommend sitting for all bathroom tasks until you are steady on your feet. Adapting wiping techniques is straightforward with a bit of creativity. However, I was fortunate to have a bidet.

I use an electric toothbrush and recommend that for anyone undergoing this procedure. You could use a regular toothbrush, but it would be a bit awkward. If possible, get a tube of toothpaste that has a flip-open lid instead of a screw cap.

I’m retired, and I’m letting my beard grow. However, if I had to be tidy, I would switch from my regular razor to an electric razor, which I believe I could manage with one hand.

Ice

Most doctors recommend that you ice your shoulder regularly after surgery. In my case, my doctor wanted me to ice 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. Right after surgery, my very thick shoulder bandage blocked any coolness to my shoulder. However, I could place an ice pack close to my wound site by tucking it up into my sling, and that provided some comfort.

The surgicenter discharged me with a cheap disposable ice bag that I could fill with ice cubes and water. This was a poor solution. My sister gave me blue gel ice packs she used for her knee surgery. They worked well. They remained flexible when frozen, making it easy to place them where I needed to, and they stayed cold for a long time. 

A variety of companies sell these gel ice packs. They’re inexpensive, flexible, and stay cold for a long time.

She also lent me a cool therapy ice machine but couldn’t find her AC adapter. I ordered one on Amazon, and it arrived three days after my surgery. The ice machine was terrific as it provided a constant cold to my wound site (by then, I had my bandage off). I found that freezing disposable water bottles worked better than using ice cubes. I had two sets of water bottles and would freeze one while using the other. Naturally, there was also water in the therapy machine as that was what was circulated to my shoulder. I think buying an expensive cool therapy machine for shoulder surgery would be overkill, but if you can borrow one or if your insurance will cover the rental of one, I would highly recommend it; otherwise, I liked the inexpensive gel packs.

Cool theory machines are excellent. But they’re pretty expensive.

When I retired, I built a camper van with a friend. The build included a chest-style refrigerator/freezer. I moved the camper’s fridge to my family room to freeze my ice packs and water bottles. I also kept some frozen meals in it. I still have kids at home who are always on the hunt for a quick meal, and keeping some meals in my little freezer ensured I had easy-to-make food on hand. My camper fridge/freezer was a convenient option. I used it because I had it. Otherwise, a regular freezer would be fine.

Food

Preparing and eating food can be challenging, even for simple tasks like opening a can. Luckily, many inexpensive adaptive gadgets can help with everything from opening a jar to pulling a pop top. 

These silicone mats are not only great for gripping, but they can also stabilize a jar or a bowl on the table.
This pop top puller was only a few dollars and was very welcomed by my cat, who demands to be fed first thing in the morning

Generally, I went for food items that I could prepare with one hand. I purchased some single-serving frozen dinners that I could easily make in a microwave. I also purchased soup in cans. As far as the soups were concerned, we already had a microwavable bowl cozy. This allowed me to take the bowls from the microwave without scalding myself. If I hadn’t had the cozy, I think it would have been safer to heat them on our induction stove.

A friend made us this soup cozy several years ago. We use it all the time. It’s convenient when taking hot bowls out of the microwave.

Fortunately, my wife and kids took turns making dinner, so there was something to eat at dinner time. However, lunchtime was more on my clock; I picked things I could easily make and never went hungry.

Clothing

Dressing can be a challenge. It’s much easier if you can stay at home during your early recovery, which is what I did. Starting from the feet, I recommend slippers or socks that pull on easily. If you are going out, wear slip-ons or those shoes from Kizik and Skechers that can be put on hands-free.

Stretchy underwear helps, and elastic waistband-type pants are a must. The pants could be sweatpants, pajama pants, or whatever you have. In warmer weather, elastic waistband workout shorts would work. You don’t want to wear pants with buckles and zippers, as both are difficult to close with one hand.

Most recommend using button-down shirts, as getting them around your wounded shoulder is more manageable. Stretchy T-shirts also work. It’s January, but I’m wearing a short-sleeve shirt, as pulling on a long-sleeve is difficult for me.

I purchased a special shirt for shoulder injuries that had snaps along its edge, allowing me to open up one side of the shirt. This was helpful during the first three days of my recovery as I was wearing a gigantic bandage on my injured shoulder, making it impossible to pull any regular shirt over it. After the bandage was off, I could wear button shirts and stretchy T-shirts.

Some crafty folks buy a few cheap tee shirts, split them along their seams, and reattach the two sides with Velcro. If you are a non-sewer, you can use scissors to open the bottom of the arm of a cheap tee shirt to accommodate the shoulder bandage. If desired, you can reattach the opening using safety pins.

This should go without saying, but always sit when you put on your clothing. Standing carries the potential for a fall, a disaster for your healing shoulder. A little stool works well, as does sitting on the toilet seat.

Pain management

You’ll likely be offered a nerve block, an optional procedure. My anesthesiologist highly recommended it. It numbed my arm from surgery to about 8 p.m. and was a godsend. At 8 PM, I started to feel some pain and took a pain pill plus naproxen per my doctor’s instructions. However, at two in the morning, I woke up in horrific pain, at which point I took another pain pill. Unfortunately, that one took about an hour before it kicked in. After that point, I was pretty aggressive with my pain management, especially at night. I would set an alarm to wake me so I could take a dose before the last pill wore off. This allowed me to sleep and kept my pain down to a manageable level. The pain does get better every day, so I was able to taper the narcotic pills over time. Naturally, I always followed my doctor’s advice and instructions.

A word of advice. If you think you’ll be taking medication during the night, it sometimes makes sense to have that medication out and ready in a little container. In a sleepy state, you may take the wrong medicine or too much medication if you pour it out of a medicine bottle. In addition, you can invert the “child-proof” cap on most prescription medicine bottles to turn them into simple screw caps.  With both of the above suggestions, use common sense if you have little ones about; you don’t want them getting into your medications.

Other medications

My doctor gave me a prescription medication for nausea, which surprised me. I’ve had other surgeries and never suffered from long-term nausea postop. However, I had quite a bit of nausea after this surgery and was grateful to have the prescription medication.

Doctors often recommend taking some sort of stool softener, which may be a pill or just extra fiber. Narcotic pain medication can be constipating, and no one wants to have to deal with that, along with shoulder pain. If your doctor doesn’t prescribe some sort of stool softener, ask for his or her recommendations on this topic.

Cautionary note

There’s a lot of advice about rotator cuff surgery on YouTube from patients and orthopedic surgeons. You must follow your doctor’s advice. Different doctors do different procedures, and taking another doctor’s advice could potentially hamper your recovery.

Likewise, although the patient-created YouTube videos I watched seemed sincere, their suggestions varied. Use common sense when watching them. I used them primarily for mobility tips rather than orthopedic advice. 

I also found videos from occupational therapists discussing topics like getting dressed or sleeping in a recliner. I found those the most helpful.

Final thoughts

Rotator cuff surgery is relatively common but can be an unpleasant recovery. With planning, life becomes more manageable. Make sure you follow your doctor’s advice. You’ll be given written instructions that you should read several times. I found information on my second read that I missed on the first. Remember not to push your recovery limits, as you could potentially re-tear your rotator cuff and cause more problems—best of luck.

The above is my personal opinion and should not be construed as medical advice.

Images are my own and from various websites and are used for educational purposes only.

Uncategorized

The 99 dollar Walmart tablet.

As my relatives age, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of seniors having internet access. It is how we communicate, entertain ourselves, do business activities, and shop. Most of us have some sort of smartphone, but if you are a senior, it can be challenging to view a tiny screen or to press tiny on-screen buttons.

My oldest sister is in her 80s and no longer chooses to deal with the hassle of a laptop.  Yet, she wants to stay current with social media and news outlets. She switched to an iPad some years ago and hasn’t looked back. 

The advantage of a tablet computer, like an iPad, is that it is very hands-on and graphical. Open a program? Press an icon. Turn the page when reading an e-book?  Swipe.  Fill in a form?  Touch a text box and tap in your answer using the sizeable on-screen keyboard.  Watch a YouTube video? Press and go!  There is no need to type commands or even navigate a mouse.

In a recent post, I wrote extensively about laptops and tablets for seniors. A tablet is the way to go for those who are technologically challenged. The basic iPad is my number one tablet recommendation for seniors; it retails for around $350. It is very intuitive and a pleasure to use. However, $350 can be out-of-range for some, so I also listed (and tested) a couple of sub-two hundred dollar tablets that ran the Android operating system.  Although not quite as nice as the iPad, they were still very useable.

While researching the topic, I found several favorable reviews of Walmart’s Onn 10.1 tablet (2024 version). This tablet intrigued me because it was less than $100.  Some seniors have minimal incomes, but many can afford $100. Additionally, a $100 gifted tablet from a friend or loved one would not be out of the question.  Lastly, at the other end of the age spectrum, a $100 tablet could be a reasonable choice for a child who always wants to play with mom’s smartphone.  Would such a device be useable or an exercise in frustration? That is what I decided to test.

For those interested in the bottom line, the Walmart Onn 10.1 tablet (2024 version) is a viable solution for those on a budget. If you can afford a basic iPad, go with that. Even a sub-two hundred dollar Android table will give you a better experience than the Onn 10.1. However, after testing the Onn for several weeks, it is entirely usable and would serve the needs of most seniors. Please note that I’m reviewing the 2024 version. Walmart sells a 2022 version for less than $60, but its 2 GB of RAM is inadequate. In addition, that tablet is running an outdated version of Android. 

Let’s dig into the weeds.

The Walmart Onn 10.1 (2024 edition) tablet is available in several colors for a low price of $99.00.  Various cases can be had for an additional $10-20. It is highly recommended that you purchase a protective case, preferably one with a way to stand the tablet up for movie watching.

Hardware

The Onn 10.1, 2024 edition features 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory/storage.  This is the bare minimum needed for a modern tablet. Running a single app at a time (like Facebook) takes a few seconds to load, but once loaded, it runs well.  This tablet is not suited to run multiple programs at once.  The 32 GB of memory/storage is sufficient for most casual users who want to play simple games, check in to Facebook, watch Netflix, etc.  This tablet has a micro-SD expansion slot, so you can inexpensively add additional storage. This extra storage would be helpful for those who have significant storage needs—for instance, those wanting many movies stored directly on their tablet. 

Memory/Storage

The Onn comes preloaded with a lot of useful software, including:

Gmail (email program) 

Google Maps (mapping program) 

Google Drive (cloud storage)

Google TV (TV-watching app, subscription needed)

Play Books (e-books similar to Amazon Kindle. Some books are free, others purchased) 

Google Wallet (e-wallet to pay for things, use e-hotel keys, carry an e-driver license and more)

Google Contacts (e-address book)

Google Photos (photo storage in the cloud and photo editing)

YouTube (video-watching site)

Google Meet (video conferencing similar to ZOOM)

Google Calendar (e-calendar)

A calculator 

An alarm clock/timer

And more

I loaded some additional apps that seniors might use, including simple games. Your app needs could be different.  I was primarily interested in seeing how much storage would be left on the tablet after loading a “typical” number of apps.  It is very easy to add apps using the included Google Play store.  These are the apps that I added:

Netflix (for movie and TV watching)

Facebook (social media app)

Facebook Messenger (a texting app).

WhatsApp (a texting, voice calling, and video chat program).

Google Chat  (texting and video chat program).

The Weather Channel (weather information).

Jewel/Osco (a grocery/pharmacy app for online shopping and prescription renewal).

Amazon (shopping app).

eBay (shopping app).

State Farm (car/home insurance app).

Solitaire (game).

Candy Crush (game).

Chess (game).

Docs (Google’s free word processor).

Sheets (Google’s free spreadsheet program).

My Chart (Portal to healthcare providers).

Spotify (streaming music app).

Epson Print (print and document scanning for Epson printers)

Note: I use a nation-wide bank which has an app.  However, the Onn was incompatible with that app (although other bank apps were compatible).  However, I could still easily access my bank using its website via the included Chrome Internet browser. 

After adding these programs, 10 GB of the 32 GB of initial storage remained. That is plenty to store a bunch of photos or documents. A 128 GB micro-SD card can be purchased for around $10 if more storage is needed.  

Display

The 10” display is the perfect size for most. It is large yet easy to hold. The Onn 10.1 tablet (2024) has a screen resolution of 1280 x 800, less than many tablets. Photos and videos look fine. Print is OK but not as crisp as on tablets with higher pixel counts. I was initially very aware of the softer-looking text, but I adjusted to it over time. However, it may be tiring to read very long documents.  

Watching Videos/Video Calls

I had no problems watching videos on this tablet.  The images were sharp and clear.  

I tried several video chat programs, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Chat, and I could make video calls.  The 2 MP front-facing camera was not the greatest, but it did the job well enough. 

Video calls worked pretty well.

Texting

I tried texting using several apps, including WhatsApp, Google Chat, and Facebook Messenger.  They all worked well.  You can also link your phone and send standard text messages from this tablet, but I didn’t try that function.

Using the included Chrome browser

Tablets from years past used inferior browsers, but newer tablets, like the Onn 10.1 (2024), have browsers that look similar to their PC counterparts. I had no problem viewing websites, filling out forms, or checking bank balances.

Email

You need a free Google Gmail account to log into any Android device, including this tablet. It is easy to sign up for one.  If you already use a non-Google email address, add that account to the Gmail mail client or use a separate dedicated app or website client. 

Logging in

To open this tablet, you must enter an eight-number digital password. The Onn does not have sophisticated security functions like face or fingerprint recognition. 

Operating speed

My iPad instantly opens apps, while the Onn takes a few seconds. My iPad can run multiple programs simultaneously, while the Onn is best at running just one program at a time.  Scrolling on my iPad was smooth as butter but a bit less smooth on the Onn. However, none of these are deal breakers.  I would have been pleased with its performance if I hadn’t directly compared the Onn to my iPad.

Battery life/charging speed

Battery life was excellent.  I used the Onn extensively for two days and still had a battery to spare. However, charging times are slow. It is best to plug in the Onn overnight to prepare for the next day.

Speakers

The Onn’s on-board speaker is loud but lacks bass and is a bit harsh.  However, it was perfectly useable.

Ports/headphone jack

The Onn lacks a headphone jack, a trend in many newer tablets. However, you can still connect headphones, dramatically improving the tablet’s sound. 

The only port on the Onn is a multi-function USB C port. This port allows you to charge the Onn and connect it to many things. You can connect wired USB-C headphones, which can be purchased inexpensively, and other peripherals, like a keyboard or hub. 

WiFi/Bluetooth

I found it easy to connect the Onn to my WiFi network, and the connection was stable.  The Onn has Bluetooth capabilities that can connect many things, from wireless keyboards to wireless headphones/earbuds. 

Cameras

The Onn has a front-facing 2 MP and a rear-facing 5 MP camera. The photo quality is barely acceptable. It is good enough to send a friend a photo of an outfit you bought or have a video call with the grand-kids. Better tablets have better cameras.

The 2 MP front camera is usable for video calls.
The 5 MP rear camera was pretty poor with terrible dynamic range and detail.

Build

The build quality is surprisingly good with an aluminum case.  However, the case is a bit slippery.

Accessories to consider

A case is a must, as the Onn is slippery.  I bought a cheap $10 case, which is fine, but it could not prop up the Onn.  I would spend a few dollars more and buy a case that props up the Onn for movie-watching. 

Headphones are also nice, providing much better audio quality and private listening. USB-C headphones can be plugged in, and the Onn can also use wireless headphones and earbuds via Bluetooth. 

Bluetooth keyboards come in a variety of sizes and styles.  Some are full-sized, others are part of a case, and still others can be folded for travel.  They are handy if the user plans on doing a lot of keyboard work on their tablet, such as writing long emails. 

Bottom line

Yes, there are better tablets, my favorite being the iPad. However, for less than $100, the Onn 10.1 (2024 edition) provides excellent value and can do almost any basic task that an average senior needs. If money is tight, I recommend the Onn 10.1 (2024 edition), available only at Walmart or Walmart.com.

best kitchen appliances, Uncategorized

Why Newer Appliances Constantly Break, And What To Do About it.

We have a holiday tradition at Kunaland; our appliances seem to break down, and this year was no exception.

When I moved into my home over 35 years ago, the previous owners left a fridge and a stove. After I bit, I updated both to fancy stainless steel versions and placed the original appliances in the basement.  They served us well there, especially the fridge, which was constantly plugged in and used as our grocery overflow center.  It stopped cooling a few months ago, and sat dormant.  My initial plan was to become more conservative and live with one fridge.  However, the sacrifice never got easier. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I contacted my appliance repair man, who gave me various tips as I replaced everything from the defrost timer to a startup capacitor, all to no avail.  My ancient fridge had reached its end of life.

One week before Thanksgiving, my 20-year-old dishwasher started to act up.  I originally had purchased a brand with a high-reliability rating, and that appliance had only been repaired once (for a door latch) all that time.  However, it was stopping mid-cycle and was not draining water.  The only way I could get it to re-initialize was to go into the basement, turn off its circuit breaker for 5 minutes, and then turn it back on.  This suggested that a logic board was failing, which was an expensive repair.  It was time to say goodbye to that unit, too. 

I had to replace two major appliances, but both had served me well.  That can’t be said of other newer and more expensive appliances I have had to replace in my 30+ years of living in my home.

I replaced the original stove and refrigerator with fancy and higher-end stainless steel units from Kenmore. In less than 10 years, both had multiple repairs and quickly reached their end of life. They were replaced by a Kenmore induction stove and a Samsung French door refrigerator.  The Kenmore lasted around ten years, but that was with multiple service calls.  Finally, its main logic board had to be replaced, but Sears was no longer stocking that board, and the unit had to be scrapped.  Worse was the Samsung fridge, which was a nightmare.  I fixed the unit multiple times and also had numerous repair calls.  Finally, the freezer door fell off (no, we don’t abuse our appliances), which was so costly that the repairman advised us to junk the fridge.  We replaced the Kenmore Induction stove with a GE Induction stove and the Samsung fridge with a Whirlpool French door refrigerator. So far, the GE stove has been OK, but the Whirlpool has required a number of service calls.  It also has a habit of freezing behind the crisper door, which it did on Thanksgiving.  This warms the fridge compartment to the point of food spoiling.  The only option is to remove everything from the fridge and freezer, unplug the unit, and let it defrost for 24 hours.  This is happening on a refrigerator that costs well over $2000.00.   

My parents bought a single-door Kenmore fridge in 1950. It was our primary fridge for over 20 years until someone gave us their old (late 50s) but larger two-door fridge. The Kenmore fridge went into the basement and continued operating until the mid-1970s when we moved and left it behind. The same applies to their old and inexpensive Crown brand stove. Neither appliance required any service during their very long lives.

Our appliance guy has encouraged us to keep our ancient washer and dryer, noting, “Most new appliances are junk. They require constant repair, and often parts are unavailable, forcing the consumer to buy a new machine.”  It does seem like he is right.  Appliances that were built to last for decades in the past barely make it to 10 years, and that is with constant repairs in the interim.  Yet, they are more expensive and tout endless, and often unnecessary, bells and whistles. 

My wife and kids love the in-door water and ice maker on our fridge, but I have been told that these additions are a major point of failure. The fancy gaskets and flaps used to lower fridge energy costs frequently malfunction (I fixed the ones on the Samsung fridge at least half a dozen times).  Computer logic boards are often placed in high-stress areas, like directly above a stove’s oven, causing them to fail. Unlike mechanical parts used for generations of appliances, logic boards are unique to a small set of models.  They are stocked in limited numbers, and after a short period, they become unavailable, making a fixable appliance obsolete. 

Mechanical parts have also undergone a crapifacation. The newer and more energy-efficient linear compressors on LG fridges are so failure-prone that LG is now facing a class action lawsuit. Whirlpool is facing a class action lawsuit for defective wiring of their fridges. Samsung is facing a lawsuit stating that their washers corrode faster than they should. Bosch just settled a lawsuit for electronic panels on their appliances that were failing prematurely. Electrolux/Frigidaire is being sued because their washing machines are prone to mold issues, resulting in excessive service calls. LG and Kenmore are being sued for refrigerators failing early. As I researched this post, I just discovered that last year, the owners of my fridge model received a settlement for defective refrigerator evaporators freezing up, which is precisely the problem that requires me to “defrost” my frost-free fridge.  Sadly, I’m past the deadline. I’m sure that there are more lawsuits out there. However, these listings make the point that major expensive appliances are failing at an abnormally high rate. 

Computer-controlled appliances give us features that we likely don’t need. For instance, my stove and dishwasher can be controlled via WiFi.  Has that made my life any better? No. My fridge has a panel that allows me to electronically control things like the size of my ice cubes and the fridge’s temperature.  Do I need to control the ice cube size? No.  Does my fancy electronic temperature display provide me any benefit that a more straightforward mechanical control didn’t? No.  My old washer and dryer have simple dials. Do I yearn for a spaceship-level computerized control panel?  No.  

Many of these new features are sold to consumers as advancements created to improve one’s life or energy usage. However, any benefit seems relatively marginal to me, and any energy saving is offset by repair costs as well as the cost of replacing these appliances earlier. Further, the environmental, material, and energy costs of manufacturing huge appliances would negate societal benefits.

Of course, I understand that some older appliance components, like toxic refrigerants, had to change. However, manufacturers have used energy and environmental mandates as an excuse to make shoddy products that are more expensive and fail faster, punishing both the consumer and the environment. The goal seems to be  planned obsolescence and shareholder profits, in my opinion.    

Here are some tips from appliance repairmen that may help with future appliance purchases:  

Avoid complicated fridges, especially those with indoor water/ice makers, as they consistently break.  At this time, Samsung and LG refrigerators should be avoided as they malfunction more often than other brands. Some repairmen advise getting the most basic fridge possible; you can still buy simple top freezer fridges with mechanical controls.  However, even these units likely use cheaper components, like Chinese-made compressors.

When I replaced our basement fridge, I went with a brand-name unit that was as basic as I could find it. This GE fridge has mechanical controls and no ice maker.

Regarding washers and dryers, there is a consensus that new top and front loaders wash clothes less effectively and break down faster than older machines. Front loaders are especially prone to mold issues. Don’t be fooled by the enormous drums on newer top loaders. Most new washers will only partially fill with water and take longer to complete a cycle.  Users note that they need to wash smaller loads despite the giant size of their washer’s drums. Additionally, top loaders that use impeller plates instead of a traditional agitator are prone to overloading and going out of balance.  Since they use cheap components, such actions can quickly destroy the washer’s suspension system.  Several repairmen cited LG top loaders as being of higher quality than typical home washers. Most repairmen noted that the costly Speed Queen brand was significantly better in terms of cleaning ability, durability, and reliability than consumer brands. Additionally, the commercial version (not the home version) of the Maytag washer is built to a higher standard than most, but not as high as Speed Queen.

Speed Queen washers may look basic, but they are built better and clean better than newer models. Expect to pay more for these qualities.

 

Dishwashers also fail quicker than they used to.  The one brand that was thought of more highly than the others was Bosch.

When our 20 year dishwasher died I replaced it with a Bosch purchased on a Black Friday sale.

Stoves should last a very long time, but they often fail due to logic boards placed directly above the hot oven.  Would you store your computer on a hot stove?  Of course not, but that is precisely what manufacturers do with their logic boards (the main computer board for the appliance).  Consumer Reports polled their subscribers, and they rated GE (now owned by the Chinese corporation Hairer), LG, and Frigidaire as more reliable.  While Samsung, Maytag, and Kitchenade were less reliable. 

GE stoves seemed to be more reliable than some other brands based on a CR survey. Basic is better as bells and whistles tend to break down.

Brands like Kenmore, Insignia, and Criterion are typically made by various third-party companies in Asia like Haier, Daewoo, and Midea. Kenmore used to be considered good quality when its appliances were made by the US companies Whirlpool and Frigidaire, but then it shifted its manufacturing to LG and Samsung, later to Hairer, and now to Daewoo. Repairmen have noted that each change has generally resulted in less reliable products. 

Chinese manufacturers like Haier, which makes appliances for US companies like Best Buy, are now introducing their own product lines into the US market.  It is still being determined if these products are better quality than those units that they make for US brands.  Additionally, repairmen have noted that some repair parts have been difficult to get for these products. That may improve over time.

Elite brands like GE’s Monogram, Viking, and Thermador are more complex and tend to break down more frequently per repairmen.  However, owners seem to like these fancy appliances. 

The best advice is to fix your old appliances when possible and, when necessary, purchase the most reliable new ones that you can afford.  The more bells and whistles you have on any appliance, the more things that can break.

Peace

Mike

cooking, cooking appliances energy savings., Cooking in a dorm room, cooking in a van, cooking without a kitchen, Hotel room cooking, small electric appliances, Uncategorized

Why Pressure Cookers Remain King

I enjoy being retired because I can explore obscure topics without feeling guilty that I should be doing “real work.”

In my last post, I investigated the energy efficiency of tabletop cooking appliances and was surprised by how energy-efficient pressure cookers were. Some were over eight times more energy efficient than a large crock pot I tested. That was amazing, so I thought I would research them more.

Pressure cookers have always remained popular in countries with high energy costs or limited energy resources. However, they became less common in the US market after microwave ovens and crock pots gained popularity in the 1970s. However, they have had a significant resurgence since the introduction of the Instant Pot in 2010.  

In the late 1600s, Denis Papin developed a primitive pressure cooker called the Steam Digester. It was used to extract fat and break down animal bones.  

The Steam Digestor-Image from Wikipedia.

In 1857, Louis Pasteur published his first paper on the role of bacteria in fermentation, heralding an understanding of the role of microorganisms in cheese production and milk spoilage.  His research led to the germ theory and the role of microorganisms in disease.  

By the late 1800s, manufacturers were using pressurized steam to sterilize the contents of canned foods. In 1905, the National Pressure Cooker Company (now National Presto Industries)  started manufacturing large pressure canners for commercial operations. In 1917, the USDA established a canning pressure of 15 PSI as the standard. The USDA deemed pressure canning the only way to safely can low-acid foods (meats, beans, etc.). Canner retorts are the predecessors of the home pressure cooker.

Alfred Vischer introduced the first home pressure cooker, the Flex-Seal Speed Cooker, in 1938. However, the Presto pressure cooker, introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, was the one that caught the attention of homemakers. The Presto was revolutionary as it utilized a simple twist on the pressure lid instead of relying on screws or clamps. The 1930s were a time when home kitchens were starting to modernize.  One can only imagine the significance of the pressure cooker, a device that could cook food three to ten times faster than conventional methods. Pressure cookers became a hit, similar to the home microwave oven’s popularity when they became affordable in the 1970s. The original Presto Pressure Cookers were made of aluminum.

The Flex-Seal Speed Coooker-Image from eBay seller.

World War II ended consumer manufacturing as industries were reassigned to the war effort, but demand for pressure cookers remained high. Presto stopped manufacturing pressure cookers but continued manufacturing retort canners, deemed necessary for the homefront war effort. However, they were made of steel, as aluminum was too crucial for the war. 

Companies in the US resumed production of home pressure cookers in 1945.  Since there was a high demand for pressure cookers, multiple manufacturers took on the task.  Some companies were more concerned with profit than safety and produced unsafe units. Stories about pressure cookers exploding are from this time.

Any kitchen tool can be dangerous, from a dull kitchen knife to a saucepan left unattended on a stove. Modern pressure cookers are kitchen tools, so they fit into this list. However, they have multiple safety features built in and are very safe if used according to common sense and the provided instructions.  

My pressured story

I grew up in a household that used a pressure cooker several times a week.  My mom made the most amazing soups, stews, goulash, chicken paprikash, chop suey, pot roast, swiss steak, and so much more in her Model 40 Presto aluminum pressure cooker. The cooker was built like a tank, and she also used it as a regular pot by leaving off the pressure regulator.  It was the gadget of choice to make popcorn as its thick base made burning popcorn less likely. 

This is exactly how I remember my mother’s Presto Model 40. Purchased some time in the 1940s and still in active service 80 years later. Image from an eBay seller.

This old-style unit operated slightly differently from more modern cookers.  You waited until a stream of steam came out of the vent tube before popping on the regulator, which seemed to have a spring design as it allowed you to cook at several pressures.  I’ll talk more about regulators later in this post. 

My mom used that 4-quart cooker to feed a family of seven until the mid-1970s when she bought an aluminum 6-quart Presto. She continued to use both pots depending on her cooking needs. The new pot had the more familiar “jiggler” style pressure regulator.  Both required very little maintenance.  Every year or two, my mom would send me to our local 5 and 10 store to buy a rubber gasket, and I also recall going there once to buy a rubber pressure plug.  Both purchases were inexpensive.

This Presto is very similar to the 6-quart cooker that my mom bought in the 1970s. It was functional when I inherited it, but its flakey paint made me not use it. Image from an eBay seller.

When my mom passed, my sister got the Presto model 40 and continued to use it regularly until 2017, when her operator error destroyed it. Since the Model 40 was produced in the 1940s, that pot lasted almost 80 years! I was given the 6-quart Presto but didn’t use it much.  The yellow paint on its exterior was badly flaked and looked ugly.  Instead, I bought a new stainless steel pressure cooker and continued the family cooking tradition.

I’m a gadget guy, so I have many kitchen appliances. I find learning how to use them enjoyable. During my adult life, I have used all sorts of pressure cookers in various situations, including when I camp.  I am sold on them and know they are both speedy and efficient.  However, I didn’t realize how energy-saving they were until I researched my last post. 

In that post, I discovered stove-top and electric (think Instant Pot) pressure cookers were significantly more efficient than slow cookers. I always thought the Crock Pot was the small appliance energy king.

Why are pressure cookers beneficial?

  • They cook 3 to 10 times faster than standard cooking methods.
  • They are one of the most energy-efficient cooking appliances.
  • They retain nutrients more than many other cooking methods. 
  • They are highly versatile and can cook anything from a hearty bean soup to a delicate cheesecake.
  • They can transform tough cuts of meat into tender, delectable dinners.
  • They can cook multiple foods at once without mixing flavors.
  • Dehydrated foods like dried beans can be cooked without pre-soaking.

How can they cook as fast as they do?

Pressure cookers require liquid, which they boil and turn into steam.  That steam pushes out the air in the cooking vessel, at which point the pot seals and pressure builds in the pot.  

Liquid water is always trying to turn into a gas. If you pour some water on your driveway, it will evaporate into a gas.  You can accelerate that evaporation process by adding energy to the water in the form of heat.  The water will boil, and you can see the evaporation process as steam. Water boils at sea level at 212F (100C).  No matter how much energy you supply to the pot, the liquid water will never exceed 212F. It is at equilibrium with atmospheric pressure pushing it down at 15 PSI (pounds per square inch). 

Water will boil at a lower temperature at high elevations where the atmospheric pressure is less than 15 PSI, and the converse is also true. If there were a way to increase the atmospheric pressure above 15 PSI, water would boil at a higher temperature.  A pressure cooker can do just that.

The atmospheric pressure at sea level is 15 PSI. A standard American stove-top pressure cooker operates at two times this atmospheric pressure (15 PSI + 15 PSI = 30 PSI), allowing the water in the vessel to be heated to 250F (121C) instead of 212F (100C), and this cooks food faster.

PSI’s impact on the boiling point of water. Image from hippressurecooking.com

But why does a pressure cooker cook foods faster than an oven, which can reach 400F and beyond? Food cooked in an oven has an insulating layer of cooler air around it, slowing down the cooking process. Convection ovens use a fan to break through that insulating layer partially, so they cook faster than conventional ovens. Pressure cookers eliminate the air-insulating layer by pushing it out and replacing it with scorching steam.

Additionally, all foods are mostly water. A carrot is around 88% water, and a pot roast is around 70% water. Under normal atmospheric pressure, this internal water can only be heated to 212F at sea level (just like the water in the pot itself).  However, it can reach higher temperatures under pressure, allowing food to cook faster.  That additional heat breaks down connective tissue faster, which is how a tough pot roast can turn into a delectable dinner in only an hour of cooking. 

I just told you that water’s boiling point depends on atmospheric pressure and that water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes as there is less atmospheric pressure. This reduction in boiling temperature can lengthen the time it takes to cook something in a pot, and the same is valid for using a pressure cooker at high altitudes. A US stove-top pressure cooker will increase the pressure in the cooking vessel by 15 PSI above the outside pressure. The general rule is you need to add around 5% more cooking time for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet elevation. If you are cooking something that requires 60 minutes of pressure cooking time at sea level, it may take 63 minutes at 3000 feet above sea level. 

Secret Added Time.

It may sound impressive that a pressure cooker can cook something in less time needed by traditional methods, but that time is calculated after the appliance has reached pressure. The liquid has to boil and create steam for this to be accomplished, and depending on the volume of liquid in the pot, that may take a bit. As a loose rule of thumb, assume around ten minutes to reach pressure, at which point timing begins. If a dish says it will be done in 15 minutes, add the boiling/pressure-building time.  That would be 10 min (pressure building time) + 15 min (pressure cooking time) or 25 minutes total cook time.

Quick Release vs. Natural Release.

The heat is turned off at the end of pressure cooking time, but the food continues to cook. Recipes will either tell you to let the pressure come down naturally or to release it quickly. 

In a natural release, you let the pressure come down naturally. Often, this means waiting 10 minutes and then doing a quick release. Food will continue to cook in this mode, but slower. Meats, like beef, can become dry if you do a quick release, as the change in pressure will pull moisture out of them. A natural or slow release prevents this.  

A quick release is most commonly done by tilting a jiggler-type regulator or moving a lever on a spring-type regulator (see your instruction book). Some old stove-top books may tell you to put the base in a pan of water or to carefully run cool water on the lid.  A quick-release stops cooking and is used for many delicate foods, like fish and vegetables. Editor’s Note:  NEVER place the base of an electric cooker in a pan of water, and NEVER run cool water on the lid of an electric cooker.  You will destroy it if you do. 

Different manufacturers use different pressure standards.

A word of caution: US stove-top cookers typically pressurize at 15 PSI, modeled after USDA requirements for sterilizing foods. Their operating temperature is 250F (121C).  European stove-top cookers often pressurize to 13 PSI; their operating temperature will be 245 F (118C), not 250 F. Some Chinese stove-top pressure cookers operate at 8 PSI, yielding only 234F (112C). 

Most electric pressure cookers cycle between 10-12 PSI and cook at a lower operating pressure than a standard US stove-top. This means you may need to adjust cooking time with different pressure cookers. For instance, something that would cook for 45 minutes using a standard 15 PSI stove-top pressure cooker may take up to 60 minutes using a typical electric pressure cooker. 

Some manufacturers produce cookers whose operating pressures are different from model to model.  The Spanish company Magefesa does that.  Some pressure cookers have US and European models that pressurize at different levels. The German Fissler brand cookers use 13 PSI in Europe and are recalibrated to 15 PSI for their US versions. 

A Fissler German pressure cooker. Pricey but well thought of. Image from Amazon.com

Many pressure cookers list their operating PSI (or kpa) on their product page or the cooker.  If you can’t find the operating pressure of a pressure cooker, you will have no idea about proper cooking times. 

Although making adjustments between machines may sound confusing, they are easy to implement. Cookbooks written for a particular appliance and the recipe books provided with the gadget will automatically give you the correct cooking time. Additionally, you will likely gain an intuitive understanding. For instance, if I use an Instant Pot recipe on a stove-top pressure cooker, I know to reduce the time a bit. However, when purchasing, I would stick with a standard 13 or 15 PSI stove-top or a 10-12 PSI electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot and many others).  There is a wealth of information on these devices and tons of recipes. 

A real pressure cooker danger.

Some exotic pressure cookers, like the Instagram-trending Afgan pressure cookers, may be dangerous due to contaminants.  Afghan pressure cookers use reclaimed aluminum, sometimes from old car parts. Afghan pressure cookers have been known to leach lead into foods. 

PSI vs. kpa.

Pressure can be measured in several different ways. For US pressure cookers, we use PSI (pounds per square inch); for the rest of the world, they use kpa (kilopascals).

15.0 PSI = 100 kpa  temp 250F,  cook time 23% of traditional cook time

13.0 PSI = 90 kpa    temp 246F,  cook time 27% of traditional cook time

11.5 PSI = 80 kpa    temp 242F,  cook time 32% of traditional cook time

10.0 PSI = 70 kpa    temp 241F, cook time 33% of traditional cook time

8.0 PSI   = 55 kpa    temp 234F, cook time 40% of traditional cook time

Pot-in-pot cooking.

It is possible to put another cooking vessel inside your pressure cooker. For instance, you can put a springform pan inside to make a cake or cheesecake (made under steam). You can also buy inexpensive stacking pots that fit typical pressure cookers. Using this method, you can cook two foods simultaneously, and their flavors won’t mix.  

Different types of lids.

The lid on a pressure cooker must be secure, or it will fly off when under pressure. Presto revolutionized the home cooker by using a flange/twist-on design that is still very popular today.  Some manufacturers use other methods that have also been proven to work. For instance, some third-world countries produce cookers with clamp-on lids as this style is more straightforward to manufacture.  The famous Indian company Hawkins makes cookers that use a tip-in and clip lid.  As long as the lid is secure, all is good, no matter the design.

Can I fill a pressure cooker to the top?

No. The maximum you can fill a pressure cooker is ⅔ full, as you need room to generate steam. Some foods can only be filled ½ way (for instance, rice and beans) as they tend to expand and could block the vent tube. The instruction book supplied with your machine can provide you with more details.

Maximum filling levels for pressure cooking. Image from hippressurecooking.com

Do I always have to add liquid to my pressure cooker?

Yes, your pot must have liquid to operate under pressure. Depending on the cooking time, a cup of water will usually do. Naturally, liquid dishes like soups already have water in them. 

Why does my electric cooker say “BURN” on its display?

Electric cookers are limited by their heating elements.  If you don’t have enough liquid in them or the only liquid is very thick, like tomato sauce, the cooker may burn some of the food on the bottom of the pot.  This can cause temperatures to rise, which is then sensed by a thermostat, and the cooker will shut down to protect itself. It is essential to read recipes as they stipulate how to put food in a pot.  For instance, a recipe may say to add broth and then tomato sauce but not mix the two. The broth can turn to steam, and you won’t get a “BURN” warning. 

Do I need a cooker that can operate at multiple pressures?

Some pressure cookers can operate at more than one pressure.  However, the vast majority of pressure cooker recipes use high pressure.  For most, having only one pressure is all that you need.

Can I use my home pressure cooker for pressure canning?

Probably not. First, you must ensure that your unit operates at 15 PSI (the USDA standard) and maintains that pressure.  Sterilization is based on both temperature and time.  However, there is no way that a consumer can safely calculate a pressure cooker’s internal temperature.  Poorly canned foods can breed a deadly organism called Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria produces the botulism toxin (botox), one of the most deadly neurotoxins. A very tiny amount can kill you. This botox is the same substance used to give people chemical facelifts, as it paralyzes the nerves controlling facial muscles.  However, that substance is medical grade and precisely diluted.  The bottom line is that If you are into canning, you are best off buying a pressurized canner (retort canner) designed for the job. Canners are calibrated and designed to get up to and maintain 15 PSI.

Are pressure cookers safe?  I hear that they explode.

Some pressure cookers built during the 1940 post-war times were shoddy and could rupture.  Modern pressure cookers have multiple safety devices and are safe if you follow reasonable operating procedures. Can you force a pressure cooker to explode?  That is unlikely unless you deliberately modified it, as was done in the Boston Marathon bombing.  The worst that can happen is that one of the safety mechanisms would activate and release a blast of steam, potentially spewing boiling water and food, providing you with a mess to clean up. I have used all types of pressure cookers for over 50 years and have never had a problem. However, use common sense; don’t leave the house when operating a pressure cooker.  I stay in or near the kitchen using a stove-top unit and remain within earshot when using an electric pressure cooker (which is more automatic). 

Are aluminum pressure cookers safe?  

The urban legend that aluminum pots cause Altzehiemer’s disease has long been debunked. However, aluminum may leave acidic foods, like tomato sauce, tasting metallic. This is not dangerous.  I have never tasted this, so that this ability may be genetic. Anodized aluminum does not impart a metallic taste.  

Aluminum pressure cookers are cheaper than stainless steel pots but are only manufactured as stove-top units. The American Test Kitchen advises getting a stainless steel cooker due to the metal taste issue and their concern that an aluminum pot is less durable. However, my mom’s aluminum pot was almost 80 years old before an operator error destroyed it, so I would say that they are still pretty durable.

I would choose stainless steel if you can afford it, but go for aluminum if cost is a significant issue.  

A typical aluminum pressure cooker. Image from Amazon. com

Do pressure cookers have parts that I need to take care of or replace?

Despite their advanced abilities, pressure cookers are relatively simple devices. A few parts may wear out over time.

-The gasket is a silicon ring that seals the lid and pot.  I remove mine and wash it separately.  I then replace it or leave it loose in the pot to be placed the next time I use my pressure cooker.  Never store a pot with the gasket (seal) in place and the lid locked.  This will squeeze the gasket and may impact its ability to seal. If a pot can’t hold pressure or the gasket looks damaged, it should be replaced with the same type. If you have a brand-name cooker, you can find gaskets specifically for that brand.  If you have a Chinese no-name cooker, you can measure the inner diameter of the gasket in centimeters and find a replacement on Amazon, Walmart.com, or eBay. Different gaskets have somewhat different builds, so try to find one similar to your original if you have a generic cooker. 

Some people keep several gaskets, one for savory foods and another for desserts, as a gasket can pick up odors. I sometimes use the top rack of my dishwasher to clean a removed gasket. Some say soaking a gasket in a diluted vinegar solution can eliminate “gasket odor.”  Gaskets are inexpensive, so having an extra one on hand is a good idea.

My mom would have to change the old rubber gasket on her Presto every year or two.  Current silicon gaskets are advised to be changed every 2-3 years.  However, I check mine to see if it looks good and works OK. If so, I continue to use it. My Mealthy electric pressure cooker is 6 years old, and I still use the same gasket.

-Another replaceable item is the float valve. When the cooker is pressurized, this valve pops up an indicator on the lid. It also seals the pressure cooker and locks the lid from opening. The part that may go bad on the valve is the little silicon ring at its base. If your cooker isn’t pressurizing or this silicon ring looks damaged, replace it.

Should I buy a Chinese or off-brand pressure cooker?

Brand-name cookers stand by their pots. Presto makes reasonably priced pressure cookers, and they still have parts for cookers that they sold 50 years ago.  Kuhn Rikon, Fagor, and Fissler are long-standing, reputable European companies. Instant Pot seems to support their electric pressure cookers (at least to a degree).   

However, I have used several Chinese stove-top and electric pressure cookers that seem to be well-made.  If you buy an off-brand stove-top, ensure the pressure cooker reaches 15 PSI. Some sold on eBay and Amazon do not, reaching only 8 PSI. 

As far as I know, most electric pressure cookers cycle between 10 and 12 PSI, so recipes used from one electric cooker to another don’t need to be adjusted. I have used my Mealthy electric pressure cooker for years, and it works as well as an Instant Pot.  The Mealthy was roughly the same price as a similar Instant Pot but came with extras, impacting my decision. 

Consumables, like the sealing gasket and the silicon washer for the float valve, appear fairly generic on many off-brand models (made in the same Chinese factory?). As long as you match a part correctly, they seem to work. 

I have seen some generic gaskets titled “For stainless steel pressure cookers.” I can’t say if that identifier is essential or just marketing. 

What size pressure cooker should I get?

Stove-top pressure cookers come in all sorts of sizes.  I have seen 2-quart, 4-quart, and even 10-quart electric pressure cookers, but they are usually 3, 6, and 8-quart units.  American Test Kitchen suggests getting an 8-quart cooker because “you can always cook less in an 8-quart, but you can’t cook more in a smaller cooker.  However, I disagree.  My sister has an 8-quart electric for her 2-person family and would always make too much food in it.  She got a 3-quart electric and is much happier.  I often cook for five adults and have never had a capacity problem using my 6-quart cookers.  For years, my mom used a 4-quart stove-top for a family of 7.  However, when she made stew, she cooked the potatoes separately, and when she could, she eventually bought a 6-quart stove-top unit.  

A 6-quart pot works in most situations and is the most flexible as it can accommodate relatively large amounts of cooking but can also easily cook smaller portion sizes. Remember that a pressure cooker can only be filled 2/3rds full, and some expanding/foaming foods like rice and beans should only be filled ½ full. 

First Generation Pressure Cookers.

These stove-top pressure cookers have a simple design. Air is expelled from a vent on the oven’s lid. On top of the lid’s vent tube is a regulator of a calibrated weight. When pressure builds past 15 PSI, the weight is slightly lifted, and the excess pressure is released, causing the weight to rock.  The process continues, causing the weight to “jiggle” back and forth.  These pressure cookers are sometimes called jigglers because of this. Once the regulator starts to jiggle, the operator turns down the heat so that jiggling is relatively gentle.  Timing starts once the regulator is rocking. 

Advantages:

-A straightforward mechanism that has few moving parts.

-It is evident when the unit reaches pressure and if you need to readjust the heat to achieve gentle rocking.

-These cookers tend to be less expensive than generator-two pressure cookers.

Disadvantages: 

-It is possible to lose the regulator.

-These units may lose a little more liquid in the form of steam than second-generation PCs. 

-Some people find the rocking, accompanied by a swish-swish sound, scary.

-Unless you change the regulator, these units can only operate at one PSI (not a big deal).

This first-generation “jiggler” pressure cooker uses a weighted regulator that rocks open once the pot’s pressure exceeds 15 PSI. The arrow is pointing to the regulator.

Second  Generation Pressure Cookers.

Second-generation stove-top pressure cookers use a spring-type regulator that doesn’t jiggle. Instead, these units hiss a bit (some more than others).  They usually have an indicator that says they are under pressure and may have several pressure levels. 

Like Generation-One units, you start on high heat, and when the indicator shows that the pot is under pressure, you lower the heat to maintain that pressure. For some cookers, you want to see a gentle stream of steam; in others, you are given a clear visual indicator that the pot is under proper pressure.  Your pot’s instruction guide will tell you what to look for. 

Advantages:

-May lose less moisture than Gen-One cooker.

-Quieter than a Gen-One cooker.

-Can often achieve several different pressure levels (not very important)

Disadvantages:

-May be more expensive than a Gen-One cooker.

-Some may prefer a Gen-One cooker’s clear visual and auditory cues.

Note:  My mom’s 1940s Model 40 pressure cooker likely used a spring regulator, and her first jiggler was purchased in the 1970s, so I’m not quite sure why some experts labeled jigglers as “first-generation.”

This is a second-generation stove-top unit. The arrow points to the regulator, which does not jiggle.
The arrow points to the “float valve.” As the pressure builds this valve will pop up sealing the pressure cooker and locking the lid as a safety feature.
The float valve has popped up in this photo, signaling that the cooker is sealed. Now, you need to wait until a steady stream of steam comes out of the regulator (see next photo).
Looking carefully, you can see a stream of steam coming out of the regulator. Once this happens, lower the heat until you see a gentle but steady stream of steam. This is when you start your time.
This Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker emits very little steam. Instead, you monitor the pressure indicator on the top of the lid. Once you move to the second red bar, lower the heat to maintain this pressure level.
You can see that two bars have emerged.

Both Gen One and Gen Two Pressure Cookers:

Stove-top pressure cookers can last a lifetime. 

They are high-quality pots that can be used as regular stockpots when needed. In this case, the cook leaves the regulator off/open on the pressure lid or uses a different lid. Some pressure cooker manufacturers sell a separate glass lid for non-pressurized cooking. 

What can a stove-top pot do?

Cooks Soups/Stews/Tough meats:  Yes

Has software programs for common foods: No

Set and (almost) forget operation: No

Slow cooking function: Yes (if used like a stove-top Dutch oven)

Make Rice: Yes (a favorite ability)

Make hard-boiled eggs: Yes

Make Yogurt: No

Sous Vide foods: No

Cook other grains: Yes

Make desserts like cheesecake: Yes

Can saute in the pan: Yes

Cook at 15 PSI: Yes (Many)

Can last a lifetime: Yes

Requires  AC outlet: No

Third Generation Pressure Cookers.

Third-generation cookers are electric, the most obvious being the Instant Pot. However, the Instant Pot was not the first electric pressure cooker on the scene. The first electric cooker was introduced in 1991, and the Instant Pot came out in 2010.  

I had a Nesco electric pressure cooker in the mid-90s that worked very well.  My Nesco had typical pressure cooker functions and a slow cooker setting. The Instant Pot and its clones added a lower temperature setting to make yogurt and some simple timing programs for common foods, like stew and rice. The Instant Pot became a hit because it was featured on Amazon during a Black Friday sale.  Robert Wang was wise to call the Instant Pot something different than a pressure cooker as that neutralizes Urban Legend explosion fears. People got intrigued by pressure cookers and didn’t even know it!

Advantages:

These pots offer set-it-and-forget-it capabilities. Press a few buttons, and the cooker will reach pressure for a set amount of time and then go to keep warm. In most cases, the operator is responsible for releasing pressure if indicated.  

Disadvantage:

-Requires an AC outlet.

-As a small electric, the lifespan of a 3rd generation is limited.

-Many more components than a stove-top unit.  Circuit boards, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, thermal fuses.  The list goes on.  

These pots typically cycle between 10-12 PSI, lower than a stove-top unit. Some smaller pots may have an even lower operating pressure. Only one electric pot, the Instant Pot Max, can achieve the standard 15 PSI. However, some reviewers noted that it didn’t cook any faster than typical Instant Pots, which are less expensive. 

What can a 3rd generation pot do?

Cooks Soups/Stews/Tough meats:  Yes

Has timing programs for common foods: Yes

Set and (almost) forget operation: Yes

Slow cooking function: Yes (some report poor results)

Make Rice: Yes (a favorite option)

Make hard-boiled eggs: Yes

Make Yogurt: Yes  (a favorite option)

Sous Vide foods: A few machines (poor results reported).

Cook other grains: Yes

Make desserts like cheesecake: Yes

Cook at 15 PSI: Only one machine, the Instant Pot Max.

Can saute in the pan: Yes

Can last a lifetime: No

Require AC outlet: Yes

I have used this Mealthy pressure cooker for 6 years. Prior to that I used a Nesco electric pressure cooker since the 1990s. The Nesco’s regulator was damaged, making the unit inoperative.
Electric pressure cookers operate differently than stove-top units. They may build to 15 PSI but then cycle between 10 and 12 PSI during cooking. This lowers their cooking temperature, so they cook a bit slower than stove-top units—image from hippressurecooking.com

Hybrid Machines

A few pressure cookers on the market combine their pressure cooking function with a convection oven (air fryer). This allows the user to cook food rapidly under pressure and then brown/crisp it. People who have these machines generally like them. However, they can be bulky and more expensive.

Several companies make hybrid pressure cookers that can also act as air fryers. This allows you to cook something and then brown it quickly. This is the original Ninja Foodi.
Another view of the Foodi. The pressure lid is on the pot. You can also see the air fryer lid permanently attached to the cooker.

Conclusions/Recommendations

A pressure cooker is a fantastic and safe cooking gadget.  It saves fuel, gets meals on the table 3-10 faster than conventional methods, preserves vitamins, and the food tastes great because all of the volatile aroma molecules are preserved.  Meats come out juicy and tender.  Vegetables have more vitamins, and rice, beans, and grains cook quickly.  You can make entire meals simultaneously without blending flavors with the pot-in-pot technique.  These pots will save you time and money; they use little energy while allowing you to cook cheaper cuts of meat.

The American Test Kitchen suggests buying a stainless steel cooker with a broad base for durability and quick sauteing of foods. This is good advice, but you can certainly use an aluminum cooker with excellent results. I have pressure cookers with typically sized bases and may have to brown large amounts of stew meat in two batches. I’m not working in a commercial kitchen, so super durability and saving 5 minutes of browning time are not crucial.

Stove-top pressure cookers offer the advantage of cooking at a full 15 PSI (faster cooking times). They can last a lifetime, be used as a high-quality stock pot, and be operated using many heating sources, from kitchen ranges to camping stoves.  They are the perfect cooking tool in a disaster situation. A cooker from Generation One or Generation Two cooks similarly. Remember, if a cooker operates at the same PSI, it will cook the same.

However, I suggest getting an electric pressure cooker for the first-time user.  Their ease of use and automatic nature make you more likely to use them. Additionally, dozens, if not hundreds, of websites and YouTube videos make it easy to get up and running. 

Hybrid cookers are loved by their owners due to their additional versatility.  However, that additional functionality may make an already daunting task even more difficult for a new user. Such an appliance can be purchased later if desired. 

Which type of cooker do I use?  The answer is “Yes.”.

Peace,

Mike

Images used for educational purposes.

personal growth, Uncategorized

Things That I Simply No Longer Care About

When I originally conceived this post, I was going to title it “The life changes I made when I retired.”  However, like most things I write, the topic evolved.  The title then became “Changes that I have made as I have aged.” That was also inaccurate, as some of my life changes started in my 20s and have grown since then. The bottom line is that as an adult, I have slowly become who I am today.  Let me share some of those changes with you.

I no longer fear Imposter syndrome.

When I was younger, I received conflicting critiques about who I was and what my abilities were. On one hand, I was told I was stupid, lazy, and useless, while on the other hand, I was told that  I was bright, talented, and unique. I reveled in the later critique but didn’t believe it was real. I feared my complementers would discover I was a fraud.  

I recall being in college and breaking the curve on tests, thinking I was lucky. After doing this many times, I changed my belief to “I just study harder.”  Eventually, I came to understand that I grasped the material better than the average student, which was why I topped the curve.  Before you think I’m too grandiose, let me inform you that I have also recognized my weaknesses.  For instance, I cannot remember common facts, like a person’s name or a telephone number. Additionally, I have great difficulty putting together a simple children’s jigsaw puzzle. 

I no longer feel that I’m an imposter. Instead, I understand that I’m a person with some unique gifts and some significant weaknesses.  My goal has always been to exploit my strengths while doing everything possible to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I’m still a work in progress. 

I don’t care what people think about me.

When I moved into my house 30 years ago, I tried to be casually friendly towards my neighbors.  This effort went reasonably well, and I’m still on good terms with people I met at that time.  However, there was one situation where something went wrong.  A guy lived half a block from my house, and I had minimal contact with him.  We had kids the same age, and I occasionally saw him at the school bus stop or around the neighborhood. When I ran into him, I would greet him with a hello or raise my hand in a wave.  Initially, he responded, but then he stopped.  He would sometimes visibly scowl if he caught sight of me. If I was face-to-face with him, looked him directly in his eye, and said hello, he would look past me like I didn’t exist.  This situation upset and baffled me as I could not think of a reason for this change in his behavior. I felt that I must have done something wrong to create such a reaction, but I couldn’t even remember conversing with him, let alone saying something rude. My concerns eventually faded, and I got past his response (or lack thereof).  I never found out why this person went from a casual contact to someone who hated me. However, I no longer care.

In my private practice, I initially evaluated a middle-aged man who needed a new psychiatrist as his old one was retiring. This poor guy was taking a suitcase of ridiculous and repetitive meds.  His former doctor had him on multiple tranquilizers, sleeping pills, stimulants, and even opioid pain meds. I told the man frankly that my goal would be to get him off of 90% of the medications that he was taking because only then could I see what he needed.  He was furious with me and left my office, never to return.  I had to admit that I had a sense of relief when he left, as I knew that weaning such a patient would be as difficult for me as for him.  Six months later, I saw him on my schedule and thought, “Oh crap.”  I was sure that I was about to get some sort of dressing down because he was so angry when he left the first time. 

The man came in, and instead of reaming me, he apologized. He was seeing a new doctor who was happy to continue all of his meds, but over time, he realized that I was the first doctor to care enough about his care to risk losing him by telling him the truth.  Over time, I was able to get him off most of his meds and transition him to more appropriate ones.  He became a patient for life and continued to travel to my Illinois office after he moved to Ohio. 

There are times when I have accidentally offended someone. When things go badly in an encounter, and I am the cause, I want to make it right. However, long ago, I realized there would be people who would like me and people who wouldn’t.  Some who don’t want to be my friend will have a valid reason; others won’t. I try to be kind and respectful to everyone, but if that is not enough…so be it. I want to concentrate my energy on those who want to share time with me.  For the others, I wish them a happy life, but otherwise, I simply don’t care.

I no longer try to live up to other people’s expectations of me.

Some people think they know how I should behave, what I should do, and how I should live my life.  Sometimes, these comments are out of genuine caring and could be considered complements.  “You should write a book on that topic,” or “You should practice again; we need good psychiatrists.”  At other times, I have been the target of someone’s manipulation, like when a senior medical student wanted me, as a freshman medical student, to take her place on a horrible committee that involved a ton of work and long twice-monthly meetings. I could give dozens of other examples, but they all involve “shoulds.”  You should do this, or you shouldn’t do that.  Long ago, I realized it was OK to listen to other’s perspectives, but I knew myself better than they knew me.  I live according to my expectations, not someone else’s.

I no longer buy into societal norms.

We are constantly being pressured to fit in.  As a doctor, society tried to determine how big my house should be, what kind of car I should drive, and what friends I should associate with. When I turned 50, I bought a “doctor’s car,” a Mercedes.  I felt pretty cool and accomplished for about a month, and then it dawned on me that the Mercedes was just a box on wheels. After a time, it became a burden due to its poor construction and excessive repair costs.  I traded it in for a Honda; a happy day. I no longer need to keep up with the Joneses or the Dr. Joneses. I just want to live my life and be myself. 

It took me about a month to realize that my Mercedes was just a box on wheels.

I no longer think I’m unworthy if I’m average at something.

Growing up, I received praise and validation through my academic abilities. This reinforcement led to a pattern of behavior in which I felt that I had to prove my worth by consistently exceeding expectations. That went well beyond schooling.  I thought I had to be engaging, intelligent, and funny in social situations. It was my task to make sure that no one was uncomfortable. It was my job to come up with a topic that interested the person I was talking to, not a subject I had an interest in.  In my marriage, I felt I had to be the ultimate provider, the man with the plan, who was both in charge yet compassionate and tender, alternating roles as required. I felt I had to prove my worth beyond being a good doctor in my business. For example, I taught myself web design to save the clinic money by designing, building, and uploading a complicated corporate website instead of having the clinic contract a professional. 

These characteristics are part of me, but the operative definer is “part.”  I don’t always want to be the most competent person in the room, the most engaging, and the most thoughtful.  Sometimes, I want to be me.  Over time, I have realized I have worth, as all humans do.  It is OK for me to allow others to take the lead and be intelligent, thoughtful, and caring. My genuine self is that of a nurturer, but I sometimes need to be nurtured.  I am happy to care for the people I love, but I also want to be loved. I can learn new things to help others, but at times, I am the person who needs help. 

Sometimes, it feels good just to be good enough.  

I no longer feel a need to control others.

When I care about someone, I want to protect them and keep them safe. When my kids were young, imparting my “knowledge” to them was possible.  However, they are now adults and have had the benefits of an excellent education, a ton of love and support, and wisdom from both parents. If they ask my opinion, I will happily give it to them.  If I see a major disaster on the horizon, I may offer an unsolicited opinion. However, in most cases, I feel my role is to be a supportive listener.  This stance goes beyond my kids but requires continuing effort on my part.  I’m better at letting go, but I still want to shield those I love from hurt and trauma.  I need to remind myself that adults have the right to self-determination. 

I no longer have to be everyone’s friend.

There was a time when someone asked me to be my friend, and I would automatically say yes. Many times, these were individuals who recognized that I was a caretaker.  The relationship would consist of them using me in one way or another.  When I needed their help or support, they would be “too busy.” I no longer want such people in my life.  I want mutually beneficial relationships with others, and I would much rather have a small circle of true friends than a massive group of casual friends. 

I don’t need to accomplish everything I could have achieved.

I have many ideas and can connect seemingly unrelated pieces of information. In the 1970s, I worked with a team at the U of C, employing a new tool called monoclonal antibodies. We were using these antibodies as a research probe to study Multiple Sclerosis, but it was abundantly clear that they could also be used for clinical medical purposes, targeted cancer treatment being one of them. In medical school, I knew I could become a research doc and advance that (and other) ideas. However, I understood that I wasn’t happy as a researcher and wanted to pursue a clinical path; I abandoned the idea. 

I started an multi-media company to educate lay people. My first education DVD received good reviews, but it took me hundreds of hours to create and produce.  Although I had ideas for other DVDs, I wasn’t willing to spend every waking hour developing them. 

The bottom line is that life involves balance.  I couldn’t do it all if I wanted to have a full life.  I wanted time to explore hobbies, have time for my wife, children, and friends, and to learn new things.  This meant that I couldn’t always accomplish the big stuff. Having a balanced life turned out to be the right decision for me. 

I have less need for “stuff.”

When I was younger, I saw the road to happiness and my credit card joined at the hip. I felt envy if I visited someone who had a larger house.  “Someday, I will have that too.”  The same could be said of anything that seemed better than what I had. Thank goodness that envy ended decades ago.  

At that time, I went from a position of envy to a place of gratitude. There will always be someone who has something “better” than me, but there will always be someone worse off, too.  Where do I find my happiness?  The other day, I walked in a beautiful forest preserve just minutes from home.  I brought a nice camera and took random photos of interesting subjects. At home, I made dinner for my family and a friend. We ate and talked and ate some more. It was a lovely day. 

Random photo #1
Random photo #2

I am so grateful to have good people in my life, that I’m relatively healthy, that I enjoy being creative and learning new things, and that I have so much beauty at my doorstep. There are so many things to be grateful for!

I value these things so much more than stuff. 

I don’t worry about the clothes that I’m wearing.

I’m a basic guy.  As a practicing doctor, I had to dress the part, and my closet was jammed with dress shirts and such.  Recently, I decided to eliminate most of those shirts and almost all of my suits.  I only wore suits when I had to, but I discovered that I had 8 of them!   I tossed the worn clothes and gave away the nice shirts and suits.

My retirement wardrobe is effortless; I mostly wear jeans with a SmartWool tee or a polo shirt.  I love the ease of choosing “one item from column A and one from column B,” and I’m dressed.  At other times I’ll wear something fun.  Why? Because I can wear what I want when I want to wear it.  

Not exactly “doctor regulation clothing” but fun!

I no longer need to be perfect.

In the past, I felt that I needed to be perfect and that I had to have an encyclopedic knowledge of any topic. I would blame myself if I didn’t know something, even when I could not know it. This caused me stress.

I still try to do a good job. However, perfection is not possible.  It is a relief to acknowledge that sometimes good is good enough. 

I have no problem saying “No.”

In the distant past, I felt that if someone asked me to do something, I would have to say “OK.”

People ask me to do things all the time. I will often say yes, and it feels great to help someone. However, other times, someone wants me to do something I don’t want to do. Those requests can be minor or sometimes highly time-consuming. Long ago, I learned that a simple “No” sans any explanation was the way to go. One minute of discomfort can, at times, save months of agony.

I don’t always have to be productive.

When I worked 60+ hours a week, my free time was minimal.  I remember sitting at my desk paying the household bills and feeling guilty that I wasn’t raking the leaves simultaneously.  My limited time and excessive demands created an environment where I thought I had to produce something of value 24/7.  That was not a healthy place to be. 

In retirement, I have found the true joy of being while still doing things. Yesterday, I cleaned out the clothes occupying one foot of my closet, tossed out one large bag of junk from my basement, wrote part of this post, and helped my sister with some computer issues. However, that left time to do many other things, ranging from having coffee with a friend to studying an esoteric and useless topic. Oh, and I also took a nap-and didn’t feel a bit of guilt.

I don’t have a fear of the future.

How many times have I worried about something that never happened?  How many times have terrible things happened without me seeing them approaching? The reality is that worry has never been a strategy for success.  If I worry about something, I tell myself: Accept what I cannot change, change what I can, and know the difference between the two (paraphrased AA serenity prayer).  Life happens.  Good things happen.  Bad things happen.  I aim to live in the half-full glass zone, not the half-empty one.  For every bad thing that has happened to me, I have had a dozen good things happen.  Every morning brings a new day.  My goal is to make the most of that day. 

I no longer ignore the small things.

Life is not about a trip to Europe or the purchase of a new home. Those things are lovely but very episodic. Life is about the small stuff: drinking a good cup of coffee, spending time with a friend, having dinner and conversation with my family, going on a walk while intentionally observing all of the beauty around me, and learning something new, even if it has no practical application. There is so much joy in the small things. Why do people ignore these gifts? Not me. 

I like cooking/baking and sharing it with people that I love. The Angle Food cake turned out great. My take on cheesy herbal muffins were a bit dry, but they ate them anyway!
On another walk, I saw these tiny flowers. I thought they were so pretty that I had to photograph them. It would have been easy to miss them if I hadn’t been looking with intention.

I’m no longer hard on myself.

I have already said that I’m not perfect.  That reality permeates every aspect of my life.  However, I no longer beat myself up when I make a mistake.  I try to learn from it and make it right if appropriate.  I’m not perfect, but I’m good enough.

I no longer place unreasonable expectations on my family and friends.

We all want what we want.  However, I try to view each close relationship as a gift.  I want to have good people in my life who I love and who love me.  However, they are individuals and have their own values and needs, which may differ from mine.  I make a solid effort to accept them for who they are.  However, I intentionally choose considerate people to be in my life.  I try to be the same to them, and although we are not perfect bookends, we appreciate and value our connections.

Letting go of the above has made me a better and happier person.  Each day is a gift to be celebrated and not squandered.

Peace 

Mike