3 ms·

This is fascinating, wow. Thank you for sharing that. If it was not clear from my earlier oligodynamic post, I'm autistic and the fewer day-disrupting routines

This is fascinating, wow. Thank you for sharing that. If it was not clear from my earlier oligodynamic post, I'm autistic and the fewer day-disrupting routines I have (washing cup with soap, I'm allergic to almost any detergent so it's a ....very long and stressful process to make it 'drinkable' and safe-feeling [unfortunately only detergent seems to get the biofilm]) the better. I've heard of farmers putting copper pennies in their rain barrels (yes, it actually works, apparently increases the amount of copper ions in the water a decent bit though IIRC? There's some downside), I hadn't thought of the silver contact bit. I struggle with cups building biofilm quickly, I'll have to electroplate some with silver or just put a piece of silver in there in the meantime to keep it clean for longer-term storage.

schiffern 3y ago
Much happier with my symptoms since I switched to using (unscented) Dr Bronner soap. All organic and food safe ingredients. I buy the liquid and use it in a foaming dispenser.[0] The same folks make an actual detergent called Sal's Suds. Very drying but works well. I did use it, but these days I use the regular Castile soap for everything. Your mileage may vary of course. Unscented oxyclean (they do make it!) is a godsend for laundry, dishwasher, etc. Absolutely zero residue. For biofilms, cheap dollar store nylon scrub brushes (no "gummy" handle) are fantastic, and also their cheap multi-pack toothbrushes. Soaking in soapy water for 5-10 minutes (I set a timer) is surprisingly powerful. Almost accidentally, I find myself using just one drinking cup. This does keep it very manageable. I rarely burn things anymore, but 3M scouring pads from Lowes have saved more than a couple pots. :) Adaptation is a continuous learning process! Hope some of this can help or inspire. cheers. [0] https://www.lisabronner.com/making-a-foaming-hand-soap-with-castile-soap/ https://www.lisabronner.com/making-a-foaming-hand-soap-with-...
- tbalsam 3y ago
  Oh my gosh, thank you so much, love. This is years of experience/advice as liquid gold in your comment, thank you so much, dearie bun! :')))) <3 I react even to All Free and Clear, and have carried Bronner's while backpacking but haven't tried just the raw version yet (I habitually rinse ASAP). I'll see if the unscented version is really good! I will find the unscented oxyclean too. Thank you so very much from a person with an all-too-sensitive body, and much love! If you have any others, happy to hear, but thank you so much! <3 :')))) These mean to so much to me. :')))) <3
  - schiffern 3y ago
    Glad to hear! If you're looking for a random eclectic set of recommendations: * My latest thing is giant sun protective hats, especially ones which drape functionally over the back of the neck.[0] Useful search terms are fishing, boating, and gardening hats. * Powerstep insoles. They're #1 with podiatrists for a reason. You just need someone to check the height of your foot arch before ordering (Youtube has guides for this). * I buy lots and lots of sunglasses from the dollar store (ahem, a "tree" in my region). The resulting abundance ensures I always have a pair when I need it. Identical to the $10-20 ones, but I don't care when I inevitably lose or break them. Tip: nail clippers can trim the plastic burr on the hinge, so they open wider and won't cause headaches. * The same dollar store sells 100-packs of thin disposable food service gloves. Snip the corner of the bag to make a dispensing hole. LIFE CHANGING for pumping gas, no more gasoline hands. Literally gloves in my glove box, haha. * Speaking of gloves, the thick black gloves at Harbor Freight are nice. Cheap yet so thick they're effectively reusable, especially if you buy one size up. * For wildfire/campfire/dusty activities/viruses, I pull out this dorky thing.[1] Its dorkiness is matched only by its effectiveness. :D I gave tips about using it here.[2] * For air filtration, I'm a big fan of the Filtrete 1900 (MERV 13) filters. Low restriction, and just the "sweet spot" of efficiency vs airflow. I put them in my HVAC system — some restriction yes, but much better than others! Also great for "Corsi box" DIY filters. * Tip: 3M won't recommend this, but to clean and reuse these filters indefinitely I first modify them by pulling off the metal mesh on the intake side (wear leather work gloves for this!!!), and then I can vacuum up and down each "valley" with a standard crevice tool. The filters aren't crazy expensive honestly, but it pleases my anti-waste sensibilities. * One last cheapie: I grab a big bag of foam earplugs (Harbor Fright again) and cut them in half. The modification prevents them from popping out, and makes them comfortable enough to wear longer. Modern activities/society is surprisingly loud — it turns out hearing loss isn't really a 'natural' part of aging, it's all just environmental exposure. I keep a few earplugs in that useless little pants pocket. I learned this from someone on HN who tried it as an experiment, so I guess it's my turn now. :) That's all I can think of for now, but here's a tip I wish I had known earlier: * If some new purchase smells like an injection molding facility (AKA everything), I scrub it 3x with soap and hot water, then hang it outside (yes really!) for a week. Somehow the sun bleaching works magic like nothing else. This process could even completely remove odor from my anti-fatigue "puzzle piece" floor mats, a process which normally takes months on its own. Okay now I'm fried. :) This has been fun! Sorry if the list is a bit scattershot. If you have specific areas you want me to focus in on, don't hesitate to ask. Hopefully at least one person can benefit from something on this list. peace. [0] eg https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C27F3Y2K/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C27F3Y2K/ [1] https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifying-Respirator/dp/B07YWLBVF2/ https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifyi... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34378478 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34378478

schiffern 3y ago

Much happier with my symptoms since I switched to using (unscented) Dr Bronner soap. All organic and food safe ingredients. I buy the liquid and use it in a foaming dispenser.[0] The same folks make an actual detergent called Sal's Suds. Very drying but works well. I did use it, but these days I use the regular Castile soap for everything. Your mileage may vary of course. Unscented oxyclean (they do make it!) is a godsend for laundry, dishwasher, etc. Absolutely zero residue. For biofilms, cheap dollar store nylon scrub brushes (no "gummy" handle) are fantastic, and also their cheap multi-pack toothbrushes. Soaking in soapy water for 5-10 minutes (I set a timer) is surprisingly powerful. Almost accidentally, I find myself using just one drinking cup. This does keep it very manageable. I rarely burn things anymore, but 3M scouring pads from Lowes have saved more than a couple pots. :) Adaptation is a continuous learning process! Hope some of this can help or inspire. cheers. [0] https://www.lisabronner.com/making-a-foaming-hand-soap-with-castile-soap/ https://www.lisabronner.com/making-a-foaming-hand-soap-with-...

tbalsam 3y ago
Oh my gosh, thank you so much, love. This is years of experience/advice as liquid gold in your comment, thank you so much, dearie bun! :')))) <3 I react even to All Free and Clear, and have carried Bronner's while backpacking but haven't tried just the raw version yet (I habitually rinse ASAP). I'll see if the unscented version is really good! I will find the unscented oxyclean too. Thank you so very much from a person with an all-too-sensitive body, and much love! If you have any others, happy to hear, but thank you so much! <3 :')))) These mean to so much to me. :')))) <3
- schiffern 3y ago
  Glad to hear! If you're looking for a random eclectic set of recommendations: * My latest thing is giant sun protective hats, especially ones which drape functionally over the back of the neck.[0] Useful search terms are fishing, boating, and gardening hats. * Powerstep insoles. They're #1 with podiatrists for a reason. You just need someone to check the height of your foot arch before ordering (Youtube has guides for this). * I buy lots and lots of sunglasses from the dollar store (ahem, a "tree" in my region). The resulting abundance ensures I always have a pair when I need it. Identical to the $10-20 ones, but I don't care when I inevitably lose or break them. Tip: nail clippers can trim the plastic burr on the hinge, so they open wider and won't cause headaches. * The same dollar store sells 100-packs of thin disposable food service gloves. Snip the corner of the bag to make a dispensing hole. LIFE CHANGING for pumping gas, no more gasoline hands. Literally gloves in my glove box, haha. * Speaking of gloves, the thick black gloves at Harbor Freight are nice. Cheap yet so thick they're effectively reusable, especially if you buy one size up. * For wildfire/campfire/dusty activities/viruses, I pull out this dorky thing.[1] Its dorkiness is matched only by its effectiveness. :D I gave tips about using it here.[2] * For air filtration, I'm a big fan of the Filtrete 1900 (MERV 13) filters. Low restriction, and just the "sweet spot" of efficiency vs airflow. I put them in my HVAC system — some restriction yes, but much better than others! Also great for "Corsi box" DIY filters. * Tip: 3M won't recommend this, but to clean and reuse these filters indefinitely I first modify them by pulling off the metal mesh on the intake side (wear leather work gloves for this!!!), and then I can vacuum up and down each "valley" with a standard crevice tool. The filters aren't crazy expensive honestly, but it pleases my anti-waste sensibilities. * One last cheapie: I grab a big bag of foam earplugs (Harbor Fright again) and cut them in half. The modification prevents them from popping out, and makes them comfortable enough to wear longer. Modern activities/society is surprisingly loud — it turns out hearing loss isn't really a 'natural' part of aging, it's all just environmental exposure. I keep a few earplugs in that useless little pants pocket. I learned this from someone on HN who tried it as an experiment, so I guess it's my turn now. :) That's all I can think of for now, but here's a tip I wish I had known earlier: * If some new purchase smells like an injection molding facility (AKA everything), I scrub it 3x with soap and hot water, then hang it outside (yes really!) for a week. Somehow the sun bleaching works magic like nothing else. This process could even completely remove odor from my anti-fatigue "puzzle piece" floor mats, a process which normally takes months on its own. Okay now I'm fried. :) This has been fun! Sorry if the list is a bit scattershot. If you have specific areas you want me to focus in on, don't hesitate to ask. Hopefully at least one person can benefit from something on this list. peace. [0] eg https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C27F3Y2K/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C27F3Y2K/ [1] https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifying-Respirator/dp/B07YWLBVF2/ https://www.amazon.com/BROAD-Rechargeable-Electrical-Purifyi... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34378478 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34378478