Chemical Swap
We’ve all been here - you buy the wrong shade of foundation, the touch-up paint from a small household project wasn’t quite right, the laundry detergent scent gave you a headache, the perfume smelled better in the store…you get the idea. Sometimes purchases either don’t go exactly right, or we bought something for one specific purpose, used 2 ounces, and now have 30 ounces left sitting in a cabinet or garage, just taking up space. When this happens, my instinct is to hold onto it. If I toss it, I’ve wasted whatever money I’ve spent, and the only thing worse to me than having a product be not-quite-right is feeling like I’ve wasted money. This is where the concept of a chemical swap comes in to save the day (and your over-crowded under sink cabinets).
When we say “chemical swap,” perhaps you’re thinking of dangerous chemicals and toxic items in your home, but really we’re talking about so many of the safe, nontoxic products we purchase for everyday tasks that we all have lying around such as cleaning supplies, laundry products, makeup, and toiletries. Think about the personal care items you have purchased that didn’t perform as you’d hoped, but felt wasteful to throw away, or household products that were one-time use and now just sit instead of fulfilling their mission in life, be it fertilizing plants, killing weeds, or staining furniture. Ok, admittedly some of these chemicals are a little toxic, but that’s why this is a party for grownups, and even more important to not just throw in our trashcans. Now that we know what kinds of chemicals we’re dealing with, let’s chat about the “swap.”
Like me, you would probably prefer to not just throw away these items because as I say (probably too often for my husband’s liking), “someone could use this.” I hate waste. I hate throwing things away and I hate hate hate feeling like I’ve thrown my money away. If I’m not going to use something I bought, I really like knowing someone else will, so for me, getting some friends together to swap our products is a perfect fix for my hatred of waste. Sure, you could send a text out to some friends randomly when you discover these items one at a time, or set them outside for strangers to grab as they’re walking by, or offer them on your local Buy Nothing page, but if there’s an excuse for a party, I think we should take it. Hosting a chemical swap event is both more fun and more efficient than passing items off one at a time.
So how do we do it? First, go through key spots in your home where these products might be hiding. I’m talking under kitchen and bathroom sinks, in your basement storage area, laundry room cabinets, and garages & sheds. Take inventory of what you find that you’d like to part with. You might decide that two parties are in order: one for personal care & beauty products, and one for household products. Next, invite your friends and neighbors to join in on the fun by decluttering their own homes and bringing their haul to the event. From there, it’s quite simple. Refreshments, a poppin’ playlist, and everyone mingles and eventually takes home the products they’re excited about that someone else no longer has a use for. It’s truly a win win for everyone.
If you host your own chemical swap party this summer, we’d love for you to tag us in a photo on Instagram so we can see your party in action.
If you get to decluttering and realize there’s so much more to be done and feel overwhelmed, we’re here for you. Reach out to us to schedule a time for one of our organizers to whip those cabinets into shape so you don’t have to.
Now, let’s party!
— Colleen