Dear Readers, when I was taking a shower yesterday I looked down and, without my glasses on, noticed a little blob in the corner that I took to be a bobble from a jumper or  some such thing. I decided to ignore it for the time being, and went on with the two shampoo, one conditioner routine that I usually have. It was only when I finished that I realised that the aforesaid ‘blob’ must have been sentient, because it had completely disappeared!

I thought no more of it until today, when I was cleaning my teeth (with my glasses on) and noticed that not only was the ‘blob’ back, but that it was actually an extremely resilient spider, though clearly one with a low sense of self-preservation. I noted earlier in the week that spiders often suffer from desiccation in our centrally-heated houses, but this one was obviously taking things to extremes.

How she (for I can currently see no pedipalps so am hedging my bets) survived the pounding from a hot ten-minute shower (I’m a bit slower after the broken leg) plus gallons of purple shampoo (to keep my ‘naturally silvery locks’ silver) not to mention my amber and oud shower gel I have no idea, but I am regarding the little arachnid with a new respect. Later today I shall encourage her to relocate to somewhere else in the bathroom, and I shall make doubly sure to check all corners of the shower stall before entering. After all, having survived this ordeal (and quite possibly a number of previous ones) I think she deserves another chance. I’m going to call her ‘Harriet’ because she is surprisingly hairy.

And incidentally….I am rather liking the deodorant and shower gel that I’m getting from Wild. You buy one case and then you can buy refills – the cases are made from recycled plastic, and the shower gel or deodorant comes in a completely recyclable cardboard container that you just slot into your case. The deodorant lasts for at least a month with daily usage and they have a wide variety of scents, plus some for people with sensitive skins. There’s no palm oil, no parabens or other nasties. And no, I’m not on commission. I find the deodorant very effective, and the shower gel is lovely and seems to last forever. So if you’re thinking to reduce your plastic usage, or cut back on the chemicals in your toiletries, I’d recommend Wild. Every little helps, I’m sure.

Has anyone else made a switch to a new company for environmental/ethical reasons lately? Any recommendations? Let me know in the comments, and I might knock a blogpost together if I hear about some good suppliers. Often, little companies don’t get the credit for innovation that they deserve.