stupid products, smart consumers - how repair culture change everything // the repair series (ep 2)

[@christopherlee7334]

Repair culture is another reason that sticking with simpler, analog tools and appliances is sometimes better. Maybe the coffee maker can't make you a caramel mocha latte with a heart in the froth, but it'll last you three generations and requires nothing more than a screwdriver to fix. Maybe the toaster doesn't sing when it's done or send a notification to your phone, but it toasts like a charm and works as well as it did when your grandmother used it.

[@anaalves3658]

😂😂😂 I like the idea of the singing toaster. My husband is in I.T. and he prefers to have a more low tech home, he knows how fast technology changes and how you have to keep up with it or the systems that you have in place become obsolete quickly. It's a never ending rat race 😢.

[@Kyrrichan]

When I first met my husband and we moved in together, he just casually repaired his flickering monitor by going to an electronics store, buying a soldering iron and new capacitors and putting those in. It worked and I was SO fascinated that he just knew how to do that. He figured out what's wrong and went on to fix it. I still love that mentality about him :)

[@begumozpinar2656]

Last week, the button on our electric kettle broke. Since the latch wasn't holding, it couldn't heat the water. Even though I have no repair experience, I decided to try fixing it before buying a new one. I opened it up, took a look, and was able to repair it. It was much easier than I thought. I live in Turkey. There are repair clubs in Istanbul, but I wish they were more widespread. For example, i still use a food processor that my mother bought in the 90s, but one of the parts is broken. If these repair clubs were more widespread, I could design the broken part in 3D and print it to repair it. I think one reason people avoid repairing things and buy new products is that they lack the necessary courage and time. I felt the same way when I was younger. Now that I'm in my 40s, I'm worried about the world we're leaving behind. But this lifestyle has also given me new skills and knowledge, allowed me to save money, and spend that money on more experiences with loved ones. I also like that old things have more story and soul than new ones. Love the series ❤

[@anaalves3658]

Time can be a factor in people not fixing things or having it fixed, I have a couple of jerseys that have a tiny hole which I need to fix, they have been on my to do list for almost 2 weeks and still not done 🙄🤦‍♀️. I will get there 😂. One of them is about 20 years old and still going strong 😊

[@begumozpinar2656]

@@anaalves3658 It's understandable that finding time to fix small things can be challenging, especially when life gets busy. But extending their life even further brings a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. ✌

[@anaalves3658]

@begumozpinar2656 I made the time yesterday after watching the video 👍😁. Now my sweaters are actually going to be used 😂👍

[@Sam82Smith]

Love this series! My husband repaired our 10 year old washing machine thanks to a bit of you tube watching and googling. He bought a second hand part off ebay for £6 and repaired it. Since then, it has been going for another 3 years and is still working great. Just off now to repair some pyjamas 😁

[@ShanaH414]

Did anyone else notice that Linda's top was a handknit? I'm pretty sure it's an Ankers Tee by PetiteKnits. Wonderful to see handmade clothing while talking about repair culture!

[@naomivandenbroek3848]

Me too! I've knitted the sweater version of this - first thing I noticed!

[@bessbramley4242]

Loving this series so far! One thing I hope you'll talk about is the time/energy cost of repairing items. I'm a pretty skilled sewer but a few years ago I developed a chronic illness and now there's a pile of clothes that I want to repair, know how to repair but just don't have the physical energy to repair myself. Finding someone else to repair them is difficult and expensive, and I don't have the energy to travel to something like a repair cafe (even if there was one near me). Those of us with chronic illnesses and disabilities often need to very carefully budget our time and energy. This needs to be kept in mind when we're trying to build a culture of repair, otherwise there's a risk of a divide between able and disabled people, and potentially adding an additional financial or emotional burden on disabled people (I feel super guilty about my pile of clothes awaiting repair and shame about buying new items when there is something I know how to repair but don't have the energy). To be clear I'm not saying that we shouldn't build a culture of repair because of disabled people, but that they needed to be considered - preferably right from the beginning - while building such a culture.

[@Gittemary]

I think this is a very interesting point- how could we make sure that people with disabilities are included as well, through circular business models, for through design? ✨

[@bessbramley4242]

@Gittemary I think it's about making sure the impetus isn't solely on an individual to repair all of their different types of items themselves. Partially by offering incentives for companies to provide services to repair the items they make. But also by pooling skills in the community, like the repair cafes but more trading skills type cooperatives: I mend your shirt, and you mend my broken chair leg type thing. It's key, though, to make sure there are options to exchange money (or at least vouchers of some sort) for these services as well. While disabled people may not have specific repair skills to trade (some will, but not all - and some may have other useful skills to trade like poster design or email list admin) they do tend to receive financial support from the state which, either in the form of cash or specific government vouchers, could then be exchanged for these services. The other big thing is making sure that there are pick up and drop off options for repair services as many disabled people have trouble leaving the house or travelling far. On an individual level, this means being aware of your disabled neighbours and offering to mend stuff for them or take stuff to a repair cafe for them. Repair cafe organisers could similarly think about offering lift shares or pick up and drop off of items for disabled community members. In online (and local, but particularly online) communities, it is important to make sure the attitude is never one of shaming individuals for not repairing items - you don't know what someone is dealing with - but instead offering to help wherever you can, or at least enquiring about what the barriers are to repair. You personally are very good in that respect, and it's appreciated! But some members of the sustainability community occasionally need the reminder. Disabled people are often already dealing with a lot of mental weight, guilt and emotional pain from living with their disability, adding additional feelings of shame for not repairing items (or not being able to participate in any other sustainability action) only causes harm and discourages people from participating in the community in the future.

[@pompom8030]

Wow, thank you for this comment! ❤

[@anaalves3658]

​@@bessbramley4242well said 😊. I have recently been recovering from a fractured tibia and had to spend weeks of my leg 🦵, I was judgemental of people who would let their homes get out of hand and who didn't bother with recycling or finding a home for unwanted stuff. But I see things differently now, not being able to move freely impacted my mental health so much, I didn't have the will or the energy to do what I know is the correct thing to do, I definitely wouldn't have had the energy to get something fixed when it is so much easier to have it delivered to my door in a short period of time. We need to build stronger knit communities that ask their neighbours if they need help with stuff and lend each other tools to make those repairs 😊.

[@sharmzm30]

Tape used to waterproof camping tents might’ve been a good option for the umbrella!

[@BananaNation]

I think so too, I don't think the glue going to hold. I got some transparent "adhesive patch for rainwear" the other day. Just iron it on.

[@BlueAv]

Ohh, I am loving the new series and interview format! Can't wait to listen to many more clever and interesting people.

[@clairereilly2778]

I love to try and repair things, but it takes time, and that is a resource many of us have little of. I love the idea of the repair cafe. Having access to the tools would be great. Otherwise, you end up buying more stuff to fix your stuff.

[@rochelle2758]

I love volunteering at my public library's repair cafe in the Inland Northwest of the U.S. I don't know if this is as much an issue in Europe, but the whole idea of "voiding the warranty" if you dare to open up a product is also part of what intimidates American consumers into not trying repair. I find the Right to Repair movement really interesting, and I hope you get the chance to talk about it a little as I would love to learn more.

[@roseelise]

Loved hearing from Linda!! This was one of my favorite videos you've ever made!

[@Gittemary]

Thank you!!! 🥹✨ she’ll be back! 💪

[@BananaNation]

I just love repairing! Last year I started my own business as a travelling bikemechanic. It's been super popular and it feels good to offer something else then the big chains that really would prefer if you buy a new bike from them instead of repairing the old. I also love sewing and have a sideproject turning old inner tubes into usefull stuff. The point about confidence is so true and important! I feel like i can fix anything (with time and the right parts/tools/instructions), but it wasn't always like that, its truly a skill to learn. It warms my heart to see kids repair stuff and get the confidenceboost from it. I really want to have bike repair workshops with kids!

[@adraciregnal]

I couldn’t agree more with this video. For me KZbin and the Internet in general was a huge game changer. There’s always a video of somebody who had your exact problem and knows how to fix it and those are the perfect guides. I love how it enables me to fix things beyond my innate capabilities. ❤

[@valid_sound_and_furious961]

Lovely video! Just an English pro tip: We use "repair" as the noun form talking about repairing things. So when we're talking about repair, when we're making repairs, discussing what encourages repair. "Reparations" (at least in the US) refers to payments made to people who were affected by historical evils like slavery. (These are mostly hypothetical; it's a movement our government has not accepted and followed through on.) One makes repairs to a device, but pays reparations to someone whose ancestors suffered.

[@anaalves3658]

I was going to say the same thing. It's an honest mistake. And I think that the way that you put it was kind and informative, well done 👍😊

[@BananaNation]

In Norwegians (very similar to Danish) we say "reparasjon", so def a language thing. I didn't know it had that meaning in english tho 😅 TIL

[@fotinidaifron352]

My wireless speaker stopped working a bunch of years ago. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, I just wanted to try getting it repaired before buying a new one. After years of procrastinating, I started asking tech shops of they can repair it. The one I managed to find told me that they don't know if it's worth it (without even seeing it) and that it would cost to even open it and examine it. Then one day, it hit me. It's already broken, I might as well open it up. I was suspecting that the problem was the battery. I removed it, my electrical engineer boyfriend measured the battery, and indeed it was empty. We managed to find a battery to replace and it works! It only cost about 10€! I was so proud and so happy! Getting my boyfriend's help to fix it meant so much more than him buying me a new one (as we wanted to)! A little googling, a few KZbin videos and a help from a loved one can not only reduce waste but create a cherishable moment. (The first song we played was of course "Staying Alive")

[@orangeandcalico]

i love this series so much!!! I'd love to learn with you how to repair specific items. I'm currently repairing my leggings because im not throwing them out simply due to a small hole. 😂

[@Gittemary]

I know the feeling 😂🫶

[@megantorri1711]

I love this thought process, if to is broken and is of no value then what can I hurt to try to repair it myself. And think of the satisfaction it can bring.❤

[@Britbec]

Thank you so much! Excellent, much needed content.

[@Gittemary]

Thank you for watching ❤️

[@CreativeRedundancy]

Listening intently ❤and reading especially to Linda. So many valid points and 7:23. Yes I saw the hidden bonus item ;) take CaRe

[@Gittemary]

Thank you for watching, and listening ✨💪 Linda is an absolute powerhouse 💯

[@lilred312benett6]

"May your cereal forever be soggy." Truly gold. I have a laptop that could use some new speakers. Think it's time for a repair!

[@pompom8030]

Thanks, such a good idea. And interesting to watch. I just learned swiss darning, and started visible mending for my clothes. It's a way of preserving those things from trash, growing fonder of them and showing the beauty in imperfect things. I'm excited for the next episode. Lovely christmas time ❤

[@WanettaAtencio]

Clear nail polish might have also worked to fix the umbrella. That used to be used to stop runs in pantie hose back in the eighties.

[@jamierose156]

i remember always carrying around a bottle in my blazer pocket at school in the 90s for that reason

[@justynaaleksiejuk1802]

I love this idea of repairing cafes and communities! I admit that repairing the tech is definitely most intimidating ones. And sometimes it comes to be easier than we thought.

[@emilybolen128]

Such rich knowledge here. I love this

[@kalayaanlinus]

in august, i bought a fairphone and i was genuinely amazed that you can open up the back side of your phone and you can just repair it!! the phone's price was very similair to samsung and iphone so i was really happy cause fairphone guarantees that it will provide updates till 2031. like wowww omg!! i really hope one day they will make laptops too though

[@katrinao8902]

It always amazes me how many items you cannot buy replacement parts for. I now find value in purchasing “expensive” brands of tech/appliances if I know they offer replacements parts for purchase.

[@qdhmkd]

Thank you! I love your chanel very much!

[@kitkat88816]

Same she is the best channel on this platform! I get so happy when she uploads 😊

[@Gittemary]

Thank you so much 🥹

[@socksandsandalsASMR]

Congratulations for the series! ❤very interesting and relevant

[@cziegle3794]

Yay top 171 and top 13 likes and comments. Love this channel. Best to you and your family. Thanks for making this video. Happy holidays!!!

[@MS-ni4gj]

I enjoy these! I already mend/repair/make for myself, but I am checking to see if there are any repair cafes locally I can offer my skills to.

[@alisonbirchall262]

Interestingly, your question of 'is it bad luck to open an umbrella inside?' is in fact a prime example of planned obsolescence. Apparently, the first umbrella shops would tell customers this, in the hope that they wouldn't leave their umbrellas open to dry after use and therefore ruin them and need to buy new ones sooner!

[@ssedarius]

Try clear tent repair tape on your umbrella 🤗

[@bergdis1996]

You could try to cut a double sided tape to fit under the silicone strip on your laptop. You would need to get a thin double sided tape and clean up any tape that is left over from the original glue.

[@יולהוייסבלך]

If the glue alone doesn't help, try next time to glue fabric on both sides. and use waterproof glue. Goid luck

[@Gittemary]

Will keep that in mind 😍

[@chicboutique9186]

Something fell out of my cupboard and smashed my induction cooktop. Fortunately, it can be repaired. Unfortunately, the repair is going to cost 2600kr., which is about what paid for the cooktop new. Even still, I'm going with the repair vs. replacing. Cost aside, it seems a waste to throw out something that still works. New glass is 1300kr., but I don't know if I dare to attempt it myself. Any idea if it's worth attempting on my own?

[@angeladol6140]

Thank you

[@Skaði]

Hell, my parents gave me an old Ipad they didn't use anymore to read and write which works well. But Apple decided not updating it to the newest ios anymore meaning eventually it will just be a brick. While it works perfectly fine! But I can't even download Google Docs because it needs the newest update.. it basically becomes waste. Often you can't even use it to refurbish other tablets.

[@Szynszula]

I have 1 question - Iunderstand that we wanto to have easy to repair phones, but because they're glued they can last longer in terms of not being able to drown them. Also dust is not getting there. I just switched a year ago to a phhone that can finally be called water and dust proof, which killed my previous phones 2 times.

[@Gittemary]

I understand where you’re coming from, but if you look at past phones, like the one in the video, which I remember as being repairable if wet/dusty, yet it doesn’t have any glue. Design-wise there are ways if getting around this issue without glueing the phone together, and we can say that with certainty because we’ve seen it happen in the past ✨