Comments on: On not using paper towels

By: Broke in Ohio and Loving it.I've never felt so free!

Broke in Ohio and Loving it.I've never felt so free! — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:09:21 +0000

Now that’s a good idea! also,you can buy nice tea towels at thrift stores for fifty cents or a dollar-they are usually new! they are nice to have around,you can use those for alot of things…napkins,cleanup,dish towels and they dry pretty fast.I’ve had more since I’ve been broke than when I was working.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:10:36 +0000

O.K., I need to confess…I use to be 100% addicted to only using paper towels. As a child, I remember having my face washed with a disgusting dirty, smelly dish rag! I hated it!!! However, I have evolved I have cut up my old towels. In the morning, I fill a small bowl of hot water & dish soap. I dip my rag in there to wipe up & clean. I don’t allow it to get disgusting!! I, too, hang the towels to dry before they make it to the washer. I clean out the bowl & start over. Please be patient with others who are working through chilhood issues. You never know why people do the things they do. ( I have a 85 year old friend who uses the same paper towel to dry her hands all day. She hangs in on her dish rack to dry.)

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:19:04 +0000

I’ve been using cut up receiving blankets-the thin flannel ones as a replacement for paper towels.You can usually cut 5 or 6 good sized cloths from one baby blanket,and they work great and dry out fast.It’s best to use pinking shears to cut,that way they don’t fray in the wash.They work great.

By: zamipoo

zamipoo — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 23:19:27 +0000

I have a roommate that has to wipe dishes dry with papertowel, dry his hands with paper towel wipe the counters with paper towel. Every time I catch him I tell him how wasteful it is and explain again what the tea towel is for as well as the washcloths in the sink. Then the very next morning I get up and there is a huge wad of like 10 paper towels in the trash can – NOT the green bin!

By: Sarah D

Sarah D — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:34:16 +0000

That’s an awesome tip. Thanks for that. I’ll try it.

By: Sarah D

Sarah D — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:18:38 +0000

I use rags pretty often too, but I do have a weakness for paper towels in the kitchen. If they’re there, I use them. So maybe I should just hide them. Ha ha!!! Anyway, another one of my go-to cleaning products are those disinfecting wipes we often use for toilet wipe-downs. We have 3 boys, ages ranging from 9 down to 3—need I say more. I usually have the wipes sitting on top of each of our three toilets. But it adds up–the money and the garbage. Your post inspired me to get thinking about an alternative. I came up with something I’m trying it in our master bath for now. I have a bunch of baby washcloths that I don’t use anymore. They’re really thin and pretty small, so they fold up really compact in a small pile on top of my toilet tank, and don’t add much to the laundry. I use my homemade all purpose cleaning spray (2 T ammonia, 2 T laundry detergent, 1 quart water mixed in a spray bottle), spray it around the rim and seat, etc and then wipe down with the little baby washcloths, which then gets tossed into the laundry. So far so good. Thanks for the nudge.

By: Bankruptcy Ben

Bankruptcy Ben — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:07:43 +0000

In my town you can get “bags-of-rags” from thrift or charity stores. Basically any clothes that are donated that are stained/in poor condition/ragged get thrown in the rags pile and turned into bags-of-rags. Perfect for cleaning up spills and they like.

In regard to cleaning up after dogs… that’s what news papers for !

By: Jenn

Jenn — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:28:04 +0000

if you are a coffee drinker you can use a coffee filter to soak up the grease.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:06:33 +0000

I’m working on using fewer paper towels. I decided to put the roll in the hallway closet. That way, I get used to pick up a rag or towel, since they are closer than the closet. My little trick has worked well. I’ve only used one piece since I put them in the closet. I’m also using cloth napkins as well.

By: Theora55

Theora55 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:30:34 +0000

I use dish towels and wash them frequently. They go in with my regular laundry so there’s no added cost. I use cloth napkins, exclusively. They last a really long time. I can fold a cloth napkin in about 10 seconds. yes it’s an added chore, but a pretty small chore. And, I have less trash to take out. Cloth napkins are so much nicer to use – get all cotton or linen, not polyester.

Newspaper does a great job of absorbing bacon grease. I have a wood stove and newspaper with bacon grease is a great firestarter.