I have Norwex microfiber cloths for EVERYTHING. Keeping paper towels out of my life was so much easier than I thought when I had them on-hand all the time! By having a scent youre excited about, you can focus on how clean the kitchen is getting, rather than the fact that you arent using a perfectly bleached piece of paper to clean your space. I love cloth napkins! These are thick and will absorb 20x their weight. I've touched on two alternatives to using paper towels, Swedish sponges clothes and unpaper towels. We've cut back but I haven't managed to cut out altogether. The one thing I will note is they do come in reusable plastic bags and that's because the towels are packaged damp (which gives them a soft, cushion feel), whereas the others are dry. Great for travel and on-the-go. It's just surprising when you realize how much of what we do is cultural. For many years, managing my restaurant, Yes very efficient to used paper towels, but I do preferred used cloth towels, for many reason towels is more absorbent than paper towels that's the main one, then you can wash it then used it all over again. Im talking about 30-50 scraps of cloth here folks. We don't have a dryer. So, a combination works best for us. It became "on purpose" late last summer when we started doing recycling projects with my son. This will actually drain more oil than paper towels. I really admire the efforts you (and your family) make to reduce the footprint you are going to leave on this Earth. I want you to move your roll away from where it's easily accessible. Most of the time we use a paper towel for tasks like wiping down a counter that can easily be done with a reusable sponge. This means seeking out products at thrift stores or slowly adding to your rag collection instead of throwing things away. All the colors and patterns are just so cute. But it's better than buying tree paper in plastic though! Simple. Ten & Co. sells a variety of sizes. These do come wrapped in plastic, which I don't love. Easier on the nose and the wallet, with a minimal amount of laundry added to the week. Then there's all the water and bleach it takes to actually manufacture them. These from Your Green Kitchen are so cute! 3 Environmental Bonuses: 1-Fabric towels are more absorbent and resilient than paper towels. I'm inspired to try again. I had the chance to meet the owner, Marie-Pierre, a few years back at the Green Living Show, and she was kind enough to gift me some of her amazing cloths. Going green doesnt have to be expensive. :). One of the major pros is that they can be placed on a paper towel rack and be pulled off in the same way. I keep the excess oil to oil my cast iron pot. Another adorable Canadian Etsy Shop that sells a huge range of the most environmentally friendly paper towel alternatives. Much prefer wind through my washing (I love seeing washing blowing on the line. Maybe I'm gross, but I don't really worry about having separate cloths for kitchen and bathroom. I have a mesh bag hanging on the inside of my cupboard under the sink for my dirty clothes, then I toss the bag in the washing machine. Okay yeah, you might do 2 more loads a month (if youre super clean) but paper towels require an extraordinary amount of water to produce, so by reusing cloth youre actually reducing your net water use. Thanks again! There is just me here, but I keep tp for the company I have that might object to no tp. lol. We use very little paper because we have a limited budget (one reason).I need to get some bar towels along with more Norwex clothes. If these are all you have, then go ahead and use them. Hi KellyI can't remember when paper towels came into being. Typically, they will last 2-3 months with average wear and tear, but these cloths can be used up to 6-12 months or 200 wash cycles. Do you have another way that you are seeking to reduce waste in your kitchen? Your email address will not be published. Moving felt like a fresh start and a time to stop scrolling through Pinterest Zero-Waste-Living pages and actually live those practices. These sponges have been a staple in Scandinavian homes for over 60 years. I love to clean, can you tell? I went to the thrift store for old towels and fabric and made them. Reuse. Keep sponges on hand. Plus, they're manufactured right in Toronto! Guests are surprised when I hand out cloth napkins at meal time but they seem to just jump right in and welcome how much better they work anyways. Hubby does like it too, but mostly we use cloths. Honestly, I enjoy folding towels/rags as it takes about 2 minutes and I feel like I've accomplished something! Thanks for the tips will have to put them to use! Think about how much paper towel you would use to clean up a spilled glass of juice. So that's why I always find wholesale towels online.By the way thanks for sharing this informative blog. Very functional and they stick together really well when rolled up. They are antibacterial, so I clean my floors, counters, cupboards, bathrooms, windows, doors, and anything else I can think of to clean with them. I picked them up here and there at thrift stores and also pulled out all the good ones we never used because I'd been saving them for special occasions. In fact, I think they smell cleaner than they did when I used to try to just use some bleach in the laundry. If you are cleaning up plant-based messes, dirt, or water, then compost them. They'll have a nice texture and will be great for scrubbing pots as well. Please don't steal my work. Things I love about these clean environmentally friendly paper towel alternatives: And after they've soaked up, wiped up, and cleaned up everything including the kitchen sink, you can toss them in your compost bin. Over time, its product line has expanded, keeping with its mission to offer efficient, quality, eco-friendly products. These became super popular a few years back and can be used to clean just about anything. Some grease or red wine stains just dont come out, and ruining a veggie pun towel is not a fun day. Rather than being necessary for keeping a clean cooking space, paper towels and Lysol wipes are just an easy convenience that companies have convinced us we need for clean spaces. I imagine most hardware stores would have the same ones. They will take about 28 days to break down, and then you've got the perfect fertilizer for your garden! Oh well. No chemicals or cleaners needed. I'm pretty sure they get by just fine in Africa without paper towels, why can't we? The patterns are simply adorable you will have a hard time choosing. We haven't used paper towels/napkins in our house for years. From veggie puns to holiday patterns, dish towels are a go-to gift from my family and friends and a favorite purchase at farmers markets and Goodwill. Adding too much vegetable oil to compost slows down the composting process. Dont use nice tea towels or dish towels that you care about. Vinegar is a disinfectant. The content of this website belongs to me. My kids help me clean. But your post is still really inspiring - of course we use paper towels here and there, but in my family the big issue might be kleenex for those running noses and 'the big green ones'. I use a dishcloth for everything (a different one for different jobs, of course :)) and old rags for the really messy things.Your stash of towels looks so neat and inspiring!Also, the bigger font is back! AND you can use them to clean absolutely anything! Get used to doing more laundry. I have baskets in key areas of the home, one labeled clean and one labeled dirty, this way your family knows exactly what to do with the dirty ones. She was using Anchor brand of a heavy ply.As for draining paper for your frying etc., if you go to the paper craft suppliers and even packaging suppliers, you can get butcher's paper which is the best in the world and it can double as paper for the kids to create wonderful art that you can gift to granny or use as wrapping paper for gifts.Cheers. Kelly, I have a friend who had done this and I was like, girl, you're crazy, but then I saw a similar product to the "unpaper towels" and thought how cute! Heres how to buy the best towels online whether for home use or for outdoor use.Best Bath Towels. Do you use it to clean a mess on the dining table or a spill in the kitchen? Choosing eco-friendly paper towel alternatives is better for your home, your pocketbook, and the planet. If you use paper towel you know you have to use more than one piece off the roll. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, your love for the Lord, and your wit and humor through life! Copyright 2016 - 2022 The Eco Hub. I love them because they are so durable. Make sure you check with your local municipality. I made cloth napkins about 12 years ago when I made my napkins. Great idea, and we're nearly there, but cloth rags and cloth napkins get stained so easily -- any suggestions for stain removal? This post actually comes at a perfect time for me. So Swedish Cloths are amazing for cleaning up and they are just one option you can choose. 3-The purchased ones can even be wrapped to fit on your existing paper towel rack! That sounds as silly as it is, but some people use paper towels to dry counters tops, or their hands and then simply toss them in the garbage. All rights reserved. Interested in learning about the safety of different products on the market? I don't think I will buy them anymore. Finish up what you have before you even consider purchasing anything new. Because we are buying something we know we are going to throw out and it's a major stain on the planet. They also make beeswax wraps with 100% organic cotton and ethically sourced beeswax. I keep old rags and cloths under the sink specifically for these kinds of messes. How do you do that? I tried giving up paper towels, but get stuck on what to do here. The company has actually tested this! The best beach towels are different from the best bath towels and the fabric material used alone should tell the difference. Are you trying too, but have no idea where to start? So affordable. We're a fully re-usable family here - except when it comes to toilet paper because no please and thank you. Running out is always a bummer. Change takes time, but I know you can do it! Acnam Infotech. We switched from paper tissues to hankies last year and it has been great! I keep at least 12 of them on hand all the time. I was hooked right away. Have at least 24 of them. Thats something very useful to practice every day. just started reading and I love your blog! It's not recommended you wash these in the dishwasher or machine, but instead, hand washes them with a natural cleaner. Lets get a close-up on the savings to your wallet AND the environment by going green: Paper towels vs. Unpaper towels! It's kind funny reading, because here in Denmark kitchen and cleaning cloths are the mainstream thing to do! Here in England I doubt you'd find paper towels for sale - we use fabric for everything except snotty noses these days - and my husband is even an exception to that! This post contains affiliate links. Because they are so soft and easy to use, you can actually end up replacing napkins, sponges, and even dish towels. It's really funny to see how different can the things be in other countries. If you found this post helpful, please help someone by sharing this article sharing is caring ! I love that they are color-coded: blue for all-purpose, yellow for a zero waste kitchen, and green for tub 'n tile. What I really love is the roll. I rarely use paper towels anymore but still buy them. Caboo tree-free household paper products are made from renewable bamboo and sugarcane not trees! I think my next step is just keeping rags easily accessible so I won't be tempted to go the "easy" route when I have a big spill. Especially good for when benches can get that stuck on bit of dunno-what. So without further ado Here are some quick tips for quitting paper towels! 2010-2013 Kelly Oribine | The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking. Innovation in cleaning, they are more effective and can completely replace conventional paper towels and cleaning rags. They get windows sparkling in no time no streaks here! Another really great feature of these is how absorbent they are. I'm so happy you're interested in eco-friendly living. Thanks for the tips!xo kerri at HollyMuffin. A peroxide-based bleach is used to brighten and whiten, a wet strength agent that makes it more water-resistant. You can use these to dry off raw meat and clean up after using meat in the kitchen. We earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Unpaper Towels are either smooth on both sides or smooth on one side and lightly textured on the other; making them a great dual-purpose clean-up cloth for your home. It's the quick-dry aspect that is a real game-changer for me and it will be for you, too. Follow this link to look up your favorite products. Here is a list of what's not compostable at home and what worms can actually eat. Buy them in bulk and save some cash. They are always coming up with more products, so stay tuned! I keep a small, mesh bag in the bathroom and place the dirty ones in there. I wash everything together with bath towels. Paper products that we use in the kitchen (and a zero waste bathroom) like towels and napkins have a massive environmental footprint. Use what you have, cut up an old t-shirt, and towels, these are great if you have a baby or a messy pet, and mopping up messes. By keeping sponges (natural non-plastic ones hopefully!) I went on a kick called 100 days of less and day 37 was all about using rags vs. paper towels. I had bought 30 towels on clearance, so you wouldn't think that it would be hard to keep a steady supply. HOW TO MAKE THE SWITCH! I keep a seperate laundry hamper in a closet right by my kitchen where I dump all my rags from both the kitchen and bathroom cleaning. You also have the option of a large sponge cloth mat, which is perfect for bigger messes and for use as a dish drying mat. In college I felt my life was busy and out of control. My rags smell very clean and we've never gotten sick. Join and get access to my totallyFREE,DETOX FOR LIFEguide when you sign up for email updates + get exclusive offers and info straight to your inbox! We decided to give up the paper towels, and it hasn't been that big of a deal since. I have lots of dish towels for the kitchen.
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