[Steva]

I have been wanting to do away with paper towels. I know I can use cloth but what about greasy foods?

I don’t know as I want to put greasy cloths in my washer and dryer or just just even my washer. Won’t it make it smell??

Please help me with your thoughts, suggestions and advice.

[Amanda]

I bought 1 pack of paper towels 2 years ago to use for grease and pet messes. Still haven’t even used half.

Use cloth for everything else

[Toby]

I use a strainer for hamburger meat and when it’s semi solid it goes into the can/jar as well

[Teresa]

I use paper bags or newspapers with a single layer of paper towel on top to prevent ink transfer onto food when draining deep fried food.

[Stacy]

I use cloth when it makes sense as much as possible, and keep paper towels for the yucky stuff

[Lynne]

In my op there is no reason ( for my family) NOT to use them. I buy bounty-only brands I buy.

And they will last me months. Using cloths will only increase water use, laundry detergent, smells,stains etc

[Mary]

Sis in law says use old t-shirts. Cut them into rags and throw them away. Don’t bother washing them.

[Julia]

Use cut up t-shirts and throw them away when you’re done cleaning up the grease.

[Jess]

I use paper towels or wet wipes for serious clean ups, you can put the cloth in the dishwasher to wash the grease off too, or soak it in a soapy bowl for a few hours

[Barbara]

Great question, because we don’t want being frugal to cost in the long run! I wipe out my greasy pans with newspaper and put it all in a coffee can under the sink.

I save socks and t shirts I would have thrown anyway for icky messes, and then just throw.

Washable rags and towels for easy messes, paper towels for the worst messes.

[Joanne]

buy a pack of washclothes and use them for papertowels. If you get the colored ones, they look nicer longer.

But you can bleach the solid white ones as well.

[Angelique]

I use towels and cloth napkins. I wash them separate. I have not had any issue with smells.

[Coral]

I cut up old towels, t shirts, sheets etc, throw out greasy/ dirty ones, wash others in with regular washing.

[Andrea]

There’s no rule that you can’t throw away a particularly gross, messy, greasy cloth rag.

You can buy rags or just cut up worn towels, cotton bedsheets, t-shirts, etc.

Cotton bedsheets make excellent rags for buffing mirrors & windows: if you feel resistance, it’s a smear.

I laundr my cleaning rags in hot water with detergent & bleach, then fold them & separate into plastic shopping bags.

I keep some under the bath vanity, kitchen sink & in the laundry room.

A roll of paper towels perforated to 1/2 size are hung underneath a kitchen cupboard near the sink for hand drying or quick clean ups. I probably go through 2 rolls/year max.

I also carry a handkerchief in my purse & keep one in each coat pocket.

If I’m outside working in the yard I use bandanas as headbands/perspiration guards to keep sweat out of my eyes.

I usually tie one to my Carhardt’s for wiping or blowing my nose.

I have a large amount of beautifully embroidered lacy kerchiefs from my mother: I recall as a child she would put her saliva on her kerchief to clean off any breakfast remains on our faces on the way to
church.

People got along fine without paper towels, tissues & even toilet paper. The use of bidets is exploding around the world.

Wiping feces off of derrières without any moisture is really NOT cleaning yourself: running warmed water on your privates is a much more sanitary way to clean the area plus reduces the amount of toilet tissue to practically none.

Whether you have a septic tank or your waste goes to a treatment center, the amount of waste is reduced considerably.

[Carol]

I use cloth except for pet messes or things that will stain them, since I use the nice ones as napkins too, and I might go through 1 large roll of paper towels in 3-4 months or so.

I bought a large package a year or two ago and am still working on it.

[Mikeand]

I use rags whenever possible, but also purchase a package of inexpensive napkins a few times a year.

[Nikki]

We mostly use cloth, but have paper on hand for yucky things like pet messes, stuff that shouldn’t go down the drain, and to use as napkins when eating very messy or staining foods.

We go through about 4 rolls a year, with most of those being for animal messes since we have a small farm.

Most grease either gets reused or soaked up with oatmeal for wild birds in the winter, so it’s usually only one paper towel to wipe a greasy pan, and that paper towel gets set aside to use as a fire starter for the wood stove when needed.

[Nancy]

You can reduce paper by using rags that you wash once a month or so separately with a small bit of bleach (this also cleans your washer).

But it’s OK to use a few paper towels.

[Sharon]

I use paper towels if real greasy or sauce like.i bought these little rags like things at dollar store,like size if your hand,they last along time,n I just clean in the sink

[Annette]

Sweedish dish cloths are the best. You can get a dozen at Costco for about $9. I got some for Christmas last year.

Didn’t even know what they were! Now I love them and will never go back.

[Rebecca]

I bought some bamboo replacements, but I like the other solutions for everything but pet messes.

[Bjuster]

Use cloths for any spills, except for greasy things. We have one paper towel roll for greasy things. We like it.

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